Already up a goal and creating chance after chance, the only question on Tuesday was whether the Marin Academy boys soccer team would let Ukiah hang around or put the game out of reach by halftime.

Goals in the 28th and 34th minutes by Dominic Yu and River Jones, respectively, answered that question as top-seeded MA took a three-goal lead into the break and cruised to a 5-0 victory in the North Coast Section Division III semifinals.

The Wildcats (18-1-1) advance to the D-III championship game against No. 2 Terra Linda (14-5-2). The final will take place on Friday or Saturday with time and location to be determined. Both MA and TL qualified for next week’s NorCal playoffs with their wins on Tuesday.Marin Academy wasted no time seizing control of the game against No. 4 Ukiah, also nicknamed the Wildcats.

MA’s Diego Doyle had the ball just outside the right corner of Ukiah’s 18-yard box in the ninth minute and sent a diagonal pass in toward Malcolm Zalayet, who headed the ball home for a 1-0 lead.

“Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the keeper coming out,” Zalayet said. “I didn’t really see the ball until late but I lobbed it over him. Nothing too special. It was a good ball from Diego so I just tried to put it on target.”

MA made it almost impossible for Ukiah (15-3-6) to get out of its own half and found plenty of space to exploit behind Ukiah’s back line. Ukiah often pushed its wing backs forward, leaving the two center backs alone in space to try and contend with MA’s front line.

“We did a good job of stretching them in possession and then finding the right moments to play through me or the wingers,” Zalayet said. “I was definitely surprised at the space.”

MA carved out golden chances in the 11th, 16th and 19th minutes — denied by Ukiah’s goalie on the first and the crossbar on the second before putting a shot over the crossbar on the third.

Ukiah’s goalie made another impressive save to deny Zalayet a goal in the 26th minute, sprawling to his left to push the ball wide for a corner. At that point, MA was dominating possession and chances but had just the one goal to show for it.

“In these big games with a lot of pressure and a lot of hype around them, I feel like coming out and getting one (goal) is one thing but the second really gives us all the momentum on the front foot,” Jones said.

Jones helped MA acquire that desired momentum after receiving a pass from Jake Ostrander. Jones dribbled through a pair of defenders in the 18-yard box then slipped a pass to Yu, who scored for a 2-0 advantage.

“Jake played the ball in — like a lofted ball in behind — and then I was considering shooting it but I thought it would have been a hard shot given the wind and the bouncing ball,” Jones said. “So I lobbed it over a defender then (Yu) finished past the goalie.”

At 2-0, the game wasn’t over but MA continued to grow in confidence from that moment on.

“It was that second goal that we needed just because we kept knocking on the door and it just wasn’t coming,” MA coach Irving Ventura-Rafaela said. “When we got that second goal, I think it was a relief for myself and everyone.”

It was even more of a relief when Jones made it 3-0 after a stretch of play that began with him taking a corner kick from the left side. Ukiah dealt with the initial threat but, as had been the case all game, was unable to get out of its own half. MA won the ball right back and Jones scored inside the far post.

MA struck the crossbar again just before halftime on a free kick. MA’s three-goal lead easily could have been five or six if not for the crossbar and for Ukiah’s goalie making a handful of big saves.

Zalayet made it 4-0 around the 60th minute and Jones capped the scoring about 10 minutes from time.

Ukiah — a young team that had only made it to the section playoffs once since soccer moved to winter — was out of its depth against a Marin Academy squad that goes to section finals almost annually.

Marin Academy looks for its fourth section title since soccer moved to winter in 2016 — and its 12th title since 2000 — when it battles Terra Linda in the D-III title game. MA last played the Trojans in the 2016 D-III semifinals, prevailing 3-1.

Terra Linda 2, Benicia 1 >> Elvin Maldonado scored in the first half and Chris Maldonado scored in the second half as No. 2 Terra Linda rallied for a 2-1 home victory against No. 3 Benicia in the other D-III semifinal on Tuesday.

Benicia surged ahead 1-0 about 10 minutes in but TL equalized midway through the first half following a set piece taken by Kleber Maldonado. Elvin Maldonado headed the ball into the net to put TL back on level terms.

The wind played havoc on both teams, whether they played with the wind or going into it. The Trojans had the wind at their backs in the second half and took the lead for good with about 12 minutes remaining.

Kleber Maldonado’s initial shot was stopped but not held by Benicia’s keeper. The rebound ricocheted to Chris Maldonado who finished for the winning goal.