As Northwestern approaches the final third of the season, the Lady Tigers find themselves in a familiar position under head coach Kelly Bleam. Much like in past years, they are sniffing yet another Colonial League playoff appearance with a 6-1-1 record in league games.

Since falling to Southern Lehigh on September 16, Northwestern hasn’t lost a match. The Lady Tigers won two of their next three games, including a 9-1 romp over Pen Argyl on Monday. One of their more tested games came last week against Salisbury, which is now the lone unbeaten team remaining in the Colonial League.

As two of the top teams in the conference, Northwestern and Salisbury battled to a 1-1 tie last Thursday night. A total of 100 minutes of soccer was not enough to separate the two.

“Sure you always want to win every game that you play,” said Bleam. “But you know in the regular season to get a great game against a good team that really challenges us and gives us a balanced field, it’s a learning experience in that respect. It’s part of what helps us grow throughout the regular season.”

Northwestern jumped in front early. And it came from one of the Lady Tigers’ young and talented midfielders as the midway point of the opening half approached.

A Lady Tiger ball into the 18 found sophomore Maggie Motolese waiting patiently with a decent view on goal. Her left-footed strike found the left side of the goal to put Northwestern in front 1-0 with 21:34 to play in that first half.

Salisbury certainly had its chances in the first half as well. Caylin Meikrantz fired a shot on goal in the 15th minute, but junior goalie McKenna Amey was there for a diving save to keep the game scoreless early on. Then, with 15 minutes to play in the half, Kelly Gardus had a one-on-one opportunity with Amey, but the Lady Tigers’ stopper was there once again for a clutch save.

Instead of letting that early Northwestern goal hurt their confidence, the Lady Falcons found a response. With their backs against the wall, Meikrantz ripped a shot into the right side of the cage with 17 minutes remaining in regulation.

“I give my team credit for the heart and intensity that they showed,” Salisbury coach Rick Babyak said. “They probably could have let down when we gave up that first goal, but they didn’t. They came back.”

Both teams had chances in the overtime sessions, none better than one from Salisbury early in the first session that could have ended it.

Erica Holben lofted a ball towards the Lady Tigers’ goal, where Gardus was waiting to position a header away from Amey.

Amey rose to the challenge for the game-saving stop.

“I’m glad that we didn’t let down too terribly much after the goal,” Bleam said. “We saw just a simple error on our part, a loss of concentration. Against a good team you can’t do things like that, and they took advantage of that one lapse we had.”

Results from Wednesday’s match against Palisades, another playoff-hopeful team, were not available at time of press.

The Lady Tigers entered Wednesday as the fifth team behind Palisades (5-1), Saucon Valley (6-1), Southern Lehigh (7-1) and Salisbury (5-0-1). The top four teams make the postseason.