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Bedford’s fast start dooms Cardinals in tough 2-0 loss

By Tom King - Staff Writer | Sep 28, 2021

Bishop Guertin goalie Makenna Reekie towers over Bedford's Anna Putney while BG's Tessa Wilkie (21) and Bedford's Regan O'Brien look on during the Bulldogs' 2-0 win Monday in Bedford. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

BEDFORD – Even the Bulldogs were a little surprised.

The battle of Division I field hockey title contenders, Bishop Guertin and Bedford, was pretty much over early on Monday at Bulldog Stadium, and no one expected that.

Bedford scored twice in the first five minutes, then simply dominated time of possession and held the usually potent BG offense without a single shot in a 2-0 win.

“I thought we were pretty even coming in,” Bedford coach Anneke McStowe said, her team now 10-1. “To get those two honestly, I wouldn’t say was a shock because I have confidence in my team, but I was pleasantly surprised, for sure.”

The loss was the second straight for the Cards (8-2-1) who started opened up with a tie vs. Windham then rattled off eight in a row before back to back losses vs. Winnacunnet and Bedford.

“Started slow,” Guertin coach Erica Chareth said. “And we were down two starters.”

One was high scoring senior forward Rylee Bouvier, who also missed the 4-3 loss to the Warriors with a bad shoulder. She and sophomore Taylor Guibord had formed a solid one-two punch that the opposition had not been able to handle.

Chareth doesn’t know how long Bouvier, who was on the sidelines with a stick in her hands but her shoulder wrapped, will be out, but knows she’s anxious to get back in there. “We’ll see,” Chareth said. “She was begging to go in today.”

Chareth said she knew her team was a little tight going in, and then Bedford’s Elianna Enners, assisted by Isabelle McStowe, just 1:10 into the contest.

Then, just 3:12 later, Regan O’Brien put one past BG goalie Makenna Reekie, assisted by Sydney Grogan. Reekie was busy all day, collecting eight saves, and had to be jealous of her Bedford counterpart Abigail Williams, who really didn’t have to do a thing. The Cards had just one penalty corner.

Really, you couldn’t have started a game any better.

“No kidding,” McStowe said. “It was under, what? What I told the girls is they played their game today. It doesn’t matter who we play, how good the other team is. As long as we play our game, we’re going to continue to dominate.”

“I could tell our girls, even with everybody, I knew we’d be nervous going into this game, just because Bedford’s a great team,” Chareth said. “Bedford came out firing.”

And pretty much stayed that way, with Guertin defenders such as Tessa Wilkie and Sophia Alton on their heels much of the early evening.

The Cards have sub-.500 teams Manchester Memorial and Londonderry the rest of this week, but then unbeaten Exeter comes to Stellos Stadium next Monday. Guess who is the only team to beat Bedford?

Chareth wants her team to keep things in perspective.

“We knew the second half of our season was the tougher games,” she said. “Leave it all on the field, try your best, always work your hardest.”

And hope the next time you’re the team with the fast start.

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