As the Cougars defeated Southeast Raleigh High 3-1 in the third round of the NCHSAA 4-A Tournament's Eastern Region, they played what coach Kevin Todd considered their most mentally focused game of the season.

"We just had to work through it," senior attacker Sarah Jackyra said. "At halftime, I just said 'There's nothing we can do. We just have to work through it and play our game.'"

Apex (19-2-1) has now worked its way to the regional final against top-ranked and reigning 4-A champion Broughton High (23-0-1), a 3-1 winner over East Chapel Hill High on Wednesday. Game time has yet to be announced.

Shot after shot against Southeast Raleigh, Apex controlled the ball in Bulldogs territory and toughed-out almost 40 minutes of scoreless play. As the game seemed to resemble more of a football match than a soccer game, junior midfielder Jennifer Partenheimer took over and found the back of the net with only seconds left in the first half.

"I think after I scored the first goal, Southeast was probably thinking it had a chance because the last game we came back and won 4-2 after being down 0-2 at halftime," she said. "But we were stronger than that and we decided to step it up and play well."

The goal not only changed the scoreboard, but also gave the Cougars the needed boost of energy to finish the second half strong.

"Our halftime huddle was elevated about 100 times what it would have been without that goal," Todd said. "We just knew we had to stay mentally tough, because it can take you off your game if you're not."

After seven minutes in the second half, Apex gained a more comfortable lead from a Southeast Raleigh own-goal. But sophomore Amanda Lapp dampened the intensity a bit with a goal in the 67th minute to put the Bulldogs on the scoreboard.

But as the clock wound down, the Cougars used their nerves to their advantage and sophomore Sydney Reed scored the final goal.

Though Apex has kept its edge in the postseason, the Cougars have faced something that they weren't accustomed to in the regular season: late scoring. In their last two games, the Cougars had not gotten on the board until the final seconds of the first half, if at all in the first half.

"I'd say about 99 percent of the games we play, we get so many opportunities and so many chances that we should be finishing in the first five or 10 minutes," Jackyra said. "But we just have to be patient and know that that first goal is going to come eventually. It's always harder when you know that there's a chance it could turn out either way."

Now comes Broughton, but the Cougars are not focusing on the Caps' tradition.

"We just have to continue to play our game," senior goalkeeper Andrea D'Andreti said. "Don't worry that it's Broughton. It doesn't matter -- that's just a name."