Milford, CT — MILFORD – When the Xavier boys soccer team arrived late to its playoff contest Tuesday evening, that could have been a sign of things to come. While the Falcons did not strike first, their final goal proved to be the difference as the fourth-seeded Falcons topped No.8 Trumbull 2-1 in a Class LL semifinal match at the Vito DeVito Sports Complex at Foran High School in Milford. With the game even at one and the Falcons having controlled play in the second half, Xavier was rewarded when Andrew Licurse took a feed from Jordan Harley and buried a shot in the top right corner with 2 minutes, 33 seconds left in regulation for the 2-1 advantage. Xavier will play No. 7 Farmington, a 4-1 winner over Greenwich, at Trinity Health Stadium in Hartford this weekend at a day and time to be determined. “We battled,” Xavier coach Brian Fitzgerald said after his team improved to 19-2-2. “It is one of those things trying to get these guys to settle into a rhythm quicker in the game. Sometimes it takes a little bit to get out the gates. Once we settle in, we are pretty dangerous.” Xavier is making its first state championship appearance since falling to Cheshire in 2022. The Falcons last won a state title in 1995, topping Simsbury 2-1. The two teams played evenly in the first half, with the game going go to the half tied at one. Trumbull, which was looking to make just its second state title appearance, struck first 7:51 into the contest when Jaden Lima’s corner was directed in by David Onianwa for a 1-0 lead. The Eagles never got on the board again. Led by Dylan Rivera-Bonet, Xavier limited Trumbull’s opportunities, holding the Eagles to just seven shots. “They came up strong 1-0, and we knew the last time they played Notre Dame (WH), they parked the bus,” Rivera–Bonet said. “We knew we had to play through it and somehow come through and score a goal. We did it off a beautiful cross and then a finish for a header Trumbull had two more opportunities to increase the lead in the first half, but shots by Onianwa and Nathan Helminger were turned aside by Xavier goalkeeper Randy Heidorn. Heidorn’s saves proved to be big as the Falcons were able to knot the game with 13:50 left in the half when Jacob Nardelli marked his appearance into the game with a header in front off a perfect cross from Tommy Frost. “It means a lot,” Fitzgerald said of returning to the finals. “It is a senior-heavy group with a lot of upperclassmen. We were here two years ago when they were sophomores, and now they are back as seniors. We will see if we can get the job done.” The second half was controlled by the Falcons and was evidenced by a 7-3 shot advantage. Trumbull goalkeeper Connor Hughes was up to the task with his two best saves coming in a span of one minute when he denied Diego Canellas in close and Harley’s deflected shot in front. “Games are usually won and lost in the midfield, and I think they won that battle in there,” Trumbull coach Sil Vitiello said after his team closed the season at 13-5-3. “We tried to make some changes to see if we could neutralize it, but it just didn’t work out like we wanted it to. “I am extremely proud of this team. Nobody knew exactly what this team was going to turn out. They showed who they are. They stepped up and the team developed gradually and got better and better as the season went on.” Hughes finished with seven saves for the Eagles.