Check out the results for SOL girls’ soccer teams in action Tuesday. To view photos of the Tennent/CR South, NP/CB West and CB East/CB South girls’ games, please visit the Photo Gallery.
American Conference
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 1, UPPER DUBLIN 0
Nic Abbott scored the only goal of the contest, as the host Colonials held off the Flying Cardinals in a first-place battle.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (11-1, 10-1 SOL) swept both head-to-head matchups against Upper Dublin (8-5, 8-2 SOL), which fell into third place behind a Wissahickon squad that earned a 7-0 victory at home vs. Upper Merion.
“It was a hard-fought game, and it could have gone either way,” Upper Dublin head coach John Topper said. “(Abbott) is a good player and made a really nice finish, and it puts (the Colonials) in a really commanding lead in the conference.”
As Wissahickon beat Plymouth Whitemarsh last week to earn a split of their season series, the only game left among these three teams is next week, with the Trojans at Upper Dublin for Senior Night.
Having beaten Wissahickon once this season, Topper is already anticipating that matchup, which would help the Cardinals’ cause if they can sweep both head-to-head games.
“That is important on two levels, first is the rivalry, which we always get up for those games,” Topper said. “Second, there are also playoff implications on the line. With the new power-rankings system this year, a win against a good team like Wissahickon certainly would help us, so it’s not just neighborhood bragging rights.”
UD 0-0 0
PW 0-1 1
WISSAHICKON 7, UPPER MERION 0
Alyssa Ryan scored three goals, and Maddie Elwell scored twice to help lead the host Trojans to a shutout victory over the Vikings that gave Wissahickon sole possession of second place in the SOL American.
To their credit, the Vikings (2-12-1, 2-8 SOL) kept the contest scoreless for more than 28 minutes.
For Wissahickon (11-2-1, 9-2 SOL), Ryan opened the scoring at 28:31 on an assist from Jasmine Bishop.
Elwell quickly scored the next two goals consecutively.
At 30:25, Elwell took a pass from Liz Gregorio in the left corner, dribbled toward the net and scored on a shot toward the far right corner of the net that hit the post and went in. Ryan assisted on Elwell’s second goal, from the top of the 18-yard box at 35:02.
In the second half, Ryan resumed scoring with goals at 45:35 and 53:13, sandwiching an unassisted goal by Meghan Guzewicz at 48:22. Emily Vervlied got an assist on Ryan’s goal that started the second-half scoring.
Mary Matthews capped the scoring at 62:49 off a direct kick from about 35 yards away.
In earning the shutout, Kara Ciaccio made seven saves for the Trojans.
Upper Merion 0-0 0
Wissahickon 3-4 7
SPRINGFIELD (MONTCO) 5, UPPER MORELAND 0
Cameron Callahan and Katelyn Gillinger each scored a pair of goals in the host Spartans’ shutout victory over the Golden Bears.
After the first 32 minutes were scoreless, Callahan connected with the only goal of the first half.
In the second half, Gillinger ignited the Spartans with back-to-back goals within three minutes of each other, at 50:00 and 52:50.
Less than four minutes later, Callahan scored her second goal of the match, at 56:40.
Jewell Ringgold capped the scoring for Springfield (7-6-1, 6-4-1 SOL) in the final minute with a goal at 79:07.
Upper Moreland is 2-11-1 overall and 2-8 in the SOL.
Upper Moreland 0-0 0
Springfield (M) 1-4 5
CHELTENHAM 1, NORRISTOWN 0.
Amber Turner scored the only goal in the 22nd minute to help the Panthers (4-9-2, 3-6-2 SOL) earn a shutout victory over the host Eagles (2-12, 1-10 SOL).
Cheltenham 1-0 1
Norristown 0-0 0
National Conference
NESHAMINY 2, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 1 (OT)
Gabby Farrell scored both goals for Neshaminy, including the game-winner with 18 seconds left in the first overtime, with an assist from Alyssa Tobin, to spoil the Indians’ Senior Night.
The victory gives Neshaminy (8-5-2, 7-3-1 SOL) sole possession of second place in the SOL National, forging ahead of Council Rock North (9-4-1, 6-4-1 SOL) and Council Rock South, which fell into third place after a 1-0 loss William Tennent.
After a scoreless first half, Farrell opened the scoring at 57:54 with an unassisted goal off a volley.
With about eight minutes left in regulation, the Indians forced extra time, as Michaela Finneyfrock scored on a header off a free kick taken by Tori Hill.
Both teams’ goalkeepers had to play well in this tightly contested match.
For Neshaminy, Victoria Smith played the first half, and Holly Bowser played the second half and overtime, as both goalkeepers combined for four saves.
For North, Bree Shakt went the distance and made two saves.
Both coaches were proud of the effort from their players.
“Overall, this was a great fight from the whole team to get the win,” Neshaminy head coach Chelsea Deeter said.
North head coach Wendell Beres said all the seniors played well, especially Madison Attanasio and Kiki Glatz who had standout performances.
“While we might not have come out on the winning end tonight, we’re setting ourselves up for to be (ready) in late October, and couldn’t be more proud of our players, with how they’re dealing with little adversities along the way,” said Beres, referring to injuries to several seniors that had limited their recent playing time and against Neshaminy.
Neshaminy 0-1-1 2
CR North 0-1-0 1
WILLIAM TENNENT 1, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 0
Nikki Reh was credited with the only goal of the contest — and first of her career — off a throw-in that was 
mishandled and ended up in the host Golden Hawks’ net.
“(Reh) has a very long throw-in, which is a dangerous weapon,” Tennent head coach James Barry said of the freshman midfielder. “She plays a lot of minutes for us and has been a great asset to the program.
A lot of her midfield work in on the defensive side, so it’s good to see her get a goal.”
In her first game back from a concussion, sophomore goalkeeper Lauriel Krouse earned the shutout. Krouse was filling in for Kailey Hopkins, also out with a concussion.
Barry said the Panthers (9-5-1, 6-4-1 SOL) have been fortunate and resilient to be above .500 despite injuries to both goalkeepers.
“When we started the season, they were splitting time, and we were waiting to see which one would take the spot,” the Panthers’ coach said. “The way it happened, we’ve had only one available for every game. Moving forward, we would like to have both of them available.”
Barry also credited junior defender Rachel McCabe for her recent play in front of the goalkeeper.
“The past three or four weeks, (McCabe) has been immense for us,” he said. “She has been important for us defensively.”
William Tennent 1-0 1
CR South 0-0 0
BENSALEM 3, ABINGTON 1
Sid Doherty, Sarah Smith and Paige Wendling each scored a goal and an assist to lift the host Owls to a comeback victory over the Lady Ghosts.
For Abington, Toni Washington opened the scoring in the 11th minute with an unassisted goal, off a free kick from just inside the midfield stripe.
The Ghosts made their 1-0 lead hold up for most of the half, until Bensalem’s Doherty scored in the 35th minute with an assist from Smith.
After halftime, Wendling broke the tie in the 48th minute, as Doherty got the assist. Smith essentially sealed the victory with a goal in the 66th minute from Wendling.
The Owls outshot the Ghosts, 14-8.
For Bensalem (5-9, 4-7 SOL), Alayna McSeed recorded four saves, and for Abington (4-10-1, 2-9 SOL), Destiny Walters made six saves.
Abington 1-0 1
Bensalem 1-2 3
PENNSBURY 4, HARRY S TRUMAN 0
The Falcons needed most of the first half to get the eventual game-winner – from Riley Rudd in the 30th minute – to remain undefeated with a shutout victory over the host Tigers.
After that, however, Pennsbury pulled away, including a pair of second-half goals from Meredith Webber within about a minute of each other.
Five minutes after scoring the first goal, Rudd assisted on Jadyn Peto’s goal in the 35th minute.
After halftime, Webber scored in the 49th minute with an assist from Uche Onuoha and in the 50th minute from Rudd.
For Pennsbury (14-0-1, 10-0-1 SOL), Rudd finished with a goal and two assists.
In blanking Truman (0-13-1, 0-11 SOL), Pennsbury junior goalkeeper Kayla Kunde was credited with one save and got her second full shutout of the season.
Pennsbury 2-2 4
HS Truman 0-0 0
Continental Conference
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 4, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 0
Senior Emma Loving was involved on three of the Patriots’ four goals, and Haley Smigley added a goal and an assist in a shutout victory over the host Titans. The win allowed East to hold onto second place in the SOL Continental, just ahead of Central Bucks West.
The contest was scoreless until the 34th minute when Kristen Murphy converted a pass from Loving for the game-winner.
In the second half, Loving also assisted on Hannah Zach’s goal in the 57th minute. About three minutes later, Loving got a goal of her own with an assist from Haley Smigley.
In the 74th minute, Smigley scored with Paige Weiss earning the assist.
East outshot South 9-4.
At goalkeeper, Katie Dolf made four saves for East (10-2-2, 7-2-2 SOL), and senior Kelliann Bolash recorded five saves for South (6-4-3, 4-4-3 SOL), in her second straight start filling in for injured sophomore Sophia Boggs.
CB East 1-3 4
CB South 0-0 0
PENNRIDGE 3, SOUDERTON 2
Kennedy Peace, Olivia Fernandez and Rachel Velez scored the Rams’ goals in the first half off corner kicks.
The Rams then held off a second-half rally by the host Indians to remain ahead of second-place Central Bucks East.
Carissa Manero got a pair of assists by taking those corner kicks for Pennridge (10-1-3, 8-1-2 SOL). Similarly, Erin Stevenson earned an assist on Velez’s score.
After intermission, junior forward Mellanie Witter got Souderton (5-7-1, 5-6 SOL) on the scoreboard, and senior midfielder Siobhan McKenna, a team captain, followed with a goal off a penalty kick.
Pennridge 3-0 3
Souderton 0-2 2
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 1, NORTH PENN 0
Sophomore forward Mary Kate Vinkler scored the only goal of the contest with about a minute left in regulation time, lifting the host Bucks (10-4-1, 7-3-1 SOL) to a shutout victory over the Maidens (7-5-2, 4-5-2 SOL).
North Penn 0-0 0
CB West 0-1 1
HATBORO-HORSHAM 2, QUAKERTOWN 1
By Ben Winderman
Ask a high school soccer coach you know how he/she feels about Senior Night. See if his answer includes phrases like "Oh I love the comeraderie and brother/sisterhood," or "Ya know, It's such a nice opportunity to acknowledge the contribution of special student-athletes, shake their parents hands, and reflect about that kid you knew since she was 10, when she came to our summer camp all smiles, and played Red Light Green Light Soccer like it was the Bundesliga.”
At the risk of being overly-honest, many coaches love early morning August practices, scouting upcoming opponents, and talking with assistants in the parking lot way too long after games; but for most of those same coaches, Senior Night often lives somewhere between tolerate and tolerhate.
For teams battling for a spot in district playoffs, Senior Night can be tricky to navigate. Not starting/playing a senior on her night is a recipe for an email, but then again, going down a goal early to a team that knows how to deflate a game is a recipe for a sleepless night (or two). Then there is the reality of how our suburbia seems to sprinkle all functions and events with miracle grow, and what used to be short and sweet is now sometimes now long and splenda.
Finally, there is the real concern about asking the visiting team and the referees to accommodate the ceremony, and yes, it's true that certain teams are repeatedly that visiting team.
On Tuesday night at Hatters Stadium, the home team hosted the Panthers of Quakertown. The Lady Hatters celebrated six senior players: Rachel Kaplan, Jordan Plummer, Sara Kemp, Mikaela Malofiy, Sarah Theurer, and Madison McNutt, and somewhere, somehow during the part that I was supposed to be disguising my crankiness, those six student athletes took over the night.
It was their friendship maybe or the integrity of their families; it was the red letters on their uniforms that read "Hatters,” the funny messages they had written in a code they had invented to disguise a sketchy memory which they wanted to share with each other but not with the rest of us; it was standing on the field with my staff, Madison's mom singing along robustly with the National Anthem, the flowers’ fragrance, the giant moon, and Quakertown's willingness to not only respect our seniors’ moment but also help us to start our sensational star Jordan Plummer, who had torn her ACL and MCL back in August and is hoping to snowboard at Breckenridge in the winter of her freshman year.
It was Rachel Kaplan aka Kaps, who missed most of the season with a concussion, not only starting, but penetrating the Panthers’ back line and scoring the game's first goal on a bending corner kick that gave the Hatters their first lead since the first day of school. It was Maddy McNutt who came out to pick-up games after school as an eighth grader, who struggled for a role as a junior, but led her team this season in tackles won and led her Hatters tonight to victory with the game's second goal. It was Sara Kemp and her bizarre commentary in goal bravely off her line to clear everything that came her way, and Mikaela (Mika) Malofiy, who in the last week alone played everywhere from sweeper to striker settling in to a midfield role tonight, winning head balls like a soldier, spreading the ball around the field like mayonnaise on Wonder Bread, and smiling like that 10-year-old at Hatters’ Camp. It was Sarah Theurer, the league's best player who no one knows, doing exactly what she has done every game for the last two seasons, being in exactly the right spot and making the exact right play, testing Q'town's keeper Erinne Finlayson with the first good chance of the night, and hiding the Panther's stud Linzi Wolfe from her teammates, who searched for a blue #24 but often saw a Sarah wearing white.
It was more than those things, but it was their Senior Night and that's what I'll remember. With a 2-0 lead late in the game Panther sophomore Meghan Woulfe fed freshman Grace Kave who ripped a shot from 30 yards out and cut the Hatter lead in half. Kave will be at her Senior Night before she knows it, and with any luck, she and her parents will be shaking Q'town's coach Mike Koch's hand. Who knows the Panther may be hosting the Lady Hatters that night.
This night however, with the help of all of their younger teammates and a game clock that seemed in a hurry to go home, these six senior Hatters earned an important victory. It reminded them of the glory soccer can give and the memories that soccer can create. Those memories are what players give to their unarmed parents and their sometimes cranky coaches, and on Senior Night this season, this coach will remember the night with joy. Thank you!
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