St. Augustine happens to be one of the exceptions.

The Hermits used their ball-control style yesterday, ping-ponging passes all over their artificial-turf field in a 3-1 win over Bishop Eustace in a South Jersey Non-Public A semifinal.

The Hermits will look to defend their sectional crown with tomorrow's 6 p.m. final against Christian Brothers Academy at Holmdel.

"They play soccer the way it should be played," said Bishop Eustace coach Rich Jones, whose young team finished 9-7 and showed a good deal of spunk. "They are athletic, tactical, and have the players to play that style."

In soccer, the easiest thing to do is boot the ball out of harm's way. The Hermits have the presence of mind to hold on until a man is open. There is so much movement without the ball, and there are so many decisions to make with it.

"When we ticktack it around, you see that it can frustrate teams," said St. Augustine defender Justin TenBrook, who is an integral part of the attack, moving up from the back. "We look for a gap and then go through."

St. Augustine (21-1) used that strategy to score in the fourth minute. Midfielder Connor Hurff, whose vision and pinpoint passes make him so dangerous, sent Christian Gill on goal. Gill put on the finishing touches, and the Hermits had a 1-0 lead.

The goal was typical for Hurff, who has 20 assists this season.

"There are not too many players who can hold the ball like him and are so calm with the ball," St. Augustine coach Les Heggan said. "He has the ability to slow the game down."

"At lot of us play a high level of club ball, and this is a great style for us," Hurff said.

Heggan employs the style for a reason.

"I like possession," he said. "I don't like giving up possession, and we work on this every day."

Ranked second in South Jersey by The Inquirer, St. Augustine's only defeat was a 1-0 loss to Rancocas Valley in the final of the South Jersey coaches' tournament. That was a game in which the Hermits met a team that also played their style.

"I think playing a team like Rancocas Valley really helped," Heggan said.

He also knew that Eustace would be a challenge even though the Crusaders entered the game with a 9-6 record.

Still, this was a Eustace team that had just two seniors and two juniors, and that appeared to have a bright future. It was also a team with wins over Lenape and Moorestown, sectional finalists.

Eustace has a topflight goalie in junior Tyler Miller, who made a sensational save on a blast by Hurff to the short side to keep the score 1-0.

After St. Augustine's Martin Murray made the score 2-0 with about 15 minutes left in regulation time, Miller came out of the goal and played offense.

Yet the best offense was still being played by Hurff, who blasted a 20-yarder for the Hermits' third goal. Late in the game, Miller scored on a scramble in front of the net, but the game was well in hand.

For the Hermits, style and substance had prevailed once again.

Bishop Eustace 0 1 - 1

St. Augustine 1 2 - 3

Goals: S-Christian Gill, Martin Murray, Connor Hurff. B-Tyler Miller. Saves S-John Richards 4, B-Tyler Miller 6, Vince Maiorino 1.