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BECKLEY, W.Va. - Rematch.

The Weir High girls soccer team used two goals 58 seconds apart in the first of two 10-minute overtimes Friday on Carter Field at the YMCA Youth Sports Complex to beat Pikeview 2-0 and advance to today's West Virginia Class AA-A state title game at 11 a.m. against defending champion Charleston Catholic, a 7-0 winner over Grafton in the first semifinal.

For the Red Riders, it was a familiar story.

"We've had a lot of nailbiters this year," said Red Riders coach Chris LeFever. "We had some really good opportunities today early and just didn't capitalize. Don't get me wrong, we went back and forth with Pikeview and they are a strong team. I give (coach) Sam Hill a lot of credit. For a three-year program, they're good. They are very intense and have good athletes.

"When we needed to finish there at the end, we came through and finished."

Lindsay Thorp slipped one into the lower left corner off a pass from Milena Maragos with 3:51 left in the first overtime and the pair hooked up 58 seconds later, this time changing roles, as the Red Riders advanced to the state championship game for the second year in a row.

"That first goal was great and that second goal was a big relief for everyone," said Weir High's Kassi Robinson, a senior captain.

It was Weir High's 13th shutout of the season and sixth in a row. It has not allowed a goal since the 1-0 loss to Brooke in the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference Cup on Oct. 5.

"We do very well under pressure in overtime," said Robinson. "It's our time. I don't think we were nervous. I think it actually got us more pumped up, knowing that we had to be more intense, we had to be tougher, we had to play harder."

"We seem to play better in overtime," said Red Riders defender Megan Duke, a senior captain. "It's happened a couple of times this year. We just calmed down in overtime and we just played our game."

The Red Riders and Fighting Irish met in last year's first Class AA-A state championship game, won by Charleston Catholic 2-0.

"We were prepared this year for the pressure and what we needed to go through today," Robinson said of last year's appearance.

"This (playing in the state title game) is very important to us," said Duke. "We worked really hard all summer. We want to be able to get further this year because I think we are a better team. We have improved our skills a lot."

The Red Riders, who were whistled for seven more fouls, saw sophomore goalkeeper Taylor Gianangeli make nine saves.

"I have complete confidence in Taylor," said Duke. "I never have to worry about her not getting there if I let the ball through. She's a great keeper."

The players admitted the first half was rather frustrating.

"We knew at halftime we could play better and we could move the ball around better," said Robinson.

"We were very frustrated," said Emily Lescallette, a senior captain. "It is hard when it's 0-0 and everyone is frustrated and just want to win. I feel badly for the defense sometimes because they aren't allowing a goal and we can't score.

"Before overtime we just talked about how we had to put all of our hearts into it. We'll bring everything we can tomorrow."

Also playing another brilliant game for the Red Riders was junior Bobbie Jo Julian.

"She goes for every 50-50 ball and is just a workhorse," said LeFever. "But, we have a lot of workhorses.

"Bobbie Jo stepped it up today. She is very unselfish, like all of our players. I can yell anything to her on the field and immediately she does everything she can to make that happen."

Lefever said he wasn't a big fan of playing an extra 20 minutes, at the same time, though, he thought it was good for his team.

"I think this was a confidence booster for our girls because we're going to have a tough game tomorrow," he said. "I'm proud of the way the girls stepped it up in overtime. It's a great lesson for the girls. It was nice to see them dig down that deep to pull out the win."

(Mathison can be contacted at mmathison@heraldstaronline.com)