Matt Jacques didn’t have a Gipper halftime speech. He wasn’t going to break chairs or windows. And belittling a player wasn’t in the cards.

Bradley Handwerger / WWL-TV.com

Newman's David Napoli eludes the tackle of St. Charles defender Steven Graver in the Greenies 4-0 Division III quarterfinal win Wednesday night.

He just had two simple words for Newman’s boys soccer team – settle down.

They listened, and after a scoreless first 40 minutes, the Greenies turned their Division III quarterfinal against St. Charles into a laugher, winning 4-0 and moving into the semis against St. Louis.

“We weren’t prepared for how they were going to come out,” forward Jeffrey Hampton said. “We knew they were going to come hard, but we didn’t know how hard. They came and pushed us a round for a little bit, but then we got back in our rhythm.”

Newman didn’t settle down, however, until Hampton entered the game in the 15th minute. Hampton didn’t get the start after getting a red card in the previous match.

His entrance made all the difference. Early on, St. Charles controlled possession and had the better chances. It was up to Newman keeper Andrew Starling to make stop after stop.

“He has been solid all year long,” Jacques said. “In the playoffs, we haven’t given up a goal yet. He’s a great leader back there. He’s the anchor of our defense.”

And then, nearly 15 minutes in, Jacques put Hampton in. The substitution made an immediate impact, if not on the scoreboard, in the mental makeup of the Greenies.

“He’s definitely a difference maker,” Jacques said. “He’s such an athlete with his speed, his physicalness. He’s a great player.”

But Newman couldn’t get on the board before halftime, missing several chances in the final 10 minutes.

Thirteen minutes into the second half, Hampton gave Newman a 1-0 lead. Josh Wainer delivered a corner that St. Charles’ keeper had to hit up. Instead, he hit it behind him to a waiting Hampton, who headed the ball in.

Bradley Handwerger / WWL-TV.com

Newman's Josh Wainer rises to block a shot from St. Charles' Michael Weber as a teammate watches on from behind. The Greenies won 4-0.

“I was making a run somewhere else and then I saw he was going to hit it backwards,” Hampton said. “So, I backed up and headed it in.”

It wasn’t the only mark he would leave on the match.

In the 58th minute, Hampton took a throw-in deep in St. Charles’ territory, tossed it to Wainer, who headed the ball past a flat-footed keeper. After 40 minutes and no goals, Newman had two in fewer than 20 minutes in the second half.

It wasn’t done. Eight minutes after Wainer’s goal, Hampton delivered a perfect pass to David Martin, who touched the ball on the ground back post into the goal.

And then seven minutes later, Michael Harris put the finishing touches on the game with a goal.

Wednesday’s contest was a marked difference from the first time these two clubs met when Newman escaped with a 3-2 victory.

“The first game, we up 2-0 and dominating and they had two quick goals out of halftime. It was a rough game,” Wainer said. “This was a rough game. But we dominated it.”

This time, it was just a matter of playing the soccer Newman is used to playing.

“We just needed to settle down,” Jacques said. “In the first half, we weren’t playing our game. We went in at halftime, made a couple of adjustments and told them to settle down. And that’s what we did.”