EXETER, N.H. — Owen McCormack knew something had to be done.
With a return trip to the Division 1 state title game on the line, Pinkerton struggled to find its form, and entered the second half tied, with Exeter in control.
“The first half was tough,” said McCormack. “My mind set is always to make something happen, but after a rough half like that, it was rushing through my mind. I got myself open, the shot was there and I took it. And it happened to go in.”
Just 49 seconds into the second half, McCormack took a pass and fired home a goal from a seemingly impossible angle to the left of the goalie to give his team the lead.
Star Ryan Auger followed with two more goals in the next 59 seconds, and it was all Pinkerton from there, as the No. 2 seed Astros beat No. 3 Exeter 13-8 in torrential rain at Bill Ball Field.
The victory sends Pinkerton (18-2) back to the Division 1 state title game, to face archrival and top seed Bishop Guertin (20-0) on Saturday at 7 p.m. back in Exeter.
“It feels amazing,” said Chad Teresky. “Getting back to the championship game is a great feeling. That’s the goal. We’ve been working so hard. We knew Exeter was a good team. But everyone stepped up. Playing in the title game will be amazing, and hopefully we will win the Division 1 state championship.”
This marks the sixth straight season that Pinkerton and Bishop Guertin will face off in the Division 1 championship game. The Cardinals have won four of those matchups, with the Astros taking the title in 2015.
Bishop Guertin beat Pinkerton 13-11 in the team’s lone regular season matchup this spring.
“The ultimate goal is to beat BG and win the title,” said Auger. “It’s a big deal for us to get the title. That’s been the goal since Day 1. There’s a lot of pressure, but if we go out and do our job and have fun, we’re going to get it done.”
At halftime on Tuesday, however, Pinkerton appeared vulnerable.
Exeter controlled the ball for most of the second quarter, scoring three times to make it 6-6 at the break.
“Exeter caught up and we had to see how tough we really were,” said Teresky. “Matt Newman is the heart and soul of the team. At halftime he was the one that spoke up, cheered us up and got us going for the second half. We said, ‘Lets come out, playing like Pinkerton and get to the championship.’”
McCormack wasted no time giving the Astros momentum again, firing home his first of two goals in the game.
“That goal was huge,” said Auger. “I feel like that gave us so much momentum and really started us going.”
Auger followed just 35 second later with a goal, and added another 24 second after that. The reigning Eagle-Tribune MVP now has 63 goals for the season.
The Astros kept the heat on from there, outscoring Exeter 4-0 in the third period, and making it 11-5 before Exeter could catch its breath.
“Coming out and getting those first few goals changed the momentum of the game,” said McCormack. “Ryan’s two after mine were big. We have had a few games like this. Now we have to come out hot in the championship.”
McCormack, who was a fan on the sidelines when the Astros won the title in 2015, now hopes to fulfill his lifelong dream.
“Nothing would compare to getting the win in the title game,” said the junior. “We want it more than anything in the world. I’ve wanted this my whole life. I always dreamed of playing lacrosse for Pinkerton, and it’s just amazing to have a chance to win the title.”
Rivalry renewed
Pinkerton and Bishop Guertin have a long history of facing off with the Division 1 state title on the line. Here’s a look at their title game matchups.
2017 Bishop Guertin 11, Pinkerton 6
2016 Bishop Guertin 9, Pinkerton 8
2015 Pinkerton 9, Bishop Guertin 7
2014 Bishop Guertin 10, Pinkerton 6
2013 Bishop Guertin 13, Pinkerton 6
2011 Bishop Guertin 11, Pinkerton 8
2008 Bishop Guertin 14, Pinkerton 11
2006 Pinkerton 13, Bishop Guertin 7
2005 Bishop Guertin 10, Pinkerton 8
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Boys Lacrosse, 06/05/18 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars
Pinkerton's boys lacrosse team scored the first six goals and led 14-1 at halftime on its way to a 17-7 quarterfinal win over Nashua South. Chad Teresky scored four times for the Astros (17-2) and Ryan Auger had two goals and five assists. Pinkerton will face Exeter at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Bill Ball Stadium in the semifinals.
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Boys Lacrosse, 06/02/18 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars
Tied after regulation, Pinkerton lacrosse potted the game-winner in overtime when Chad Teresky buried a pass from Tom Sweeney to earn a huge, 14-13, cross-state win over Lincoln-Sudbury. Teresky led the Astros with four goals, and Alex Sturgess made 15 saves.
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Boys Lacrosse, 05/22/18 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars
Pinkerton and defending Mass. Division 2 state runner-up Longmeadow went down to the wire with the Bay Staters hanging on for a 12-11 win. Mason Drouin (3 goals), Owen McCormack (2 goals) and Genarro Marra (2 goals) led the 12-2 Astros.
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Boys Lacrosse, 05/12/18 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars
Pinkerton boys lacrosse held on to its 4-3 halftime lead to squeak past Cohasset, 8-7. Ryan Auger, Tom Sweeney and Owen McCormack each scored twice for the Astros.
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Boys Lacrosse, 05/05/18 » 0 Comments & 0.0 Stars
