Tamaqua and Pottsville’s boys soccer teams share a feisty — yet friendly — feud.

Surely, love isn’t the answer. Scoring goals is.

Twice this season, they’ve tangled. And twice, the Crimson Tide found ways to sneak out wins.

For the second time, the outcome read 3-2 — but this time, no overtime was needed.

The game-winning goal came from junior Juan Moreno, who buried a shot from the left side with 1:14 to play, lifting the visitors to victory and sending the Crimson Tide into the upcoming District 11 Class 3A playoffs for the first time in eight seasons.

The Blue Raiders (4-13) looked like the better side at times. They struck first, taking a 1-0 lead with 27:10 left in the first half. Elusive senior midfielder Lusvin Lemus booted home the early goal, his quick feet, speed and hustle evident throughout the match as both teams battled for control.

Just when it seemed as though Tamaqua was about to add another, Pottsville answered. Junior midfielder Jayden Hossler punched in the equalizer at the 24:16 mark.

Pottsville continued to withstand the Tamaqua attack. There were stretches when the Raiders appeared to have the upper hand in front of the Tide goalkeeper, but the visitors showed their trademark stick-to-itiveness and refused to fold.

“Our two teams had some really good games this season,” Pottsville coach Zachery Reichert said.

The identical 3-2 scores prove the point. But this one carried more weight — Pottsville will now head to the District 11 Class 3A tournament.

“This was such a big win, and it’s the first time in seven years that we’ve had a winning season,” Reichert said, noting the Tide’s 8-8-1 record with only Marian left to play. “Our senior class made a difference for us this season. They’ve played very hard, and they’ve been leaders.”

After Pottsville tied the match 1-1, Tamaqua cranked up the offense. At the 18:07 mark, senior midfielder Chase Behr leaped high for a header and scored to make it 2-1 — a lead that carried into halftime. It seemed to be a huge lift for the Raiders, whose defense played stellar throughout much of the contest.

But mistakes eventually proved costly, as Tamaqua coach Jim McCabe explained.

“You take your foot off the ground — we’re trying to take the ball off the ground — and it makes it easier for the opponent to get around you,” McCabe said. “Three of their goals came as a result.”

Midway through the second half, Pottsville pulled even again. Sophomore Spencer Prestilo scored unassisted with 20:18 remaining to make it 2-2.

Still, Tamaqua had its chances to reclaim the lead. Lemus once again weaved through the Tide defense but couldn’t quite finish.

The Raiders’ defense also shined, especially with 16:10 to play. Pottsville unleashed three straight shots from point-blank range, but Tamaqua withstood the barrage.

McCabe said he wanted his attackers to work the ball outside instead of forcing it into the middle.

“Their goalie (Landon Trout) plays a more aggressive style,” McCabe noted. “You saw him outside the goal a lot, where he would pick up the ball, so we needed to feed the ball more on the outside.”

That lack of execution, McCabe said, ultimately made the difference.

“It really stems from containment,” he said. “You don’t try to win the ball — you try and turn him out so they can’t pass toward the middle or toward the goal. At times, we play a little too soft.”

QUOTABLE ... “We’ve come a long way this season. I saw a lot of improvement from our seniors. At halftime I was nitpicking — six weeks ago, we were talking about major problems.” — McCabe, on the team’s steady progress.

BY THE NUMBERS ... Tamaqua finished with 12 shots on goal, eight saves and two corner kicks. Pottsville had 13 shots, six saves and five corners.

ADIEU ... Seven seniors played their final home game — Lemus, Behr, Luis Tejada Garcia, Larsen Hudak, Giovanni Miceli, Tom Graham and William Behun.