Going 0-7-1 in its final eight regular season games certainly wasn’t in the plan for the Pinkerton Academy ice hockey squad. But wins just weren’t to be had for the Astros down the stretch run.
In its second to last contest of the season, the Pinkerton crew had a potential victory against a struggling squad get away when the Astros dropped a 5-3 decision to host Nashua South at the Conway Arena Wednesday, Feb. 24.
The Nashuans scored the first two goals of the game, both in the first period, with one coming on a power-play. And before the night was through, the host Purple Panthers would enjoy seven man-advantages.
The Astros trimmed their deficit down to 2-1 a mere 13 seconds into the second period when Eddie Welch tallied with the assists going to Nick Trask and Pat Hare.
Later in that stanza, PA tied it up on a Gennaro Marra goal that was set up by Brenden Banks and Lucas Maciarelli.
But South got the go-ahead goal past Pinkerton freshman goalie Dakota Robinson to end the second.
Mid-way through the third period PA tied it again on a Banks goal which was set up by Colin Leighton.
South scored the game-winner with three minutes left, and then added an empty-net goal to make it 5-3.
The Astros then traveled north to Berlin, Saturday, Feb. 27, to end their season. And it wasn’t a productive trip against one of the top Division III teams in the Berlin-Gorham Mountaineers.
“Berlin, which was celebrating its 12 seniors on Senior Night, came ready to play and took the play to us from the opening drop,” said coach Ryan Piper.
There were a total of 19 penalties drawn between the teams. The hosts scored once in the first period, twice in the second, and they added another in the third to win 4-0. The Mountaineers also out-shot the 4-13-1 Astros by a 39-37 margin.
