It didn’t take Bedford High School long to sneak a peek at the pinnacle of varsity girls soccer.

This year, the Bulldogs plan to continue the climb.

In just its second year of varsity competition, Bedford earned a spot in the Class I semifinal, where the Bulldogs were knocked from the tournament by Hollis-Brookline.

Now, Bedford returns to the field with a similar look but a different distinction: no longer a Class I newcomer, the team is a legitimate state title challenger.

“It’s really exciting that we are able to bring back nearly the same team. We can work off of what we accomplished last year,” said head coach Michelle Winning. “The system should click together pretty quickly this year.”

During the 2008 campaign the Bulldogs notched a 12-4-1 record en route to earning the No. 5 seed in the playoffs. The team’s ascent even surprised Winning.

“The transition has been nice over the last couple years since we were not losing any players,” said Winning. “I knew we had potential but was a little shocked with how quickly it all came together.”

Sarah Kelly, a center-midfielder with outstanding overall skills, is critical to the Bulldogs offensively and defensively, along with midfielder Carley Pestana.

Colleen Murray, one of four seniors on the team, is a go-to forward for the Bulldogs; she scored 43 times in 16 contests last season.

Kelly joins Kirsten Jean and Murray as team captains, and all three are part of the school’s first-ever senior class, along with defender Brittany Gates.

In addition to the four seniors, six juniors, four sophomores and freshman midfielder Molly Keefe make up the Bedford roster, giving the team a bright outlook in 2009 and beyond.

Winning said having a senior class is a welcome sight that should bolster team unity.

“They bring confidence since they’ve played together, and just having leadership really brings the team together,” she said. “Overall they have a different desire because they know it’s their last year, and they know what they want to accomplish.”