When Salisbury took the field last week to face Northwestern for the two teams’ second boys soccer meeting in nine days, the 4-0 loss from September 22 was still fresh on the Falcons’ minds.

It was by far the most goals they allowed and the largest deficit of any Colonial League games they played this season.

Salisbury got its revenge last Thursday when the teams met for a nonleague match and, because of weather conditions, the game was back at Salisbury.

It took over 90 minutes, but the Falcons got their revenge when Zach Adams scored the game’s only goal with 8:38 left in the first overtime.

“It was a big game and a big win, which we really needed as a confidence booster after the last game we played against them,” said Salisbury goal keeper Tyler Keller. “It was good motivation. I feel like we’re going to go far this year.”

Keller was the biggest reason the game reached overtime. He stopped nine Northwestern shots just in the first half and made 16 saves in the game.

“He played very well but he’s always a very high-level keeper,” said Adams. “He made a huge save for us last week against Nazareth. This week he’s just doing the same.”

Keller stopped shots off corners. He stopped one-on-one shots and he stopped some that came from scrums in front of the net. He ranked it as his best game since a 1-0 loss to Moravian last season in which he made over 15 saves.

“The boys certainly were well-organized defensively,” said Salisbury head coach Mark Allinson. “I think Tyler Keller played a heck of a game and kept us in. He was able to thwart a few quality opportunities by Northwestern.”

Salisbury got out-shot 16-3 in the game, but the Falcons knew just one opportunity could be the difference.

“They were sending most of their defenders up so there was a lot of space behind them,” said Adams. “We thought we might eventually get a nice counter attack.”

That didn’t come as soon as Adams expected, but eventually him and his brother, Patrick, connected and made the Tigers pay.

“My brother was dribbling down,” said Zach Adams. “I just made a run outside and was right on the edge of their defense. He passed to me and I just took a touch and shot it. I was hoping it was going to go in.”

Salisbury improves to 12-2 overall. The game was a nonleague contest between two Colonial League teams. The Falcons are 7-1 in league play and tied with Southern Lehigh for third place behind undefeated Northwestern and Moravian Academy.

While it doesn’t help their place in the league standings, the Falcons know the win over Northwestern will bring them confidence heading into the final part of the regular season.

“I think it will give us a boost and give us respect from other teams,” said Zach Adams.

Allinson crosses milestone

With his team’s win over Nazareth last week, Allinson crossed the 300-win plateau for the Salisbury boys program.

A Freedom High School graduate who went on the University of Pittsburgh, Allinson began his soccer coaching career with short stints as an assistant at Emmaus and as a head coach at Catasauqua.

He got a teaching job in the physical education department at Salisbury in 1990 and coached the middle school team. He co-coached with Tom Moyer in 1994 before taking over the Falcon boys program in 1994.

“When I initially started I thought I’d be here for 30 years, teaching and coaching,” he said. “As it’s been wearing on I do see a light at the end of the tunnel. Three hundred wins was a goal when I initially started out. TO achieve that is certainly a reflection of the players I’ve had and the assistant coaches that have been with us in the program. A lot of those coaches have been with me 14 or 15 years.”

He also was part of Ned Yelovich’s staff with the Central Catholic girls program before Salisbury started a girls team in 1993. Allinson was the only Falcon girls coach until the girls’ season was moved to fall and he had to give up one of his head coaching jobs.

Like a lot of great long-time coaches, the 51-year old Allinson will continue his career as long as he’s enjoying the job.

“I don’t know” he said when asked how long he wants to continue to coach. “I have to sit down and think. I can’t just sit idle. I’d have to have some kind of plan of what I wanted to do.

“Really there’s no time table as of yet. I’m very happy with the team that we have now and I’d like to see that team through.”