WHITEHALL — Championship teams find a way to deliver, especially in the clutch.

The defending District 11 Class 1A champion Northwestern Lehigh girls field hockey team may have felt a little uneasy at one point in its thrilling showdown against Pen Argyl.

The Tigers came out firing against the Green Knights in the Thursday’s district championship game. They built a three-goal lead, had Pen Argyl on the ropes and looked poised to add even more. The four-time defending champions appeared firmly in control.

It almost looked too easy.

But Pen Argyl fought back, scoring once in the second quarter and again in the third.

Suddenly, Northwestern’s resolve was being tested. The Tigers needed to regroup and regain their footing.

They did exactly that.

Showing championship poise, Northwestern Lehigh defended its title with a stirring 3-2 victory. The win also marked a milestone for coach Lissa Opolsky, who collected her fifth consecutive district championship.

“We didn’t play very well,” Opolsky said.

But the Tigers played well enough when it mattered most.

The veteran coach alluded to the fact that her team seemed to play more not to lose than to win after its fast start. Its aggressiveness faded as the game progressed.

“We were playing defense more (than offense) and we struggled to maintain the ball,” she lamented. “(Pen Argyl) was really aggressive, but, yes, we have more room to play better field hockey.”

Northwestern’s three-goal burst may have created a false sense of comfort rather than a determination to keep pushing.

To hear senior midfielder Rebekah Gottlieb explain it, the Tigers became too confident.

“I just want to see us play our game, play really hard,” Gottlieb said. “I’ll say it was a mental thing, we pressed on the brakes ... we got it in our heads, ‘Hey we don’t need to play as hard anymore.’”

Northwestern Lehigh entered the match with something to prove. The Tigers suffered a 1-0 loss to the Green Knights during the regular season, and they wasted little time making a statement.

Three different players found the back of the cage as Northwestern lit up the scoreboard early and often.

Junior forward McKenna Church scored at the 10:22 mark, igniting a scoring spree for the eventual champions. Less than a minute later, Riley Stoudt made it 2-0, and before the first quarter ended, Faith Slifer pushed the lead to 3-0.

Comfort seemed to be settling in.

“Pen Argyl is a pretty good team, and they saw our energy (decrease),” Gottlieb said.

Northwestern’s intensity slowly faded. The Tigers lost their rhythm, the offense struggled to generate chances, and Pen Argyl began to seize momentum.

The Green Knights cut the deficit to 3-1 when Veda Santos found the cage.

“It definitely was a mental thing after we started too strong,” Slifer said.

Slifer knew the Tigers had to regain their confidence late in the game.

“We had to (get back) to play our game, and stay composed,” she said. “They’re a strong team ... thank goodness for our goalkeeper (Charlotte Gober). She did a fantastic job all night.”

Things became tense when Pen Argyl capitalized on a Northwestern turnover and scored with 13:31 remaining in the third quarter. When Gianni Martini found the cage to make it 3-2, the Tigers’ lead was down to a single goal.

Gober, a sophomore, remained calm and cool through the tense action.

“Coach had us prepared all week, so no I didn’t feel pressure,” Gober said. “Every time we have a big game I think we’re well prepared for it. My teammates knew what they needed to do to get it done.”

One area that favored Pen Argyl was penalty corners. The Knights earned five in the third quarter, putting Northwestern in a vulnerable position. But the Tigers never broke, and Gober came up with several key stops.

“She was so fantastic,” said a jubilant Slifer. “We have so much confidence in her.”

Just as important was Northwestern’s composure in the closing minutes.

The Tigers appeared to shake off their sluggish play, tightened up defensively and slammed the door shut.

Another district gold medal belonged to one of the area’s premier programs.

NEW ROLES ...“I have a different role than last year, and as a captain I have to lead, and we wanted to show we are a strong program.” — Gottlieb on winning her fourth district gold medal.

NEXT GOALS ... “We want to be the first team to get (coach) a win in the first round of states.” — Slifer on the upcoming PIAA tournament.

KNIGHTS’ FIGHT ... “Kudos to Pen Argyl. They played well with a lot of strengths behind the ball and a lot of physicality and we struggled to contain that.” — Opolsky.

NUMBERS ... Northwestern Lehigh finished with 15 shots on goal, seven saves and two penalty corners. Pen Argyl recorded 13 shots on goal, nine saves and seven penalty corners.