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# Mena scores lone goal in Cardinals' win over Panthers
- URL: https://www.nh-highschoolsports.com/mena-scores-lone-goal-in-cardinals-win-over-panthers/
- Published: 2010-09-15T20:41:19.000Z
- Updated: 2010-09-15T20:41:19.000Z
- Description: NASHUA – The Nashua High School South boys soccer team has found ways to improve on defense. Now the Panthers need to figure out how to score. South turned in some of its best defense of the season, but couldn’t find a way to best Bishop Guertin’s defenders in a 1-0 loss to the Cardinals at Stellos
- Author: Joe Marchilena
- Tags: Division I, Fall Sports, Bishop Guertin, boys soccer, Nashua South, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-08-18 04:44

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/bc/58/bc5866d0-9fd9-4113-b959-670d6f16471d/content/images/www-nh-highschoolsports-com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/bgsouthbsoc0914-bg7-1.jpg "BGSouthBsoc0914 BG7-1")

NASHUA – The Nashua High School South boys soccer team has found ways to improve on defense.

Now the Panthers need to figure out how to score.

South turned in some of its best defense of the season, but couldn’t find a way to best Bishop Guertin’s defenders in a 1-0 loss to the Cardinals at Stellos Stadium Tuesday night.

Rodirgo Mena scored the only goal of the game with 30 minutes left in the second half, off an assist by J.R. Brennan, as the Cardinals improved to 4-2 in Division I. For the Panthers (0-6), it was the third time this season they’ve been held without a goal, but their play has been getting better.

“If we can get the consistency of not getting blown out, then I think we can compete,” South coach Tony Estrada said. “We’re holding them and now our issue is that we need to be able to come out a little bit better and not lose the ball.”

Bishop Guertin controlled play early in the game, but thanks to a few shots over the South goal and the stellar play of Panthers’ keeper Erik Robinson, the Cardinals couldn’t get on the board.

\[[For more photos from this game, go here.](http://nh-highschoolsports.smugmug.com/Sports/Bishop-Guertin-Nashua-South/13778483%5FFNgQh?ref=nh-highschoolsports.com#1008625365%5FwbfHV)\]

As the first half wore on, South was able to dictate more of the action, and had a couple of opportunities on corner kicks. But just like that the other end, Bishop Guertin was able to turn the ball away.

“We had opportunities for shots and were pushing the ball around a bit,” Bishop Guertin coach Tony Bellinger said. “I don’t think we tested (Robinson) as much as we should have. We didn’t get our shots off and when we had a few chances, we had about 12 shots over the net that should have been on goal.”

The Cardinals had their best chance in the opening minutes of the second half, when a shot struck the cross bar and caromed off to a Bishop Guertin player. But once again, the shot went over the net.

Mena finally broke the scoreless tie a few minutes later, when he tapped a pass from Brennan over Robinson and into the net for the only goal of the game.

“He had a couple of chances that I think if he had gotten to it quicker, he might have had some goals,” Bellinger said of Mena, who had been called offsides a few times before the goal.

The Cardinals sent another shot off the crossbar a few minutes later, and Bishop Guertin continued to put the pressure on until the last third of the game.

“In the second half, we came out stronger for the first 10 or 15 minutes,” Estrada said. “We had some very good chances. Maybe the last five minutes of the game, they settled back and tried to keep it 1-0\. We had a few more chances.”