BEDFORD — Thanks to two comeback victories from Liz DiCesare and Mary Cunningham, Bishop Guertin of Nashua has a three-peat title run.

In a championship match which was closer than the final result indicates, the top-ranked and unbeaten Cardinals posted a 7-2 NHIAA Division I girls' tennis championship victory over a determined No. 2 ranked Derryfield School of Manchester at Bedford High Wednesday.

“I proud of both teams who played hard to the end,” said Bishop Guertin head coach Debbie Lloyd. “It was a great match and both teams represented their schools very well.”

Bishop Guertin ends its season with a perfect 17-0 mark, while the Cougars, making their first appearance in the Division I finals after transferring from the Class M-S League two years ago, end at 15-2.

“Bishop Guertin is a very good team and played well today,” said Derryfield head coach Gus Moral. “In two years we've qualified for the semifinals (last year) and the finals. We almost had them (BG) in a position of playing from behind, but they found a way to win two close matches in singles play.”

The entire match turned BG's way when DiCesare and Cunningham managed to dig themselves out of early holes. In the no. 4 singles' match, Derryfield's Colbi Vaillancourt roared out to a 6-1 lead only to have DiCesare battle back to win, 9-8 (7-5).

“I didn't want to give up,” said DiCesare who, along with teammates Brianna Leonard and Jennifer Dai, finished the season undefeated in singles and doubles play. “Once I won my first game, I started getting my confidence back. She (Vaillancourt) controlled the tempo early, but once I was able to get it back to my pace, I could sense she was feeling the pressure. To come back (from a 6-1 deficit) in a championship match is a very gratifying feeling.”

Cunningham, in the No. 6 singles, was down 4-1 to Kristi Boucher. But like DiCesare, Cunningham kept her focus and composure to mount an 8-5 decision.

“If we win those two matches, we're ahead 4-2 going into doubles,” said Moral. “It would have been interesting to see how they would have reacted to that type of pressure.”

Instead BG led 4-2 and swept all three matches in doubles play.

Leonard defeated Taylor Shomo 8-0 in No. 1 singles and Dai beat Brittany Potter 8-3 in the No. 2 singles. Derryfield captured the No. 3 singles match as Berklee Vaillancourt handed Lauren Hayward her first singles' loss of the season, 9-8 (9-7) in a terrific match.

Derryfield's Margo Pierson defeated Allison Murphy 8-5 in the No. 5 singles match.

Bishop Guertin has won eight overall state titles and two runner-up plaques while Derryfield has seven state titles and seven runner-up crowns in their trophy case.