Posting a second one against the same team is difficult.

Posting a third clean sheet against the same team in a single season?

Now that’s an accomplishment to be proud of.

That was the case Wednesday evening for the Poland Bulldogs, who defeated the Niles McKinley Red Dragons, 2-0, in a Division II sectional bracket final at Dave Pavlansky Field in Poland.

Correspondent photo / Robert Hayes Poland’s Halle Sebest, left, and Brooke Bobbey, right, of Poland celebrate after Sebest scored on a free-kick midway through the first half. It was the first of Sebest's two goals.

It was the Bulldogs’ third win over the Red Dragons this season and the 15th shutout this season.

Poland coach Joel Monaco felt Wednesday night’s clean sheet meant a bit more.

“This is huge, playoff shutouts don’t happen very often against quality teams like that, and to do it three times, holy cow,” he said. “Like, you see them (Poland) walking off, it’s kinda become normal, and I don’t think they get how exceptional it is, and I think that’s something we pride ourselves in as, again, being a defensive team.

“But it’s become kinda the norm, and we’re liking that, it’s good.”

The Bulldogs kept an offensive attack going in the early stages of the first half and finally broke the deadlock with a goal off a free kick by junior Halle Sebest with 23:03 left.

Sebest struck again with 12:22 left in the first half to give the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead. That finished the scoring for both teams.

Sebest credits hard work for her team’s success.

“It’s awesome, I mean we really worked hard as a team and really wanted this and really worked on our offense this year,” she said. “It’s really been improving. It’s a really good opportunity, and I’m blessed to have a great team like this. I really hope that we work as a team and move on to (Canfield or Salem) and win.

Monaco said taking an early lead changed his team’s mentality during the second half.

“We didn’t want it to, but it did,” he said. “I think we learned a lot after we went up 2-0. I think we might have got a little sluggish, and props to Niles, they did not quit one bit. They just kept going and going, and that’s a testament to again, their coaching and their players. They’re a very good team, and they did not quit, I’ll give it to them. They pressured us to the very end. They played very well.”

It rained off and on during the match and a cold breeze blew through the stadium. With the season going deeper into the fall, Monaco finds ways to keep his team focused.

“It’s all about practice and preparation,” he said. “(At) every practice, we try to switch it up, change it up, not get into the same mundane things and really challenge our weaknesses because that’s what it’s about right now: how many things can you fix in a short amount of time to prepare for a huge team like (Canfield or Salem).”

Niles (11-6) saw their season end, but coach Scott MacMillan felt his players left it on the field.

“Poland is a good team, played hard, might have wanted it a little more than we did,” he said. “Set pieces got us. (We) practiced all week against their set pieces because they do very well on them and got both their goals off set pieces.

“Other than that, best team wins at the end. I love my girls. They fought hard, playing back-to-back here two games in a row, it’s tough, you know, so we’ll get them next year,” he added. “My seniors stepped it up tremendously today, just want to thank my captains because they were amazing. I couldn’t pull that backline or the middle without them. Carli Cera did a great job in the back, Ella Peronne, Emily Petillo, Isabella Sergi, those four did an amazing job of holding a young team starting three freshmen and a sophomore, so we’ll be back next year.”

Poland (12-0-5) will play the winner of tonight’s match between Canfield and Salem, and Sebest thinks her team will lay it all on the line next Monday.

“Our thoughts are really to play as a team,” Sebest said, “and play like it’s our last game, and really give it all out on the field and challenge ourselves.”