BRIDGEVILLE — On paper, the Freeport High boys soccer team was the underdog.

On the field, the Yellowjackets were anything but.

Seeded 14th, Freeport played more like the higher seed, scoring three goals in a five-minute span in the second half to knock No. 3 Chartiers Valley out of the WPIAL Class AA playoffs with a convincing 3-1 win Monday night.

"We don't view it as an upset," said Freeport coach Chris McGrady. "We feel like we can beat anybody. I don't mean that as an arrogant statement. These guys are just playing confident soccer."

And why not? Freeport (15-4-1) negotiated its way through one of the WPIAL's most difficult sections, regardless of class.

The Yellowjackets went toe to toe this season with section champion Knoch and runner-up Mars. Those two teams combined to go 27-3-3 during the regular season.

Freeport will get another shot at Mars, a team it split with this year, in the second round on a day and time and at a site to be determined.

The Yellowjackets got there thanks to a fortunate bounce and a goal-scoring explosion.

Forward Timo Ittner, who usually is a midfielder, broke away in the box and booted a shot that glanced off Chartiers Valley goalkeeper Ross Young.

As Ittner was following through, the ball hit him, then a Colts defender and rolled into the net for the first goal of the match with 30:53 remaining in the second half.

"I felt like I was going to get one," Ittner said.

The goal broke a stalemate that saw both teams turned away by spectacular saves by the keepers.

Young came into the contest with 10 shutouts this season for the Colts, but he could not turn away the Yellowjackets' onslaught.

Cam Kirkland scored Freeport's second goal two minutes later when he curled a direct kick into the top corner of the net.

Three minutes later, Ryan Scheestel scored the third goal of the match for Freeport off a rebound.

Garrett Blake nearly scored seconds before when his shot glanced off the left post. Scheestel was there waiting to take advantage.

"That first goal changed the complexion of the game," McGrady said. "Timo was a spark. He sparked us. He's probably one of the quickest guys on the team."

After the third goal, Freeport went into a shell, playing as many as nine defenders in the goal box to turn Chartiers Valley away.

The game got heated after the third Freeport goal.

A shoving match at midfield resulted in a red card for Blake, who will now miss the match against Mars.

The scuffle seemed to inspire Chartiers Valley, which scored a goal off a header by Frankie LaManna, who received a yellow card in the altercation with Blake, to close the lead to two goals.

The Colts (15-4-1) had several opportunities to cut the lead even more, but were turned away by Freeport keeper Nick Gentile, who had 10 saves.

Freeport will now prepare for one of its most familiar foes in the Planets.

The two teams split during the regular season. Freeport won the first meeting 2-1, but lost the second time around 3-0.

"We were figuring we would have a shot at (Mars) in the playoffs," McGrady said. "They are a tough team. They are a very talented team. We can play with them. We know that."