LEE – This year it has been a common strategy for teams to put a tight mark on Lee striker Shelby Pickering.

So what happens when the prolific sophomore striker doesn’t get many touches? The rest of the Pandas on the front line have to take over.

That’s just what Jenny Stevens and Brittany Mallett did Friday afternoon for undefeated No. 1 Lee. The two combined on a late goal to lift the Pandas to their second straight Eastern Maine Class D girls soccer championship with a 1-0 victory over No. 2 Van Buren.

Stevens tapped in a pass from Mallett with 12:08 left in the second half to put Lee (17-0) into the Class D state championship game on Nov. 9. The Pandas will face the winner of today’s Western Maine game between No. 2 Richmond and No. 1 Waynflete of Portland.

It was the Crusaders’ second straight loss to Lee in the regional game. They wrapped up another stellar season at 13-3-1.

Pickering, who has either scored a goal or had an assist in every game this year, was held scoreless Friday. Van Buren coach Brian Hews had Casie Caron marking Pickering the whole game.

That meant it would be hard for Lee’s wing players to get the ball to Pickering in the middle. And it was – the best chances she had all game were on direct kicks.

But Stevens, Sam Cole, and Mallett kept working the ball from the wings, and it finally paid off in the second half.

Mallett was on the left wing and crossed the ball into Stevens, who was waiting in the penalty area. She kicked the ball at the goal, slipping it just past Van Buren’s Danielle Gagnon at the left post.

“[Coach Tom Pickering] always tells us that if we have the ball by the corner of the [18-yard line], we should cross it to the opposite wing,” Mallett said. “I got the ball and I had a feeling Jenny would be there. I crossed it to her and, sure enough, Jenny put it in.”

The Pandas took 13 shots in the second half and had possession most of the way. That was due in part to Lee’s midfielders, who headed almost all of the balls in the air to keep play in Van Buren’s defensive half.

“We talked before the game about controlling the ball in the air, off the head, and sending it down the field,” Tom Pickering said. “That’s basically what we did in the midfield.”

While Pickering was shut down, the Pandas also kept Van Buren’s Micah Laplante from scoring. Laplante set a school record this season for her 16 straight games with a goal.

That was due mostly to sweeper Jessie Kuester, who stopped at least one Laplante breakaway in each half.

“We told her we wanted her to shoot from far out and because their goalie comes out,” Hews said. “Their sweeper gets back real fast and if you take that extra dribble, she’ll get on you. She has real good speed.”

Lee goalie Ashlee Gifford made four saves on five shots, while Gagnon had eight saves on 17 shots.