Lemont simply had no answer for Addison Schaffer.

The Crystal Lake Central senior forward and Loyola recruit took up space and continuously collapsed the opposing defense on Friday when the Tigers squared off against Lemont in the Class 2A state semifinals at North Central College in Naperville.

Executing short cross passes to perfection, Schaffer dished out a team-high three assists.

She also scored midway through the first half, becoming the second of four Central players to convert goals in a dominant 5-0 victory over Lemont. The win moves the Tigers (21-2) into the state championship game for the second time in three seasons. Central will face Morton at 4:45 p.m. Saturday for the first-place trophy.

“I just went up the side, and I knew my teammates would be there for my crosses,” said Schaffer, who now has 39 goals and 31 assists on the season. “We work on crossing a lot, and it’s come through a lot in games. I do it a lot, so my teammates also expect me to play it back.”

Central, which defeated Triad in the 2A state finals two years ago, had the lead after just 25 seconds Friday afternoon. Sprinting up the far sideline with the ball, Schaffer beat her defender into the box before sending a left-footed cross toward teammate Ella Bechler. Bechler, unguarded on the weak side, finished with ease to put the Tigers up.

“We always come out hard, and we make it a point to be the first one to score,” senior forward Bechler said. “I saw that Addi was able to take it down the sideline, and I knew she would be able to give me a perfect ball. I made sure I was there, and I placed it in the corner.”

Schaffer gave Central a two-goal lead in the 24th minute. Stealing the ball inside Lemont territory, the senior maneuvered inside the box and snuck a slow-rolling right-footed shot beyond Lemont keeper Ava Bergeson. Lemont (23-2-1) had a chance on goal in the 20th minute, but Madison Weil’s blast was stopped by Central’s Charlotte Wallner.

“If you had a game that could be described as everything going wrong at one time, that was it,” Lemont coach Rick Prangen said. “That’s no disrespect to them. They’re a really quality side. But that No. 10, she won the game for them today. Her quality came through, and we couldn’t handle that. I think the moment got to us a little bit.”

Weil fired shots wide and off the football goalpost in the 26th and 29th minutes as Lemont sought to stay within striking distance. But the Tigers added on in the 36th minute, speeding up the field on a counterattack and finishing to take a 3-0 lead. Schaffer hit another short cross, finding Jordin Gaunaurd on the back side of the box.

Gaunaurd’s aggressiveness at the net resulted in Lemont’s biggest mistake of the match. Holding the ball at the upper left corner of the box, Gaunaurd ripped a shot in the 42nd minute that deflected off the crossbar. The Lemont defense attempted to clear the ball away, but a header that went backwards resulted in an own goal and a 4-0 hole.

“They were a step quicker than the ball and a bit more physical than us,” said Prangen, whose team had a 12-game winning streak ended. “We haven’t had this kind of loss this year, so psychologically, we’ll have to flush it, let it go and play for a third-place title tomorrow.”

Avery Watson iced the Central victory, cashing in yet another short cross by Schaffer in the 62nd minute to give the Tigers their largest lead of the afternoon. Wallner finished with three saves for Central, while Bergeson had three saves for Lemont, which will play St. Francis in the third-place game at 9:30 a.m. Saturday.

“I know when Addi has the ball, she’s going to get a cross off,” Watson said. “I knew I had to get open for her, so I made sure to find the gap between the players, and then I just had to finish it. We go through that kind of stuff in warm-ups. We do crosses and we finish, but I think it’s about being calm. If you’re calm, you’ll do that.”

Central is guaranteed a top-three state finish for the third time in four seasons. The Tigers placed third three years ago, beating De La Salle after falling against Benet, now a 3A school, in the semifinals.