FENTON — For the better part of the first half Friday of a Class 3 girls soccer semifinal at Soccer Park, junior goalkeeper Sophia Swingle of the St. Michael the Archangel Guardians was the story.
Swingle came up with save after save to frustrate the Cor Jesu Academy Chargers.
"We felt like we were prepared coming in, but their keeper was strong, probably stronger than we expected,'' Cor Jesu coach Rachel Brcic said "She made some awesome saves that kept them in the game. But we never stopped working; we connected our passes well and moved the ball. But once we scored that first one, it definitely relieved some of the pressure."
The Chargers (20-4) finally broke through with about 10 minutes to play before halftime when Doherty headed in a cross from Emma Shields after a Shields corner kick was played back to her in the left corner. The Shields-to-Doherty connection came through again in the final minute before halftime as Doherty's header off the goal post bounced across the goal mouth. Within seconds, the official ruled it a goal and the Chargers were up 2-0.
Cor Jesu would add another goal early in the second half and go on to the 3-0 victory. The Chargers will meet Summit (13-9-1) for the title at 1:30 p.m. Saturday. Summit slipped by three-time defending state champion Fort Zumwalt South 1-0 in Friday's other semifinal.
"As long as we kept challenging (Swingle), we felt confident that we'd eventually get something past her,'' said Doherty, a freshman defender who's among the Cor Jesu scoring leaders with 13 goals and 8 assists. "I think getting that first goal and then scoring again just before the half, it really took away a lot of the pressure."
The Chargers added to their lead less than 5 minutes after the halftime break when dynamic freshman Maddie DiMaria received a pass on the left wing from another freshman, Molly Minnigerode, cut to the middle and scored to make it 3-0.
"All credit to (Swingle); she was great, especially in that first half,'' said DiMaria, who leads the Chargers in scoring with 28 goals and 20 assists this season. "We knew we had to play with a lot of energy and we did that. She made some great saves and I could sense a little frustration, but I think we're a pretty confident team. We knew that if we kept working at it, eventually we'd get the goals we needed.
"Getting that goal right before halftime was huge (because) it really eased the tension."
Isabelle Hochmuth earned the shutout, her 14th of the season.
"It feels great to be in this position — as a coach, an alum, and a former Cor Jesu player,'' Brcic said. "And hopefully we can go out tomorrow and finish strong."
Cor Jesu won state titles in 1985 and 2012; the Chargers were runners-up in 1993 and 2002, third in 1996, 1998 and 2010 and fourth in 1986 and 2016. St. Michael's, of Lee's Summit in suburban Kansas City, is making its second state appearance — the Guardians were Class 1 runners-up to John Burroughs back in 2021.
Class 3 girls soccer state semifinal: Cor Jesu 3, St. Michael the Archangel 0
The Chargers freshman is first from St. Louis to earn Gatorade's national honor for girls soccer.
Cor Jesu's Maddie DiMaria competes during a Class 3 girls semifinal soccer match on Friday, May 31, 2024, at Soccer Park in St. Louis County, Mo. Cor Jesu defeated St. Michael (KC) 3-0. Gordon Radford | Special to the Post-Dispatch