Disappointed North girls soccer players line up to shake hands with Winnacunnet after falling to the Warriors 3-0 in the Division I semifinals Tuesday night in Manchester. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

MANCHESTER – The first 15 minutes or so of Tuesday night’s Division I semifinals vs. Winnacunnet looked like business as usual for the Nashua High School North girls soccer team.

But then the lights got brighter, and the business was sold to the No. 4 Warriors in the form of a 3-0 Winnacunnet win.

Indeed, after that opening salvo, it was basically all Winnacunet. And as a result the Titans very memorable season is over at 11-7-1 while the Warriors (16-1-2) move on to play No. 6 Pinkerton Academy (13-3-3) here in Saturday’s final. The Astros beat No. 10 Timberlane 1-0 in OT in the early semi.

“I think it just comes down to experience,” North coach Jacqueline Thompson said. “They’ve (Winnacunnet) have had the experience. They’re a good team. … When you have a young team, a small squad, it makes it a little difficult in the playoff scenario.”

“We grew into the game,” Winnacunnet coach Nick O’Brien said. “The lights are a little brighter in the semis, right? I think after those first 10-15 minutes we grew into it, we found our game, we started to execute like we really wanted to.”

Still, it took the Warriors, who are unscored upon in the tournament, until the 27th minute to score, as freshman Emma Sommerville broke in fired one to the far left corner, out of the reach of Titans first half keeper Nora Ross. It was the half’s only goal.

Things stayed that way until 14:05 into the second half, when Mia Lantaigne converted a perfect cross for a 2-0 lead.

But the Warriors weren’t comfortable.

“I think any coach will tell you 2-0 is the most dangerous lead in soccer, right?” O’Brien said. “Because that next one is going to be big. And even at 3-0 you’re still not feeling secure against a good team like North.”

Things became more clear when Warriors senior Liana Pacheco converted a corner kick for that 3-0 lead with 18:31 left.

The Titans couldn’t get Allison Frye on many fast breaks, or many free kicks for the strong leg of Sarah Frye. But there’s no shame in falling to the Warriors as, thanks in part to sophomore keeper Julianne Banks, they have not given up a goal since Sept. 27. That’s 10 straight shutouts.

Nashua North’s Arianna Miller battles Winnacunnet’s Maitri Clifford during the Division I semis Tuesday night at Manchester Memorial. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

“I want to give credit to Nashua North,” O’Brien said. “A great team. Obviously the Frye twins, but just across the board a cohesive unit. Played extremely well to knock off BG, and we’re fortunate to play well tonight against a good team like that.”

That good team graduates seven seniors, including keepers Ross and Rachel Gauthier. It was a fun tourney ride as they owned the city of Nashua with wins over rivals Nashua South and Bishop Guertin.

“Those seniors have been here when we were barely winning a game,” Thompson said. “They weren’t ready to let go. I’m extremely proud of them.

“Last year (after losing to Concord in PKs in the prelims) we said we’d come back stronger and we did it. That’s what we’ll just have to do again next year.”