Telegraph photo by TOM KING The ball draws a crowd as Bishop Guertin goalie Erin Morris makes a save in front of Merrimack's Siobhan McMakin (31) and Kailey Dillon during the Cards' 4-1 Divison I play-in win at MHS' Student Memorial Field on Tuesday.

MERRIMACK – Play-in, play on.

That’s the deal for the Bishop Guertin High School girls soccer team after it ousted rival Merrimack 4-1 Tuesday in the Division I tournament’s play-in round at Student Memorial Field.

But it didn’t come without some anxious moments. The Cards were being stymied in the first half by the Tomahawks’ sly off-sides trap, referee whistle after whistle frustrating them during a scoreless 40 minutes.

“Merrimack was doing a very good job with their off-side trap,” Cards coach Winston Haughton said. “And our girls just had to figure it out, really. Once they got grips with it and we got the right runners in place, we did a very good job.”

Delaney Ramahlo broke through for a breakaway goal nearly eight minutes into the second half, beating beleaguered but athletic Tomahawks freshman keeper Emily Theriault (9 saves) for a 1-0 Cards lead.

Brooke Paquette got two goals, the first coming just over two minutes after Ramahlo’s on a tap in as Theriault gambled. Paquette then made it 3-0 14 minutes later for her second tally.

“I think we spoke about what we needed to do at halftime,” Houghton said, “and the girls followed those instructions well. … We tried to come out a little bit harder, which they did. It was a good response from them. This season, when they need to respond, they’ve responded well.”

Still, the 1-7 Tomahawks gave the Cards a scare.

“They put three up top,” Merrimack coach Rick Morgan said. “We’re young in the back, we knew it was coming. They did a great job in the first half. But when they put the one in, that kind of put us on our heels a little bit.”

Still, Merrimack didn’t sit back, and had two chances in the second half that could have changed the game. Lucy Cote had a free kick that hit the post, and Cards keeper Erin Morris (six saves) had to rob her again a few minutes later in a sprawling goal mouth collision. Guertin’s defense also helped out Morris deflecting away a header in a crowded corner kick.

Siobhan McMakin scored the ‘Hawks only goal with a penalty kick with 1:41 left, and in the final 30 seconds BG’s Sydney Driscoll scored.

“Those two go in,” Morgan said of the chances, “then it’s 3-2 us. We told the girls we felt we did enough to at least get equalizers.

“We have eight sophomores, five freshman, we’re only graduating four seniors. The future’s bright. I think our youth showed a little bit today.”

And now for the Cards, it’s time to play on. Guertin’s next step is a prelim round game with Nashua North, whom the Cards beat 5-1 and 3-1 two weeks ago, games that were tougher than the scores indicated.

“We’re ready for them,” Haughton said. “They played us well the first two times we played them, so we’re expecting a good game from them.”