The Salisbury boys soccer team played in its first playoff game since 2021 when it took on Wilson Monday night in a District 11 Class 2A pigtail game.

The Falcons earned the No. 10 seed for the tournament, while the Warriors hosted the game as the No. 7 seed.

Wilson got a first-half goal and then made it 2-0 early in the second half before adding one more in the final 10 seconds of play for a 3-0 win. The Warriors (13-6) advance to play No. 2 seed Blue Mountain in the quarterfinal round on Wednesday. Salisbury’s season comes to an end with the loss.

“You have to capitalize on your opportunities and limit some mistakes when to comes this time of year,” said Salisbury head coach Mark Allinson. “Unfortunately they were able to put some balls by us. We had to force some players up.”

The Falcons (9-9) got off some qualify shots throughout the game and especially in the second half, but the Warriors preserved the shut out.

“We played a good side here,” said Allinson of Wilson. “They were very organized. From last season to this season it’s like night and day. The coaching staff has done a really good job with them.

“It’s a learning experience for our underclassmen. It’s something they can look forward to hopefully next year. For our seniors it’s something that hopefully it’s a memory they’ll look back on in a little bit of time.”

Salisbury went 9-8 in the regular season to earn its place in districts. It’s the best overall mark the team has posted since the middle of the 2010s when the Falcons were often one of the top teams in the Colonial League and District 11 Class 2A.

Salisbury played in back-to-back district title games in 2015 and 2016 and won a district title in the second of those appearances. Since then the team has played several seasons where injuries hurt its chances of making the postseason. Over the past few seasons the team has hovered around the .500 mark.

Few of the 11 seniors on this year’s team, or they’re younger teammates, were on the field for the 2021 district playoff game.

“It’s always a goal to make it to districts,” said Allinson. “These guys hadn’t really tasted anything so it’s a tribute to them to get to this point and get to play some postseason ball.”

This year’s Salisbury boys soccer senior class includes Blaine Berger, Jack Monahan, Andrew Grejda, Jacob Knerr, Jake Zellin, Heriberto Hernandez, Han Kloosterman, Nolan Koch, Dennis Hensinger, Anthony To and Ahmed Suleiman.

Berger has been the team’s starting goal keeper the past two seasons and will leave a hole to fill, while most of the other seniors played midfield or defensive positions that will need to be filled next season. The team returns some of its top goal scorers from this season, including Alejandro Zuniga-Garcia.

“The scoring is there,” said Allinson. “The youth is there. Hopefully that will bode well with this experience and hopefully they will be hungry next year.”