Central Bucks South will do battle with Continental Conference foe Hatboro-Horsham in Wednesday’s District One Class AAA semifinal game at Council Rock North.
There’s not a whole lot Central Bucks South and Hatboro-Horsham don’t know about each other.
The two Continental Conference foes squared off against each other twice during the regular season. The Titans won the first 4-0 but were extended to overtime the second go round before eking out a 2-1 win. Emily Cliggett scored both goals in a game the Titans dominated statistically. They drew 22 corners but managed just two goals, thanks to the glittering 20-save effort of Hatters’ junior goalie Emily Braunewell.
The two teams share plenty of common opponents.
Versus Pennridge:
-Central Bucks South swept the season series (3-1, 3-2)
-Hatboro-Horsham split the season series (1-2, 2-0)
Versus Central Bucks West:
-Central Bucks South split the season series (2-0, 0-1 OT)
-Hatboro-Horsham lost the season series (0-1, 0-2)
Versus Quakertown:
-Central Bucks South swept the season series (6-0, 2-0)
-Hatboro-Horsham swept the season series (3-1, 2-0)
Versus Central Bucks East:
-Central Bucks South swept the season series (2-0, 5-0)
-Hatboro-Horsham swept the season series (3-0, 1-0)
Versus Souderton:
-Central Bucks South swept the season series (2-0, 2-1)
-Hatboro-Horsham swept the season series (2-1, 4-0)
Versus North Penn:
-Central Bucks South swept the season series (3-0, 3-0)
-Hatboro-Horsham swept the season series (4-3, 4-2)
Versus Council Rock South:
-Central Bucks South earned a pair of wins over the Golden Hawks (2-0, 2-0)
-Hatboro-Horsham earned a season-opening win over the Golden Hawks (3-2)
While playing in the district semifinal is nothing new to the defending district champion Titans, it’s a brand new experience for the Hatters, who have earned their first trip to the state tournament since 2006.
Talk to Jaime DiQuattro, and it’s clear the Hatters are looking forward to their third meeting with the Titans.
“It’s really cool because the first time we lost to them (4-0), and the second time it was the closest we ever have been to beating them,” the junior midfielder said of the Hatters’ 2-1 overtime loss. “We went to overtime, and it’s neat to be able to have the opportunity to play them again and hopefully win this time. It’s just a really cool opportunity to be able to play them again because we didn’t think we were going to be able to.”
This year’s Hatter squad, according to DiQuattro, possesses a special chemistry that has made the season even more fun.
“Our field hockey team is honestly like a family,” she said. “We are all so close. We go out to dinner one or two times a week on top of the pasta parties.
“We go on a field hockey bonding trip every year to the Swezey’s lake house, and we have the best time together. It just creates a better dynamic on the field and off the field when you’re so close because you’ll trust each other.”
Wednesday’s semifinal game will be played at Council Rock North at 3 p.m. In playback action, seventh-seeded Council Rock South will travel to sixth-seeded Downingtown West while eighth-seeded Central Bucks West will travel to fifth-seeded Conestoga. The winners will earn a berth in the state tournament.
#2 CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH vs #14 HATBORO-HORSHAM
Central Bucks South
- 19-1 overall
- 13-1 SOL Continental Conference champions (seventh consecutive conference title)
- Notched regular season 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.
How they got here: The Titans, despite 20 corners and 24 shots, defeated seventh-seeded Council Rock South by just a 2-0 in a district quarterfinal game. Corrine Kenney and Rachel Gorman accounted for the team’s goals. In South’s 5-0 second round win over 18th-seeded Strath Haven, Gorman and Kenney each had a pair of goals while Megan Hamilton scored one goal.
Hatboro-Horsham
- 14-5-1 overall
- 9-5 SOL Continental Conference (third place)
- Earned regular season 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)
How they got here: The Hatters edged sixth-seeded Downingtown West 1-0 in a district quarterfinal game, using a goal by Casey Swezey four minutes into the second half. In the Hatters’ 2-0 second round upset of third-seeded Plymouth Whitemarsh , Colby Eldridge and Syd Rausa each scored a goal. In the Hatters’ opening round 2-1 win over Spring-Ford, Eldridge scored the game winner with six minutes remaining in the second overtime. Jenna Cutilli accounted for the Hatters’ first goal.
- Log in to post comments
