Even if you’re eventually one of the lucky few to reach a state final at some point, you are always looking to get back in short order.

Natick’s girls soccer program fits that mold. The Redhawks entered this week looking to punch their first ticket to a Div. 1 final since 2021, and they were able to follow through on those dreams.

Junior Cassidy Moriarty paced the team (two goals, assist), as top-ranked Natick earned a trip back to the title game with a 5-2 victory over No. 5 Brookline on Tuesday.

“We have 11 faces in the crowd that were on the sidelines during that (state final),” said Natick coach David Wainwright. “Some played different roles. For them, this is their own ownership of getting to this point. I’m excited for them. Right now, it hasn’t set in yet. As you can still see, the celebrations have only just begun.”

Natick (20-1-1) certainly played the role of the top-seeded team in the state early on. Abby McCauley buried a shot in the fourth minute, before Moriarty sniped a goal following a corner kick in the eighth to rapidly make it 2-0.

Brookline (16-4-2) steadied the ship in the 28th minute, as senior captain Amara Ukomadu fired a laser shot into the twine to make it 2-1.

Before the Warriors could even finish celebrating, however, Natick responded. Ashlynn O’Donnell registered a tally on the opposite end to make it 3-1 two minutes later.

The chess match continued, as Brookline’s Emma Eisenhauer scored a fantastic goal to slice it to a 3-2 game at intermission.

Moriarty was taken out of a play in the box to open the second half, but the whistle never sounded. The midfielder hustled back to her feet and fed a pass to an oncoming Olivia Penn. The junior midfielder rolled a shot home to make it a 4-2 tilt, and the Redhawks were able to cruise to the finish. Moriarty added an insurance tally in the 66th minute to seal a matchup in the finals with Bishop Feehan.

“We all know the feeling of being at that final stage and winning,” Moriarty said. “We know from our two assistants (what it was like being) at that stage and unfortunately lost it. We know we want that (winning) feeling again … so know how important the next game is.”

Natick’s Stella Boggis and goalie Liesl Niedermeyer defend against pressure from Brookline’s Makena Hammond during their game at BC High. (Chris Christo/Boston Herald)