The best players know how to step up at just the right time and when Northwestern Lehigh senior Cammie Fitch saw her team holding a slim 1-0 edge over Moravian Academy at halftime of the Colonial League championship, she stepped up.

Fitch has been a steadying influence and team leader for Northwestern throughout her career and Saturday was no different as she picked up three goals and an assist in the second half to help lead the Tigers to a 5-0 win and their fourth league title in the last five years. Fitch also assisted on Northwestern’s only first half goal.

Neither team was able to generate a lot of offense in the first half of the game. Late in the half, Northwestern was awarded a free kick, and the Tigers executed it well with Syenna Flores sending the ball in from just in front of the Moravian Academy bench and into the middle of the field where Katie Brensinger was able to head the ball to Fitch, who sent it over to Sophia Schaffer, who put a shot past goalie Addison Etter to give the Tigers that 1-0 halftime edge.

“There were a lot of things that came into play that first half and you also have to give Moravian credit because they played a hard, physical game and brought the speed they possess. The speed especially was giving us fits,” said Tigers coach Jordan Smith.

Smith challenged his team to be more aggressive in the second half and they did just that. The faster pace of play left the Lions unable to shut down passing lanes as they had done in the first half, giving Northwestern more open looks at the goal. Kherington Yezik nearly put the Tigers up by two goals, but goalkeeper Addison Etter tipped the shot over the crossbar. Just :20 later, Fitch rocketed a shot to the back of the net for a 2-0 edge.

Paige Bissell worked smarter, not harder for the next Northwestern Lehigh goal. Fitch sent a pass to Bissell, who used something she had noticed earlier to get an open look at the goal. Bissell’s shot went toward the upper part of the goal and Etter again got her fingertips on the ball but was unable to stop the shot as the Tigers took a 3-0 with 26:19 left in the game.

“I noticed that their outside backs weren’t as strong as their center back, so I took an outside back on and then cut into the middle and found an open spot. I aimed for the far post, and it went in,” said Bissell of her goal.

Imitation is the highest form of flattery and Fitch did a good imitation of Bissell, using the same technique, coming down the right side before making a cut inside where she circled behind a defender for a better angle and fired to the top corner of the net from 25 yards out for her second goal of the game. If you are going to get two goals in a championship game, you might as well get three, so Fitch added another with just over 13 minutes left to play to make it 5-0.

The win was on the same field that Northwestern was on last season when they lost to Palmerton in the finals to snap their string of consecutive league championships.

“This feels great,” said Bissell. “I know we were all very disappointed about the outcome last season and to come back and win 5-0 is a great feeling and gives us some added excitement going into districts.”

Northwestern (20-1-0) now moves into district play and will be the top seed in 2A.

By virtue of being the top seed, Northwestern receives a bye in the quarterfinal round and will be off until Oct. 31 when it plays the winner of the Bethlehem Catholic (11-7-0) and Saucon Valley (11-4-0) quarterfinal game. Moravian Academy (11-7-0) will play in the single A tournament.

“We’re hopeful about the rest of the postseason and just have to take it one game at a time and hope for the best,” said Fitch.