YUCAIPA — Saugus girls soccer nearly faced Yucaipa in last year’s CIF-Southern Section Division II title game, but the Thunderbirds lost to Harvard-Westlake in overtime.

This time around, the Centurions knocked out Yucaipa themselves.

Thanks to five goals from five different players, the Centurions overcame the Thunderbirds’ overt physicality in the second half to earn a 5-2 victory on Wednesday at Yucaipa High School in the second round of the CIF-SS Division II playoffs.

“I think (the win) gives the girls a lot of confidence in their scoring ability,” said Saugus head coach Natalie Helgeson. “It can come from anywhere at any time. … Eleven goals in two games in CIF gives them a lot of confidence. We’ve got to keep that going.”

The Centurions won their playoff opener 6-1 over Arcadia on Friday. On Wednesday, they received goals from Emily Relles, Kaitlyn Hamersky, Brittanie Sakajian, Nicole Penick and Lauren Cech.

At this point last season, Saugus (17-3-4) had amassed nine total goals in CIF wins over Highland of Palmdale and Flintridge Sacred Heart of La Canada, which the Centurions will play Friday in the quarterfinals.

Flintridge Sacred Heart (18-1-3) beat St. Lucy’s 5-0 on Wednesday, pushing its unbeaten streak to 18 games.

Despite Saugus’ early success, Centurion senior Shasta Fisher said it’s important to remain focused.

“I think we are really doing so well, but there is always the factor that we don’t want to be overconfident,” she said.

Fisher was forced to leave the game in the second half, after a foul by Yucaipa (22-6) left her with an injured knee and ankle. She said she expects to play Friday.

Relles put the Centurions on the board in the 29th minute, when she sent a free kick into the box and past Thunderbirds goalkeeper Nykell Seymour, whose view was blocked by Sakajian.

Two minutes later, Yucaipa striker Kodi Lavrusky tied the game after receiving a pass from Nicole Cheers and shooting the ball past Saugus goalkeeper Kelly Parker.

In response, Saugus rattled off three unanswered goals, the first of which came from Hamerksy on a corner kick from Colleen Ortega in the 39th minute.

The Centurions made it 3-1 just before halftime, when Saugus senior Jamie Molacek flicked the ball into the box between a pair of defenders to Sakajian, who buried the ball into the lower-right corner.

“They finish really well,” said Thunderbirds head coach Sheila Huggins. “We’ve never given up five goals (in a game) in the whole time I’ve coached — 10 years.”

The Centurions made the score 4-1 in the 53rd minute, when Penick took the ball into the box, juked left, shifted back right and sent the ball far post.

“I was frustrated,” Penick said. “I hadn’t been scoring coming into this game.”

With the game becoming increasingly intense with unchecked physicality and desperation, Yucaipa ended its scoring drought off a header by Tina Shoffeitt, assisted by Danica Requejo, which left Yucaipa trailing 4-2.

But seconds away from the game’s final whistle, Cech made the score 5-2 thanks to perfectly placed free kick from 40 yards out.

The ball sailed toward the goal, clipped the bottom of the crossbar and crashed into the back of the net.

“I just kicked as hard as I can and hoped it would go in,” Cech said.

After the game, Shoffeitt addressed her team.

“We lost to the CIF champs today, and they will probably be CIF champs again,” she said in consolation.