To say the Salisbury field hockey team endured a rough past few seasons would be an understatement. The Lady Falcons never won more than three league games in any of the previous five seasons.

Not only did this year’s squad eclipse that mark with an 8-7-1 record in the Colonial League, but Salisbury tied its league win total over the past four years combined. The Lady Falcons also finished just a half game behind Saucon Valley (9-7) for the fourth and final playoff spot.

“Those final games against Bangor and Northern Lehigh were a culmination of the girls’ trust, hard work and dedication,” Falcon head coach Jane Brennan said. “We never looked too far ahead, going from one practice to the next and one game at a time. They stayed in the moment, working together and digging deep within themselves when they needed to.”

Salisbury’s impressive run throughout the regular season included wins against some of the league’s top teams. It downed Northern Lehigh twice this season and shut out Bangor, 1-0 just a couple of weeks ago. Bangor finished as the No. 2 seed in the league, while Northern Lehigh finished just outside the playoff race.

Brennan is well aware her team can compete with the top teams. But she also understands that it was a couple of other decisions that kept her team out of the postseason, including a 7-0 loss to Southern Lehigh to end the regular season.

“We also tried not to look back on what could have been,” Brennan said. “We knew that there were some losses early on that, though we learned from, hurt us in the long run when it came to qualifying for leagues.

“I think their excitement comes with a bit of in trepidation. They are still learning and still have doubts in their ability to beat teams, even though they may have before. We all know anything can happen during those two 30-minute halves. True consistency can be challenging at any level.”

Salisbury wasn’t playing for a Colonial League crown when the tournament began on Tuesday, but its season is far from over. This season marks the second year the Lady Falcons have qualified for districts. This one, however, came with a district-worthy record of 9-8-1.

“I felt as if the team was just waiting to be formed and molded like a piece of clay into an amazing piece of artwork,” Brennan said. “Along the way we shaped and molded, but constantly allowed for change. They wanted this. They needed to feel as if they were part of something good. They did this.”

All four teams in District 11 Class 2A, including Southern Lehigh (15-3), Bangor (15-3) and East Stroudsburg North (2-16), will qualify for districts. And the Lady Falcons’ matchup, against either the Spartans or Slaters, will be determined by the outcome of the league playoffs. The league champ will move to the top of the draw and face the Timberwolves in the first round, while the second-ranked Class 2A team will face Salisbury in the first round/semifinals.

The Class 2A semifinals will begin Oct. 25.