Bishop Guertin goaltender Ayla Saeturn looks for the ball next to Exeter's Emmy Herring right, while the Cards' Sofia Harrington (4) tries to help out during Tuesday's Divison I prelim at Bill Ball Stadium. (Telegrah photo by TOM KING)

EXETER – Just breathe.

That’s what Exeter High School field hockey goalie Amallia Gloss told herself Tuesday afternoon when Bishop Guertin had four consecutive penalty corners with the clock already at zero and her team leading by the game’s only goal.

The No. 9 Cardinals, meanwhile, were still breathing at Bill Ball Stadium, and that was the point, but they couldn’t take advantage of those extra chances in a hard-fought 1-0 Division I preliminary round loss. Instead, it’s No. 8 Exeter (10-7) who will be moving on to visit No. 1 Keene on Friday in the quarterfinals.

“We fought to the last second,” Guertin coach Dakota Bilodeau said. “We knew this was going to be close, and we were going to have to fight til the last second. As a coach you ask them to do it, and they did.”

Sofia Harrington took all four penalty corners, passing it to the top of the circle where BG’s Carly Green waited and fired. The ball got lost in the shuffle, diverted to the corner, deflected etc. in plenty of chaos. But no goal for the Cards to force overtime.

“She’s amazing, she’s a junior, every year she’s gotten better, she’s gotten stronger,” Exeter coach Deb Grott said of her goalie. “She’s a tough nut to beat. I knew she could do it.”

“I kept breathing and telling myself we were strong,” Gloss, who had seven saves, said. “It was a long two minutes but we worked together. Just get it out, get it out.”

Once the Blue Hawks finally did that the game – and BG’s season – was over.

“You couldn’t ask for a better shot at tying it and going into overtime,” Bilodeau said. “They didn’t fall. They did a great job of creating opportunities to score. But we didn’t find the back of the net.”

No, it was the Blue Hawks that did that, but only once – a slow roller that trickled through untouched off the stick of Dani Caron with 2:29 left in the first half. While BG had chances in the first quarter, the goal came off about a five-minute span of Blue Hawk pressure on Cards goalie Ayla Saeturn (12 saves). This wasn’t anything like the 3-0 game the Cards suffered here two weeks ago. But that game was just part of the growth they’ve had since the first week of September as they lost eight of 11 starters from a year ago.

Eeter goalie Amalia Gloss tries to find the ball while BG’s Olivia Kostermar, left, battles the Exeter defense in the chaotic closing moments of Tuesday’s Division I prelim at Bill Ball Stadium. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

“Our progression throughout the year, playing our first game to now, we wouldn’t have hung in this game,” Bilodeau said. “The amount we’ve improved over the year speaks for itself.”

They lose Green, scorer Addison Daddona, whom the Blue Hawks kept in check, and Saeturn. “Three game changers for us,” Bilodeau said. “We’ll definitely miss them. But, you know, we do what we’re supposed to. I can’t ask for anything more from them.”