Telegraph photo by TOM KING Bishop Guertin's Martha Lord heads the ball off a corner kick that resulted in a goal, despite the work of Nashua North's Ari Dumaine and Emilee Deleo to prevent it during the Cards' 5-1 win Tuesday at Stellos Stadium.

NASHUA – Focused.

That’s the best way to describe the Bishop Guertin High School girls soccer team right now after its 5-1 win over previously unbeaten Nashua North Tuesday at Stellos Stadium.

Look, the Cardinals had all the reasons to be a little inconsistent this season. They were learning the system of a new coach, William Haughton. One of their top players from a year ago, Caitlyn Toom, transferred to a prep school. Plus all the day-to-day uncertainty surrounding the pandemic.

But here they are, in the third week of an abbreviated season at 4-0, and with a convincing win over a good Titans team.

“They’ve really stayed focus in training,” Haughton said, “and their commitment to what we’re trying to do. They’ve worked really hard during the week … They’re really pushing each other and making it a competitive team. We’re just hoping to continue to grow.”

“Honestly it was just the last 10 minutes that killed us,” Titans coach Jacqueline Thompson said, referring to the span when BG scored three goals to turn a 2-1 game into a rout.

And the Titans had a chance to strike first, but an Emilee Deleo early shot hit the crossbar, came back down near BG netminder Erin Morris (four saves) and was ruled not beyond the line. That was a tough momentum break at the start.

“It kind of put us on our heels with a little bit of disappointment,” Thompson said.

But what was even more disappointing for North was that after Deleo did get a goal to tie the game at 1 just a couple of minutes after BG’s Martha Lord had put the Cards ahead at 28:20, Guertin struck again within a minute and never lost the lead.

“We did come right back, but like I tell the girls, the five minutes after you score a goal is critical,” Thompson said. “You need to score another one, otherwise you let them back in. Unfortunately we let them back in.”

That go-ahead goal was tallied on a rush down the right side by the Cards’ Sydney Thibault, and things stood 2-1 BG at the half. “It was a fantastic way for the girls to hit back after a splendid goal by Deleo,” Haughton said. “It was great to see the response right away.”

North had some push early in the second half, but sooner or later fatigue had to set in. The Titans hadn’t played in 10 days and Guertin’s Grace Kelly, who assisted on the first goal during a seemingly endless series of corner kicks, scored from long range at 64: 11 and was arguably BG’s best player on the Motta Field turf.

Two minutes later Hannah Lord made it 4-1 and with about three minutes left Madeline Neily finished the scoring. Grace Cardin was solid in goal for the Titans with nine saves until the final barrage.

Part two is Saturday.

“I think we can match up,” Thompson said. “That’s the one good thing about playing your opponent twice in one week, we’ll be ready again on Saturday.

“They’re a phenomenal team, they were in the Final Four last year and this (North) is a team that didn’t make the playoffs…But we’re here to compete and we will compete. I don’t think you’ll be seeing that same score.”

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