PORTSMOUTH – The coach’s forward thinking and a player’s leg extension at just the right time enabled the Portsmouth High School girls’ soccer team to defeat Toll Gate 1-0 and advance to the Division-One state semifinals.

Substitute Stephanie McInnis scored the game’s lone goal with 12:10 remaining in regulation to help guide the Patriots into a semifinal match against South Kingstown Wednesday, Nov. 4, at 8 p.m., at Cranston Stadium. South Kingstown, which beat Portsmouth 5-1 during the regular season, advanced with a 7-1 quarterfinal win over Barrington.

“We’ll see what we can do with them,” Portsmouth coach Jim Blaess said. “Last time we played them we didn’t play with a lot of confidence. They’re very confident now and I think things will be a little bit different than the last time we played South Kingstown.”

McInnis made sure the Patriots would get a shot at the Rebels. After Portsmouth played a somewhat lackluster opening 40 minutes, a half in which it only managed one shot on goal, its play intensified the second half.

“The first half we definitely tried but I think it hit us in the second half that we really needed to fight more and find something to be able to win the game,” McInnis said. “It was just a little bit of momentum and motivation.

“We want so bad to be able to make it to state finals. I think we wanted it more than they did. That was what just pushed us and was our motivation for this.”

The coach’s motivation to insert McInnis into the lineup was made partially with an eye to later in the game, to give a couple of his players some rest and to also keep the pressure on the Toll Gate defense. Portsmouth owned the second half and made numerous forays deep into the Titans’ zone.

“When we got to 20 minutes my thoughts were, okay, when we get to overtime start rotating some kids and give us fresh legs,” Blaess said. “Stephanie came off the bench to score that goal. In hindsight, I guess it was a good decision.”

Mariah McManus had the first good second-half scoring opportunity for Portsmouth but her open 25-yard shot sailed over the crossbar. Sarah Corrigan was dynamic on the left side, continually maneuvering and crossing the ball to the front of the goal. But no one was there to finish.

“I wouldn’t say it was frustrating but I knew eventually something had to give,” said Blaess.

Everyone thought it was just about to give when the Pats set up a pretty three-man play. Substitute midfielder Nina Pellechio sent a pass to McInnis wide left of the box. She got past one tired defender and lofted a pass to the goal mouth. Freshman Zoe Burns rose and headed the ball on goal but keeper Amy St. Amand one-handed the ball aside with 16 minutes left.

Undeterred the Pats kept up the pressure. Lauren Bulk arced a pass from the right side into the middle of a group of players inside the penalty area. Burns got the ball at her feet, plowed through the crowd and rolled a shot toward goal. St. Amand came out and stopped the ball but could not contain it. McInnis simply finished the play by knocking the ball into the net with her left foot.

“It hit off the goalie and I saw it there and stuck my foot out,” McInnis said. “I just got apiece of it because it was rolling and it wasn’t going to make it there. So I hit it. It just needed to be pushed a little bit more.”

Finally, the Portsmouth offense, stymied all night, broke through.

“They had a little bit of a problem with that side. Their players were getting a little bit tired,” said the coach. “Toll Gate saw the pressure coming and they were forced to drop back and support more.”

The Titans got the ball deep in the Portsmouth end later in the game but goalie Alison French made a relatively easy save on a deflected shot which changed direction.

Toll Gate had two good scoring chances in the first half, its best coming 10 minutes into the game when Amanda Gauvin rolled a shot just wide left of the open side of the goal.

Portsmouth defender Ashley Blaess headed a ball out of the goal mouth a couple minutes later after French slapped the ball away off a corner kick and a Toll Gate player immediately knocked it back toward the goal. But the Pats awoke and took care of business when needed.

“We’ve been a second-half team,” said Blaess. “We just kept the pressure on and the girls just never quit. They never quit no matter what the score is.”