WORCESTER - As Erika Mason stood on the sideline with her Gateway Regional girls soccer teammates celebrating around her Tuesday, she barely remembered the goal that made her a hero for the second straight game.

Mason scored with 39 seconds left to give the Gators a 2-1 win over Sutton in the state Division 3 semifinals at Foley Stadium.

Mason also scored the only goal in the Western Massachusetts Division 3 championship game on Sunday when Gateway defeated Granby 1-0.

"I'm still in shock," Mason said after Tuesday's game. "Everything gets cloudy. It's just adrenaline. This is amazing."

Because the time is kept by an official on the field in the final two minutes, Mason had no way of knowing just how much was left in the game as she moved down the left wing.

Mason beat a defender and fired the ball past Suzies goalie Courtney Roberts into the near side of the net as the considerable contingent of Gator fans in the stands roared.

"She took it under control, looked up cautiously and calmly and put the ball in the net," Gateway coach Steve Estelle said. "We just seem to keep growing and getting better every game,"

The Gators (15-3-2) advanced to their third state title game against south champion Millis (15-2-6) at Wachusett Regional on Saturday at a time to be determined. Millis defeated north champion Georgetown 1-0 in the other semifinal Tuesday.

Gateway lost in consecutive Division 3 state championship games in 1999 and 2000.

Sutton, the central Massachusetts champion, finished its season at 17-2-3.

Neither team truly threatened in the scoreless first half. None of the half's three corner kicks resulted in good shots on goal.

The Suzies jumped ahead less than two minutes into the second half. Hannah Millea fed a perfect cross to Ariel Krevosky who sprinted in and one-touched it past Gators goalie Brook Fairman into the low left corner of the net.

Gateway, which had not trailed during the postseason, played tightly for a few minutes after the goal, but came back to life.

The Gators tying goal was the direct result of Chelsea Merritt's persistence. Roberts came out and tried to dive on the ball as Merritt charged toward her.

Assuming that Roberts would corral the ball, many players on both sides slowed down and were ready to switch directions. But Merritt continued to advance in case Roberts struggled to field the ball. It paid off as the goalie never got a good grip on the ball and Merritt poked it out of her hands.

Seeing Merritt attack, eighth grader Kendall Rooney stayed up as well and raced up to kick the ball into the open net to tie the game with 29:11 left.

"Chelsea is always thinking," Estelle said.

"She's always a step ahead. She's mastered the thinking part of the game. That turned the whole game around. We were flat."

After that, the game, which had been tentatively played, picked up considerably with both teams attacking to set up Mason's final heroics.

Mason believes the Gators have one more win in them.

"We're going all the way," she said. "We can do anything."

Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com.