Northern Lehigh’s seniors had waited a long time for a night like this.

Trailing rival Palmerton at halftime Wednesday, the Bulldogs rallied for three second-half goals, including two in the fourth quarter from senior McKenzie Chruscial, to claim a 4-2 Colonial League field hockey victory on senior night.

For a program that has steadily worked its way back into postseason contention, the comeback carried added significance.

“This is the first senior night we’ve won in years,” said senior Ada Porobenski. “I don’t even remember the last time we’ve won a senior night. It meant everything to everybody.”

“We really struggled in the past to win on senior night,” said senior McKenzie Chruscial. “We called it a curse, and we thankfully broke it today. I’m just very grateful for the team and how we came together and came through.”

Palmerton controlled much of the first half, using its speed to generate scoring opportunities and put pressure on the Northern Lehigh defense.

But the Bulldogs struck first.

Off a corner, Northern Lehigh worked the ball into the circle before Alexa Heffelfinger knocked it loose for Porobenski, who finished the play to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead.

Palmerton answered with two goals in the second quarter, both from Mya Lengel.

Lengel capitalized on loose balls following centering passes that Northern Lehigh couldn’t clear, turning a one-goal deficit into a 2-1 Bombers lead in a span of just 3:28.

Palmerton also faced a challenge in goal. With starting goalkeeper Julia Maupin sidelined by an injury, Kylee Diettrich made her first career appearance in net.

The Bombers, who had no available substitutes, received a boost from Diettrich when she made four consecutive saves following a Northern Lehigh corner to help preserve the halftime lead.

But the momentum shifted after intermission.

“I think the girls got a little too ahead of themselves and they thought that it was a guaranteed win after we were up, and then unfortunately, they just let themselves down,” said Palmerton head coach Jillian Frank. “We’re used to only like 2 to 3 girls being subbed out, but you could just tell the amount of running up and down the field really killed our team with conditioning and their just ability to hustle back.”

Northern Lehigh began generating more opportunities in the third quarter, and Heffelfinger and Porobenski combined again to produce the tying goal.

The two worked the ball free during a scramble in front of the Palmerton cage, allowing Porobenski to score her second goal and make it 2-2.

The Bulldogs carried that momentum into the fourth quarter, when Chruscial took over.

Heffelfinger drove the ball toward the Palmerton goal, and after the initial shot was stopped, Chruscial crashed the cage and knocked home the rebound to give Northern Lehigh a 3-2 lead.

Just over three minutes later, Chruscial struck again.

This time, Addison Overholt fired a shot that was stopped, but Chruscial was there to finish the rebound for an insurance goal.

For Northern Lehigh head coach Allison Chruscial, watching her daughter deliver the decisive goals made the victory even more meaningful.

“I am so incredibly proud of McKenzie and how far she has come in her skill level and her just never-give-up attitude,” Allison said about her daughter. “It’s hard coaching your child because a lot of factors can go into that. Yes, she’s my daughter, but it’s really an all-encompassing thing for me.”

McKenzie credited her mother for helping her develop as a player while maintaining the distinction between their roles at home and on the field.

“She doesn’t favor me at all,” McKenzie said about her mother. “When we come home every day, she always helps me and criticizes me in a good way, and she’s always there to help me, and I’m very thankful for her. It’s when I’m on the field, I’m a player.”

When the final horn sounded, the Bulldogs surrounded goalkeeper Madilyn Husack, who finished with 15 saves, to celebrate an emotional victory.

For Allison Chruscial, the moment represented another step forward for a program that has spent several seasons working toward becoming a postseason contender.

“I think when you’re building a program and you’re just trying to get to the point we’re at today. A lot of times for the players, it just seems like it’s taking forever to get there. And I would say that for most of these girls, for four straight years, it’s been that steady improvement. I am so incredibly proud that they are getting to see the effort, the time, the energy that they have put into the program, and it’s just so exciting for everybody involved.”

PLAYOFF POSSIBILITY ... Northern Lehigh has not qualified for the district playoffs since 2013, according to the program’s reported history, but the Bulldogs are making a push to end that drought.

Northern Lehigh currently sits fourth in the District 11 Class 1A power rankings with a 7-7 record and three games remaining. The Bulldogs are ahead of fifth-place Palisades (6-8-1) and sixth-place Lehighton (5-9).

“Seeing the past seniors struggle, seeing us struggle, and then finally seeing it coming together after all we worked for since we were in kindergarten, it’s great,” Porobenski said. “I can’t wait to see where it goes in the future. I think it’s going to be even better than it is now.”

SENIOR CEREMONY ... Northern Lehigh honored seven seniors before the game: Chruscial, Porobenski, Husack, Andi Szwast, Lilliana Ayala-Barreto, Gracie Frederick and Fiona Jones.

Northern Lehigh 4, Palmerton 2

Palmerton 0 2 0 0 — 2

Northern Lehigh 1 0 1 2 — 4

Goals — Palmerton: Mya Lengel 2; Northern Lehigh: Ada Porobenski 2, McKenzie Chruscial 2. Assists — Palmerton: None; Northern Lehigh: Alexa Heffelfinger 3, Addison Overholt 1. Saves — Palmerton: Kylee Diettrich 7; Northern Lehigh: Madilyn Husack 15. Shots — Palmerton 17, Northern Lehigh 19. Corners — Palmerton 6, Northern Lehigh 7.

Records — Palmerton 4-11-1 (4-8-1); Northern Lehigh 7-7 (6-6).