Junior attackmen Alex Hepper and Matt Ward each registered a co-game-high four points to lead second-seeded Eureka to an 8-6 victory over sixth-seeded Chaminade Prep in a Missouri Scholastic Lacrosse Association Division I semifinal Thursday afternoon at Lindenwood University.

Hepper finished with three goals and an assist, and Ward had a goal and three assists, as Eureka (12-3) won for the sixth time in its last seven games and advanced to the Division I championship game for the first time in school history.

Eureka, which is playing its first season as a Division I program after losing in last year’s Division II title game, will face Rockhurst Jesuit on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m., CDT, at Lindenwood. In the teams’ only regular-season meeting, Rockhurst Jesuit beat Eureka, 10-6, on April 22.

“The kids are pumped,” Eureka head coach Jon Silva said. “The kids know what it’s like to be in a state championship environment, even though it was Division II. We’re looking forward to coming out and playing all four quarters and finishing our opportunities.”

On Thursday, senior middie Matt Vollmer scored twice and senior middie Matt Kraus and junior middie Ryan Gardner each had a goal to round out Eureka’s offense.

Defensively, senior goalie Anthony Paschke saved 17 shots and junior defenseman Kyle Ellison marked out Chaminade Prep standout senior middie Andrew Mower.

In defeat, senior attackman Patrick Anthon scored a co-game-high three goals for Chaminade Prep, which finished the season 10-6 and had its four-game winning streak snapped.

The game was tied, 1-1, at the end of the first quarter and Chaminade Prep led 3-2 at halftime before Eureka turned it around in the second half. The Wildcats used a four-goal third-quarter run to take a 6-3 lead going into the final 12 minutes, Silva said.

“It’s our first season in Division I, and we’re in the championship,” Silva said. “These kids believe.”