Northwestern Lehigh wasted no time putting Palmerton under pressure.

From the opening whistle, the Tigers dictated the pace, controlled possession and forced the Bombers to play on their heels.

Palmerton defended with grit and determination, withstanding wave after wave of attacks, but the constant pressure eventually broke through.

By the end of the night, Northwestern’s depth and execution carried it to a 3-0 Colonial League field hockey victory Wednesday.

The breakthrough came at 11:36 of the first quarter, when McKensey Miller battled for a loose ball in front and pushed home the game’s opening goal. The Tigers doubled their advantage with 50 seconds left in the frame, as Ohio State commit Hannah Gober cut to the net and delivered a reverse chip for a 2-0 lead.

That trend continued throughout, with Palmerton facing the adversity of a shorter bench and younger players filling elevated roles. The Bombers fought hard defensively and got crucial saves from goalkeeper Sarah Sabo, but struggled to generate offense as the Tigers were quick to recover and stifle any push.

Palmerton coach Megan Leadbetter recognized the challenge of managing through those obstacles against a well-conditioned, disciplined Northwestern squad.

“Against a team that’s quick like this with Northwestern, we want to be prepared that they’re going to move the ball fast,” she said. “They’re not going to hesitate. So when our girls are tired, when they’re winded, when we have a small bench, we have to preserve where we can. The youth and inexperience I think hurt us a little bit today. But we’re missing some key players right now that aren’t here.”

The second half brought more of the same, with the Tigers continuing to limit Palmerton’s chances. The Bombers’ defense held strong, but Northwestern broke through again when Taylor Langley drove to the net and wired a backhander in tight for the 3-0 tally that stood as the final.

Despite the win, the Tigers remain focused on raising their level of play. Coming off recent losses to Southern Lehigh (2-1) and Bangor (1-0), coach Lissa Opolsky knows improvement is necessary.

“We had some struggles finishing at the goal, but overall it was just a good passing game,” she said. “We’re just trying to still figure it out and peak at the right time. We have to be sharper with what we’re doing and execute.”

“I think we played a very team-oriented game today with a lot of ball distribution and ball movement,” Gober said. “We kind of just let the game come to us. Transitioning between a grass field and a turf field can be a little bit difficult. Then different (teams) have different styles of play. So maintaining our team identity, our style, controlling the controllables is a big emphasis of our team, and just having fun and playing hard.”

Leadbetter is already using the game as a standard for her Bombers to reach, finding that playing Northwestern provides valuable lessons for the future.

“That’s the caliber we need to strive to be at,” she said. “A team like that is not going to get down after one goal goes in. They’re not going to have a minute or two where they let back, no matter if it’s a sub or it’s a starter on their team. That’s the caliber we need to expect, and that’s what we need to strive to play, if not a little bit better.”

“I think it’s also a realization to them that that’s what we need to do. We need to work a little bit harder, do a little bit better and trust the process and trust each other, and that will bring us to success when needed.”

BIG TASK AHEAD … Both teams travel to EPC schools next. Northwestern has a quick turnaround with a trip to Nazareth on Thursday, while Palmerton has a few days before visiting Freedom.

Northwestern 3, Palmerton 0

Northwestern 2 1 - 3

Palmerton 0 0 - 0

Goals: Northwestern - McKensey Miller 1, Hannah Gober 1, Taylor Langley 1; Palmerton - None; Shots: Northwestern - 26; Palmerton - 1; Saves: Northwestern - Ryan Smolinsky 1; Palmerton - Sarah Sabo 10; Corners: Northwestern - 12; Palmerton - 1.

Records: Northwestern (8-3; 8-3 CL); Palmerton (6-6; 6-5 CL).