Lawrence's Michaela Little, right, tries to turn past Freehold Borough's Makayla Sekerka, left, during a Central Group III quarterfinal girls soccer game on Thursday afternoon in Lawrence Twp. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Freehold Borough goalkeeper Kendall Livingston, left, punches the ball away as teammate Shea Patmore, center, and Lawrence's Caelyn LaFlamme, right, challenge during a Central Group III quarterfinal girls soccer game on Thursday afternoon in Lawrence Twp. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Lawrence's Liliana Calderone, right, and Freehold Borough's Ava Hernandez, left, go after the ball during a Central Group III quarterfinal girls soccer game on Thursday afternoon in Lawrence Twp. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Lawrence's Caelyn LaFlamme, right, tries to keep the ball away from Freehold Borough's Makayla Sekerka, left, during a Central Group III quarterfinal girls soccer game on Thursday afternoon in Lawrence Twp. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Freehold Borough's Makayla Sekerka, right, tries to control the ball as she's pressured by Lawrence's Micheala Little, left, during a Central Group III quarterfinal girls soccer game on Thursday afternoon in Lawrence Twp. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Freehold Borough goalkeeper Kendall Livingston, left, slides to grab the ball in front of teammate Kathrine Atkinson, right, and Lawrence's Sophia Uyaguari-Corado, center, during a Central Group III quarterfinal girls soccer game on Thursday afternoon in Lawrence Twp. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Lawrence's Elena Rivera, left, tires to move past Freehold Borough's Rylie Cook, right, during a Central Group III quarterfinal girls soccer game on Thursday afternoon in Lawrence Twp. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Lawrence's Michaela Little, right, shoots the ball as she's defended by Freehold Borough's Emma Caruso, left, during a Central Group III quarterfinal girls soccer game on Thursday afternoon in Lawrence Twp. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Lawrence's Jillian Sheleheda reacts on the field against Freehold Borough during a Central Group III quarterfinal girls soccer game on Thursday afternoon in Lawrence Twp. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Lawrence players celebrate around Michaela Little, 15, after her second goal against Freehold Borough during a Central Group III quarterfinal girls soccer game on Thursday afternoon in Lawrence Twp. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Lawrence's Michaela Little, 15, celebrates at the end of a 2-0 victory over Freehold Borough during a Central Group III quarterfinal girls soccer game on Thursday afternoon in Lawrence Twp. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Lawrence's Ava Donnelly, right, moves with the ball as referee Rich Conte Jr., left, follows the action against Freehold Borough during a Central Group III quarterfinal girls soccer game on Thursday afternoon in Lawrence Twp. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Lawrence head coach Emily Palombo, left, gestures to her team as she stands next to assistant Kelsey Holt, right, against Freehold Borough during a Central Group III quarterfinal girls soccer game on Thursday afternoon in Lawrence Twp. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Referee Mike Kurlander watches the action between Lawrence and Freehold Borough during a Central Group III quarterfinal girls soccer game on Thursday afternoon in Lawrence Twp. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Show Caption1 of 14Lawrence's Michaela Little, right, tries to turn past Freehold Borough's Makayla Sekerka, left, during a Central Group III quarterfinal girls soccer game on Thursday afternoon in Lawrence Twp. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Expand LAWRENCE TWP. — It’s been a long time since the Lawrence High girls soccer has been around this late into the postseason, but led by Michaela Little in the goal-scoring form of her career it has found another gear in the Central Jersey Group III playoffs. Little scored goals 19 and 20 in the second half and the fifth-seeded Cardinals kept their 10th cleansheet by blanking 13th-seeded Freehold Borough, 2-0, on Thursday afternoon to reach the sectional semifinal for the first time in 24 years. “Now that states came, we got hit with so much energy,” Little said. “We want to stay, we want to survive and we just love our team so much. We want to stay as long as possible.” Lawrence (12-8) has had a roller-coaster of a campaign in which it lost starting center forward Amber Wooding to a knee injury 10 minutes into the season, still got off to a 5-0 start, but then dropped a number of nail-biters in the CVC Colonial Division before being hit with another whammy when star midfielder Becca Boggs was ruled out this week with an illness. It’s … a lot. Yet Little has helped the Cardinals manage it all with her goal scoring. “Without them to play with, it kind of changes how to be a goal scorer and how we play offensively,” Little said. “I have to take advantage of any opportunity I get.” That means valuing set pieces where Little excels. She’s the best header of the ball in the CVC, and broke the deadlock 15 minutes into the second half when she powered one home at the backpost. The second goal seven minutes later was almost a carbon copy — Ava Donnelly served in the provider role on both that usually goes to CVC assist leader Boggs — except Little used her midsection to bundle this one in. “It’s definitely natural,” the Shenandoah University-bound senior said. “I’ve got some height, and it’s like just get your head on the ball.” “Put it near her because she will always get her her head on it,” Donnelly said. “She’s had an incredible season and she’s really stepped up this year. She’s been a great leader and been doing awesome.” Little’s previous career best was 10 goals as a sophomore. She only had four last season as a junior, although she played in a deeper-lying role, but the injuries created a void up top that coach Emily Palombo needed to fill. But 20 goals? “I don’t know if I ever would think 20 because I’ve never had a player do that,” Palombo said. “I’m really happy for her and she’s worked really hard for this.” Lawrence earned itself a date with top-seeded Hopewell Valley, a 6-1 winner over West Windsor North in its quarterfinal, in Monday’s semifinal. The Bulldogs won the regular-season meeting, 1-0. “It’s incredible to get there at this point in the season,” Donnelly said. “Everyone has worked so hard to get here and the bond in the team is incredible. We’re all so close and it’s the best team I think I’ve been on in years.” Freehold Borough (5-13-1) 0 0 — 0 Lawrence (12-8) 0 2 — 2 Goals: Little 2 (L). Donnelly 2 (L). Shots: 2 (FB). 16 (L). Saves: Livingston 8 (FB). Kachurak 2 (L).