Six SOL field hockey teams will see action in Wednesday’s second round of the District One AAA Tournament.
Kristin Donohue couldn’t have written a much better script than the one that has unfolded for her Council Rock South field hockey squad this season.
“It’s so awesome,” Donohue said. “From the beginning of the season, we thought we were going to have a great season. I still can’t believe we won the league. It’s awesome.”
While the Golden Hawks – who captured their first SOL National Conference title - certainly knew they had the talent, they weren’t quite sure who would be leading that talent when they lost coach Lisa Belz (maternity leave) shortly before the start of preseason.
“A couple days before preseason we had no idea who our coach was going to be,” Donohue recalled. “One day Mr. Raddick called us into his office – I think it was three days before preseason, and he said, ‘I found a possible coach.’
“He told us it was Tina (Reinprecht), and we knew Tina from our Mystx club team. It was so exciting because I know she’s such a great coach, and I knew she could take us so far this season. It was crazy. We had no idea we’d end up with a coach as good as her. It was great.”
Reinprecht guided the Golden Hawks to a conference title and – thanks to Monday’s 3-2 win over Haverford in their district opener – a second round date against Neshaminy in Wednesday’s second round.
It is the third meeting between the two conference rivals. Rock South won the Sept. 20 meeting 1-0, and last Wednesday, the two teams battled to a 1-1 tie.
“I’m actually really excited because the last time we tied them, and I just want to capitalize on that, and I really want to have a win,” Donohue said. “We know them enough to know how they play so we can adjust to that, but I’m just really excited for the game.”
Neshaminy senior co-captain Erin Bedesem is also eager for another opportunity to take on the Golden Hawks.
“I think it’s good for us because we can finish what we didn’t get to do and maybe show them we’re coming out to play,” Bedesem said. “It’s really interesting because I never thought after we played them the last time that we’d play them again.
“We were all talking about it, and we’re all really excited for Wednesday’s game, and it’s probably the same thing for Council Rock South. I just think from the start of the game we have to come out real intense. When we played them the two other times we came out kind of flat. I think we’ve got that momentum down. We just have to use it on Wednesday.”
Stay tuned. Round three between the two rivals promises to be an interesting one.
#18 STRATH HAVEN at #2 CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH
Central Bucks South
- 17-1 overall
- 13-1 SOL Continental Conference champions (seventh consecutive conference title)
- Notched wins over seventh-seeded Council Rock South (2-0), eighth-seeded Central Bucks West (2-0), 14th-seeded Hatboro-Horsham (4-0, 2-1), 25th-seeded Pennridge (3-1, 3-2) and 27th-seeded North Penn (3-0, 3-0) as well as PCL power Cardinal O’Hara (2-1).
- Saw 15-game winning streak to open season snapped with 1-0 overtime loss to eighth-seeded Central Bucks West on Oct. 10.
Strath Haven
- 13-6 overall
- 8-3 Central League (third place)
- Opened season 1-3 but won six of last seven games.
- Led by senior attacking midfielder Alex Bonser, the top returning starter from last year’s successful squad. Bonser has made a verbal commitment to play hockey at Dickinson
- Defeated #26 Haverford 3-2 in a battle for third place, Andrea Govannicci contributed the hat trick.
- Downed #15 Council Rock North 2-0 in the opening round, using a pair of goals by Govannicci.
#14 HATBORO-HORSHAM at #3 PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH
Plymouth Whitemarsh
- 17-1 overall
- 14-0 SOL American Conference champions
- Remarkable turnaround after a 7-10 season in 2012, a turnaround that coincided with the return of coach Marianne Paparone, who did not coach last year.
- Pair of wins over 13th-seeded Wissahickon (3-2 OT, 1-0)
- Led on attack by twins Rachel Konowal (20 goals, 23 assists) and Courtney Konowal (22 goals, 16 assists) as well as sophomore Aurora Mills (12 goals, 6 assists) and junior Alison Spinelli (6 goals, 11 assists).
- PW’s defense – which boasts 10 shutouts - is anchored by sophomore goalie Tori Byrne and sweeper Sierra Spencer.
Hatboro-Horsham
- 12-5-1 overall
- 9-5 SOL Continental Conference (third place)
- Earned wins over seventh-seeded Council Rock South (3-2), 10th-seeded Neshaminy (3-1), 25th-seeded Pennridge (2-0) and 27th-seeded North Penn (4-2, 4-3)
- Balanced offensive attack is led by senior Colby Eldridge with 10 goals and eight assists.
- Eldridge scored the game winner with six minutes remaining in the second overtime of the Hatters’ 2-1 opening round win over Spring-Ford. Jenna Cutilli accounted for the Hatters’ first goal.
#10 NESHAMINY at #7 COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH
Council Rock South
- 14-4-1 overall
- 12-1-1 SOL National Conference champions
- Defeated 15th-seeded Council Rock North 3-2 in overtime last week to capture the conference crown.
- Earned wins over 10th-seeded Neshaminy (1-0) and 23rd-seeded Pennsbury (3-0, 1-0).
- Led by seniors Amanda Besselman, Kristen Donohue, Kristen Meihofer, Mary Melnick and Mollie Sheehy
- Offense sparked by dangerous trio of Meihofer (18 goals, 14 assists), Sheehy (16 goals, 14 assists), and Donohue (6 goals, 10 assists).
- Meihofer scored a pair of goals and Caroline McGovern added a single goal in the Golden Hawks’ 3-2 win over Haverford in Monday’s district opener.
Neshaminy
- 13-5-1 overall
- 11-2-1 SOL National Conference (second place)
- Finished season 12-2-1 after dropping first three games.
- Swept regular season series with Pennsbury (2-0, 1-0)
- Earned wins over 15th-seeded Council Rock North (2-1) and 21st-seeded Unionville (2-1). Tied seventh-seeded Council Rock South 1-1.
- Defeated Pennsbury for the third time this season in the opening round, this time by a 5-0 margin. Amanda Blum scored a pair of goals to lead the Redskins while Amanda Binczewski, Josafinne McIlwaine and Marlena Koellner each added single goals.
#9 DOWNINGTOWN EAST at #8 CENTRAL BUCKS WEST
Central Bucks West
- 17-2 overall
- 12-2 SOL Continental Conference (second place)
- Only team to defeat Central Bucks South (1-0 OT, Oct. 10)
- Boasts wins over seventh-seeded Council Rock South (2-1), 14th-seeded Hatboro-Horsham (1-0, 2-0), 23rd-seeded Pennsbury (2-1), 25th-seeded Pennridge (3-2, 2-0) and 27th-seeded North Penn (3-0).
- Swept season series with Pennridge (1-0 OT, 2-0).
- Defeated Pennridge 3-0 in an opening round game, using goals by Erick Fiorelli, Cadera Smith and Kim Hitchcock.
Downingtown East
- 11-2 Ches-Mont National Division (third place behind West Chester Henderson and Downingtown West)
- Boasts a win over fifth-seeded Conestoga (4-2)
- Led by forward Taylor Courter (10 goals, 5 assists), center midfielder Claire Webb (6 goals, 17 assists) and Cassie Hunter (5 goals, 14 assists).
- Defeated 24th-seeded Great Valley in Monday’s opening round. The Cougars took a 1-0 lead into halftime on a Haley Gibson goal, and Laura Dutzman’s goal 30 seconds into the second half made it 2-0. Cassie Hunter scored the final goal on a corner.
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