SILVERDALE — A torrid start to the second half propelled South Kitsap to a 3-1 win Wednesday night in the first round of the Class 4A state playoffs against Union.

Just do not suggest to Wolves’ coach Julie Cain that it was attributable to a riveting halftime speech.

“I think I’ve given the worst halftime talk I’ve ever given and they went out and scored two goals,” she said with a laugh. “I told [assistant coach Christina Boddie] it doesn’t matter what I say. I was just like, ‘Can’t we just play a little bit faster.’ ”

South (13-2-0), which advanced to the quarterfinals at 5 p.m. Saturday against Jackson at Everett Memorial Stadium, broke a scoreless tie in the 41st minute when 4A Narrows League MVP Hailey Parker took a rebound and fired it past goalkeeper Morgan Spieth.

“I feel like most of our goals this season have been off of following the ball to the goal,” Parker said. “That’s why I was making sure I was going to get there because I knew Kylee [Platt] was going to put that ball in. She has a great left foot.”

The Wolves then extended their lead to 2-0 in the 45th when senior forward Rachael Prince’s shot went past a diving Spieth into the right corner of the net.

Parker felt the first goal provided a momentum boost for her team.

“Playoff games are always so much more intense and so much harder to score and as soon as we got one I felt like it was a complete dynamic change,” she said.

Even though Cain thought her halftime speech was lackluster, she said the coaches made some adjustments that enabled South to win its first state match since it captured a 2-0 win Nov. 9, 2011, against Lake Stevens at Silverdale Stadium.

“We talked about it at halftime that we need to start moving the ball,” Cain said. “We were four versus three in the midfield and as soon as we started possessing it they kind of gave up. I think once we started possessing the ball, moving it and playing our game then we really played very, very well.”

The Titans (14-5-2) applied plenty of pressure against senior goalkeeper Elisa Randel early. Randel, who was one of the Wolves’ five first-team all-league selections, made a diving stop in the sixth minute to prevent forward Delaney Lindahl from scoring.

“Everything I’ve heard about them was pretty true,” Cain said. “They’re a very high-pressure team.”

South appeared poised for a shutout until the 66th when midfielder Alexa Bowmer — one of nine freshmen on Union’s roster — scored on a corner kick from forward Alex Sanders.

“That was kind of stressful,” Cain said. “That livened them up.“

But in the waning minutes, Union was forced to play extra personnel up front in an effort to forced a shootout. That enabled Prince to get a breakaway opportunity, where sophomore forward Ashlan Burris capitalized with a goal in the 79th.

While all of the Wolves’ first-team all-league selections were seniors — with the exception of junior midfielder Ari de la Cruz — Cain said others have contributed, as well. She praised the play of junior defender Andie Rogers and sophomore midfielder Kelly Crebs, who moved to outside back against Gig Harbor because injuries necessitated it.

“We had a couple of the younger players who have just stepped up and have shown they can play at the same level,” Cain said. “They just haven’t had the same opportunity.”

Despite that, Cain is hopeful her team will return some starters against Jackson. She said junior defender Kendra Biewald and senior midfielder Hayley Romo are expected to return. Cain said senior defender Natalie Stephens, who broke her arm during Saturday’s 1-0 win against Gig Harbor, also could play.

“Natalie gets casted,” she said. “We just have to see how she feels.”

Parker has played through pain the entire season. She said she injured the patella tendon in her right knee during a summer car accident and recently strained her right hip flexor.

“I’ve been playing with like a diaper thing on,” she said with a laugh.

Those alignments never seemed to hinder her production, though.

“It was unexpected because there’s lots of competition in this league,” said Parker, referring to her MVP honors. “It was my goal at the beginning of the season. I was ecstatic.”

Parker, who plans to compete next season at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, Calif., was the team’s leading scorer in 2012-13, but Cain said her statistics are not as gaudy this season because she is playing defensive center-midfielder. That does not mean Parker’s production has waned, though.

“If there’s one player that if we take off and it changes the game — it’s her,” Cain said. “If you look at where she’s scoring goals it’s in our biggest games.”

South Kitsap 3, Union 1

First half-None.

Second half-1, South Kitsap, Hailey Parker (Kylee Platt), 41st minute; 2, South Kitsap, Rachael Prince, 45th; 3, Union, Alexa Bowmer (Alex Sanders); 4, South Kitsap, Ashlan Burris (Prince), 79th.