Spooky season?

Not for Lehighton.

This is when the Indians feast.

A district runner-up the last two years, Lehighton entered this postseason as the top contender for the crown — and with a target on its back.

Don’t expect the Tribe to buckle under the weight of those expectations.

Lehighton lived up to its billing as the No. 1 seed with a 3-1 win over Bethlehem Catholic in the District 11 Class A semifinals on Monday.

The treat?

The Indians will play Northwestern in the championship game on Wednesday, Halloween.

“It’s awesome,” said first-year Lehighton head coach Vanessa Rimbey. “They’re pretty excited. They got silver the last two years, and they really want it this year.”

A goal from Alison Miller broke the ice and put the Indians ahead 1-0 with 13:42 to play in the first half.

But the fifth-seeded Golden Hawks answered when Jaleesa Lanier tied it at 1-1 with 6:28 remaining before the intermission.

Rimbey knew Becahi was a resilient bunch. The Golden Hawks ousted No. 4 seed Northern Lehigh in overtime to reach the semis.

“I feel like even the games I’ve watched, all these teams are really just showing up,” Rimbey said of the competition. “They’re very impressive. I feel like we didn’t come out and play our game in the first half, where we were a little passive. But we are a second-half team.”

She didn’t have to wait until the final 30 minutes for her squad to answer.

Alicia Shaffer scored after a well-executed corner with 43 seconds left before the intermission, putting the Indians back in control with a 2-1 lead.

“It’s the playoffs, it’s district playoff hockey,” said Bethlehem Catholic head coach Lucas Wilde. “You’re going to have to, a lot of times, fall back on really simple principles, just making sure you’re marking correctly, you’re presenting passes, you make good, hard passes and stuff like that, because in the playoffs, at this point, it’s a really equal game.

“We’re playing against the top seed in Lehighton, they had a great season, and they’re a good program, historically.”

The Indians carried the momentum into the second half, controlling play before Kaia Slaw added a third goal with 11:57 to play.

“We usually come out harder during the second half,” said Slaw.

Despite the two-goal advantage, Rimbey knew the lead wasn’t secure.

“It’s never safe,” she said. “I just tell them to always keep playing your game— get more goals, keep your head in it. Especially since some games we’ve already comeback from down 3-0 and we’ve scored some goals with two minutes left, so anything can happen.”

Ashley Wojton provided stellar play in goal for the Tribe, who lost their top two goalies during the course of the season.

“She’s kind of tossed around the idea a little bit,” Rimbey said of Wotjon. “She’s had pads on before, but nothing quite to this extent. So I’m very impressed with her. She’s taken to it, she’s 100 percent into it ... that’s all you can ask for.”

For Wojton, it’s simply a way to help her team.

“It was actually kind of refreshing, knowing that they took care of most of it,” Wojton said of Lehighton’s defense. “They really did all the work; it’s all them. I’m really, really proud of them.

“I’m wishing I could be up there (on defense), but knowing that I’m covering another aspect, it’s great.”

SEE YOU THERE

... The Class A final between Northwestern and Lehighton will be held Wednesday at 5 p.m. at Whitehall High School. “I feel like we play better when we’re tougher teams, so I think that playing Northwestern, since they’re a great team, is going to push us to do even better,” said Shaffer.

LAST TIME

... Lehighton defeated Northwestern 3-2 on Sept. 7.

AND NOW

... Moravian, which had won the last two Class A titles, was eliminated by the Tigers in the quarterfinals. The Lions topped the Indians 2-1 in overtime last season, and posted an 8-0 win in the 2016 final. Moravian also won the Class 2A title in 2015 before the tournament expanded to three classes.

SEE YOU AT STATES ... Lehighton’s victory over Bethlehem Catholic also clinched a state playoff berth. The PIAA is taking two teams from Class 1A. The Indians, who captured a state title in 2009, will open the state playoffs on Tuesday, Nov. 6.