Hollis Brookline girls soccer players celebrate a goal by McKenna Maguire during Monday night's Division II semifinal win over Coe-Brown in Exeter. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

EXETER – They’re saving their best for last.

It’s go time for the Hollis Brookline High School girls soccer team, and they certainly proved they’re on the move toward a second straight Division II title with a resounding 5-0 semifinal win over Coe-Brown.

“I think we’ve been preparing all season for this moment,” said HB striker McKenna Maguire, who had four goals in the first half and assisted on HB’s lone second half goal. “Knowing that we could do it. Every practice and every game we’ve worked harder and harder throughout the season. … I think tonight we played our best out all the games and I think next game we can even do better.”

That would be Friday at 5 p.m. here at Bill Ball Stadium vs. No. 2 Bow, which beat No.6 Kingswood 2-1 in overtime in the earlier semi last night.

That one was a thriller, but the nightcap was total domination. HB keeper Maya Blackman needed to make just one save and touched the ball twice all game. Such a stark contrast from when she had to come up big in penalty kicks in last year’s semis vs. Bow.

The Cavs are now 18-0, winners of 37 straight. They haven’t lost since falling to Pelham in the semis two years ago, and this game mirrored a 6-0 win over Coe-Brown a month ago in the regular season.

“I told Peter (HB coach Clarke) that my 19th year that’s the best team I’ve ever seen in Division II girls soccer, hands down,” Coe-Brown coach Josh Hills said, his No. 4 Bears done at 11-4-3. “They’re so well prepared, so quick and athletic. Hats off, Peter’s done a heckuva job getting them ready.”

The Cavs have been in a lot of tourney games, and four straight Final Four games the last four years. This was the best they’ve played in any of them from Clarke’s view.

“By far,” he said. “It’s come to fruition this year. Last year we poked through (with a title) and we were able to come back this year and get a little bit better each night at what we do…Everybody’s willing to step out there, play a role, and move the ball quickly.

“Yeah, this performance here I would say I would say is the best we’ve played during this Final Four – and against the best of competition.”

Maguire scored her first goal four minutes in, breaking in on Bears keeper Sadie Scruton, who had 12 saves on the night. But she couldn’t stop this shot, and it was 1-0.

The Cavs kept having chances, and Maguire thought she gave her team a 2-0 lead nearly two minutes later but was off-side. Then came a 20 minute stretch in which the Cavs just kept coming and shooting, but to no avail. Finally, at 29:30, Maguire found the back of the net again for a 2-0 lead. Three minutes later she converted a perfect cross from Molly Reardon to make it 3-0, and got her fourth pouncing on a loose ball ahead of the Bears defense and buried another with 3:58 left n the half.

She had to stay patient during the dry spell in which the Cavs had nothing to show for their persistent attack.

“It was really frustrating because I know we had many chances at the goal,” Maguire said. “There were two off-sides. I knew after 1-0 we would have many chances to get more goals, and I think we just worked harder and harder to get it. Once we got another one, we kept getting more after that.”

“You start to worry about karma when we had the goal called back,” Clarke said. “When we didn’t score soon after that, you start to think ‘Are they going to get a little frustrated?’ But they didn’t. They just stay in their groove.”

Hollis Brookline’s McKenna Maguire bears down on Coe-Brown goalie Sadie Scruton for her first goal in Monday night’s Division II semis at Exeter’s Bill Ball Stadium. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

Hollis Brookline’s McKenna Maguire bears down on Coe-Brown goalie Sadie Scruton for her first goal in Monday night’s Division II semis at Exeter’s Bill Ball Stadium. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

Reardon and Kai Swart were instrumental in the HB transition game, as were players like Lily Bouchard and Marleigh Kreick. Bouchard had to be helped off the field late in the first half but Clarke said she’s fine and will be ready for Friday. Defenders Cassidy Engle and Ellie Snoke shut down any thoughts the Bears had of mounting an attack.

What the heck could Clarke tell his team at halftime?

“To be really aware of how well they’re playing, and come out and continue to play that well in the second half,” he said.

To that end, Maguire set up teammate Samantha Disco for the fifth and final goal early in the second half, and soon after Clarke got most of the starters out to prep for Friday, where the 14-3-1 Falcons await. HB beat them 4-1 last month.

“I’m really excited,” Maguire said.

No reason not to be, that’s for sure.