The motto in sport is that defense wins championships. The Northwestern boys soccer program proved that slogan through its recent postseason run.

The Tigers had not allowed a goal during the district and state postseason tournaments, which included a run to Colonial League and District 11 Class 3A championships, and four games in the PIAA state tournament, which culminated in an appearance in the state final.

“Our defense this year is so special,” said head coach Nate Hunsicker after a 1-0 semifinal victory over District 3’s Gettysburg last Tuesday evening. “[Seniors] Kyle Bellhorn (goalie) and Jonathan Blaine (center back) are four-year starters. Right down the middle of the field gives us such stability and confidence with those guys. We build up our play from them. It’s such a nice asset to have them in the back.”

Northwestern’s defense had given up just a total of seven goals heading into its showdown with Lower Dauphin last Friday in the final, including 20 shutouts by Bellhorn and his experienced back line of Blaine, Josh Bryan, Thomas Creighton, and Caleb Danner. Blaine, Bryan and Creighton are all seniors, and Danner, a sophomore, has been consistent in the back of the defense next to the upperclassmen.

“We’ve been playing together for so long now, since we were seven probably,” said Blaine. “It helps having that chemistry and cohesiveness in the back. We have a lot of experience, and being seniors gives us a physical advantage at times because we’re not afraid to play fast and physical.”

After 2-1 wins in both conference playoff games, the Tigers began an unprecedented streak of five straight games in which they shutout their opponent. This included a 3-0 win against Southern Lehigh in the district semifinals, and a thrilling 1-0 victory over Central Catholic in the final.

Their run to the state championship game included games of 1-0 (Athens), 2-0 (Daniel Boone), and 1-0 (Gettysburg).

“I’m so proud of the guys in front of me, they helped make my job a lot easier,” Bellhorn said. “We played strong together all season, but especially in the postseason our defense really shined, and it was really nice to be a part of.”

The scoreless streak, and their 13-game win streak both came to an end Friday night in a 3-0 defeat in the state title game. It was the Tigers (24-1-1) only loss of the season and came against the fourth-ranked team in the country according to USA Today.

“Give all the credit in the world to Lower Dauphin,” said Blaine. “They’re a great team and have so much talent. They really gave us a lot of trouble all night. I’m so proud of my teammates for battling all year and getting to where we did this year. As a senior class, we haven’t lost many games. It’s something special to be a part of.”