Thanks to big plays from a star player and someone not quite as well known, the Cheverus girls’ soccer team is moving on to the Class A South semifinals.

Unheralded junior defender Kate Prestes came up with a clutch play to preserve a tie without about five minutes remaining, then Sophia Monfa scored with 44 seconds to go as fourth-seeded Cheverus earned a 2-1 win over No. 5 Falmouth at Boulos Stadium.

The Stags (11-2-2) will face No. 1 Windham on Friday.

“We talk about doing the little things,” said Cheverus Coach Craig Roberts. “We don’t have a ton of players who play club year-round, but we have players who play for each other and who have put in a ton of time.”

The Stags came out fast, getting their first shot just 16 seconds into the contest. They went ahead in the 10th minute when Monfa served a corner kick to the near post and it deflected to senior captain Jill Foley, who put it into the net.

“I think it was a really smart decision by ‘Monf,’” Foley said. “She had to be quick. She’s got good creativity and it was a good goal.”

Cheverus clung to that lead for over 50 minutes and just missed a second goal a couple times early in the second half, as Falmouth freshman goalkeeper Emory Westburg knocked two shots from Finley Brown over the crossbar.

Falmouth (10-4-2) then pulled even on a free kick with 18:24 remaining. Senior captain Mackenzie VerLee ripped a 40-yard blast that soared over the head of Stags keeper Evelyn Rush (three saves) but under the crossbar.

“’Kenzie has good range and she put the ball on net and it went in, like it does often,” said Navigators Coach Ben Johnson. “She’ll be very missed. She’s been a part of the program for four years.”

Then, Falmouth nearly went ahead with just under five minutes remaining, but Prestes saved the day by sweeping the ball off the line at the last possible instant following a corner kick.

“I could just tell the ball was coming over and that ‘Ev’ wasn’t going to get that, and I had a feeling I had to stay back, and when the ball came at me, I had to volley it out,” said Prestes. “It was a big relief.”

“Kate’s play on the post was just tremendous,” Roberts added. “She saved us.”

With overtime looming, Annie Vigue was fouled just beyond the 18-yard box. Before the defense and Westburg could settle, Monfa ripped a low shot to Westburg’s left for the winning goal.

“I noticed that their wall wasn’t protecting the goal,” Monfa said. “I asked the ref if I could go and he said, ‘Go for it.’ I just kicked it and it went in. I don’t think anyone thought I’d randomly kick it, but I did.“

Westburg made six saves for Falmouth, which hoped for a deeper postseason run.

“I felt like we played better soccer than them, but at this point of the year, it doesn’t always matter,” Johnson said. “We’ll be back next year and we’ll see what we can do.”