La Salle's Ryan Poirier and Hendricken's Kyle O'Connell compete for the ball during Tuesday night's semifinal game. Click here to see a Hendricken-La Salle slideshow, and here to see a Chariho-North Kingstown slideshow.

Journal photo / Ruben W. Perez

CRANSTON — Bishop Hendricken lost to La Salle Academy twice this season, 4-0 and 4-1, so the Hawks were confident when they took the field against the Rams on Tuesday night in the first semifinal of the 29th Annual MetLife Soccer Classic.

Confident?

“To beat a team three times in a season is very difficult,” Hendricken coach Mickey Rooney said.

And La Salle couldn’t do it. Max Milder scored on a header in the fifth minute of the first half, Marcello Penta popped a shot into the net in the 12th minute of the second half, goalkeeper Justin Skerpan stopped everything La Salle shot at him, and fifth-seeded Hendricken upset top-seeded La Salle, 2-0, at Cranston Stadium.

Hendricken improved to 14-6-1 and La Salle went home 18-2. The Hawks will play third-seeded Chariho for the state championship Saturday at Rhode Island College. Hendricken last won the title in 1998 and was in the final the last time in 2001.

Chariho defeated seventh-seeded North Kingstown, 2-1, in the other semifinal and improved its record to 17-3. North Kingstown finished 11-7-3. Chariho is playing for the state championship for the first time since losing to Barrington in 1966. The Chargers won the Division II title in 1995.

Hendricken’s pesky but persistent defense stymied La Salle’s attack time and again. Defender Anthony Renzi anchored the back line.

“It was a team effort,” the senior said. “Everyone listened to me and to Justin in back. We took charge, and the whole defense toughened up . . . That’s what led us to victory.”

“He played a great game,” Rooney said of Renzi. “He has really stepped up his play during the playoffs.”

Renzi set up Hendricken’s first goal on a play that appeared to catch everyone by surprise. He launched a free kick on the left from about the 45 toward the right side of the net. He hooked the kick so it was bending toward the cage as Milder leaped and headed the ball toward the left corner. Keeper Chris Macari appeared to react slowly as the ball bounced by him and rolled into the cage for the score that started Milder on a celebratory sprint at 4:03.

Hendricken defender Jeffrey Sabo made the defensive play of the game at 25:00 when he caught up with Brad Carlson’s shot just as it was about to roll over the goal line. Carlson had reached a long lead pass and popped the ball over the diving Skerpan. Carlson closed from the right, kicked the ball aside and tumbled into the cage.

Skerpan stymied Carlson again at 34:33 with another diving save.

Hendricken capitalized on another unexpected scoring opportunity at 11:03 of the second half when Penta won a battle for control at about the 18 and lofted a shot over three Rams defenders and over Macari’s left shoulder high into the back right corner of the net for a 2-0 Hawks lead.

In the second game, Chariho took a 1-0 lead at 25:55 of the first half when co-captain Tyler Zegarzewski blasted a shot along the ground from about 25 yards out that beat the diving keeper Thomas Mulligan. Chargers keeper Brad Borsay came up with the defensive gem at 32:32 when he tipped a high shot over the crossbar. Nick Dubee gave the Chargers a 2-0 lead at 2:28 of the second half when he caught up with a lead pass and blasted a shot past Mulligan.

BISHOP HENDRICKEN (2): Max Milder, Marcello Penta; assist Anthony Renzi. LA SALLE (0). Halftime, 1-0. Saves – Justin Skerpan, Bishop Hendircken, n/a; Chris Macari, La Salle, n/a.

CHARIHO (2): Tyler Zegarzewski, Nick Dubee. NORTH KINGSTOWN (1): Andrew Hess.

Halftime, Chariho, 1-0. Saves – Brad Borsay, Chariho, n/a; Thomas Mulligan, North Kingstown, n/a.