Northwestern Lehigh faced a tough test Saturday against unbeaten Central Columbia, and the Tigers responded with a performance that showed they could compete with a quality opponent.

They also witnessed a little history along the way.

Senior Cole Mertz scored the 106th goal of his high school career to break Jake van Lierop’s previous school record of 105, helping the Tigers earn a 1-1 tie against the Blue Jays at Tiger Stadium.

Coming off a 1-1 tie against Northern Lehigh, Northwestern entered its penultimate regular-season game looking to build momentum heading into the postseason.

The first half saw both defenses flex their muscles as they battled at both ends of the field.

The Blue Jays may have had a slight advantage in attacking opportunities, but Northwestern senior goalkeeper Dean Carl was up to the challenge.

Neither team could find the back of the net in the opening 40 minutes, sending the game into halftime scoreless.

It took Central Columbia just six minutes into the second half to break the deadlock.

Jameson Lapos approached the goal from Carl’s right and fired a shot across the goal into the upper right corner to give the Blue Jays a 1-0 lead.

Shortly after the goal, frustration began to show for Northwestern, and Mertz received a yellow card that temporarily sent him to the sideline.

Mertz returned, and the Tigers began creating more opportunities on offense. An offside call with 22:47 remaining wiped out one scoring chance, but Northwestern continued to press for the equalizer.

The breakthrough finally came with 8:33 left to play.

Mertz used his speed and ball-handling skills to shed a defender before firing a shot past Central Columbia goalkeeper Gabe Huss to tie the score at 1-1.

The milestone was especially meaningful for Mertz, who remains close with Van Lierop, his friend and former teammate.

“I talked to him yesterday (Friday), and that whole championship group stays pretty close and we hang out when we can,” said Mertz. “It’s a little competitive battle between us, but it’s all friendly.”

Both teams continued to battle through the final minutes, but neither could find the go-ahead goal.

Central Columbia earned four corner kicks in the second half, but was unable to capitalize. Carl finished with five saves to help preserve the tie.

“I just tried to keep my composure back there and help the rest of the team to keep their composure and not lose focus. The last thing you want to do in a game like this is lose that focus and let in a stinker and take our team down,” said Carl.

“We held composure today and did a great job mentally and physically, which says a lot because we have such a young team.”

For Northwestern, the matchup provided an opportunity to measure itself against a quality opponent as the Tigers prepare for the postseason, particularly the possibility of facing similar competition in the PIAA tournament.

“These types of games give us some reality about what we can face in states if we get there,” said Carl. “It’s a good learning opportunity for us as a team and especially, for the young guys because things always get more intense the deeper you play.”

Northwestern 1,

Central Columbia 1

Central Columbia 0 1 — 1

Northwestern 0 1 — 1

Goals: Central Columbia — Jameson Lapos 1; Northwestern — Cole Mertz 1. Saves: Central Columbia — Gabe Huss 2; Northwestern — Dean Carl 5.

Records: Central Columbia 15-0-1; Northwestern Lehigh 14-1-2.