Bishop Guertin's Sophia Harrington (4) tries to corral a deflection in front of goalie Ayla Saeturn and Dover's Hannah Deroy during Tuesday's key Division I game at Rivier University's Merrill Field. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – If her field hocke team was going to lose another game, Bishop Guertin High School coach Dakota Bilodeau figured now is the time to do it.

“Not the outcome we wanted,” she said after Dover topped the Cards 2-0 at Rivier University’s Joanne Merrill Field. “But this is the game you want toward the end of the season. It totally exposes you and says, ‘OK, how do we get better?’

“We either win or we learn. And we learned today.”

The 10-2-1 Cards saw their 10-game unbeaten streak come to an end. They survived a penalty stroke in the first half when goalie Ayla Saeturn (six saves) stoned Dover’s Erin Lynch early in the second quarter, and the half ended scoreless. But just 1:45 into the third quarter, Dover’s Leyden Churchhill scored off a penalty corner it that was the only goal the 10-2-1 Green Wave would need.

Lynch later got her revenge with a goal off a second penalty stroke 22.6 seconds left in the third period and it was 2-0. The Wave also had a potential goal waved off in the first half (dangerous hit).

Dover was simply tenacious most of the game, with penalty corners galore.

“Coming off a tough loss (to Concord) in overtime on Friday, we were coming in hungry,” Green Wave coach Sarah Michaud said. “We know that BG is fast and aggressive and a lot of athletes on this team. So we were in mental space where we knew we had to bring our ‘A’ game.”

What did BG learn it needs to improve on?

“I think it’s recovering on defense and making adjustments offensively,” Bilodeau said. “It’s swinging balls, give-and-goes, moving the ball, putting names on balls, that’s what we have to do better. You live and learn.”

And learn fast because the Cards are at 10-2 Exeter today. But they knew Tuesday’s contest was going to be a battle either way.

“We knew it was going to be a good game, that it was going to be physical and close,” Bilodeau said. “The strokes were unfortunate, but we went 1 for 2 (in stopping them) not much more you can ask for there.

We were ready for a good hard game.”

And a lesson learned.