BENTON, La. — Benton Lady Tigers etched a page in school history Monday night. They knocked off Northshore 2-1 in overtime to reach the non-select Division I girls soccer semifinals for the first time. No Bossier Parish team has ever made a state championship match.

The Lady Tigers, with a 22-4 record, take on defending champions Mt. Carmel Academy on Saturday. Kickoff is 3 p.m. at Pan American Stadium in New Orleans’ City Park. Mt. Carmel enters as the No. 1 seed at 20-3-4.

Benton’s path included blowout wins over No. 28 Ponchatoula (8-0), No. 12 St. Amant and that tense Northshore thriller. Seventeen of their victories came via shutouts. Coach Amy Watson’s squad thrives on defense.

Mt. Carmel presents a tall order. The Cubs claimed the state title last year, beating Byrd 2-0 in the final. They’ve won four championships since the 2010-11 season. This year, 16 of 20 wins ended in shutouts.

The Cubs’ three losses came against out-of-state Clinton, Miss. (2-0), Isidore Newman (2-1) and Archbishop Hannan (3-0). Both Newman and Hannan reached semifinals in their divisions. One tie stood out: a 1-1 draw with Northshore early on.

In playoffs, Mt. Carmel rolled through No. 32 East Ascension (4-0), No. 16 Zachary (4-0) and No. 8 Southside (4-1). Their attack stays relentless.

Benton seeks to extend the fairy tale. A win catapults them to the championship game next week. Fans pack buses from Bossier Parish. The stadium holds 5,000, but expect a lively crowd under the oaks.

Weather forecasts clear skies, mid-70s. Perfect for soccer. Benton captain Sarah Jenkins spoke post-win: “We’re not done. Mt. Carmel is tough, but we believe.” Mt. Carmel coach Jake Bertucci added: “Respect Benton’s run. Game on.”

Non-select semis wrap the weekend. Other matchups pit No. 2 Acadiana against No. 6 Lafayette. Division II sees No. 1 Episcopal of Acadiana versus No. 5 St. Thomas More. State finals loom May 18-19 at University of Louisiana-Lafayette.

Benton’s regular season featured district dominance. They went 10-0 in District 1-5A. Mt. Carmel swept District 9-5A unbeaten. Head-to-head history? None this millennium. First blood Saturday.