COSHOCTON — Beaver Local’s historic run to the girls Div. IV state soccer tournament came with a lot of thrills along the way.

On Tuesday in the Div. IV state semifinal at Stewart Field, a tall, fast and athletic Columbus Academy team was the one providing all the highlights in a 4-0 win at Stewart Field.

Gonzaga University commit Harper Boninsegna-Mullins tallied two long bomb goals as the Vikings (18-3-2) advanced to their first girls state championship game in school history.

Columbus Academy will meet top-ranked and two-time defending state champion Cincinnati Summit Country Day (21-0-2) at 3 p.m. Friday at Historic Columbus Crew Stadium for the state championship. Country Day beat Ottawa-Glandorf 6-2 on Tuesday in Fairborn in the other state semifinal.

Senior Lainie Bock was tasked with keeping an eye on Bonsinsegna in the midfield at times and it was quickly apparent that she and her teammates would be a handful.

“They had a lot of speed and a lot of agility and we were running around a lot trying to chase them around this field, but we gave it our all the whole time,” Bock said.

Boninsegna-Mullins’ first goal came with 32:25 left in the first half from about 45 yards out. The shot sailed over the arms of Beaver Local keeper Tatum Duncan.

“She had one against Columbus Bexley that was a game-winner with 23 seconds (like that) and she scored one like that with four and a half minutes left to beat West Geauga in the regional final,” Columbus Academy coach Grant Stegner said.

For all intents and purposes the game was put to bed a short time later when freshman Sydney Smoot scored with 30:50 left in the first half to make it 2-0.

“After the second goal it was more like ‘Just keep your head up and now we’ve got to play hard and not let ourselves get down,'” Bock said.

Beaver Local (19-3) was taken out of its attacking style and had to sink players like leading scorer Peyton Dunn and freshman Leah Stewart in more of a defensive role. Beaver Local coach Liz Connor also moved freshman Jansen Ours from the wing to a center back position.

“We didn’t want to change too much at the start of the game,” Connor said. “But we made some adjustments as the game went on.”

Stewart said she still believed the Beavers, who were shut out for the first time, could do it.

“I looked at Peyton, my best friend on the team, and said we can still win this,” Stewart said. “We had to keep our heads up.”

Boninsegna-Mullins tallied from 30 yards out with 19:55 left in the first half and the Vikings went into halftime with a comfortable advantage as Beaver Local was not generating any sort of attack.

The final goal came with 38:43 to go in the second half as Addison Medina got on the end of a cross.

With the game already decided Beaver Local was freer to attack later in the second half, but the Viking defense was too tough.

With Dunn (45 goals) and Stewart (24 goals) coming back next season, this could be just the beginning for the Beavers.

“It starts here,” Bock said. “We made school history and made it to state. Now it just goes from here. Next year I say they can win it.”

“We’re going to lose a lot of our seniors, but I think the confidence the team has in the juniors and sophomores, we’ll have a chance at getting here again next year,” Stewart said.

Game notes

• Beaver Local’s only loss in the previous 15 matches was a 5-3 decision at Salem on Oct. 7.

• Country Day won state titles in 2024, 2023, 2017, 2015 and 2011.

• Country Day beat Ottawa-Glandorf 3-0 in last season’s Div. IV state final.

The Vikings have scored 80 goals this season, while letting in 17.

• Beaver Local brought 80 students to the game.

• The Beavers don’t have a lot of leeway in scheduling more challenging out of conference opponents due to OVAC and Buckeye 8 commitments, but it is something Connor will look at in the offseason.

• Connor said the field was 10 yards wider than the one at Beaver Local and it made communicating across the field tough at times.