Moravian Academy is used to playing a physical brand of soccer. When their physical play combines with frustration, it’s not a good game plan and it ended up hurting the Lions in Tuesday night’s District 11 2A boys’ soccer semifinal game at Northern Lehigh’s Bulldog Stadium. As the game remained scoreless and stretched well past the midway point, Moravian Academy’s frustration grew physical against Tigers players and verbal against the referees. It proved to be their undoing as the Tigers (23-0-0) got two goals in a little over two minutes late in the game for a 2-0 win and a trip to the district championship Thursday night back at Bulldog Stadium.

The first half of the game was spent with both teams looking for opportunities but finding very few as the defenses were on display. The game was even in every way including both teams having just four shots on goal through 40 minutes.

To start the second half, Moravian Academy (15-8-0) came out aggressively and just 1:18 into the half, Moravian Academy’s Roman Perrucci was given a yellow card for a hit on Jake Van Lierop as the intensity picked up quickly. Northwestern had a couple of opportunities go awry but stayed calm even though their undefeated record and their entire season were on the line. Cole Mertz put a shot on goal that was blocked by goalie James Fitzrandolph and came down just inches in front of the goal line and rolled to the right of the goal. As players crashed toward the ball, Moravian was able to clear the ball and avoid giving up the first goal of the game. As the half neared the midway point, Van Lierop put a shot on goal off of a free kick and watched as it hit off the post and went over the end line.

While the Tigers had every reason to be frustrated, it was Moravian that lashed out. Rowan Watson was called for a hard foul and given a yellow card. Less than a minute later, Perrucci, who had received a yellow card earlier in the game, argued a call and was given a red card to end his night.

Van Lierop, who was guarded tightly by Lions defenders all night, was able to put a shot off of Fitzrandolph’s hands and headed it back on goal but put it just over the crossbar as the game remained scoreless.

Without Perrucci, Moravian Academy’s defense started to show some cracks and with 12:42 left in regulation, Mertz fired from 20 yards out and put the shot past Fitzrandolph for a 1-0 lead.

“The ball just popped out to me at the end and I thought ‘I have to hit this hard and low so the keeper can’t save it,’ and I got the goal,” said Mertz.

As Moravian attempted to regroup, Northwestern controlled play and was awarded their third corner of the second half and got a shot on goal that rebounded back into play where Logan Mesics, who had also taken a pounding throughout the game, calmly played the ball into the back of the net to give his team some breathing room with a 2-0 edge and just 10:31 left to play.

“We showed a lot of resiliency and a really gutty effort there in the second half,” said coach Nate Hunsicker. “It was going to be a tough game and we knew that coming in because they had a chip on their shoulder and for most of the first half, they might have been the better team, but we came out on fire in the second half and they started to lose their composure and from there, it was just a matter of time.”

At that point, the Northwestern defense just went on to finish the shutout, their 14th of the season behind senior goalkeeper Brandon Krapf. Senior Nate Kinzel credited the defense being able to stick together and communicate throughout the game with helping to get the win.

“We worked really well together, all of us on defense played really hard,” said Kinzel. “In the three games we played against them we didn’t give up a goal and allowed just a few shots on goal and that’s just amazing.”

HOME AWAY FROM HOME... The Tigers have become very familiar with Bulldog Stadium, and it has become sort of a second home for them in the postseason. They will be back on the turf Thursday night when they face Notre Dame – Green Pond (15-5-1), who defeated Saucon Valley in the other semifinal matchup. Northwestern is making their 11th straight trip to a district final and has won the last five district championships in their classification.

After districts, Northwestern will head into the state tournament which begins on Tuesday. Northwestern won the 2A state championship in 2022 and reached the quarterfinals in last year’s PIAA playoffs.