Portsmouth girls lacrosse hands Bishop Guertin first in-state loss since 2019 (video)

NASHUA - It didn't matter how long the Portsmouth High School girls lacrosse team had to wait to play Bishop Guertin, the Clippers were going to be ready.

With more than a week in between games to start the season, the players and coaches were able to maintain their focus and intensity, and it showed Tuesday night.

Portsmouth jumped out to an early lead and withstood the Cardinals' runs before pulling away late for a 16-11 win in a Division I game at Stellos Stadium.

For the Clippers (2-0, No. 1 in the NHHSSports Coaches Poll), it gives them two wins over two perennial final four teams in their first two D1 games. For the Cardinals (2-1, No. 3) it was the end of their run of dominance against in-state teams, snapping a 47-game win streak against New Hampshire opponents that dated back to May of 2019.

"They were definitely looking forward to this game," Portsmouth coach JoJo Curro said. "We haven’t played in over a week. Every practice, we’re practicing to the next game, and then it kept getting pushed off. We kept practicing at that speed that we need to do. The girls really like to push themselves at practice. They know that we are here to grow and to compete, and the only way to do that is to push each other."

Annie Parker and Morgan Ruhnke led the way with four goals apiece for Portsmouth, while Charlotte Martson had three goals and an assist. Sally Collins had two goals and an assist, Avery Ruhnke had a goal and an assist and Ginger Vinciguerra also scored twice.

But where the Clippers took control of the game was on the draw, winning 19 of 29 draw controls, and on groundballs.

"The draw was a huge aspect of the game," Curro said. "I tell my girls, those 50-50 balls, that is what makes the game. Groundballs, turnovers, draw control, those are the key aspects of if we win or lose."

When Bishop Guertin was able to get the draw or force a turnover, too often the Cardinals felt they weren't able to take advantage.

"When you do cause a turnover and you don’t capitalize on it, that’s another opportunity to score a goal," Bishop Guertin coach Leslie Why said. "Or when you put the ball in the goalie’s stick like a breadbasket, when you shoot right into her stick without any kind of fake or move to the cage … I can find five goals.

"I can find five turnovers where we created turnovers, but we didn’t pick up the ball. Clearly we have a lot of draw work to do and a lot of groundball work to do."

Maddy Hartsock led the Cardinals with four goals and Lauren Redfern had three. Tess Prunier scored twice and added an assist while Anna Campel and Kam Schmitt also had a goal apiece.

Portsmouth led by as many as six goals in the first half, but Bishop Guertin got two late scores, including a free-position goal by Redfern with 16.1 seconds left, to make it 9-5 at the break. The Cardinals got within three on a goal by Hartsock to open the second half, and had a chance to get closer, but put a shot off the post and sent the rebound over the goal.

The Clippers took advantage of that near miss by going on a four-goal run to extend the lead to seven goals, 13-6, with 12:53 remaining.

"Emphasize the point of attack and how we want to do that, and where we want to do that on the field," Curro said of how the Clippers ended their scoring drought. "I think we were trying to attack the same seam that wasn’t there, so we had to really move it around and try other options. That worked out for us."

Bishop Guertin was able to get back within four goals, making it 14-10 with 5:51 to go, but after the Cardinals won the draw, Portsmouth goalie Sage Bussiere came up with a save. Goals by Parker and Marston then put the game away late.