Hector Longo photo -- Bishop Guertin's Stephanie Reap picks a corner and lets it fly, beating Souhegan goalie Shannon Hargreaves for the score.

EXETER — Dead even with fourth-seeded Souhegan, nearly halfway through the first half of Saturday night’s state semifinal at 4-4, it felt a bit strange and yes, even unfamiliar, for three-time defending Division I state girls lacrosse champion Bishop Guertin.

No worries for the top-seeded Cardinals. Guertin simply dominated the final 12 minutes of the first half, much like it has all season, ripping the net for 8 of the game’s next nine goals on its way to a 17-8 semifinal win.

Tuesday night (7 p.m.) right back here at Exeter High School, it will be the Cardinals facing off against No. 2 Bedford with BG looking to make it four championships in a row.

Guertin improved to 17-1-1 overall without a blemish yet in the Granite State. The Cards knocked off Bedford in the regular season meeting, 12-7.

“I thought Souhegan played really well. I thought they came out really strong,” said Guertin coach Leslie Why. “They were a lot more disruptive this time around, even though the score looks very similar to our first match (18-8).

“They made adjustments on defense that sent us a little sideways.”

The opening flurry certainly proved those words to be as accurate as can be.

Guertin ripped off goals from Rylee Bouvier, Tess Prunier and Lauren Redfern, only to have Souhegan answer right back with tallies from Natalie Heimarck, Maddie Lim and Emma Kennedy.

Stephanie Reap and Elle Stevenson then traded scores, so 12 minutes in, things looked as even as could be at 4-4.

That’s when Bishop Guertin got rolling.

With Souhegan focused on stopping Bouvier, the Cardinals diversified, and the dividends were yielded almost immediately.

“Our offense, our distribution of our finishers and shooters, all seven were on the board tonight, and that’s big for us,” said Why.

Bouvier started the barrage on a dish from Nat Coutu, and four others – Coutu, Redfern, Prunier and Reap – would score in the flurry.

Kennedy’s second of her team-high three goals was the lone response for the Sabers, who trailed at the break, 12-5.

“I think we had girls rise today that really just showed what they could do,” said Why.

“I think it reenergizes you when you put some points between you and the competition. When we just stay calm and if we capitalize on opportunities that are given to us instead of trying to just run plays or just run Rylee or just do one thing.

“Stephanie Reap, she had four assists and three goals. For her, that’s the biggest game she’s put up all season. She and Rylee work very well together, and this game was the first time that kind of clicked again from last year.”

Souhegan’s Alice Serbin moves up the field on Guertin’s Stephanie Reap during Saturday night’s Division I semis at Exeter. (Photo by Hector Longo)

Saber senior Mackenzie Cretsinger would pick up the first goal of the second half, denting the leading at 12-6, but it only served to awaken Guertin, which finished the job with a goal from Coutu and some serious offensive work out of Reap.

The senior, in a span of 3:03, set up Bouvier for one goal, Prunier for the next and then started the clock on running time with her third of the night at the 15:35 mark.

Along the with Reap’s seven-point night, the Cardinals’ ledger looked quite balanced.

Bouvier netted five goals, and Prunier had four. Redfern had three with an assist, and Coutu scored twice with two helpers.

Why couldn’t say enough about the fight from Souhegan, which finished up at 13-4.

“They really want it too. They have some really good athletes and a lot of club players on that team, coached by a club director,” Why said. “It’s a lot to compete with.”