Nashua South's Lizzie DeRusha (center) leads the celebration as the Panthers' beat Nashua North 2-0 n the Battle of the Bridge at Stellos Stadium. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – They actually had a dress rehearsal on how to react.

The Nashua High School South field hockey team, just like their Nashua North counterparts, went into Monday’s Battle of the Bridge clash scoreless on the season.

They thought they had broken through when Karina O’Donnell had apparently scored late in the first half, but that goal was overruled due to a dangerous hit.

No problem, Erin Flaherty scored in the third quarter and the Panthers continued their rule of the Bridge with a 2-0 win over the Titans at Stellos Stadium for the first win of the season for either team.

Her goal, during a frenzy in front of Titans goalie Abigail O’Malley, came nearly eight minutes into the third quarter.

And if that wasn’t enough, Pari Parikh added another in the same manner three minutes into the fourth as insurance.

One of these teams had to leave Stellos with a good feeling.

“It felt amazing,” Flaherty said, “my team cheering me on, running back to the 50 (yard line), and the fans cheering too. I kind of like froze for a second, I couldn’t believe it.”

“It was exhilarating,” Parikh said. “It felt so good, all the work off season, preseason, it finally pays off.”

Something had to give yesterday. Both teams are struggling, as the 0-8 Titans are basically starting from scratch and the 1-7 Panthers are rebuilding after losing some key scorers from a year ago.

“Our kids are doing everything they need to be doing,” South coach Ciki McIntire said. “They’re working hard, they’re trying to put the pieces together. … We just need to find a connection in front of the goal, and they got a little taste of it today.”

O’Malley had 11 saves, was under pressure the entire game, was able to keep her team in the game. For the Titans and their coach, Zoe Fillebrown, the score right now is secondary.

Nashua North goalie Abigail O’Malley is under siege as Nashua South’s Lizzie DeRusha (24) tries to poke the ball through during South’s 2-0 Battle of the Bridge win Monday at Stellos Stadium. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

“Every game we’re getting better, we’re taking what we’re working on into the game, and it shows,” she said. “We had a lot more offensive push. South was a good match.”

South goalie Kaitlyn Tello didn’t have to make a save, although the side of the cage helped her out on a shot close in by North’s Molly Ducharme, who just didn’t quite have a good enough angle. The win gives South a 4-1 lead in the Battle of the Bridge with golf due up next today at Nashua Country Club.

There was an emotional factor to Monday’s game, played an hour earlier than was scheduled due to the expected storms. A moment of silence before it started was held in memory of former Panther player Jenna Chiavelli, who was a senior on the 2019 team but passed away last month due to cancer.

“I knew today would be an emotional day,” McIntire said. “And Zoe is doing an amazing job with the North kids, so I knew today was not going to be easy.”