It was a tight battle from start to finish as the Falcons traveled to Council Rock South for their first meeting of the season. Falling 2-1 was disappointing, but it is the closest score the Falcons have achieved against the Golden Hawks since Traci Curtis took over five years ago. "We were so close and playing really well. The opportunity to win was palpable, but we just could not make it happen. We are so proud of our entire squad and the effort they gave for sixty minutes. It was a really great game on both sides of the ball. It came down to the fact that South was able to connect on one more offensive push than us," explains Curtis. The Golden Hawks notched a goal in the first quarter with 7 minutes left giving them the 1-0 lead. "South definitely dominated at the start, keeping it in our defensive end for most of that first 15 minutes. It took us a little bit of time to adjust to the turf and the tempo," said Curtis. The second quarter was a little more back-and-forth, but CR South connected again with 4 minutes before the half. "What we are most proud of is the fact that being down 2-0 didn't seem to take the wind out of our sails. The girls were in it and not letting up and it proved to work as Pennsbury made it a 2-1 game with less than a minute left before halftime. "We were getting more offensive pushes and earned a penalty corner as the clock was ticking down under a minute. Our assistant coach, Lori Riley, chose the hitter and she was spot on. Freshman defender, Cailyn Reilly, came up to take the shot and she nailed a picture perfect goal past the goal keeper. It was executed beautifully and was a great moment for her, said Curtis. Reilly has made great contributions on defense and it's so beneficial to have her talents on offensive corners as well. The Falcons were pumped going into halftime being in a 2-1 tight match against a team they have historically been shut out by in lopsided losses. The Golden Hawks and the Falcons could not change the numbers on the scoreboard for the remainder of the game. Both teams played tough defense and also could not finish in the circle in the last two quarters - it was an even match up out on the pitch. "We were frustrated a bit as we were working frantically to get fresh legs out there and utilize our speed in specific places. We earned corners and could not convert, said Curtis. It is a constant work in progress and we are improving with every step we take. We have great leadership in our captains and our team is full of athletes willing to do the necessary work. Today, captain Riley Henderson stepped up and took control. She played an awesome game and was a solid director on the field and it really helped in so many ways. Other stand out performances included, Juniors Avalee Shumski and Ava Jordan, Senior, Mia Popovich, and Freshmen, Abby Iacona and Ryan Burdette. Senior goalie, Kayla Shaffer was also impressive as she rebounded from the two goals that got by her and made sure to get more aggressive and decisive in the second half. She held them scoreless and that's a victory for her personally and for all of us. Pennsbury will host Truman on the 13th and Council Rock North on the 14th - both games will be played on Pennsbury's new Falcon Field turf in the stadium.