Three Northwestern Lehigh teams opened state tournament play on Tuesday.

The Tiger boys soccer team and girls soccer team both won their first-round games, while their field hockey counterparts suffered a season-ending loss.

BOYS SOCCER

Northwestern 9, Midd-West 0

Jacob van Leirop scored six first-half goals as Northwestern advanced in the first round of the state boys soccer playoffs with a 9-0 win over Midd-West.

The Tiger senior’s first goal came just 18 seconds into the game and his last tally of the first half was recorded with just eight seconds left before intermission.

“The first one was really quick, and the first one always means a little more because it gets you off on the right foot, but I think the free kick was the best one,” said van Lierop. “I’m not sure that I ever had six goals in a game unless it was back in youth soccer or something. I know that I had five in a game earlier this season (against Salisbury) but I never had six.”

Logan Mesics also scored in the first half for a 7-0 lead, resulting in a running clock for the second half.

Tiger goal keeper Brandon Krapf got the win while also scoring a goal on a penalty kick.

“I asked the coach at halftime if we got a penalty kick if I could take it,” said Krapf with a broad smile. “I hadn’t scored this season, so I at least wanted to get one.”

Jack Mauro capped the scoring for the Tigers (25-0).

Midd-West (15-4-2) saw its season end with the loss.

Northwestern advances to Saturday’s semifinal to face District 1 champ Faith Christian (19-0), which beat Lancaster Catholic 2-1 Tuesday.

GIRLS SOCCER

Northwestern 4, Hughesville 0

A strong defense and an offense that took advantage of its opponents’ miscues led the Northwestern girls soccer team to a 4-0 win in the opening round of the PIAA tournament against Hughesville Tuesday night at Tiger Stadium.

The Tigers got on the board with 11:04 left in the first half when Syenna Flores lined up a free kick and took direct aim at the goal 35 yards away. Her shot was placed perfectly under the crossbar and to the left of Hughesville keeper Bailey Gavitt for a 1-0 Northwestern lead.

“Normally my goal is to chip it into people, but because of the distance I thought it was more beneficial to try to put it on net,” said Flores. “It’s so exhilarating to get a goal like that, especially in states and to give us an early lead.”

Northwestern went ahead 2-0 when Lexi Kercher found Sophia Schaffer open on the outside. As Schaffer approached the goal, Gavitt came out to make a play, but Schaffer lifted a shot over the goalie.

Northwestern goalie Olivia Reinhart was sharp in goal all night and when it appeared that a shot by Aly Taggart was headed for the top part of the goal, Reinhart leaped and punched the ball over the crossbar to save a turn away the Spartans.

“That save was insane; it was just great,” said Flores, who had a good view of the play. “Liv (Reinhart) is always amazing. She didn’t have to make a lot of saves tonight, but then she comes up with a save like that and keeps our shutout intact.”

Northwestern (25-0-0) then took advantage of mistakes by Hughesville to stretch the lead to 4-0.

Schaffer played a corner kick perfectly to Paige Bissell, who deposited the ball past Gavitt for a 3-0 lead.

Northwestern took advantage of a yellow card given to Lizzy Wolfe, that left the Spartans down a player for two minutes. Just 1:08 into the penalty, Schaffer again fed Bissell, and the Tigers grabbed a four-goal lead.

The Tigers advance to Saturday’s state quarterfinals to take on District 4 champ Central Columbia (20-1), which beat District 2 champ Lake Lehman, 3-0, in the first round Tuesday.

The Blue Jays and Tigers will meet a round earlier than they did last season when Central Columbia ended Northwestern’s season in the semifinals. The two teams also met early in the regular season this year with Northwestern taking a 1-0 victory.

FIELD HOCKEY

Susquenita 1,

Northwestern 0 (2 OT)

The Colonial League and district champion Northwestern field hockey team saw its season end by the slimmest of margins Tuesday in the first round of the PIAA Class A playoffs.

The Black Hawks’ Ayahna Fleischer scored with 2:32 left in the second overtime to lift Susquenita to a 1-0 win.

Kayde Brandt and teammate Callie Brouse worked the ball and found Fleisher for the game winner.

“They’re a very tough team, they come out of District 3, which is always very, very good (field hockey) team,” said Tiger head coach Lissa Opolsky. “It was back and forth, and anytime you are running a 100 yards, things breakdown.”

The winners had just five corners through the first four quarters, then kept slugging away with five in the two overtimes. Northwestern Lehigh recorded nine corner kicks and 14 shots on goal.

“We had a ton of corners that we just didn’t convert on,” Opolsky said. “I think it was pretty evenly matched.”

Both keepers had six saves apiece, Ryan Smolinsky for the Tigers (20-4) and Lingle for the Black Hawks (18-3-2), the third-place team out of District 3.

Five of District 3’s six state-qualifying teams won Tuesday.

Northwestern Lehigh will graduate six seniors: McKenna Burns, Oliva Costa, Carsyn Van Norman, Ella DeAngelo, Rylee McGinley and Cara Thomas.