There was one thing lacking for Northwestern Lehigh’s field hockey team Tuesday afternoon against visiting Susquenita - an offensive score.

In a game that lasted nearly 77 minutes (two overtimes), it came down to the visiting Blackhawks slipping in a goal with 2:32 to play in the second overtime that put an end to the season for the Tigers and secured a 1-0 victory in a PIAA first round contest.

Susquenita senior Ayahna Fleisher found a way to put her stick on the ball as both teams were scrambling to dig out the attempt. Somehow Fleisher slapped at the ball to register the game-winning point.

On an unusually warm, autumn sun-splashed day with temperatures hovering near 80 degrees, this became a battle of attrition. And the word that Susquenita coach Jason Brouse used, “endurance,” turned to be in his team’s favor.

“We’re used to playing 50-percent of our games on grass, and I just felt as the game wore on that our endurance was starting to take over in our favor,” he explained.

The first half had a tinge of Tiger. Northwestern Lehigh (20-4) was doing its best to find a way to score, as it kept charging in through the first 30 minutes of action, but was unable to get a stick on the ball when getting a score proved challenging, even for this group of talented players.

“The first half they pretty much controlled,” Brouse offered. “I felt the longer the game went we could use our endurance…. It didn’t need to go 77 minutes or whatever.”

But it did, and it nearly looked like it was going to dump over into another sudden death foray.

“No, I think we were 75 minutes in” Lissa Opolsky deadpanned when asked if her team was getting leg weary. Obviously, making reference to the time structure, but scuffling to find a way to score.

“They’re a very tough team, they come out of District 3, which is always a very, very good (field hockey) team.”

So how close was this encounter?

The winners had just five corners through the first four quarters, then kept slugging away with five in the two overtimes. Northwestern Lehigh recorded nine corners and 14 shots on goal.

“We had a ton of corners that we just didn’t convert on, too,” Opolsky admitted. “I think it was pretty evenly-matched. There wasn’t anything that stood out.”

The way the Tigers opened the contest, their attack on the offensive side of the field was most favorable. Yet, they just couldn’t find the trigger to unload a score. In the second quarter, Northwestern Lehigh was burrowing in on the Blackhawks (18-3-2), time and again. Once more, the home team just didn’t connect.

To be sure, the Blackhawks found ways to dodge bullets, and when they needed a big play, goalkeeper Kelsi Lingle was a stick-in-the-mud turning away trouble.

The tide started to turn toward the Blackhawks in the second half, as they had four corners and seemed to be grabbing momentum. Much to the visitors chagrin, the Tigers were extremely tough on the defensive ledger and thwarted each attempt Susquenita applied, thus forcing overtime on two occasions.

In the first 15 minutes, it looked as if Northwestern Lehigh was going to pop one in the back of the cage. It broke away near midfield and came oh so close to getting past the Blackhawks’ defense, which found a way to recover late in the period.

As time ticked away, the Blackhawks made a mad scramble in front of the goal, and when Kayde Brandt and teammate Callie Brouse worked near the cage, the ball found Fleisher for the game winner, stunning the crowd.

That brought an end to a great season for the District 11 Class 1A and Colonial League champs. It also sent Susquenita, the third-place team out of District 3, into the PIAA state quarterfinal round Saturday.

QUOTABLE … “It was back and forth, and any time you are running 100 yards, things break down,” said Opolsky.

SAVING IT … Both keepers had six saves apiece; Ryan Smolinsky for the Tigers, and Lingle for the Blackhawks.

BIDDING ADIEU … Northwestern Lehigh loses eight seniors: McKenna Burns, Oliva Costa, Carsyn Van Norman, Ella Dangello, Rylee McGinley, Cara Thomas, Abigail Leto and Adisan Kistler.