Bishop Guertin's Emma Hayhurst, right, looks to move in for a shot while defended by Nashua South's Kylie Dawe during Monday's 18-2 BG first round tourney win at Stellos Stadium.(Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – They likely won’t be challenged until the semifinals at best. But that doesn’t stop the Bishop Guertin High School girls lacrosse team from making make sure it’s peaking at the right time.

“I was very happy with how we played today,” Cards coach Leslie Why said after her team cruised to an 18-2 regional play-in win over city rival Nashua South Monday morning at Stellos Stadium. “We’ve had trouble with being a first half team and not a second half (team), or being a second half team and not a first half team…

“We’re ready to go, we’re right on time. We’re hitting our stride and we’re putting things in that are right on time.It’s been really fun.”

It may not have been all that much fun yesterday for the Panthers, but they were happy with an 10-7 season in a sport where there are definitely levels that divide the teams.

“I’m so pleased with them,”South coach Ciki McIntire said of her team. “They put together a competitive season without having a season last year.

“We have a couple kids who play year round, but most of our team is multi sport athletes. For them to put together a 10-7 season, and compete the way they did this season I was really proud of them.

“We went into today saying make them work for everything, give them a fight, don’t roll over. They really went out there and worked hard today.”

Guertin will now face Nashua North in the regiona finals (overall quarterfinal) on Wednesday at 4 p.m. at Stellos. The Cards, as usual, spread the scoring out, taking a 13-1 halftime lead. Steph Reap had three goals and an assist, while Lindsay Hult also had a three-goal day. Others in the scoring column: Katie Campel (two goals), Natalie Coutu (two goals, three assists), Rylee Bouvier (two goals),Tannah O’Neill-Blake (two goals), Madison Keating and Mimi Piercy (goal, assist each), Tess Prunier (goal), Ari Kouchalakos (goal), Anna Campbell and Teagan McInnis (one assist each).

The Panthers two goals were by Kylie Dawe with an assist to Olivia Johnson. But Johnson went down with a knee injury early in the second half – McIntire said the thought it wasn’t too serious – but that took a potent weapon out of the Panthers’ arsenal.

“I’ve coached Liv, we’ve all grown up with Liv, she’s one of (the Cardinal players) great friends,” Why said of Johnson. “It’s really, really hard (to see her go down).”

In another season, South would probably have the chance to win a tourney game or two before facing the iron. But The Hat – the blind draw – pitted them against the iron right away.

“The Hat did not do us any favors,” McIntire said. “But it’s all good. If they (the Cards) go on to win it, I’d rather lose to a team that goes on to win it.”