Bishop Guertin's Sarah Brunelle zips downfield ahead of Bedford's Leah LeBlanc during Friday's Division I game at Stellos Stadoium. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – You had better be on your toes to catch the Bishop Guertin High School girls lacrosse this season.

That is, of course, if they run up and down the field the way they did in Friday’s 12-5 win over perhaps their biggest in-state rival, the Bedford Bulldogs at sun-splashed Stellos Stadium.

“With our intensity, we just came out, and we set the pace of this game,” Guertin senior defender Jordan Gaebel said, “which is really what got us to the end, pushing all the way.”

Gaebel certainly was part of that, as she led the Cards to a goal beginning the team’s length of the field run for a goal right at the first half’s end, giving BG a commanding 8-2 lead. For Bedford (4-3) it had to be deflating.

“I’m really, really proud of our transition throughout the entire day,” Guertin coach Callie Santos said, her Cards now 6-1. “I think our girls are doing a great job of getting the ball up the field and working together. … That play was awesome.”

It led to a goal by BG’s Bella Dawson with 4.5 seconds left. Guertin had jumped out to a 4-0 lead and really never looked back, unusual for such a game between these two to be so one-sided.

Gaebel and Abby Lynn had three goals each, with Gaebel’s two assists gave her a five-point day. Madisyn Mendell (two goals, assist), Charlotte Accomando (two goals), and Sarah Brunelle (goal, assist) joined Dawson in the scoring.

But ah, that rush by Gaebel looked exactly how it’s supposed to be done, but how’d she do it?

“I guess just knowing how much time was on the clock and really pushing it, “Gaebel said. “Seeing the open player and working all together, that one more pass is going to be there.”

The lead grew to 10-2 after the third period, as the other story of the day was BG’s defense. Bedford’s best player, Madeline Kiely managed a hat trick, with Carly Hodgdon-Roger and Mikita Barry also scoring. The closest the ‘Dogs would get was 11-5 with 4:41 left.

“Our defense has been the backbone of our season,” Santos said. “We’ve done a really great job in every single one of our games, I think we’ve only had one game where we’ve allowed double digits (their lone loss, 15-7 vs. Westwood, Mass.) They’ve definitely really stepped up in all the different ways we need them to.”

“I think our biggest thing was working as a unit, and knowing who their strongest players were,” Gaebel said. “And making sure we were really marked up and working together, because none of that would have been possible if it were just one of us.”

The other key for BG was goalie Madalyn Eder-Linell who had six saves. It’s her senior year and this is her third full year on the job and it shows.

“She’s great,” Santos said. “She does a lot of coaching outside of just being here, and that’s super critical for her as a player, to see the different opportunities, and recognize what offenses are doing.”

Bishop Guertin’s Abby Lynn, right, pressures Bedford scorer Madeline Kiely (3) during Friday’s game at Stellos Stadium. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

The win is a bookmark for Guertin as the third week of the season ends. The Cards have some more tough ones down the road, including a stretch of four that starts with Moses Brown of Providence, R.I.next Thursday and include Pinkerton, Portsmouth and Souhegan. Yikes.

“It tells me our energy is something that’s critical for us every single game,” Santos said. “And right now we’re just focusing just one opponent at at time. … But it’s definitely really a great way to start our tougher section of our season.”