THOMASTON — Chloe Raymond scored off a corner kick in the second half to lead No. 2 Hermon to a 1-0 victory over top-seeded Oceanside in the Class B North girls’ soccer regional final on Wednesday afternoon.

The Hawks (15-0-2) will play for their first state title at 3 p.m. Saturday against Greely (15-2) at Fitzpatrick Stadium.

Oceanside (14-1-2) applied loads of pressure down the stretch but was unable to get the tying goal.

Hermon Coach M.J. Ball said he was relieved to be able to defend the way his girls did, but that the team needs to improve to win the state championship.

“We didn’t play our best, and we will get it sorted out before (Saturday),” Ball said. “Pressure was definitely a factor, and it was a very defensive battle, which we expected.”

The goal came off Hermon’s first corner kick of the game, 14 minutes into the second half. After Emi Higgins sent the ball into the box, Oceanside goalie Kalyn Grover attempted to field it, but she misplayed it and the ball ended up on Raymond’s foot.

“I was hoping to get the ball in the frame near the corner,” Raymond said. “Then I put it right in.”

The game was a defensive battle, as expected. The action stayed mostly between the penalty boxes with each side mixing in a couple of scoring chances.

“We were hoping to get one in because it would have been a fun overtime,” said Oceanside Coach Darryl Townsend. “It was a great match, and everyone is disappointed, but I am extremely proud of (my team).”

Because they did not meet in the regular season, each team spent much of the first half acclimating to the other’s style of play.

Ball’s scouting report said Oceanside would play a physical and direct game, which he had tried to simulate in practice.

“I thought our backs and midfielders did a very good job keeping everything in front of them,” Ball said. “Our goalkeeper did a great job reading the ball coming off our line when she needed to, and we dealt with their restarts.”

Townsend said he wasn’t sure what formation Hermon would play, so he made a few adjustments as the first half progressed.

“I switched to a two-man front, which seemed to helped us,” he said. “We had some nice chances and some nice looks, and if we would have hit it anywhere but in (goalie Bryanne Crouse’s) belly, the ball could go in.”

A critical moment came early in the first half when Oceanside junior defender Lily McVetty suffered a leg injury and was carried off the field by a trainer. She never returned, putting a dent in the Mariners’ defense.

“Everybody has to play the game, but that kind of stuff is what we all battle as coaches,” Townsend said. “But it hurt us tremendously.”

Copy the Story Link