BANGOR — The Bangor girls soccer team rode a strong second half to a 5-0 win over Waterville in an Eastern Maine Class A girls soccer semifinal Saturday afternoon. It was the third shutout for Bangor against Waterville this season.

Top-ranked Bangor improves to 16-0-0 and advances to play in the Eastern A regional final Wednesday against Brunswick. No. 4 Waterville ends the season 11-4-1.

“Bangor played a very good second half,” Waterville coach Ian Wilson said. “Once we went down by two, we knew it would be hard to overcome against such a strong team.”

In an evenly played first half, both teams had three shots, but a deflection squirted past Waterville keeper Morgan Tortorella to give Bangor a 1-0 lead less than six minutes into the game. Bangor’s Jordan Seekins headed the ball between Tortorella and the right post for the early goal.

Waterville had an excellent opportunity to tie the game with 4:45 remaining in the half when a Bangor defender was called for obstruction in the penalty area. Abbie Webster hit a hard ball to the right side but the Bangor defensive wall stopped the shot from going on goal.

In the second half, Waterville’s offense was stifled by the play of Bangor’s two central defenders, Erin Boulier and Liz Hintz. Bangor’s defense held Waterville to just one second half shot.

“After three games with Waterville, we knew we had to stay tight in the back and have good communication,” Hintz said. “We played the same defense each time, today we just came out really hard in the second half.”

“We really started to play our game in the second half,” Boulier said. “We were covering really well for each other in the back.”

Ashley Robinson scored her first of two second-half goals at 38:31 when she picked a pass out of the air and drove the ball into the roof of the net from 10 yards. The lead ballooned to 3-0 at 28:17 when Grace MacLean scored off a through ball from Hanna Colpritt.

MacLean added a second goal when Waterville was called for a playback to the goalkeeper just inside the penalty area. MacLean quickly drove the free kick off the right post, followed her shot and put the rebound into the net.

Robinson concluded the scoring, touching in a soft shot at the left post on a pass from MacLean for a 5-0 margin with 14:14 left in the game.

Bangor finished the game with a 12-4 shot advantage.