HAMPDEN — The pressure and nerves associated with a state title game can speed the game of soccer up significantly. Add in an opponent as quick and skilled as Washington Academy and the challenging task for the Monmouth Mustangs on Saturday was to play with the pedal to the floor for a full 40 minutes.

Facing a 2-0 deficit at halftime of the Class C state championship game, the Mustangs succeeded in playing faster and putting more pressure on the defending state champions. But before they had anything to show for their renewed sense of urgency, the Raiders had another goal.

Monmouth senior midfielder Hunter Richardson had a quick answer for that score. But ultimately, the hill was too steep for the Mustangs to climb and Washington Academy pulled away for a 5-1 victory at Hampden Academy.

Washington capped its second consecutive unbeaten season with its second gold ball and its 36th win in a row. This, despite graduating 15 seniors and returning just two starters from last year’s team.

Monmouth finishes its season with its first trip to a Class C title game and a 14-2-2 record.

Manuel Sanchez and Yves Manzi scored two goals apiece for the Raiders. It might have been more if not for an outstanding performance in net by Monmouth junior Bradley Neal, who had 11 saves.

“That’s a very good team, the best offensive team we’ve played all year,” Monmouth coach Joe Fletcher said. “We had a couple of unitimely mistakes, a rebound and we didn’t follow through with protecting that ball.”

Senior midfielder Oneko Lowe made the Raiders (18-0) go with three assists. A member of the Bermuda U-21 national team, Oneko tsllied three assists and kept Monmouth defenders scrambling with his quickness, ball-handling skills, and precision passing.

He also has a strong left leg, which sent Neal sprawling to make a save on his free kick from the 18 at 14:30. Before the goalie could recover, sophomore Khiari Sharrieff-Hayward kicked in the rebound for a 1-0 WA lead.

The Raiders made it 2-0 six minutes later when Lowe served a floater from midfield over the top of the Monmouth defense and found Sanchez in stride for a one-timer before the ball the ground.

“When I had the ball, all I saw was the defenders go for one striker, so I knew all I had to do was get the right ball,” Lowe said. “I had to get the ball just in front of him and come across my body just inside his lane. And I’m very happy he put it away.”

It was Sanchez’s ninth goal in the last three games.

“Oneko is a machine making assists. He’s the best one doing it,” Sanchez said. “We’ve done it before. We have chemistry. We understand each other.”

“It was the prettiest goal that I have seen in all of my years of coaching,” WA coach Chris Gardner said. “It’s not coincidental that Oneko Lowe was the kid who sent it because he’s a kid that understands the game and playing in space and where to put people. And Manu Sanchez, he’s a tremendous playoff player for me.”

The Mustangs managed just three shots in the first half. Neal, meanwhile, preserved the two-goal deficit with a stop on Sanchez.

“They obviously didn’t give us much time,” Fletcher said. “We had opportunities. But they get on you so fast, they don’t give you any time.”

“Their keeper played really well,” Gardner said. “They played us real tough in the beginning. They were real stingy. Two to nothing at the half was good for us. We wanted it to be a little bit more. It’s a testament to how Monmouth played us defensively.”

Led by Richardson and fellow senior Mat Foulke, the Mustangs turned up the pressure in the second half.

“At halftime we told the boys the next team to score may win that game,”Fletcher said. “We played quite well for about a 20-minute stretch there.”

WA goalie Joshua Vose (eight saves) was up to the task, turning aside a shot from Wade Coulombe before Foulke missed high on a good chance in the early stages of the half.

That allowed Manzi to make it a three-goal lead with his first goal with 15:43 remaining.

Richardson made that insurance goal look more significant 91 seconds later with his goal, booting Nick Dovinsky’s free kick past Vose after it bounced off a couple of heads.

Monmouth couldn’t maintain the pressure it put on in the first 20 minutes of the half, however, and Manzi salted it away with his second goal with 4:49 left before Sanchez added the capper in the final minute.

The Mustangs graduate five seniors, including starters Foulke, Richardson and midfielder Travis Hartford, who Fletcher praised for their leadership and never-say-die attitude.

“(The team) worked extremely hard for me. Our practices are grueling,” Fletcher said. “Our future is bright. We’re certainly going to miss our senior class but we’re already looking forward to next year.”