Last week's matchup against Northwestern certainly wouldn't decide Salisbury's fate in the Colonial League girls' soccer landscape.

But that meeting would undoubtedly be a solid measuring stick of how the Lady Falcons matched up with one of the conference's best, a height Salisbury is looking to reach as well.

And for the opening 40 minutes, the Lady Falcons put together an effort that showed they could compete with anyone in the league. The final 40 minutes, however, was a slightly different story.

Up 2-1 at halftime, the Lady Tigers (5-1) scored three goals in the span of 8:03 midway in the second half to down the Lady Falcons (6-1) by a 5-1 final last Wednesday at Salisbury High School.

"They came out with fire," head coach Rick Babyak said. "We knew that. We started off a little tentative. We gave up that goal early. Our defense was playing a little too deep and with a little too much respect. But then they picked it up. They realized they could play with them."

Other than an early Tiger goal from Sabrina Mertz on a through ball from Angela Motolese in the opening five minutes, the Lady Falcons' defense held Northwestern's offensive attack in check for much of the opening 60 minutes.

Segan assisted on Rachel Fisher's goal midway through the first half to give the Lady Tigers a 2-0 lead. Salisbury's Sarah Reilly, however, scored in 25th minute to cut Northwestern's deficit to a goal.

"We came out at halftime thinking we could play with them," Babyak said. "But I did say the next goal was critical. If we could have done something to get that next goal, it would have been potentially a different ball game."

But once Segan, Northwestern's all-time leading goal scorer, got the Lady Tigers' on the scoreboard in the second half, the goals didn't stop.

Segan fired a shot with her right foot that made it a 3-1 Lady Tigers' lead with 26:41 to play. After Lady Falcon goalkeeper Jordan Kamp saved an initial shot from Motolese nearly seven minutes later, Megan Landrigan scored to increase Northwestern's lead to 4-1. Lydia Danner then scored 44 seconds later to make it a four-goal advantage.

"We held on," Babyak said, "We did well. We had our chances, but I think it was just a little bit of fatigue setting in. Once they scored that [third] goal, I think that did just collapse us a little bit, mainly mentally.

"All of the credit in the world to them. They are a very strong team. They have great speed. What I think the biggest thing about Northwester is, if you give them a little space, they are fast."

Despite the early 2-1 deficit, the Lady Falcons had chances to even up the score late in the first half and in the opening minutes of the second.

Caylin Meikrantz lofted a deep shot with under nine minutes to play in the first half that hit the crossbar and was inches from making it a 2-2 game. Reilly had a clear shot on goal in the early moments of the second half, but her shot was right at Lady Tiger goalkeeper Laura Hill.

"We were getting our shots," Babyak said. "We were getting our chances. But you have to put them away. It's a very good team that we just played."

The Lady Falcons responded with a 6-1 victory over Wilson the next day.

Tuesday's game featured the Colonial League's top team in Saucon Valley, who entered as one of two unbeaten squads at 6-0. Results were not available at time of press. They will host Fleetwood on Saturday on 5 p.m.