That’s because the Hornets clinched the Central Carolina Conference title — and a probable No. 1 seed in the Western state 1A/2A playoffs — with Monday’s pressure-filled 2-1 victory at Ledford.

“It would have been a major seeding differential if we had lost,” forward Jacob Pace said after the Hornets super-sized their order. “Now we’ve got the home field and have to watch out for all the underdogs. They’ll be coming after us.”

Salisbury (11-1 CCC, 17-1 overall) earned its second conference championship in three years with a fierce, take-no-prisoners effort. The Hornets held a 20-10 shots on goal edge and received two second-half goals from Pace, his 35th and 36th of the fall. And though they failed to record their 13th shutout, they took a busload of confidence back to Lincolnton Road.

“I don’t think we’re gonna fall down after this,” explained teammate Charlie Isenhour. “This made us tougher. We’re gonna keep rising back up.”

A loss to Ledford (8-2, 15-3-1 overall) could have dropped Salisbury into second place — and stuck it with a No. 10 seed at best in next week’s opening round. “That’s why this game was so huge,” said coach Tom Sexton. “The impact was amazing.”

So was the Hornets’ second-half performance. It began with a pre-Halloween scare at the seven-minute mark, when keeper Dallas Mesimer was caught out of position on a long throw-in from the right side. The ball slipped behind him, but Isenhour was there to clear it away.

“Nobody marked off anybody in the middle,” the senior fullback said. “It was just open net. I was very lucky to get there.”

The play may have served as a timely wake-up call for Salisbury. The Hornets responded nine minutes later when sophomore forward Daniel Butner gained possession near the left sideline and played keep-away with three Ledford defenders for nearly 20 seconds. He finally made a move toward the net, but was immediately tripped inside the penalty area.

“I kept going and going and then got cracked,” he smiled afterward. “When I looked up and saw I was in the box, it was such a relief.”

Pace gave Salisbury a 1-0 lead when he blasted the ensuing penalty kick past Bobby Dabbs, Ledford’s formidable freshman keeper.

“I had to put some power behind that one,” Pace said. “He even got a piece of it. But the way he was playing, I wasn’t going to try to place it anywhere. I just let it rip.”

Only 6:30 remained when Salisbury extended its lead to 2-0. This time Butner launched a long inbounds pass from the right side that Pace one-timed and headed just under the crossbar. Ledford’s Nathan Clodfelter sliced the lead in half when he scored on a rebound with four minutes to play.

“When it got down to the hard part, when it really got tough, that’s when I started thinking about all the seniors on this team,” said Butner. “I put everything I had into it.”

Down the stretch it was Salibury’s defense that prevailed. Led by Isenhour, Joe Almeida, Jason Wallace, Steve Harvey and Jimmy Haynes, the Hornets thwarted Ledford’s final kamikaze attacks.

“Especially Joe Almeida,” said Pace. “I think he was once called a German shepherd back there. That’s exactly how he played. He was tearing it up.”

The Hornets are now five wins away from capturing a state title, a scenario Pace likens to “five one-game seasons.” They’ll carry a five-game winning streak into postseason play, beginning next Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday at Ludwig Stadium.

“They’re the real deal,” said Ledford coach Scott Dalton. “I haven’t seen anyone better than them. If you want to win the Western regional, you’re gonna have to go through Salisbury and take it from them.”

• NOTES: Salisbury has outscored its last five opponents 31-1 and has allowed only nine goals in 18 games. ... Butner’s assist was his team-best 20th this season. ... Pace now has 114 career goals. ... Ledford had won five straight matches since dropping a 2-1 overtime decision in Salisbury on Sept. 30.