It was the same formula that worked for Northwestern in the District 11 boys soccer title game. The Tigers played superb defense and made the most of a few scoring opportunities to beat Gettysburg 2-0 Saturday and advance to the PIAA Class AA semifinals.

“I said at halftime that the two things that are going to win this game are heart and execution,” said Northwestern head coach Nate Hunsicker. “We had two quality goal-scoring opportunities at the end there and we executed on them and that was the difference in the game.”

Gettysburg might have looked like the better team for most of the game, but the scoreboard told a different story.

“I felt both teams were very patient,” said Hunsicker. “I think they were very meticulous in their attack. They didn’t jump at too many chances. They definitely controlled possession more than we did. They definitely had a lot more opportunities than we did.”

Northwestern’s first-half scoring opportunities were few. The second half didn’t look much different until JD Haaf got his first shot on goal late in the game.

The Tigers’ leading scorer took a pass from teammate Andrew Goodolf in the middle of the field about 40 yards from the goal.

Haaf had a small cluster of defenders around him, but Goodolf’s pass got by two of them and Haaf beat the third one before Gettysburg goalie Yanni Tassou came out to challenge.

“The goalie was coming out,” said Haaf. “The defender was on my back. I had to make something happen.”

Haaf took the ball to about 25 yards out and chipped the ball high over Tassou. It dropped just under the crossbar to give Northwestern a 1-0 lead with 7:40 left in the second half.

Just 2:20 later Keegan Coffield made it 2-0 when he got his foot on a crossing pass and deflected into the goal.

“I just lined up on back post waiting for the cross to get in,” said Coffield, a center back. “I just stuck a leg out hopefully to get something on it and it just went in the net.”

While Coffield’s goal put the game out of reach, it was only a small part of what he and the rest of the Tiger defense accomplished on Saturday at Cedar Crest High School in Lebanon.

The Tiger defense fended off the consistent pressure from Gettyusburg. The Warriors only recorded three shots on goal, but many more chances were thwarted before the ball ever got to Northwestern keep Kyle Bellhorn, who now has two state playoff shut outs.

Gettysburg had six corners in the game, but the Tiger backfield, which includes Coffield, Jonathan Blaine, Dominic Mertz and Tommy Creighton, made sure there was no damage.

“Our defense is awesome,” said Hunsicker. “I can’t give them enough accolades, not just today but all season long and especially today. They weathered the storm for 80 minutes. We put ourselves under a lot of pressure and they answered the call every single time. Kyle played well in the back but the four or five guys in front of him played equally as well if not better.”

The Warriors (22-1) seemed to keep the ball in their half of the field most of the first 60 minutes of the game. But when they got deep into their offensive third of the field, the Tiger defense tightened.

While Bellhorn doesn’t see many shots, he appears ready for one at any time.

“He didn’t make many saves, but when he did he made them count,” said Haaf. “Our defenders really did a great job keeping them out. It was just an overall great team effort.”

The Warriors, like most teams, blanketed Haaf with three defenders and Hunsicker even pulled his leading scorer to a midfield position for a large part of the first half in order to open up the field.

When he finally got an opportunity he made the most of it.

“They kept him in check a lot of the game,” said Hunsicker. “We were finding it difficult to get the ball on his foot. Sometimes all it takes is one chance.”

The York League and District 3 champs gave Northwestern (23-1) its best test so far this season.

“They were the toughest team we have played all year long,” said Coffield. “I tip my hat to them. I’m confident with us after beating them. They’re a strong team.”

After serving a five-minute penalty resulting from a yellow card, Goodolf returned to the game and within eight minutes served the game winning pass. “He’s been our spark plug all year,” said Hunsicker. “He has a very fiery personality. He hated to have to come out and sit for those five minutes. He wanted to make amends for those transgressions and he definitely did that by finding JD.”

Bellhorn and the Northwestern defense have posted shut outs in four of their six postseason games, including both league playoff games, both state playoff games and the district title game.

Northwestern moves on to face District 4 champ Lewisburg Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Lower Dauphin High School in Hummelstown. Lewisburg beat District 2 champ Crestwood 3-0 in the first round and knocked off District 3 champ Lancaster Mennonite 2-0 in the quarterfinals.