After a five-year absence, No. 3 St. Louis Catholic is going back to the semifinals.

Led by two goals by Jackson Avery, the Saints beat No. 6 St. Michael the Archangel on Monday in the Division III soccer quarterfinals at Cowgirl Field.

The Saints (17-3-4) last reached the semifinals in 2018. The Saints ended the drought while facing many challenges, including the death of teammate Phillip Conner in a car wreck the first week of the season and a schedule with eight games against teams that reached the quarterfinals or semifinals.

“We had that long run where I think we went 19 years and at least made to the semifinals 18 of those years,” St. Louis head coach Jason Oertling said. “It has been a while.

“We talked to them before the game. This has been a special team. It has been a very difficult year, but it has also been an excellent time. It has been such a rewarding year, and I am glad that they are being rewarded for their hard work. They have been through the gauntlet this year; tough teams and everything else we have been through losing Phillip (Conner) at the beginning of the season. Having to go through that is tough. I am just very proud of the way they have been honoring Phillip along the way.”

St. Louis went up 3-0 in the 55th minute when Jackson got the ball at midfield and sprinted through the Warriors, winning a one-on-one with goalkeeper Connor Reynolds. But the Warriors (12-8-4) scored twice over the next 15 minutes to cut the Saints’ lead to one. Lee Balart scored on a free kick in the 57th minute, and Andrew Phillips on a deflection in the 73rd minute.

St. Louis nixed the Warriors’ comeback with a late goal from Grayson Allen set up by a header by Andrew Roach that redirected a free kick by Stephen Polito.

“We definitely did not play well. That is also because of St. Michael,” Oertling said. “They did some stuff that put us in a bind and put us on our heels. I am really glad that we figured out a way to win without playing our best.”

Jackson scored his first goal two minutes into the game, and Polito scored in the 38th minute for a 2-0 halftime lead.