Four SOL girls soccer teams advanced to the District One AAA quarterfinals.
#12 PENNSBURY 1, #5 PENNRIDGE 0 (2 OT 3-1 PK’s)
The visiting Falcons stunned the Rams, defeating them in penalty kicks after neither team could find the goal for 110 minutes. The loss was the first of the season for the Lady Rams.
“We felt like the pressure wasn’t on us,” said Falcons coach Kim Voorhees. “We came in knowing we are a good soccer team, and we said if we win fantastic and if not, it was a great season.”
It was an evenly matched battle, with both teams accounting for the others’ most dangerous weapons as Rams’ backs Julia Rufe and Audrey Butcher were given the task of shutting down Uche Onuoha while the Falcons quickly realized Jackie Stevens was a threat after a few close calls early on.
“Our freshman forward Kelly Amador has stepped up big the last three or four games,” said Voorhees. “Jadyn Peto also stepped up big, and those two worked hard enough it didn’t matter that Uche was being marked.”
Both teams generated quality chances to score in regulation, but both struggled to find the net.
“It was pretty back and forth,” said Voorhees. “I felt like we controlled possession, but they had a couple quick breaks because they have fast forwards and midfielders, so they were able to find holes in our defense in the first half.
“In the second half we cleaned things up and played like more of a unit.”
However, Stevens made a dangerous play as regulation neared the end on a breakaway, but keeper Sarah McDonald was there to clean it up.
As the dramatic postseason bout dragged without a score, the Falcons and Rams knew that overtime was looming, a situation both teams are quite familiar with. The Rams had played three overtimes this year, all which have remained tie games, and out their six overtime games, the Falcons had not prevailed in any of them.
The returning Falcon starters also hadn’t forgotten the emotions they felt when they lost to Neshaminy in the 2012 district quarterfinals in penalty kicks only to be sent to play Pennridge in playbacks and falling to the Rams as well.
Falcons’ keeper McDonald was one of those returning players who had the disappointment of 2012 in mind, but it didn’t faze her as the game came to the penalty kick phase and all eyes were on her.
“I was confident in our team,” said McDonald. “We’ve played really well this season and we were prepared for penalty kicks after last year’s loss to Neshaminy.”
Pennridge was up first to shoot and McDonald mad the stop, which was exactly what she was hoping for.
“I knew I just had to get one,” said McDonald. “I was confident everyone would put their shots in.”
Megan Engeland shot first for the Falcons and made it, and after the Rams’ second shot sailed off wide to the right of goal, freshman Caroline Foley finished off the Falcons’ second shot for a 2-0 lead. McDonald came up big again, saving the Rams third attempt, but Rams keeper Amanda O’Hara answered back, stopping Onuoha’s attempt.
The Rams scored their first PK in the fourth round, but the Falcons scored as well when Peto, who scored the game-winner in Tuesday’s playoff win, put in another key goal in as the Rams’ keeper anticipated the ball was going to the opposite side of the cage, and the Falcons’ first overtime victory was in the books.
“Every time we lost or tied this year I told them it’s all happening for a reason - we just don’t know why yet,” said Voorhees. “Today I said, ‘This is exactly why that happened. We can be composed and confident and believe we can win.’”
The Falcons upped their record to 12-4-4 as they advanced to Saturday’s quarterfinal round while abruptly ending the Rams impressive 15-1-3 season.
“I’m excited,” said Voorhees about the Falcons’ semifinal game on Saturday against a Boyertown team they defeated in the second round last year. “Honestly, I think we are really working together well as a team, and we have a lot heart when it comes down to it.
PENNSBURY 0-0-0-0 (1)
PENNRIDGE 0-0-0-0
#1 NESHAMINY 9, #17 WEST CHESTER EAST 1
The Redskins had no trouble keeping their record perfect intact on Thursday as they recorded the largest win margin so far in the district playoff bracket. Katie Suchodolski opened up the scoring after only two minutes off a Jess Kelly assist, her first of two on the day. Megan Schafer scored a pair of early first half goals and Katie McCoy added another in the first half before Viking Shannon Moore broke through and got East (13-6-1) on the board, scoring just the fourth goal on the Redskins for the entire season. Gabby Farrell converted a Maggie Daeche assist before the half ended to give her team a convincing 5-1 lead.
Suchodolski opened the scoring in the second half as well, and Schafer followed with another pair of goals to total four for the day before Daeche closed out the scoring in the 72nd minute. Schafer also contributed an assist.
The ‘Skins upped their record to 18-0 and will host #8 Spring-Ford in the semifinals on Saturday. The Rams defeated Central Bucks West 3-1 in a second round game.
NESHAMINY 5-4 9
WEST CHESTER EAST 1-0 1
#6 CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 4, #11 CONESTOGA 0
The Patriots are making a statement in the postseason, outscoring their opponents 9-0 so far in the tournament.
The eleventh-seeded Pioneers (12-4-4) were a formidable opponent for the sixth-seeded Patriots after dropping just one game in league play, but the Patriots showed how well the SOL’s competition can prepare teams for playoffs. The Pioneers started off strong, but the Patriots were able to come up with a goal when Emma Loving (Abby Emmert assist) capitalized on a goalie error and scored to give East a 1-0 lead at intermission.
“They (Conestoga) were the better team in the beginning,” said Patriots coach Paul Eisold. “We made some adjustments, and I didn’t feel they made adjustments to our play, so we got the game rolling from there.”
Loving connected on a pair of back-to-back goals in the second half - both off of Shaun Kane assists - to pick up the true hat trick. Kane then found the net herself off an Emmert assist to close out the scoring.
Keeper Paige Marcinkowski was credited with the shutout in goal after stopping seven shots. Eisold was impressed with the performances of Paige Weiss, who played well defensively, and Nicole Pannella and Annie Axenroth, who controlled midfield.
The Patriots upped their record to 17-1-3 and get ready to square off against third-seeded Strath Haven.
“We are certainly aware of the quality of soccer that Strath Haven plays,” said Eisold. “We are going to try to prepare for them like we would any opponent and we have a one day turnaround, so we will talk and try to break them down and go from there.”
The Patriots are now the sole representative of the Continental Conference as both CB West and Pennridge lost on Thursday night.
“I am absolutely proud of the girls and their performance in the postseason thus far,” said Eisold. “I know we still have a long way to go and we still have a lot of preparation, but you see teams dropping every round and you realize you are not guaranteed anything.”
CB EAST 1-3 4
CONESTOGA 0-0 0
#10 COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 1, #7 WC RUSTIN 0
Nikki Caffey lifted the Golden Hawks to their second round playoff win over the Golden Knights with her first half goal. The visiting Hawks ended the Knights’ season with a 14-3-3 record, handing them their third loss to a top ten team in the district bracket this season.
The Hawks, now 13-4-2, picked up their second postseason shutout after blanking #23 Wissahickon in the first round. On Saturday the tenth-seeded Hawks will travel to second-seeded Downingtown East.
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 1-0 1
WC RUSTIN 0-0 0
#8 SPRING-FORD 3, #9 CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 1
The Bucks, who reached the PIAA quarterfinals last season, saw their season end with a 3-1 loss to the eighth-seeded Rams. The Rams, who are having a stellar season, picked up their first league title in school history, and they are cruising through the first two rounds of playoffs with a 5-1 win over Plymouth Whitemarsh and Thursday’s victory over the Bucks. Spring-Ford upped their record to 10-2-5 as they head into Saturday’s semifinal match against top-ranked Neshaminy who boasts a perfect record. The Bucks finish their season with an 11-3-5 record.
CB WEST 0-1 1
SPRING-FORD 0-3 3
#4 BOYERTOWN 1, #20 COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 0
The Indians held off the fourth-seeded Bears for 75 minutes. However, the Bears snuck in the game-winner with five minutes remaining, ending the Indians season with a 7-8-4 record.
The loss came just 48 hours after the Indians played 110 minutes before winning in penalty kicks over #13 Downingtown West. Indians’ coach Ginna Lewing applauded the efforts of defenders Casey McAlister, Anna Budny, LeighAnn Bertolet and Madison Attanasio along with keepers Danielle Samson (first half) and Jeri Belardo (second half) who helped keep the Bears at bay for the majority of the match. The Bears, who have now won 15 in a row, improved their record to 16-1-2 and will host #12 Pennsbury for the semifinal match on Saturday.
BOYERTOWN 0-1 1
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 0-0 0
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