When it comes to gearing up for the post-season, this wasn’t exactly how you’d draw it up. Because of game cancellations, the CCRI women’s soccer team ended up closing out its regular season on Oct. 15, a full three weeks before the district tournament in Rochester, N.Y.

Shooting for a spot at nationals, the Lady Knights – who are ranked fourth in the country – needed to ramp things up quickly. When they opened district play on Friday against Mercer County, they weren’t exactly at top speed.

“You could really see the rustiness,” said head coach Dennis Grassini. “We were flatter than a pancake.”

Who knew that would be the start of something special?

The Lady Knights shook off the rust and battled back from a 2-0 deficit to beat Mercer 4-2, then avenged their only loss of the season by beating No. 3 Monroe Community College 2-0 for the championship. That victory earns CCRI a spot at the NJCAA Division I National Championships, which will be held Nov. 19-22 in Plano, Texas.

For a CCRI team that lost just one game and allowed just two goals in the regular season, that’s the path they’ve hoped to walk since the beginning.

“I’m so proud of them,” Grassini said. “They played phenomenal soccer. They were not going to be denied.”

Against Mercer, the Lady Knights found themselves in a 2-0 first-half hole. It was just the second time they’d trailed all season, but it may have provided the jumpstart they needed.

“We fall behind 2-0 and you’re thinking, ‘This is not good. We gave up two goals all year,’” Grassini said. “But the girls kept their composure.”

Ashley Choiniere and Alexis Smith scored goals to tie the game before halftime. In the second half, Choiniere scored again off an assist by Cranston West grad Alyssa Giudici to give CCRI the lead. Jessica MacAndrew scored an insurance goal as the Lady Knights walked away with the 4-2 victory.

That set up a rematch with Monroe, one the Lady Knights had been eyeing since Sept. 26. It was then that Monroe handed the Lady Knights a 2-0 defeat, their only loss of the season.

Back on Monroe’s home field for Sunday’s championship, the Lady Knights knew what they needed to do.

“We wanted to give them a taste of their own medicine,” Grassini said. “They played us very physical the first time, and I think that took us out of our game. We were hoping to get another shot at them, so we trained with the idea of being just as physical. They had to get in their minds that they weren’t going to back down.”

It worked. The Lady Knights dominated the early action, sending a message that they weren’t going to roll over.

“They were just unbelievable,” Grassini said. “They took our game plan and executed it to a T. The girls beat them to every ball and did exactly what they needed to do.”

Already in control, CCRI soon got a spark – from an unlikely situation. Fifteen minutes into the game, Monroe star Veronica Santiago got tripped in the box and was awarded a penalty kick. She hit a low shot to the corner and CCRI keeper Melody Lawrence stopped it.

“She stopped her stone cold, and I think that was the turning point of the match,” Grassini said. “It really took the wind out of our sails, and it pumped us up even more.”

In the 26th minute of the first half, CCRI built on its momentum. Choiniere settled a pass from Steph Morse and lined a shot into the net for the 1-0 lead. With 10 minutes left in the half, CCRI scored again when Kaela-Rose Gentile headed the ball into the net amid a scramble in the box. Morse also assisted on that goal.

Just like that, the Lady Knights had a lead – and they weren’t giving it up.

“They had it in their minds that they just weren’t going to lose that game,” Grassini said. “End of story.”

The Lady Knights’ physical play helped stymie Monroe, particularly in the midfield. Morse marked up Monroe standout Anne Beinetti and didn’t let her create much of anything.

“If you say she touched the ball five times, that’s being generous,” Grassini said. “She killed us the last time, but Steph Morse didn’t give her an inch. She was glued to that girl and she really shut her down. Steph was clearly the outstanding player on the day. She was everywhere.”

The Lady Knights also got strong performances from freshman defenders Kelsey Pomerleau and Lauren Bartlett, who saw a lot of time in an effort to neutralize Monroe’s speed.

When the Lady Knights weren’t buckling down on defense, they were playing a little keep-away. Choiniere’s patented flip throw helped keep the ball in CCRI’s offensive end for much of the game.

“That was a big key,” Grassini said. “They couldn’t score if they didn’t have the ball.”

After the final seconds ticked away, the Lady Knights celebrated their 17th win – and their 16th shutout – of the season.

This one was a big one.

“It always comes down to us and Monroe,” Grassini said. “They’ve had the best of us the last few years, and to be honest with you, we were sick of it. This is a sweet win.”

The victory over Monroe sends the Lady Knights to nationals for the first time since 2003, when they finished as the runner-up. They’ll be the No. 3 seed this time and they’ll open up against No. 6 Paradise Valley Community College of Phoenix, Ariz., on Nov. 19.

“I really wanted this team to experience nationals because there’s nothing like it,” Grassini said. “We’re excited. I wish I could bottle what they did this weekend. If they play this well again, anything can happen. I give them as good a chance as anybody.”