BETHLEHEM — It took Southern Lehigh two overtime periods in the semifinals to earn a trip to the league championship game at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium.

The Spartans seemed to be in their comfort zone when Thursday’s league final game went into overtime, but Northwestern quickly disrupted any good feelings they had when less than four minutes into the extra period the Tigers got a goal to win their second straight Colonial League championship.

The only question was, who scored the goal?

At the stadium, it was announced as being Hannah Gober. But after the game, Taylor Langley was revealed as the heroine of the game for Northwestern.

“I told Hannah, ‘Right here, right now’ and when she got the ball, she was able to get it off to me and I was able to get the tip in,” said Langley, with the gold medal draped around her neck.

It looked like Northwestern was going to take an early lead when Evelyn Alboucq was able to take a pass in stride and go up against goalie Corinne Houck one-on-one.

Houck came toward Alboucq to challenge her, and went into a slide to stop Alboucq’s shot from getting past her.

The first quarter remained scoreless, but Northwestern controlled most of the play.

The second quarter was a different story as Southern Lehigh came out as the aggressor.

The Tigers eventually took back control and with 7:33 left in the quarter, Makayla Bressi was in the right place at the right time as the ball popped in the air in front of the goal, and Bressi was able to put the ball into the cage for a 1-0 lead.

Just as the break after the first quarter seemed to rejuvenate the Spartans, so too, did the halftime break as they again put pressure on goalie Ryan Smolinsky.

With 5:55 left in the quarter, Delaney Mack took a pass on the left side of the goal and with Smolinsky screened by one of her defenders, Mack put a shot past her to tie the game.

Southern continued its pressure in pursuit of a second goal, but Smolinsky stood tall and was able to keep the score tied.

“Ryan was a big wall back there today. She was working her butt off to communicate and organize and do all the things that you don’t see on the stat sheet, and that went a really long way,” said Tiger head coach Lissa Opolsky of Smolinsky’s play.

In addition to Smolinsky’s play, the Tigers defense played well and kept the game tied through the rest of the third and through all of the fourth quarter.

“I love my backs. I love Melanie Schmidt. I love Ryan Smolinsky. They’re like my peanut butter and jelly in the morning,” said senior Haley Kerschner. “They’re my group, and I love working together with them and playing with them. I wouldn’t want to be working with any other backs, or any other goalie in the world.”

As a league champion, Northwestern will retain the top spot in the 1A classification for the District 11 playoffs, and will have a bye into the semifinal round, which will be played on Oct. 27. The district championship game is set for Thursday, Oct. 30 with both teams in the finals advancing to states.

“I think we can absolutely get gold in districts to go with this one, too,” said Langley. “We’re playing really well and playing together, and that’s what it’s going to take for us to win.”

SAME OLD FACES … Northwestern and Southern Lehigh have been going back and forth for the Colonial League championship for the last six years. Northwestern won last season to break a string of three straight titles by the Spartans. The Tigers won in 2020, and Southern Lehigh was the league champion in 2019. The last team other than either Northwestern or Southern Lehigh to win the league title was Bangor in 2018. This season, Bangor lost to the Spartans 1-0 in double overtime in the semifinals.

Northwestern 2, Southern Lehigh 1

Northwestern 0 1 0 0 1 - 2

Southern Lehigh 0 0 1 0 0 - 1

Goals: Northwestern - Makayla Bressi 1, Taylor Langley 1; Southern Lehigh - Delaney Mack 1; Saves: Northwestern - Ryan Smolinsky 5, Southern Lehigh - Corinne Houck 4.

Records: Northwestern (15-5); Southern Lehigh (16-4-1).