NASHUA, N.H. — For the second tine in three years, the NHIAA Division I and Division II boys soccer finals doubleheader will be an Upper Valley celebration.

Lebanon High earned its way to the party Tuesday with a 1-0 defeat of Oyster River at Stellos Stadium, a day after Hanover advanced by beating Manchester Central there, 2-0. The Raiders will face second-seeded Bow, which beat third-seeded Kingswood earlier in the day.

Two years ago, the Raiders and Bears played their title games back-to-back at Stellos, each decided by penalty kicks and the former emerging triumphant. Friday, Hanover plays at the same stadium at 5 p.m. The Raiders will kick off whenever the top-seeded Bears (17-2-0) and sixth-seeded Bedford (14-5-0) conclude.

Tuesday, Otto Bourne’s rebound goal 10 minutes after halftime held up despite furious pressure by the Wildcats during the final 20 minutes. Oyster River (13-4-1) wouldn’t have been that close, however, without three amazing stops by goalkeeper Evan Whalen, one during the first half and two after intermission.

“Two of those saves were the best I’ve seen this season,” said Lebanon coach Rob Johnstone, addressing a pair of point-blank shots at the left post on which Whalen’s reflexes appeared superhuman. “Smash! Save! Smash! Save! Unbelievable.”

Unsurprising, however, was the fact that Bourne led Lebanon’s effort. The unassuming junior, also a Nordic skiing and lacrosse standout, helped the Raiders win their first championship in 30 years in 2021, became a starter last fall and has become an unsung force. It’s almost impossible to rattle the midfielder, who avoids pressure with short, sharp dribbles and has passed up the chance to pile up goals this fall.

“With some people, you can almost see the gears in their head grinding as they decide where to go, but Otto changes directions with the ball so casually,” Johnstone said. “He’s scored maybe seven times this season, but we’ve had 18 games now and in every one, both teams left the field saying he was the best player. Or tonight, one of the two best players.”

Lebanon’s scoring play began with a long ball played up the right wing and to the top of the penalty area. Facing the pass, Nico Pentella used a one-time deflection into the right side of the box to feed Bourne, who ran away from his mark and past another defender facing him. Lebanon’s No. 15 unleashed a shot off the outside of his right foot and high into the net’s upper corner.

“It was just reaction,” Bourne said.

Lebanon soon dropped one of its two forwards back to withstand Oyster River’s all-out attack. The Wildcats didn’t create any sizzling scoring chances, but that seemed mostly because of the Raiders’ precision defense. Kicks, headers and hustle held the 14-time state champions at bay.

“Ideally, you provide cover for the inevitable mistake, so when it happens, the Red Sea hasn’t parted,” Johnstone said. “We always had bodies there, although fatigue became a factor.”

Lebanon beat visiting Bow, 1-0, on Sept. 15, a result that earned it the playoff bracket’s top seed as a tie-breaker with the Falcons, who are also 16-1-1. Johnstone certainly isn’t taking the Falcons lightly.

However, he was up front about Oyster River’s strength.

“That’s 100% the best team we’ve played all year,” Johnstone said. “We generated a ton of corners during the first half and we were one pass away from creating dangerous shots, but they clogged it up.

“We delivered a decent final ball repeatedly, and there they were. Then the teams sort of flipped roles later in the second half.”

Two years ago, many Hanover fans arrived early to watch Lebanon beat Oyster River in the finals. Johnstone’s hoping his team’s backers will do the same Friday to lend support to their rivals and neighbors.

“It speaks well for our region,” Johnstone said, noting that Lebanon and Hanover’s combined population is less than some of the communities against which it competes individually. “It’s such a pooling of resources to get this ultimate product.”

Notes: The blemishes on Lebanon’s record are a loss to visiting Merrimack Valley and a tie at Laconia. The Raiders and Oyster River didn’t clash during the regular season. … Otto Bourne followed his brother, 2020 Lebanon graduate Cooper Bourne, into Raiders athletics. Cooper is a Denver University senior and mathematics major who plays for the Pioneers’ club soccer team. … Hanover and Lebanon used their one NHIAA-approved postseason scrimamge to face each other on Monday. Score wasn’t officially kept. Unofficially, Johnstone said the Raiders walked away smiling. … Bow beat Lebanon in the 2020 quarterfinals, and Lebanon returned the favor a year later. … Otto Bourne plays club soccer with a half-dozen Bears, the group graduating from the local Lightning organization to Seacoast United in New Hampshire’s southeast corner.

Tris Wykes can be reached at twykes@vnews.com.