A ball by teammate Jack Kohl was deflected by a Fairview defender with 5:04 left in the boys soccer state championship game, and Abunassar pounded it off the crossbar and into the back of the net.

“Nothing else came across my mind,” Abunassar said. “I wanted to shoot; I wanted to score. That’s the intent. I wanted to score to bring that state (championship) home.”

Abunassar’s strike was the only goal in the PIAA Class AA championship game, which the Green Dragons won 1-0 to claim their fifth state title, and fourth in Class AA, which is the second-most all-time in the class.

“It’s the best feeling in the world, can’t lie,” said Lewisburg junior goalkeeper Gabe Pawling, who made 10 saves.

KURT RITZMAN/Special to the Sun-Gazette Lewisburg freshman Everett Good volleys the ball forward Friday during the Green Dragons' win over Fairview in the Class AA state championship game.

“It’s a dream come true,” Lewisburg senior captain Viktor Permyashkin said. “I’ve had my personal achievements, but getting a team achievement like this, there’s nothing better.”

The Green Dragons (24-0-1) were under pressure from Fairview for much of the game. In fact, the Tigers outshot Lewisburg, 19-3, and held a 10-2 advantage in shots on goal.

“Truthfully, we kind of got worked for 80 minutes,” Pawling said. “There’s more than one way to win a soccer game. That’s one way: defend for 80 minutes and hit a banger.”

Abunassar’s banger with just more than five minutes to go set off a wild Lewisburg celebration.

“It doesn’t even feel real,” Abunassar said. “I haven’t scored all season, and I scored in the state final. It’s something else, man. It’s only something from dreams. I’m about to cry right now. I can’t speak it into words.”

KURT RITZMAN/Special to the Sun-Gazette Lewisburg sophomore Eli Abunassar races Fairview's Stefan Ninkovic for a loose ball Friday during the Green Dragons' win in the Class AA state final.

“I’ve wanted to score; I’ve worked toward scoring. And now to score in a state final, that’s awesome,” Abunassar continued.

That just meant the Green Dragons had to defend for five more minutes, which they did.

Pawling made nine second-half saves, including back-to-back saves from close-range with about 23 minutes to play and a diving save to take the ball right off Fairview sophomore Joey Chiocco’s foot with 12:50 to play.

“The confidence is really high,” Pawling said. “Giving up six goals in a whole season, that builds confidence. We’ve beat teams that are truthfully better than us; they just can’t score on us. We pride ourselves on our defense. We confident in our defense.”

Fairview (23-1) averaged 5.3 goals per game heading into the state final and had only scored fewer than three goals in four of its 23 games.

KURT RITZMAN/Special to the Sun-Gazette Lewisburg's Jack Kohl, left, battles Fairview's Eli Iszkula for control of the ball Friday during the state championship game.

“They had some really good chances that on a different day they might have scored,” Permyashkin said.

“They were a very good team,” Lewisburg coach Ben Kettlewell said. “They gave it to us. It was one of those things where we needed to stay together. I knew there would be an opportunity. I just didn’t know when.”

That opportunity came late, and Abunassar seized it.

“The kid is just talented,” Lewisburg senior forward Isaac Ayres said of Abunassar.

“He has that capability,” Kettlewell said. “We’ve seen it in practice. … He was able to step up, and he hit a great shot. He got his moment.”

KURT RITZMAN/Special to the Sun-Gazette Lewisburg's Roan Beachy competes against Fairview in the PIAA Class AA championship game. Lewisburg won, 1-0.

Even with the Tigers dominating possession and field position for much of the state final, the unbeaten Green Dragons were confident

“100% confidence, 100% belief in ourselves and the people around us,” Ayres said. “We’re Lewisburg, and we believe.”

Abunassar added: “I trusted my team. I trusted that we were going to get it done, and we got it done.”

And Lewisburg got it done, standing as the best team in their class in the state for the fifth time in program history.

“Five is incredible,” Barner said. “Being able to be out here and play with the boys is incredible. I still don’t believe it.”

KURT RITZMAN/Special to the Sun-Gazette Lewisburg's Jack Kohl, left, battles Fairview's Eli Iszkula for control of the ball Friday during the state championship game.

Leiwsburg 1, Fairview 0

(PIAA CLASS AA CHAMPIONSHIP)

L–Eli Abunassar, 74:56.

Shots: F 10, L 2. Corners: F 1, L 0. Saves: F 1 (Quinn Wall), L 10 (Gabe Pawling).