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SACO — Freshman Amanda Arnold provided the offense during a showdown between two solid defensive teams Tuesday as second-seeded Thornton Academy defeated seventh-ranked Windham 1-0 in a Western Class A girls’ soccer quarterfinal at Hill Stadium.

Thornton Academy, the defending regional champion, will play Greely in the regional semifinals in Saco.

The Trojans (12-3) remained in the tournament by avenging a 2-1 loss to Windham a little more than a month ago.

“After we lost to them, we did some different things in the back,” Thornton Coach Chris Kohl said. “This season we’ve really come together as a defensive team since the Windham game. We’ve really kind of focused on defense.”

Since their regular-season loss to the Eagles (8-5-2), the Trojans have allowed two goals and posted seven shutouts.

“We were unable to generate the offensive attack we wanted to generate,” Windham Coach Wally LeBlanc said.

“We switched from a 4-4-2 (formation) to 4-3-3 after we were down a goal to try and generate some offense and counterattack. But it didn’t work.

“I think (Thornton Academy) is intelligent in their (defensive) marking and just clearing the ball out. They make really intelligent defensive decisions.”

Neither team was able to generate much offense. Each team took five shots on goal. Each team was awarded two corner kicks.

“Give credit to their midfield,” LeBlanc said. “They worked hard and when they had time, I think they pressured us and forced us to cough up the ball a little bit more than we wanted to.”

Arnold’s goal came off the only shot taken from inside the penalty area by either team.

In two earlier forays into the penalty area by Arnold, Windham goalie Amber Verrill came off her line to stop her before she could get a shot off.

This time, Arnold moved around the Windham goalie about 15 yards directly in front, but fell before she could shoot.

With fullback Christina Pollard bearing down on her from behind, Arnold calmly got up and rolled the ball into an open net from 6 yards.

“It was a great goal,” Kohl said. “The tendency in a lot of those situations is just to whack it in as hard as you possibly can.

“She just had to place it, and she did a great job of placing the ball.”

“I was going for it. They were really, really tough, but I kept on going for it,” Arnold said.

“I was on the ground and I tried to get up because I knew it would be illegal (if I struck the ball). So I got back up and kept on going.”

Sydney Proctor of Thornton made five saves to post her school-record 10th shutout of the season. Verrill made four saves for Windham.

Staff Writer Paul Betit can be contacted at 791-6424 or at: pbetit@pressherald.com