WEST SALEM — The third-seeded West Salem High School girls soccer team is headed to a WIAA Division 3 regional championship game on Saturday.
The Panthers (7-4-3) scored early, then dominated the second half in a 7-2 semifinal victory over Barron/Cumberland on Thursday.
West Salem, a sectional champion and state semifinalist last spring, scored six of its goals in the second half to earn its championship game at second-seeded Baldwin-Woodville (14-0-4) on Saturday.
The Panthers, who are 6-0-1 in their past six games, have ended Baldwin-Woodville’s season two years in a row and were playing without several injured starters.
Freshman Mia Lehman had a hat trick and assisted on a fourth goal to lead the way. She gave West Salem its first-half score with an unassisted goal.
She also tallied her team’s second and fifth goals and assisted on the seventh in a game that featured plenty of strong play from West Salem’s reserves.
Sophomore Amelia Karr scored one goal and assisted on two, Brisha Briseno scored twice, and Maya Hoff assisted on two goals.
Amelia Goetz also scored on a header for the Panthers, and senior Baylee Faucett had an assist on Karr’s first goal.
