Last year, the Northwestern boys soccer team made it to the PIAA state semifinals.

This year, they've climbed another step on the ladder by clinching a spot in the Class 3A state finals against Lower Dauphin.The Tigers and Falcons will meet on Friday at 6:30 p.m. at Hersheypark Stadium."I'm incredibly excited for the win earlier this week and the opportunity that still lies ahead of us," said Northwestern head coach Nathan Hunsicker. "We're treating it as a very winnable game."They defeated two teams in the District 3 tournament that we just beat in the state tournament. Both were pretty much 1-0 games until the last 20 minutes."Lower Dauphin (27-0) is ranked first in the state according to Maxpreps, and 21st across the entire nation.But if there's any team in the state that's hot enough right now to give the Lower Dauphin a run for its money, it's the Tigers.Northwestern (24-0-1) hasn't allowed a goal this postseason, and another stout defensive performance will be necessary on Friday to tame the Falcons."Our defense this year is so special," Hunsicker explained. "Kyle Bellhorn (goalkeeper) and Jonathan Blaine (defensive back) are four-year starters. Their play right down the middle of the field gives us such stability and confidence. We build up our play from them. Kyle is so skilled with his feet, even if he wasn't our goalkeeper, he would start in the field for us. It's such a nice asset to have in the back, you don't come across having such an overall skilled goalkeeper like that in high school."In fact, the Tigers' defense has been so good that they've allowed just a total of seven goals this season and have pitched 20 shutouts.On the flip side, the Tigers' will need to find some firepower against a Falcons' team that has yielded a total of only six goals this year.Look for Kenny Gawelko (28 goals, 10 assists) to be the man up front looking to make his mark against the Falcons. Gawelko was a significant part of the game-winning goal that senior Dominc Mertz (eight goals, seven assists) knocked through on Tuesday in the semifinals. Sam Seyfriend (17 goals, six assists) ranks second on the team in points behind Gawelko, while Andrew Goodolf has scored 10 goals and dished out 14 assists this year.Goodolf provides a ton of versatility for the Tigers. He plays forward, midfield, and even excelled at defensive back during the second half of the semifinal victory against Gettysburg.Hunsicker's Tigers have a nucleus that has been playing together for four years."This senior group holds a special place in my heart," Hunsicker said. "A lot of these kids I had in the classroom as eighth graders, when I had my first full-time teaching job at Northwestern Middle School. To see these kids develop over the last five years and see them achieve this is truly rewarding and has been a lot of fun."