For Bedford High School girls soccer, it was an all-too-familiar scene. Same opponent, same score and same hollow feeling as the final whistle blew.

For a second consecutive season the Bulldogs were eliminated by Hollis- Brookline, 1-0, in the Class I semifinals, this time falling to the Cavaliers on Wednesday, Nov. 4, at Exeter High School.

Second-ranked Bedford had a decisive edge in possession, but No. 3 Hollis-Brookline took advantage of its best opportunity of the contest with 20:28 remaining.

Speedster Amanda Gerlitz broke toward Bedford’s goal, and though she was forced wide, she found the upper portion of the right side of the net.

With less than two minutes remaining in Bedford’s season, senior Colleen Murray shook free inside the box, five yards out. But Hollis- Brookline junior netminder Natalie Giudici dove at Murray’s feet and knocked the ball harmlessly to the side.

“Their keeper came up with a great save,” said BHS head coach Michelle Winning. “There are not many goalies in the state who make that save in that situation.”

Bedford won both regular- season meetings between the two teams. With the loss the Bulldogs have been eliminated from the playoffs by the Cavaliers in all three seasons since the program’s inception.

“It’s such a great rivalry,” said Hollis-Brookline mentor Craig Powers. “Since we started playing each other I think we have each won four games. They might say that they’ve lost the ones that they didn’t want to lose.”

Entering the game, Winning said she expected a tightly contested battle played largely in the middle of the field, and her assertion was correct.

Murray and Sarah Kelley were bottled up by the Hollis- Brookline defense nearly the entire contest, unable to mount many serious scoring chances.

Goalie Aubrey Ouellet returns next year as a senior, and Winning said she is excited to see the finished product after her keeper has steadily improved every year since she arrived as a freshman.

Ouellet was a key reason the game remained 1-0; she made several challenges deep in the box to prevent shots on net. The junior also made a sprawling save in the first five minutes of action to temporarily keep the game scoreless.

Seniors Murray, Kelley, Kirsten Jean and Brittany Gates leave the Bulldogs, but Bedford remains in good position.

“We should continue to be a strong program,” said Winning. “We’re going to be faced with some gaps, but over time I think we’ll be able to fill them.”