Salisbury did all it could last week to bottle up Northwestern’s JD Haaf. But the Tigers’ top goal-scorer made the most of few opportunities to lead his to a 2-0 win in the District 11 Class AA boys soccer final.

“We try and deny him the ball but he’s a little more deceptive than he looks,” said Salisbury head coach Mark Allinson. “He’s the complete package.

“He is by far the best player in the Colonial league. He can take over a game. We knew we needed we had to keep him in check. He got a little bit loose in the first half and was able to score. We got the wind taken out of our sails when he scored the second one.”

The win ends Salisbury’s season. The Falcons achieved a lot despite losing large group of seniors to graduation last season. They went 15-6 and reached the Colonial League semifinals and district title game.

“I didn’t really know what to expect,” Allison said. “We lost 17 seniors last year. I knew we had some technically and tactically talented players in our junior class. They certainly have exceeded all my expectations this year. We played a tough nonleague schedule and we were able to put some wins together against some Eastern Pennsylvania Conference teams and I think that helped us.”

In last Thursday’s district title game at Whitehall High School, Haaf put his team ahead 1-0 with 6:59 left in the first half when he got his foot on a bouncing ball in front of the goal and slammed it home.

“I stayed with it, kept bodying kids and it came out in my direction,” said Haaf. “I just put it in the back of the net.”

With Salisbury’s defense doing its best to keep the ball away from Haaf, he finally got another opportunity late in the second half.

Salisbury goalie Tyler Keller got a hand on his initial shot, but Haaf got the ball back and had an open net to put the game out of reach.

“There was an opening in their defense,” said Haaf. “I attacked it. He came out a little too aggressive and got a fingertip on it but not enough to change direction. I just put it in the back of the net.”

Keller made several diving saves and stopped 14 shots in the game.

“He’s been solid for us all season long when he’s not been injured,” said Allinson. “Our senior goal keeper, Zach Korounos, he was an important part of our season as well. He went in there for a string of games and we were able to win those games and keep the train moving forward.”

The game marked the fourth meeting between the teams this year and 10th in the last three years. The Tigers’ won three of this year’s battles, but their only loss this season was a 1-0 overtime setback to the Falcons in early October.

“That game we won in overtime, we took it on the chin 20 times to get that one goal,” said Allinson. “To their credit, they move the ball well. They possess the ball well and they’ve got some big backs that are able to clear the ball out of the back. They get it to their go-to guy and he’s a handful.”

Both teams were playing without key players in the district title game. The Tigers were without senior central defender Jonathan Blaine, while the Falcons played without midfielder Ethan Heydt.

The Tigers’ season continues Tuesday against the District 1 champ. The game will be played somewhere in District 1.

The game featured the top two goal keepers in the Colonial League. Keller, a junior, earned first-team honors. Northwestern junior Kyle Bellhorn, who was the league’s second-team selection, stopped seven shots to earn the shut out.

Northwestern, which lost just two seniors to graduation after last season, reached last year’s district title game and lost 3-1 to Saucon Valley.

Haaf pushed his Northwestern single-season record to 43 goals and now is just four away from his school’s career record.

The Falcons, which were the No. 3 seed for the district tournament, reached the title game by beating Lehighton, 3-1 in the semifinals.

Despite holding a 10-5 advantage in shots, Lehighton trailed 1-0 at halfime of last Tuesday’s semifinal.

Salisbury took the air out of Lehighton’s tires late in the first half. Patrick Adams set up his brother Zach Adams for the go-ahead score that gave the Falcons a 1-0 advantage with 5:48 to play in the opening half.

The Falcons added to their lead not even 10 minutes into the second half when James Hadinger ripped a deep shot off the left post.

It only took the Indians five minutes to respond when Dan Baka skipped a ball in front of Salisbury’s goal, and Frank Bokan was there to get a foot on the ball and redirect it past Tyler Keller.

Salisbury’s Mason Groff added the game’s final goal. He took a few dribbles around an Indian defender and placed a shot into the left corner of the net past Lehighton’s Greg Venuto for a commanding 3-1 lead.

The Falcons graduate five seniors from this year’s roster in Karounos, David McCarthy, Collin Holben, Zach Adams and Tanner Fritz.