Guertin's Owen King (1) is chased by a host of Blue Hawks led by Logan Schwalje (23) during Wednesday's Division I clash at Rivier's Merrill Field. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – It wasn’t just another game, nor was it just another win.

The Bishop Guertin High School boys lacrosse team found that out early in Wednesday’s Division I clash with Exeter at Rivier University’s Joanne Merrill Field.

It took a goal by Cam Hayden with 3:54 left, snapping a 6-6 tie, to give the Cards a 7-6 win, keeping their 70-plus in-state win streak intact.

But after this one was more relief than joy. Guertin had handled Exeter 14-8 last month on the road.

“It’s a wakeup call for playoffs,” Cards coach Brian Cameron said, his team now 12-4 and at Londonderry today to wrap up the regular season. “They slowed it down a lot on offense and didn’t turn the ball over. And especially in the first half they won some faceoffs. You combine all that and it tilted things in their favor.”

To the point when the Blue Hawks, who wrapped up their regular season at 12-6, took a 4-3 lead into the half and led 5-3 early in the third, and after BG had a three-goal run, evened things at 6 on Tyler Bland’s goal with 11:35 left.

“I liked it all,” Exeter coach Matt Brewster said. “It was a real competitive game. In any game of lacrosse, nothing’s going to go perfect for you … It was a fantastic lacrosse game. I’m super proud of how our boys competed. … They were ready to play.”

Still, Guertin prevailed. How?

“Our best players made big plays,” Cameron said. “You can look at every one of our guys. Paulo (faceoff man Vasquez) was clutch down the stretch after a slow start. Cam Hayden took care of the ball and had the game winner. And Jonah (goalie Feliciano) had a big second half. We challenged him at halftime and e responded.”

True, Vasquez was getting beat by Exeter’s Will McIlroy for a lot of the first half. Exeter scored just 48 seconds into the game on a Griffin Lechner goal. Then BG responded with goals by Hayden and two by Owen King, the Cards had a 3-1 lead with 8:39 left in the half and it seemed order had been restored.

But no. Two Sam Gibney goals tied it with 3:50 left, the second off a fast break. Jackson Greene gave Exeter the lead 4-3 with 19.5 seconds left in the half. The Cards knew they had a problem.

“It was good for us,” Brewster said. “It showed us we can compete.”

And they did, even when, with the score tied at 6, Hayden began running toward the goal and the Blue Hawk defense froze, and he let it fly.

“Exeter came out and played hard,” he said. “A lot of grit, a lot of heart. … In that moment, I got the ball, saw the opportunity, I saw field, and just did what I had to do. … It was crazy.”

“He’s a big-time player,” Cameron said, “and we put our faith in him at the end of games to make big plays. He’s one of our best players and he made the biggest play of the game.”

Exeter had chances to tie in the final couple of minutes. Feliciano made a big save with 1:49 left, but Exeter had the ball again with 52 seconds left. After a timeout, the Blue Hawks turned it over and then Guertin tried to run out the clock, running the ball behind their own goal. But the Cards eventually turned it over with 3.3 seconds left, but the Blue Hawks ran out of time.

Cameron may have been concerned but had faith.

“I trust our guys,” he said. “It’s our first one-goal game of the year. We hadn’t been tested like that. Even the out of state games we hadn’t had any one-goal games.

“It’s a big wakeup call for playoffs. … We have to be more urgent in practice and everything that we’re doing because every play is going to matter.”