North's Allie Frye (5) is all smiles after getting the game winning goal to beat Nashua South 3-2 in the Battle of the Bridge Tuesday at Stellos Stadium. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – No lead or tie is ever safe when Nashua High School North’s Allie Frye is on the field.

That’s why everyone at Stellos Stadium Tuesday afternoon was on the edge of their seat when Frye raced down the far side of the field and lofted a ball that rival Nashua South keeper Corrine Rivera (10 saves) couldn’t quite reach after it banged off the far post – and into the net with 52 seconds to play. It gave the Titans a dramatic 3-2 Battle of the Bridge win, a battle that saw South have a 2-1 lead through much of the second half. Amazing.

“Especially at the end we were all pressing, we had a lot of energy,” said Frye, who had the first half’s only goal as well. “That was great. … Playing the through balls, that’s what we were trying to do, just get by the defense and get a shot on net. We knew we only had a few minutes left.”

Actually, less than a minute.

“No matter what it says on the scoreboard, we’ve got to keep going,” North coach Jacqueline Thompson said “We have to keep up that drive.”

As a result, North is now 7-1, winners of six straight, while the injury-riddled Panthers fell to 1-4-3.

“We made a mistake in coverage,” South coach Curt Dutilley said of the final play. “Somebody has to be 15 yards up of her in case she gets one through; she’s that fast and talented. One back, and one on. We got caught with two up on her. Plus they’re exhausted back there.”

Dutilley’s team certainly came to play, underdogs or not.

“With the number of starters we have out injured, I’m really happy,” Dutilley said. “It was a great game. I like who we are when we’re back to full health, but we’ve got to work really hard enough to get in the playoffs so when those players do come back we have an opportunity.

“They’re (North) one of the top teams and we know we can play with them.”

As much as they have had troubles here or there scoring goals, the Titans found out you can’t sleep on the Panthers, who were down vs. Merrimack with 10 minutes to play recently and scored three goals to win. Yesterday, down 1-0 at the half, South tied it just 56 seconds into the second half on Abbey Herbert’s perfectly placed corner kick that deflected off North keeper Kathleen Schreiner.

Nearly four minutes later, Schreiner came way out to head off a Titan run, but the ball went back to Ella Bois at around the 40-yard line and she booted it high over Schreiner who couldn’t get back in time as the ball slowly rolled in to give South a 2-1 lead.

“It happens,” Thompson said. “But I told Kathleen (seven saves) after the game don’t ever doubt yourself. There wasn’t a moment I didn’t doubt her. … She’d come back later in the game with saves.”

Which is what she did on a late South corner kick. And there was no reason to doubt her, not after she came out to rob the Panthers on a breakaway about seven minutes into the game – arguably the save of the year. A little while later Allie Frye gave North a 1-0 lead after Rivera came out and couldn’t reach the shot.

Nashua South keeper Corrine Rivera and back Julia Stutz deflect the ball away during a corner kick in Tuesday’s Battle of the Bridge vs. North at Stellos Stadium. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

Down 2-1 the Titans pressured here and there but then North’s Maja Ray-Hokanson, a sophomore, fired one that hit the cross bar and came down just over the end line to tie the game at 2 with 13:04 remaining. It gave the Titans a spark in what was a very, very competitive game for both teams.

“Absolutely,” Thompson said. “I think the biggest thing is they trust each other and they know there’s no time or moment to ever give up.”

Allie Frye certainly didn’t.