Notre Dame was looking for a spark Saturday night. Team co-captain Brent Gassmann provided an explosion, scoring five goals and assisting on three others as Notre Dame beat Phoenix Country Day School 16-6 at Chaparral High School in the Arizona Youth Lacrosse League Division 2 high school state semifinals.

“He needed a breakthrough game,’’ Notre Dame coach Nick Prutopopoff said. “It couldn’t have come at a better time.”

Notre Dame will play Catalina Foothills of Tucson for the Division 2 state title at 6 p.m. Friday at Chaparral. Chandler will meet Brophy for the Division 1 state title. The AIA does not sanction lacrosse, so the AYLL provides a venue for high-school based club teams.

Saturday night’s game was the third between the Saints and Eagles. The teams had split their regular-season meetings, and both had been decided by one goal.

Notre Dame broke open the game in the third period when Gassmann scored three times in a little over two minutes.

“They looked a little sluggish,’’ Nick Prutopopoff said of the Eagles. “We decided to see if we could turn it on a little bit.”

Phoenix Country Day School, which only has about 200 students in its high school, lacks depth and tries to control the pace, coach Vince Perez-Mazzola said.

“We do well when we keep the game under control,’’ said Perez-Mazzola, who has taken the Eagles to the state seimifinals twice. “Some other teams know this, and they try to take us out of it.”

Notre Dame had a 3-0 lead in the first period on goals by Alexander Nethers and Korey and Kodey Jones.

Kevin Crane got the Eagles on the score board with 1:31 left in the first.

Gassmann made it 4-1 with 6:42 left in the second period. Keenan Simon cut the gap to 4-2 a minute later. Connor Koper of the Saints and Josh McGrath of the Eagles traded goals. Gammann scored with a minute left in the half to make it it 6-3.

Zack Mastro extended the Saints lead in 7-3 ealry in the second half. The Eagles Michael Perry set up Alex Gonzales for a goal to make 7-4 with 8:46 left.

Gassman scored the next three goals, and Kodey Jones added another as Saints took command.

Korey Jones finished with four goals and an assist. Kodey Jones finished with two goals. Nethers scored three goals, and Koper had a goal and an assist.

Ryan Pitt scored twice in the fourth period for the Eagles.