Central Bucks South fell to top-seeded West Chester Henderson 1-0 in Saturday’s District One AAA title game. To view game action photos, please visit the Photo Gallery.
By Mary Jane Souder
The 2013 Central Bucks South field hockey team would have undoubtedly worn the mantle of district champion with class, but the Titans won’t have that opportunity.
West Chester Henderson scored a late goal during corner play to eke out a 1-0 win in Saturday’s District One AAA title game at Wissahickon High School, and the defending district champs were forced to settle for silver medals.
There were no tears on South’s sidelines. Instead, there was the recognition that they had played an outstanding game against an excellent team, and that was what mattered most.
“That’s what sports are really about,” South co-coach Jeff Harding said. “What we’re trying to teach all the time is – we’re upset when we win and we don’t play well. We’ve lost and played well, and we’ve been very, very happy with the kids’ performance.
“Today, that’s what it’s all about. All 11 players played great. It was beautiful to watch, and everyone got their money’s worth. I’m so proud of them.”
The Titans turned in a glittering performance on the season’s biggest stage. They took 24 shots to just six for the Warriors. They held an equally lopsided 22-9 advantage in corners.
And they didn’t allow all-everything senior Katie O’Donnell – with 41 goals and 30 assists already this season - to take over the game.
“I thought our game plan was perfect and how we executed it,” Harding said. “We focused on the 11 players playing around her.”
Corners have been a strong suit of the Titans this season, but they came up empty on nine first half corners with nothing to show for their efforts but 10 shots.
Henderson sophomore Ryann Bauer delivered a defensive save on the goal line late in the half during corner play, and on another, a South shot ricocheted off the leg of a Warrior defender in front of the cage.
It was clear that nothing was going to come easily on this day.
“You have to have a positive outlook and hope the next (corner) will bring something for you,” senior captain Jessica Schmidt said.
The two teams went into halftime deadlocked 0-0, and the second half was more of the same. During a pivotal stretch from the 21:50 to the 12:04 mark, the Titans drew 10 corners. Again, they came up empty, this despite firing six shots on goal during a span of three straight corners, but Henderson’s defense – led by goalie Emily Finn (21 saves) - was impenetrable.
South’s best shot came when Corrine Kenney fired a rocket that Finn turned away with a lightening quick kick save. On another, the Titans took three consecutive shots but saw all three turned away by a tenacious Warrior defense.
The Warriors broke the string of 10 straight South corners with a corner of their own, and they made it count when Susannah Pitt lifted the deflection of a defensive save into the cage for a 1-0 Henderson lead.
The Titans didn’t go down quietly, and their final attempt – a shot by Emily Cliggett – was turned away as time expired.
“We practice corners a lot, and it’s all about execution,” senior captain Mackenzie Harding said. “I think they were spot on today. We didn’t come out with a win, we didn’t get the goal, but that’s the luck of the draw sometimes.
“Even though we didn’t win, that felt like a championship game. Even the coaching staff agreed – they thought we really executed today and came to play, so they were proud of us. I thought it was a great game all around.”
“It wasn’t an upsetting ending,” Schmidt added. “It was more – congratulations, girls, you played great.
South co-coach Marie Schmucker also had high praise for the Titans’ performance.
“You know what – we’re proud of each and every one of them,” she said. “It was a total team effort.
“They did everything but put a ball in the goal cage, and there’s nothing to be ashamed of. It could have gone either way. The girls played great. It wasn’t in the cards today, but you start a new season. We’re into our third season – you take it one game at a time. We’re not done yet.”
The Titans will return to action in the opening round of the PIAA Class AAA State Tournament on Tuesday when they will face Penn Manor at 3 p.m.
“We’re going to keep working hard,” Schmidt said. “Play our game every day.”
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