The defender had a 10-yard head start, but Gilman flew past her, forcing the goalie to quickly retreat into the box. It looked like a long touch might allow the keeper to come up with the ball, but Gilman managed to keep it alive and keep her composure. The senior forward pulled the ball to the edge of the box and dispatched a left-footed shot into the now vacant goal.

Gilman’s third goal in as many games would prove decisive, as the OA defense held Duxbury scoreless on Saturday afternoon at Muscato Stadium and the Tigers pulled out a 1-0 win to reach the Div. 2 Final Four for the first time in the new format.

“It was really hard to sit on the bench last year and watch,” said Gilman who missed out on last year’s postseason run with an injury, “but I’m just so happy to keep going this year and see how much further we can get.”

OA has made a habit of starting quickly in the playoffs. Seven of the team’s eight postseason goals have come in the first half. After scoring in the opening minute in the last round against Stoughton, the Tigers nearly repeated the trick on Saturday.

A slip in the midfield allowed Emma Gavin to win possession and she played the ball infield to Lucinda Li Cotter, who in turn sprung Jolie Diaz on the right wing. Diaz was clean through on the keeper but her shot from just inside the box would be right at the goalie.

“The trick to the game is to score right away because then you’re so confident and you can just hold them off,” Gilman explained. “We try to make plays all the time and have while doing it.”

Just a minute later, Sophia Byron had the chance to swing in her first corner of the match and caused havoc inside the Duxbury box. The ball landed inside the six and Gilman, Cotter, Taylor deVos, and Gavin all had chances to take a swing at it but each time the Dragons were able to get a block before finally clearing.

“That something that our coaching staff drive in,” said senior midfielder Mary Cross. “We always say the first five minutes, then when the first five minutes goes by we say the next five. We always go five minutes at a time.”

The front line of Gilman, Cotter, and Diaz has been terrorizing defenders all season and it continued against Duxbury. In the 23rd minute, Cotter picked up the ball in front of the Duxbury defense, turned and ran at her marker before forcing a save with a left-footed shot. Three minutes later, right back Catie Wilson sent a high ball into the box that Gilman did really well to bring under control before snatching at her shot and sending it wide.

In the 29th minute, Diaz looped a ball over the top of the defense. Gilman did well to win the battle for possession and get to the end line, but her low cross into Cotter was cut out just before it got to her strike partner.

“Our chemistry is great,” Gilman said of her partnership with Diaz and Cotter. “We love each other. We really do see each other as little sisters, it’s amazing.”

The Dragons were struggling to get anything going at the other end. OA keeper Janiya Matier was finally given something to worry about when Morgan Cheverie dangerously lined a 25-yard free kick diagonally through the box without a touch.

With the half winding down, OA continued to press for the opening goal. Rhiya Fisher won the ball in midfield and quickly got it forward to Cotter, who played Gilman in behind the Duxbury right back. Gilman’s deep cross picked out Diaz on the far side and she in turn crossed to Gavin in the middle. The ball was allowed to bounce and Gilman latched onto it but sent it just wide.

After controlling play throughout the half, it looked like OA would have to settle for a goalless draw at half, until Gilman’s speed and finishing turned the game on its head.

Duxbury came out for the second half determined to get back into the game and had its best spell of pressure in the match. Cheverie cut across the box on her right foot and forced Matier into her first save. A minute later, Megan Carney showed off her footwork in the box to elude deVos. Byron slid in to make an important tackle and Matier was bravely off her line to smother the loose ball.

Chances were coming at both ends of the field. Cotter hit a ball across the face of goal that was kneed over the bar for a corner. The resulting kick was parried by the keeper into the path of Carly Gibson, but her shot went just wide. After a mishit clearance on a back pass, Elizabeth Yucius had a wide open goal to aim for but put her shot the wrong side of the post.

In the 63rd minute, Diaz had a chance to wrap it up. Cotter again picked up the ball in space in the middle and fired a pass out to the left wing. The freshman forward ran at her marker, cutting inside onto her right foot and curling a shot towards the bottom corner only to unluckily see it come back off the post.

Duxbury was pushing, increasingly desperate to find an equalizer with each minute that ticked off the clock. But, the OA defense, which has yet to allow a goal in the playoffs, continued to hold strong and keep everything well outside the penalty area. Cheverie had one last shot but it was again from distance and easily held by Matier.

“We came a long way,” Byron said about the OA defense. “At the beginning of the season, we made some adjustments and from there we’ve kind of known what to do going forward. It’s all about keeping our composure and talking because we don’t want to get lost.”

She added, “Me and Taylor have done a really good job working together. We communicate non-stop and I don’t think a minute goes by where I’m not telling her where to go or what to do and same thing for her.”

The top seed was moving on and will get the chance to play in the state semifinal.

“It’s amazing,” Gilman said. “Being a senior, going this far this last year, it’s awesome. Being with this group of girls has been a great experience.”

Cross added, “Words can’t describe it. We’ve worked so hard and we’re so happy to be here.”

Oliver Ames (15-3-1) will face No. 5 seed Grafton in the Final Four at a date, time, and location to be determined.