WOBURN — Building a successful program can take years.

Since Kurt Swanbeck first took over at Saint John’s (Shrewsbury), he has looked to establish a winning culture, and he can now proudly say he and his team have succeeded in their endeavor. William Baltas and Daniel Kristo netted goals in the second half, as eighth-seeded Saint John’s  clinched a spot in the Div. 1 boys soccer championship with a 3-2 victory over a longtime nemesis in No. 4 St. John’s Prep.

“All I can say is that we deserve to be here,” said Baltas. “We worked really hard this season, through some ups and downs. We’re the team, and I love all the boys. We definitely deserve to be here.”

The victory marked the first trip to a state final for Saint John’s since 2007, and the Pioneers (16-6-0) started off hot. In the 13th minute, senior forward Seta Tah sprinted upfield and attempted to chip a shot over the goalkeeper. His initial attempt was tipped in the air, but wasn’t corralled, and Tah was able to capitalize by gently heading the rebound into the twine to make it a 1-0 contest.

However, St. John’s Prep (16-2-4) responded just before the break in the 30th minute, as senior standout Garrison Murphy slipped a shot through traffic and into the lower right corner of the net to tie things at 1-all.

Once the second half got underway, the Pioneers found a second gear, and in quick succession at that as Baltas was swarmed in the opposing box during the 57th minute. Somehow, the senior spun his way past three defenders, and was able to bury a miraculous shot as Saint John’s seized a 2-1 advantage.

Just moments later in the 62nd minute, lightning struck again for the Pioneers, as rising freshman Daniel Kristo attempted a shot. It skipped off a defender back to his feet, and suddenly, he found himself standing in front of the St. John’s Prep net uncontested. He finished his second try, and it was suddenly a 3-1 contest.

Yet, Swanbeck implored his group to keep up the tempo. The Pioneers could not afford to become complacent.

Saint John’s player Seta Tah leaps over a fallen Jack Neal of St. John’s Prep during a Div. 1 boys soccer state semifinal clash in Woburn on Tuesday night. (Jim Davis/ Boston Herald)

“Really well-coached team,” Swanbeck said of St. John’s Prep. “They know how to win. They have the medicine for winning games. I think they’re down a bit from the last two years when they were really strong … yet, they’ve beaten everyone along the way.”

St. John’s Prep was able to cut it to a 3-2 game in the 76th minute off of a penalty kick from junior James Minor, but the deficit was too steep for the Eagles to overcome. When the final whistle sounded, the Pioneers jogged onto the turf as a group, already focused on the looming task at hand.

“I think technically, we’re the best team in Massachusetts, in my opinion,” Baltas said. “But we just need to have that motivation, and to just execute and work hard. We have that hard work? That’s all we need.”

St. John’s Prep’s Garrison Murphy (11) shoots past Saint John’s defender Joseph Gregorczyk during a Div. 1 boys soccer state semifinal. Saint John’s won 3-2 in Woburn. (Jim Davis/ Boston Herald)