Scituate survives quarterfinal against Coventry. Here's how it happened.

SCITUATE – It wasn’t a move or shot Lexi Butera had specifically practiced or even thought about. It was just something that years of hard work made happen.And the Scituate girls soccer team couldn’t have been happier.The top-seeded Spartans went up against a Coventry team clearly unafraid of Scituate’s No. 1 ranking. After an offensive-driven first half stymied by spectacular play from both goalies, chances became limited in the second half. That’s where Butera, wearing a defender as a blanket, settled a pass on the right side of the field and managed to get a perfect left foot on the ball, hitting a high-arching shot that cut perfectly into the upper left for the goal that send Scituate to the Division II semifinals with a 1-0 win over Coventry.“We feel ecstatic,” Butera said. “We were a little shaky in the first half, but we were able to sort that out, work as a team and get the goal we needed.”Butera wore a look of frustration most of the game. The sophomore scoring machine had looks in the first half and a few early in the second, but couldn’t get a clean touch or watched after Oaker goalie Ella Hitte made one of her 15 saves in the match.That look changed in the 62nd minute. Butera was blanketed on the right side as the pass came in, but she settled it down with a quick touch. The ball bounced slightly and, with little room to work, Butera didn’t hesitate. Point blank shots hadn’t worked, clean rips weren’t successful, so it was time to try something.Her foot struck the ball perfectly, with a right-to-left sidespin that made it curl to a spot Hitte couldn’t quite reach. Butera was incredulous and immediately ran to find a teammate to celebrate with.“I just kicked it and hoped it would go in,” Butera said. “It just happens. I thought it was over [the net].”The most shocking part of the goal wasn’t that it went in – it was that it was the only goal of the game.Scituate opened on fire and looked primed to get a score in the opening minutes. Hattie made save after save and one diving play saw the rebound end up at the foot of a Spartan with nothing but net in front of her. As she kicked it, Coventry’s Kaitlyn Thomas appeared out of nowhere to get a foot on the ball and get it out of harm’s way.The play from Thomas – as well as the efforts of Gracyn Capuano – electrified the Oakers. Coventry flipped the field in a hurry, with Aleah Griffin controlling play and freshman sensation Taylor DeVerna getting looks.And much like Scituate having trouble solving Hitte, Coventry couldn’t find a way to get past Anna Venditelli. The freshman didn’t look like one, playing calm, cool and collected in the box and making play after the play. In fact, the most nervous she looked was while watching her teammates chase goals on the other end.“I was ready. I just have learned to keep my cool and not overthink,” Venditelli said. “I just look around and see the whole picture.“It’s just reaction. You can read the game if you look at their body shape and their first touch and the direction they’re going. It helps.”At halftime, Scituate settled in. The Spartans’ defense stepped up big, led by Maelie Bowden in the back. Coventry worked the ball into the offensive end, but chances were limited to longer shots that were child’s play for Venditelli.Of course, with the Oakers playing tough on their end, it looked like a goal wasn’t in the cards until Butera showed off her magic touch. Coventry continue to play hard, but couldn’t find the goal and the Spartans celebrated on Caito Field for one last time this season.“It was very scary,” Butera said. “There were a few moments where our defense got a little shaky and I thought they were getting one in.”Scituate’s game was the first of a busy Thursday of soccer and it wasn’t until a few hours later that it discovered who its semifinal opponent would be. Pilgrim won its battle of Warwick over Toll Gate, 1-0, sending the fourth-seeded Patriots to the semifinals to play the Spartans at Smithfield High School on Monday, November 2.The teams met late in the season, playing to a 1-1 draw on October 19. Moments after the win over Coventry happened, Scituate didn’t know who it was playing, but was more worried about its own actions than its future opponent.“Scituate just has to be Scituate,” Butera said. “We have to come out and play.”This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Scituate survives quarterfinal against Coventry. Here's how it happened.