×

North vs. BG Part 2: Energized Cards outlast Titan girls, 5-0

Bishop Guertin's Maddy Maloney goes sprawling to the Motta Field turf after she tried to cut between North defenders Mary Pappas (10) and Allison Frye during Tuesday night's game at Stellos Stadium. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – There were smiles galore after a quick post-game chat, even if you want to call it that.

What a difference three days makes for the Bishop Guertin High School girls soccer team.

The Cards dominated a second half vs. city rival Nashua North for a 5-0 win after the Titans gave them a lot to handle in a 1-0 first 40 minutes. It was a much different postgame atmosphere than Saturday afternoon, when the team sat on the Motta Field turf at Stellos and discussed what went wrong in a 1-1 tie with Merrimack.

“The girls played well,” Cards coach Winston Haughton said. “The girls did a few things that we had been speaking about when to do, and as the goals went in we got more relaxed.”

Renee LeBlanc had a pair of goals, while Martha Lord had a goal and two assists, Brooke Paquette and Kate Boudreau each a goal and an assist, and Alyson Guerette a goal.

The Titans (1-9) gave BG a challenge during the first 40 minutes, the only goal a pretty Boudreau score off a feed from Paquette, who was racing against North defender Natalie McInerney, beating her just barely enough to get a winning pass off with just over 10 minutes left in the half.

The second half was a different story. Guertin opened things up, Boudreau returning the favor to Paquette who fired it home past busy Titan keeper Grace Cardin (11 saves) five minutes into the second half.

Lord then threaded the needle to find LeBlanc down left wing and she made it 3-0 four minutes later.

What changed?

“I just think we had a bit more energy (than in the first half),” Haughton, whose team hosts Salem today, said. “I was able to get some fresh legs in, and rest some legs as well which is important. … They (North) in the first half had a lot of good players that were doing some good stuff.”

But weren’t able to come up with a goal, robbed on one sprawling stop by Cards keeper Ashlyn Guerette early on.

Titans coach Jacqueline Thompson was happy with what she saw over the first 40 minutes, a continuation of a super game they had Saturday in a 1-0 loss at previously unbeaten Portsmouth. The Clippers lost to Bedford 1-0 yesterday.

“One hundred percent,” she said. “They demonstrated what they can do, they’re a very talented bunch. They held off Portsmouth, and they’ll continue to do some damage.

“They develop every game. That’s all I can ask from them. They learn, and develop and grow every single time. I’m proud of the girls. … It’s always a learning lesson of how you start a game and how you finish a game. And that’s OK, it’s part of the development.”

The outcome had been decided but Cardin continued to show her toughness in net, taking a shot to the face at one point, making three incredible saves after Lord and LeBlanc had added to the goal total. “She’s always tough in net,” Thompson said.

“It was enjoyable to see the girls get on the scoresheet and play it strong to the end,” Haughton said.