No matter situation, Bedford boys lacrosse just kept finding ways to win

Note: On June 10, the Bedford High School boys lacrosse team won its third straight Division II championship - and 61st consecutive game - by beating Goffstown 12-10. Bedford head coach Matt Guerard and players Dan Colella, Sam Stanton and Dakota Clark got together recently to discuss their season and the winning streak.

Dan Colella doesn't remember too many specifics from his sophomore year of lacrosse at Bedford High School.

But the one thing that does stand out in the recent graduate's mind about that 2012 season was how much of challenge it was.

How tough it was for the Bulldogs, who had suffered a heartbreaking defeat in the semifinals the year before, to finish the season undefeated, which included the program's first championship.

As challenging as that season was, the next was even more so, as Bedford went undefeated again - including wins over a couple of Division I teams - and won its second championship in a row.

"It just takes that much more," Colella said. "It takes less mistakes, and every time you do have an opportunity to capitalize, you have to. I'll remember that for the rest of my life. It just takes that much more effort."

Bedford went into this year with its streak at 40 games, and a bull's eye on its back. The schedule was harder, with the Division II contenders and the same Division I teams plus a game against Pinkerton Academy.

"We had scrimmaged them a couple of times in preseason and we'd always thought that we'd love to get them on the regular-season schedule," Bedford coach Matt Guerard said. "We finally had that opportunity this year and that one was highlighted since we got the schedule."

But that game was supposed to be the one that ended the streak, or at least that's what the Bulldogs heard from those outside the program.

"We had some tough Division I teams, but this year, people were talking about the streak and the Pinkerton game being the decider," Sam Stanton said. "Whether it was luck or the lacrosse gods being on our side, we pulled it out."

Bedford won 10-9 on a last-second goal that deflected in off a Pinkerton stick.

"For that one to end the way it did ... people tell us we’re lucky, I always just say a win is a win," Guerard said.

To win 61 in a row, there has to be some luck involved, but there has to be a lot of talent, too, and the Bulldogs have had that over the years. But Guerard saw that there was something different about the 2014 team.

"This year's team was probably the tightest group of players we've ever had, all together," he said. "The cohesiveness throughout the program was ... everybody was on board. Everybody bought into the fact that everybody is important and everybody has a role and a job.

"I think this team has carried a massive burden. We were 40-0 at the start of the year. We looked at the schedule, looked at the D1 teams we were going to play, and thought this was going to be an uphill battle. We're not the same team from the year before. These guys didn't let that distract them from the ultimate goal."

Bedford didn't get that goal without a bit of a scare in the championship game. The Bulldogs had never lost to Goffstown, their title-game opponent, and that included a 16-2 win over the Grizzlies in the 2013 final, and two regular-season wins in 2014.

At halftime, Bedford had just a two-goal lead, something that made Colella nervous as the third quarter started.

"We've had a couple of second half letdowns," Stanton added. "We wanted to push our lead in the second half and we were able to do that, but we took our foot off the gas."

Colella scored the team's 12th goal to put Bedford up seven in the final quarter, and that's when momentum started to turn.

"Their faceoff guy (Christian Marquis) was outstanding all game," Colella said. "He singlehandedly kept them in the game. We took off (after the 12th goal) and then we actually had the ball and I remember hitting the crossbar. Then we had a one-on-one and we missed that, they got the ball going the other way and scored. He kept winning the faceoffs.

"They had some pretty crazy goals. Some were miscommunication. I’m going crazy because I'm sitting on the midline and can't do anything about it. I remember going down on my knees when they scored the 10th goal. I knew we were going to pull it out, I think we just got a little complacent. That's how we are. We get the big lead and we get on our heels."

Stanton wondered if the team had jinxed itself after bringing giant numbers with to spell out the team's 61-0 record over the last three years - if it won the championship.

"It was to the point where I was thinking play for the lead, play for the win, we don't need any more goals," Guerard said. "You're not really looking to pump in four or five more goals. We made mistakes, we made errors toward the end. We threw the ball away a couple of times, turned it over, and they capitalized a couple of times. When it got to the about three and a half minutes left, I was standing on the sideline just thinking 'hold on.' We held on. No matter how you got it, the scoreboard tells the tale at the end."

Bedford won 12-10 in its final game in Division II. The Bulldogs will be one of three teams to move up to Division I next season, a challenge that Guerard and his returning players are looking forward to.

"We've been ready (to go up to D1) for two years now," Dakota Clark said. "Looking at next year, we'll have to step it up."

"We're in a very good position program-wise to move up, from freshmen to JV to varsity," Guerard said. "To be considered the best in New Hampshire, you're only considered that if you play on the biggest stage. That's Division I lacrosse and it's what we've wanted to do for a couple of years. I think our program is in a very good position."