Nashua North-Souhegan's Jared Gauthier (21) battles Bishop Guertin's Sean Hughes in front of N-S goalie Dylan O'Neil during Wednesday night's game at Conway Arena. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – It’s been a few years since the Bishop Guertin High School boys hockey team had played a game at Conway Arena.

Wednesday night showed yet another reminder why.

The Cardinals outnumbered Nashua High School North-Souhegan on the bench and certainly on the scoreboard, cruising to a 7-0 win over the Saber-Titans. Guertin was able to skate four lines to the North-Souhegan’s two, and that usually takes its toll and was the clear reason how BG was about to outshoot its hosts by an incredible 71-11 in winning its fourth straight Division I game.

“They only had six forwards, no one else went over the boards except those six,” Guertin coach Gary Bishop said. “It’s tough, we’re running four (lines), they’re running two, it’s just a matter of time.”

And that’s exactly how it was. Guertin (4-2) led just 2-0 after one period, with a goal nearly midway through by James Mantone, the first of his two, and Jordan Delude four minutes later.

Then they dominated the second with two shorthanded and one power play goal, and Noah Cordiero’s goal with 1.3 seconds left made it a 6-0 game after two, ensuring running time.

It was certainly a busy night for Saber-Titans freshman goalie Dylan O’Neil, who had 64 saves. He’ll likely be hard-pressed to have to make that many in a game again this year.

“Probably his best game this year in net, again a freshman, coming out to play at this speed,” N-S coach Chris Zarlenga said, his team still seeking its first win at 0-6. “The score doesn’t show that, but when you have that many shots against you … Besides that, the effort in the first period and parts of the second and third I think win three or four other games we’ve already played this year. That effort against other teams wins games.”

When you talk about scheduling, this is a tough week for the Saber-Titans. They held their own in a 4-0 loss at Bedford, and then defending Division I champion comes to town on Saturday.

“Our schedule’s our schedule,” Zarlenga said. “Our culture is the effort on the first day of practice is the effort on the last day of practice, if you’re 16-0 or 0-16. You’re going to get better, you’re going to work hard, and nothing’s going to change.”

The Saber-Titans had back-to-back 4 on 4 shots on BG starting goalie Conor Hayes by Callen Cullity and Conor Prunier. But for the most part, it was a shooting gallery for BG, who also played goalie Luke Bettencourt for half the game.

Besides Mantone (two goals), Delude (goal, two assists) and Cordiero (goal, two assists), Dom Trepanier, Jack Stone and Will McBournie scored for BG. Cam Auger, Jordan O’Hearn, Bradyn MacLean, Tyler Tesak and Gavin Santos had assists.

Bishop Guertin’s Sean Hughes (23) tussles with Nashua North-Souhegan’s Connor O’Neil during the first period of Wednesday night’s Division I local clash at Conway Arena. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

Bishop Guertin’s Sean Hughes (23) tussles with Nashua North-Souhegan’s Connor O’Neil during the first period of Wednesday night’s Division I local clash at Conway Arena. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

This probably wasn’t the best preparation for the Cards’ upcoming battle this Saturday against unbeaten Concord at 2:50 p.m. at Skate 3, but as Bishop said, the next couple of days of practice will do that.

“As the saying goes, pay me now or pay me later,” he said. “We’ll get them ready. We can’t complain. We’ve been playing well, getting some timely goals. We’ve only had the one real bad game, that one against Salem (an overtime loss in the opener).

“Now we’ll find out where we stand and where they (Concord) stand.”

And a young North-Souhegan team will keep making a stand until it gets rewarded.