EMMAUS - The only score that matters is the one at the end of the game.

Moravian Academy used that premise to advance to the finals in the District 11 Class 2A girls lacrosse semifinals, posting a 12-11 victory over Northwestern on Monday.

For 49:15, the Tigers were either tied or leading against Moravian Academy, but when the final horn sounded, it was the Lions who were leading, earning the opportunity to face Southern Lehigh for the District 11 championship and a berth in the state tournament.

Moravian Academy had to play catch up throughout the game against a Tiger team that opened with a natural hat trick from Lexi Vennera that gave them a 3-0 lead just 6:26 into the game.

Moravian battled back to make it 3-2, but Northwestern quickly pulled back to a two-goal lead when Claire Costa scored to make it 4-2.

For the first of what would be five times in the game, Moravian Academy battled back to tie the score on goals from Katrina Lozano and Avery Ditze. And for the first of what would be four times in the game, Northwestern broke the tie to take the lead.

This time, it was goals by Ava Collins and Ella Dangello that allowed Northwestern to grab a 6-4 edge.

But Lozano answered twice for the Lions to make it 6-6 at halftime.

“We knew they would battle us, so we knew that even with a two- or three-goal lead, it was nowhere near being over,” said Northwestern coach Bridget Cerciello.

Northwestern’s Olivia Costa and the Lions’ Jolie Eyvazzadeh scored to open the second half. As the script played out, the Tigers got goals from both Claire Costa and Sydney Wright, before Moravian Academy scored again to make it 9-8.

Cerciello called a timeout, and it worked as Wright netted her second goal of the game less than a minute after the timeout and with 7:09 to play, the Tigers led, 10-8.

Looking for a boost, Moravian Academy coach Kyle Shaughnessy moved Addie Weidner in to take the draws for the Lions. Weidner won her first draw, and Moravian would get a goal from Izzy Tran that made it 10-9. On the next draw, Weidner corralled the ball and cut through defenders to move in on the goal and fire a shot that beat goalie Gabby Gober to tie the game at 10-10.

“You win the draw, you win the game; that’s how it works,” said Cerciello of the importance of the draw. “They were great on draw controls, and we knew it would come down to that. Our girls really fought on that, but they were able to get the edge.”

Sophomore Olivia Costa completed her hat trick and Northwestern again had the lead, this time with the clock under the five-minute mark left in regulation. For the fifth and final time, Moravian tied the game, this time on a goal from Kendal Hippert.

That is where the script took a twist. Northwestern’s Collins and Olivia Spatz were given yellow cards just 17 seconds apart to give Moravian a two-man advantage. The Lions took advantage of the opportunity as Weidner took a pass from Ditze just in front of the goal and bounced a shot that went just over Gober’s shoulder and into the top part of the net for a 12-11 edge, and the first lead of the game for the Lions.

Cerciello again took a timeout with :45 left and put a plan into motion. The execution was perfect, but the final shot went just wide, leaving Northwestern on the short end of the score.

“It was exactly what we wanted. We were down two players, and we needed to win the draw and get it to Lexi (Vennera) and get her a shot on goal, and that’s exactly what they did. I am so proud of them for executing that against a really good team,” said Cerciello. “I am proud of them for putting that together, and for how hard they fought not just in this game, but all season long.”

A DRAW ON DRAWS … Although Moravian Academy had just a slight 13-11 advantage in draws, Weidner won five of the first six she took after moving into the spot.

SECOND TRIP … The playoff spot was the second time in the first four seasons of its existence that Northwestern went to districts. The first was in 2021 when it lost to eventual district champion, Southern Lehigh. This appearance was the first under Cerciello.