NASHUA – Hollis Brookline brought a 12-game win streak into Wednesday’s Division II boys lacrosse semifinal at Stellos Stadium.

The momentum wasn’t nearly enough to overcome the buzz saw of undefeated, defending champion Derryfield.

The second-seeded Cougars scored the first six goals and rolled to a 16-4 victory, punching a ticket to the D-II title game for a third straight season.

“It’s a really unique opportunity,” Derryfield coach Chris Hettler said. “We’re looking forward to a great game on Saturday. We’re going to have to play our best.”

The Cougars (19-0) will play No. 4 Portsmouth – a 16-7 winner over No. 1 Dover in the semifinal nightcap at Stellos – on Saturday at Exeter’s Bill Ball Stadium starting at 5 p.m.

Derryfield’s triumph on Wednesday ended a strong campaign for the third-seeded Cavaliers (15-4).

HB coach Rich MacDonough knew the Cougars would present an uphill battle.

“They’re terrific,” MacDonough said of Derryfield, which led 9-1 at halftime. “They’re incredibly fast. They’re very disciplined. They never quit on any ground ball like no team I’ve ever seen and that comes from their coaching staff, who are friends of mine and we certainly have a lot of respect for how they play.

“We got beaten and we didn’t like that,” he added, “but we’re also lacrosse players and we’re lacrosse fans, so we admire it.”

Robbie Dowst paced the Derryfield attack with four goals, while Jon Maclean netted a hat trick. Connor Glosner added two goals and two assists, while Lee Sipes also tacked on two helpers and a score. Eric Mayer and John Anderson chipped in two goals apiece. Gunnar Senatore also scored and freshman Henry Howe delivered the final blow with 3.9 seconds remaining.

The balanced offensive onslaught has been a staple for the Cougars.

“That’s been our model all season long,” Hettler said. “When people scout us, if they want to say, ‘We’re going to shut down Lee Sipes.’ Great, then okay, we have six or seven other guys who are going to step up.

“It makes our team really hard to stop that way,” he added. “I’m really happy and impressed with the unselfishness of this team. They’ve really come together.”

Avry Truex tallied 11 saves to stifle the HB offense.

“I told the guys that playoffs is all about limiting opportunities for the other team,” Hettler said. “If we can keep a team under five goals every game, we’re going to have a really good shot at winning a championship.”

The Cavaliers were led by Will Crosby, who recorded two goals and assist, while Nick Hinchliffe added a goal and a helper. Brandon Tamposi scored and Ryan Olson had an assist. Garrett Moloney made 14 saves in net.

The defeat marked the end of the first season at the helm for MacDonough, who credited his squad for sticking together through the spring.

“My team overcame all kinds of adversity,” MacDonough explained. “We couldn’t get on a field for the first month because our field’s always soaked. We overcame personal tragedy on the team and at the school. Sometimes, I felt like I was more shrink than coach, but I love my kids and I’m a big fan of what they accomplished.”