MT. CARMEL, Ill. -- Wabash Valley recorded its first-ever post-season soccer win on Monday night, a 1-0 victory over Lincoln Trail that vaults the Lady Warriors into the championship game of the NJCAA Region 24 tournament. 

"This has been a historic season for us," said coach Patrick Harris of his team, which by stepping on to the WVC pitch became the first to ever host a post-season game. 

Now that they have added a win to their record-setting laurels, Harris added: "I do not want us to be done yet. There is a genuine belief among this group that we can get the job done." 

The Lady Warriors await the winner of the other semifinal game, a Tuesday matchup between No. 1 seed Illinois Central (14-0) and fourth-seeded Lewis & Clark (6-8). The kickoff is set for 4 p.m. CDT. 

If 16th-ranked ICC wins, Wabash Valley heads to East Peoria for the title match on Sunday at 12 noon. If Lewis & Clark springs an upset, WVC would host the championship game. 

WVC (6-7-2) took the lead, one it never relinquished, in the game's 23rd minute on a goal by freshman Lexi Blasberg, her team-leading eighth of the season. 

"She's been consistent for us and found a way to put it in the back of the net," Harris said. "That got the monkey off our back. Now we know we can score post-season wise, and we have to do it again on Sunday when we play in the championship." 

Though that turned out to be the only goal of the game, the Lady Warriors spent much of the night in control, particularly in the first half. 

"In the first half we were clean on the ball. We kicked it well, moved it around and made them chase a little bit," said Harris, who admitted the tenor of the game changed a bit in the second half. 

"In the second half it was more direct at times. But we were trying to relieve some pressure for our back line." 

That pressure on the back line came from Lincoln Trail's prolific goal threat, forward Kearsty Neilsen. She entered the game as the country's 14th best scorer with 15 goals. But she was shutout by the Lady Warriors. 

"All credit to our defense, but major credit to (sophomore) Bethany Page in goal tonight for keeping a clean sheet," Harris said.  

Both teams came in on a hot streak. Lincoln Trail, which bows out at 8-6-1, had gone unbeaten in its' previous four games, while Wabash Valley will now carry a five-game unbeaten streak into the championship game.