In their final seven games, the only blemishes on the Northwestern Lehigh girls soccer team’s record were nonleague losses to Fleetwood and Upper Perkiomen.

Both were 2-1 games and the loss to Fleetwood came in overtime. The other five games were all Colonial League games and were all wins for the Lady Tigers, who finished their Colonial League schedule at 10-1-1 and went 12-4-1 overall during the regular season.

“We have played pretty well against some good competition down the stretch,” said coach Jordan Smith. “We shut out 11 of our last 14 opponents. The losses to nonleague powerhouses Fleetwood and Upper Perk are the games that are going to make you better and hopefully prepare you to turn those into 2-1 wins come playoff time.

“We still need to work on playing a full 80 minutes and bringing more energy and focus to practice every day will be key to doing that.”

The injury bug hit Northwestern late in the season and hampered them somewhat, but they hope to be at full strength for the postseason, which would be a big plus for the team. With the absence of players, Smith pointed to Cammy Fitch and Sammy Bardonner as major contributors who have stepped up. Fitch has provided 20 goals, while Bardonner has 10 assists.

Fitch believes that the team has played well even without having everyone available to play because of injuries, but she also thinks that the team can play even better if they are at full strength.

“I think that we are ready for the playoffs,” said Fitch. “We have had some good, serious practices lately and we have also taken time for some team bonding, which is important. I think we can play even better than we have lately especially since our defense has improved. We had a very young defense at the beginning of the season but they have done a great job for us.”

Smith is also excited about the young players who have developed into a strong defensive team.

“Sophomores Olivia Spatz and Syenna Flores have been instrumental in anchoring the center of our defense and getting some consistency from our back line,” said Smith. “Every day I see the confidence in them build and get on the same page as (goalie) Naomi Glassberg and Sarah Renner and Abby Pomajevich, out upperclassmen outside backs.”

Young players have also helped to improve the offensive attack as they have developed throughout the season.

“We have gotten some good minutes from freshmen mid Kiersten Klein and Katie Brensinger has evolved into a bona fide striker. Her wrestling background has helped her hold off defenders and make things happen up top.”

One thing that Northwestern has that can’t be developed during the regular season is postseason experience. The team has been through both league and district playoffs consistently in the past, including winning both the Colonial League and District 11 tournaments in each of the past two seasons.

“We’re hoping our post season experience will pay dividends in being ready for the big moments and being able to handle stressful situations in big games,” said Smith, who is finishing up his second season as the team’s coach.