There aren’t many similarities between lacrosse and soccer, yet Matt Regan is still experiencing an enjoyable case of deja vu.

Regan coached the Pelham High School lacrosse team that was 2-12 in 2008 and a state semifinalist in 2009. He senses a similar turnaround for his soccer squad, one that ended its season with a 6-2 victory against visiting Milford on Friday, Oct. 23.

Following the triumph, the Pythons concluded their 2009 campaign with a 4-12-0 record. The team does not lose a senior off its roster.

“I was able to do it with lacrosse because we had a lot of talented juniors who became seniors and rose to a whole new level,” said Regan. “By doing that, they bring everyone with them.”

Sophomore forward Alec Paradis connected on a feed from junior Ryan White midway through the first half, giving Pelham a 1-0 edge.

White concluded the firsthalf scoring when he found the back of the net five minutes prior to intermission, extending the lead to 2-0.

Evan Skinner, also a sophomore, scored early in the second half to give his team a three-goal lead, and the outcome was not in doubt again.

The Pelham starting lineup against Milford included five juniors, four sophomores and two freshmen, including one who should be central to the PHS attack for years to come.

Rafeal Decampos is a tall and powerful player who possesses tremendous abilities both with the ball and in the air, said Regan, though the mentor understands his young midfielder has work to do.

“When he’s on his game, everyone molds around him,” said Regan. “The games he played good, we won. The games we lost, well, he was a freshman. He’s going to be a spectacular player.” DeCampos and Peter Figurito also scored for Pelham, while Brian Finney made eight saves.

Sophomore Derrick Defranzo has started his first two years at the school and was recently joined up front by Paradis, previously a midfielder.

The Pelham mentor said he’s excited about the duo’s potential thanks to the speed and quickness each possesses. “You can tell they’re sophomores,” said Regan. “They’re still raw. If we can hone those skills, they’re going to be extremely hard to defend in the next couple of years.”

Despite its poor record overall, Pelham has shown glimpses of what could await Class I foes in the near future. On Oct. 13, the Pythons fell to Oyster River by a lone tally in overtime, and on Oct. 20 Pelham led Bedford until late in the contest before falling to the Bulldogs, 2-1. Those two teams have 19 wins between them, and both reached the Class I postseason tournament. PHS also beat playoff-bound Laconia on Sept. 30, 3-1.

As was the case for his lacrosse team, Regan said offseason play is key to ensuring forward momentum continues.

“They had been struggling and had some tough years. They had to get it out of their heads that the teams they were playing were better than they are,” said Regan. “We can play with these teams now.”