Arriving at the field for a marquee match with one of the top teams in Class I, Michelle Winning wasn’t sure what to expect from her Bedford High team.

It didn’t take the girls soccer head coach long to discover the answer.

Despite taking on Goffstown the day before, Winning’s Bulldogs came out full of energy and handed visiting Hollis- Brookline its first loss of the season on Friday, Sept. 18, 3-1.

“I felt like we might go into the game a little bit tired, but when I showed up at the field I knew my team was ready to play,” said Winning. “It was because of Hollis-Brookline. They always want to play their best against them.”

After all, the Cavaliers ended Bedford’s season last year, courtesy of a 1-0 semifinal loss.

In the latest meeting between the two, M.E. Steward broke a scoreless tie little more than 10 minutes into the game, taking a pass from Colleen Murray and rolling it into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal.

Hollis-Brookline tied the score less than two minutes before intermission, but Murray connected for two secondhalf goals to lead Bedford to the win.

Winning said the combined play of forwards Murray and Sarah Kelley has been at the center of the team’s 6-1-0 start. Angela Celli and Casey Levis lead a defense that has allowed more than one goal only twice this year, while never giving up more than three tallies.

The team’s one loss came Sept. 8, 2-1, against visiting St. Thomas Aquinas, which Winning believes is one of the top four teams in the state.

“We went down in the first five minutes of the game, and that was the only time we’ve had to deal with that,” said Winning. “They saw how they felt defeated, and they knew it affected their performance. It’s not a bad thing because we can build upon it for the rest of the season.”

In a rematch at St. Thomas Aquinas on Tuesday, Sept. 22, Bedford WON/LOST, X-X. Bedford’s difficult schedule, because of the new method of seeding that rewards teams for quality victories, could be a playoff boon.

The BHS mentor said she believes the strength of her team’s opponents has other benefits as well.

“Our confidence is pretty good right now,” said Winning. “Because of that difficult schedule, they know they can’t let up for a minute; they have to be at their best and be consistent at all times. I think that could pay off down the road.”