Northwestern head coach Nate Hunsicker was aware that his team needed to work this season in order to maintain the level of expectation that has been established by the program’s history of success.

After a large group of departing seniors left holes in the lineup, a slow start to this season was indicative of the growing pains the team might face.

But the progress this year’s team made throughout the season was noted by opponents, as the Tigers added another banner season with last week’s district championship.

Facing a Holy Ghost Prep team, which sported a 14-6 record in the first round of the PIAA State Tournament, Hunsicker knew that his opponents’ mark didn’t necessarily show the quality of team that the Firebirds sported.

After taking the lead in the first half, Northwestern had the difficult task of holding off the Holy Ghost Prep for the remainder of the contest.

At around the 13-minute mark of the second half, Max Giuliana scored the tying goal and four minutes later, he assisted Stefen Melekos on what would prove to be the game-winner to send the Firebirds past the Tigers 2-1.

“I thought the game, as a whole, I thought we played really well and I thought we played good enough to win,” Hunsicker said afterward. “But that’s a phenomenal side over there.”

Earlier on in the second half, Holy Ghost had the chance to tie the game up on a penalty kick, but senior goal keeper Zach Rosamalia made a tough stop to keep the Tigers ahead.

“I thought it was good tonight, because after we missed a penalty kick, it was a great save by their goalie, but it could’ve deflated us,” Holy Ghost head coach Ken Lawson said. “So we showed good heart, and we persevered.”

A few minutes later, the Firebirds challenged Rosamalia again and a mix-up in front of the goal allowed Giuliana to put in a game-tying score.

“I think we were knocking on the door for a majority of the time,” Giuliana said. “We were just keeping that ball in their box, and the goals eventually came. They came a little late for our liking, but they came.”

The rest of the game featured both sides challenge each other’s defenses, but it was Holy Ghost’s Stefen Melekos, who took a feed from Giuliana and scored the game-winning goal with about nine minutes left to play.

“I think it was just our persistence and for the most part of the game, we were doing what we wanted,” Lawson said. “We were getting balls in, we were getting it back, and serving them in the box, but we just weren’t getting that last connection.”

Again, the action went back and forth, with Northwestern getting a few opportunities late in the contest to tie it back up, but the Firebirds’ defense prevailed in thwarting the Tigers.

“We worked so hard in practice on trying to isolate No. 9 (Melekos),” Hunsicker said. “Everything we did in practice yesterday was just dialing in on him and we did a good job of keeping him in check the whole game.

“He just sprung loose that one time and that was the game-winner.”

The Tigers (16-5-3, 9-2-1 Colonial League), might have seen their season come to an end, but there is plenty to be happy with.

“This group of seniors was a really special class for us,” Hunsicker said. “They’ve been a part of a lot of victories, a lot of championships, and I think we played three of our best games of soccer in the district tournament that culminated in the championship game.

“We’ve come a long way, and that’s what you hope for and try to do as a coach. You take something and try to mold it, work with it, and make it the best they can possibly be, and I think we did that. Tonight, we just came up a little bit short.”

TOP 10 AGAIN??? ... In the district championship game against Southern Lehigh, the Tigers’ Jeff Garcia won the game with a Pele-esque bicycle kick that ended up at the No. 10 slot on ESPN’s list of highlights. In the first half of the game against Holy Ghost, Garcia replicated another similar-style kick to put his team ahead early on.