Strike first, and then hold.

That may not have been the Pine Bush Bushmen’s game plan heading into the game, but that’s how it happened.

Katie Cragan scored the game’s only goal in the fourth minute and the Bushmen defeated the Newburgh Free Goldbacks, 1-0, on Friday in an Orange County Interscholastic Athletic Conference Division I girls’ soccer game at Alumni Field at Pine Bush High School.

The win also secured the Bushmen a berth in the Section 9 Class AAA tournament at the end of the month.

“It’s great because we know what we have to look forward to, and we’re just going to play it game-by-game,” Cragan said.

The Bushmen struck when Ava Boffalo ran the ball down the right side and played the ball through to Cragan in the 18-yard box. Cragan ran through the ball and tucked her shot inside the right post to give the Bushmen the lead.

“I think it was really important to get on the board really quick,” Cragan said. “But we had so many opportunities, which I think comes from our passing up and down the field. I just think that we knew we could hold them for the rest of the game but were also looking to put more shots up.”

Cragan had two more opportunities to add to the lead in the second half, but both her headers went high.

They also had a corner kick in the 75th minute but were unable to convert.

Cragan also had a shot with less than 2 minutes remaining, but Newburgh goalkeeper Jocelyn Velasquez deflected the ball over the top of the goal.

“We had opportunities,” Pine Bush coach Dan Conley said. “We just couldn’t find the back of the net. Their goalie made a couple of nice saves for them, especially at the end there. But we were getting through. We’ve just got find a way to put the ball in the back of the net and cushion that lid a little bit.”

It didn’t matter much as the Bushmen controlled much of the action and limited the Goldbacks’ opportunities.

Goalkeeper Shea Toback only needed to make two saves.

“I think the key was that we were running through it, and we weren’t giving them that much space to get up,” Cragan said. “In the midfield, they were seeming to get through, but our backs were stepping hard to the ball, too.”

The Bushmen had two league games this week and have a chance to avenge their only divisional loss when they host the Monroe-Woodbury Crusaders, last season’s New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class AAA runners-up.

The Bushmen suffered a 2-0 loss to the Crusaders on Sept. 23.

“We’re looking forward to it because I feel like we have a new style of play now because we’re moving on and off the ball so much,” Cragan said. “I think that’s what Monroe does, so I think it’s a good counteract to their play.”