DIVISION II BOYS’ SOCCER : Mater Dei Tops Long Beach Wilson’s Challenge

Mater Dei badly outplayed a listless Long Beach Wilson team for 75 minutes but only the last five mattered.

Second-seeded Wilson scored the tying goal with five minutes left and the game appeared to be headed for overtime.

But Mater Dei never blinked and senior Ryan Chaput scored with barely more than a minute left to give the Monarchs a 2-1 victory Tuesday and their first Southern Section boys’ soccer final appearance in seven years.

Third-seeded Mater Dei will meet Esperanza at 8 p.m. Friday at Gahr High School in the Division II final.

“I knew that we dominated and I felt in my heart of hearts that we could do it anyway,” Mater Dei Coach Martin Stringer said. “We got what we deserved (Tuesday).”

Mater Dei (22-2-4) outshot Wilson (20-3-3), 17-7, was quicker to the ball and was more aggressive than the Bruins throughout.

After a scoreless first half, the Monarchs scored in the opening 30 seconds of the second half on Kevin Quigley’s header (his 22nd goal) that rebounded to him after Mike McCabe’s shot hit the crossbar.

“That’s the first header he’s had all season,” Stringer said. ‘He couldn’t have picked a better time.”

Wilson took only one shot in the next 35 minutes to Mater Dei’s 11, but the Bears scored when Chris Levy rebounded Pat Baldwin’s header.

“It set us back, totally,” Quigley said. “But our coach keeps telling us to keep our heads up.”

Quigley had his head up when he received Danny Smith’s throw-in, turned his defender and nailed a crossing pass to Chaput, who only needed to tap the ball into an open net.