WARMINSTER – Maria Karidas is on some kind of tear.
Two weeks ago, the Council Rock South forward had four goals. After Monday night’s hat trick in the Golden Hawks’ 3-1 win over William Tennent, Karidas has 13.
If you’re counting, that’s nine goals in two weeks, and it’s one of the reasons Rock South has four wins in its last five games. In Monday’s win, it was a pair of Karidas goals in the final six minutes that broke a 1-1 tie and propelled the Golden Hawks to the win.
“It’s the end of the game, and you’re under pressure - I want to build up the momentum of my team,” Karidas said. “Someone has to bring us up.”
Recently, it has been Karidas, whose big night gave the Golden Hawks a win that upped their record to an impressive 10-3 in SOL play (11-5 overall).
“We have done surprisingly well,” Rock South coach Pat Toner said. “They worked hard in the offseason. I have been hard on them. I have a lot of expectations of them, and they have been doing what I have asked them to do.
“We have a lot to learn still, but I am proud of the way they’re playing.”
The win for Rock South could not put a damper on a special night – ‘Playing for the Cure - designated to promote breast cancer awareness with proceeds from the game as well as from the sale of pink wristbands and a car wash going towards the cause.
For Tennent’s players, the night was a bonding experience of sorts. One night earlier, they got together and made tie-dyed t-shirts. They all work pink headbands, and they played with a pink ball.
“It was just a blast to all get together and be one team,” senior co-captain Lauren Levine said. “We all got together and tie-dyed and wrote on the shirts last night. We were all so excited for this game – just to help out with the cause.”
“Plus it’s fun to be with all the girls and to be doing something for a reason,” senior co-captain Jaclyn Hartman added.
The Panthers were coming off a 0-0 tie against National Conference champion Neshaminy last Friday, and they were hoping to carry that momentum into Monday’s game against Rock South. For awhile, it looked as though they had.
“But it just slipped away,” Levine said. “We came out so strong, and we were so excited by that tie because it was so big for us.
“I’m happy. We played really well together. We never let down.”
“We’re fighters,” Hartman added.
The Golden Hawks had the early advantage, drawing five corners before cashing in when Karidas (Katrina Wright assist) scored on the rebound of a goalie save during corner play at the 21:23 mark.
That lead held up for less than five minutes as the Panthers came right back to knot the score when Kayla Meenan scored on her team’s first shot of the game at the 16:58 mark of the opening half.
“When our girls get some fire under them, they react positively,” Tennent coach Kate Wyatt said. “After that goal, they came off, they didn’t let it influence the way they were playing.
“That’s one of the good things about this team – they really go into every game with the same mentality. They are fighters. Every game they’re fighting until the end.”
The two teams went into halftime deadlocked 1-1.
It looked as though the game might be heading into overtime when the Golden Hawks were awarded a free hit just outside their striking circle. Mary Rykaczewski pushed the ball to Sam Facciolla, whose drive into the circle found the stick of Karidas.
The Golden Hawks’ forward was money, slamming it into the cage to put her team on top 2-1 with 5:46 remaining in regulation.
“We had that connection where we all knew where each other was,” Karidas said. “It just happened.”
For good measure, Karidas (Sam Brotman assist) scored an insurance goal with 10 seconds remaining for the 3-1 final.
If Toner is surprised by her team’s success, her players are not.
“When we went to ODU, I really saw us jell as a team,” senior co-captain Wright said of her team’s trip to Old Dominion for hockey camp last summer. “We did really well down there, so I kind of expected us to do well.
So far, it’s been quite a season for the Golden Hawks, who hope to carry their momentum into the playoffs.
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 3, WILLIAM TENNENT 1
Council Rock South 1 2-3
William Tennent 1 0-1
Goals/Assists: CRSouth – Maria Karidas 3-0, Katrina Wright 0-1, Sam Facciolla 0-1, Sam Brotman 0-1. Tennent – Kayla Meenan.
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