Central Bucks West won an overtime thriller over district champion Pennsbury 2-1 in a PIAA Class AAA quarterfinal game Saturday. To view photos of all the action, please visit the Photo Gallery.
Ben Winderman
Moments after Mary Kate Vinkler’s remarkable game-winning head-ball goal from 18 yards out gave her team a dramatic 2-1 victory over previously undefeated Pennsbury, Central Bucks West coach Jorge Rodriguez spoke with a wonderful blend of integrity and joy. The Bucks’ coach complimented Pennsbury’s style of play and technical ability, while at the same time revealing how proud he was of his semifinal bound Bucks.
“As a coach,” Rodriguez began, “you look for those moments that you can win some credibility, so that your players believe what you’re saying. We’ve been talking about the type of team we can be all year long; it’s taken a while with us only being a second-year coaching staff.”
Rodriguez gestured to master-mind assistant coach Chris Shank and continued, “These last two weeks, the girls have really been playing the way we’ve been talking about. A win like this gets players to buy in even more to what we are trying to do here.”
Articulated as such, taking a giant step towards a possible state championship seems only a consequence of what they’re trying to do; winning titles and accolades merely fronts the deeper and more meaningful pursuit of winning each player’s faith.
Pennsbury coach Kaitlyn Battiste discussed the idea of faith as well.
“In August when we selected our team, we knew we had a special group of girls,” she said. “However, what they accomplished this season is truly remarkable. I'd love to say they bought into the coaches' plan, but they did it for each other. From day one they understood that it would be hard work and that nothing would be given to them. Even going down 1-0 tonight, I am so proud of the way they responded. We all had faith that we'd get it back.”
Coach Battiste mentioning August and Coach Rodriguez discussing all season long reminds us that moments are made, and both of these wonderful young(ish) coaches understand that completely. The fact that their respective teams were in this game at all and that – after two epic matches – they are tied (on aggregate), reflects both gold and orange glory.
CB West owns the joy of winning last and playing again, but Pennsbury owns a division title, a district championship, and the distinction of making Falcon history, pioneering a new level to the scrubby fields in Fairless Hills, to Macclesfield Park, and Pennsbury Pride – Congratulations Falcons! Go Bucks!
***
Worthy of lofty words was the play of these warrior women: For the Bucks, it was senior striker Shae McCarty covering more ground than the Union Pacific Rails, and Grace Bendon making routine saves with her gloves and impossible saves with her will; Sophie McKnight chewing technical up like double bubble, and Mackenzie Carroll defending her team’s turf like the Jets and the Sharks combined.
But warrior of the match, by consensus of the mob, resonating faith in gold-tooth stereo, was a unified chanting of West voices: EMILY MUNCHAK- EMILY MUNCHAK- EMILY MUNCHAK…The CB West senior right back, wearing the jersey #12, charging forward to score her team’s first goal and assist on the second, hurling herself in harm’s way as Pennsbury rallied to create chance after chance in the second half; as sure as there are 12 eggs in a dozen and 12 inches in a foot, Emily Munchak made sure today that her coaches, teammates, and program have credibility for now and for years to come. Munchak illustrated the sacrifice of status for anonymous and eradicated the word caution permanently from CB West’s soccer glossary. In all aspects of Saturday afternoon’s game, Munchak shined: she defended her side against repeated Falcon left flank penetrations from the likes of Jadyn Peto, Kelly Amador, Riley Rudd, and Caroline Foley. Time and again Pennsbury ramped up the pressure down the right and then expertly switched the point of attack, creating corners and angled opportunities that West keeper Grace Bendon turned away.
Drawing strength and determination from their own well of confidence, Pennsbury played with balance poise and urgency, which West’s Munchak and her fellow fab four defenders Allie Walsh, Carroll, and left back Carmen Telesco met and struggled against. In fact, the West back line played near flawless soccer yet the eloquence of their opponent made the afternoon busy with transcription. In the end, West would need two goals to win and #12 Emily Munchak was instrumental in the creation of both.
Tied 0-0 at the half, both teams came out with more of a “go forward mentality” in the second and immediately an 18-to-18 affair became an end line to end line brawl. The Falcons created the first excellent chance to score as West was caught pushing numbers into the attack, and Uche Onuoha went in on a clear break, but Bendon creatively cut the angle and Onuoha’s shot drifted wide.
With Pennsbury gaining the upper hand, West stayed afloat due the inspirational play of Shae McCarty, who made giant runs and miniature adjustments to keep Pennsbury honest in the back. Sophomore Falcon defender Meredith Webber, who throughout the playoffs drew her opponent’s most dangerous threat, today had McCarty as her mark.
Webber said, “No offense to any of the strikers, it’s just that you want to get them annoyed basically, and all of the strikers that I’ve played against were very good so credit to them.”
Credit to Webber, Amy Blazejewski, Rachel Beri, and Karina Raykova of Pennsbury too – you are all very good!
McCarty on this day, however, was too active to be annoyed, and with the steady support of Taylor Burke, Holly Pyles, and Mary Kate Vinkler, along with the agility and energy that Jillian Nolan and Abby Mulhearn brought off the bench, she prevented Pennsbury from sending that extra player into the attack.
Rodriguez called it “utilizing our strengths” and praised McCarty for her ability and her willingness. In the 52nd minute of play, McCarty’s pressure created a bouncing ball that Munchak struck high towards the Falcon goal.
“I’ve worked on that ball a lot,” Munchak explained. “Usually it’s like a service and I wanted to get it to the 18, and I don’t know that I was going for a shot, but it happened to go high and over the keeper and worked out perfectly.”
With West up 1-0 it was Pennsbury’s game that imitated perfection.
Creating pressure that resulted in a relentless series of corner kicks, Pennsbury midfielders Mary Webb and Megan Engeland struck services from the flanks, and in the 66th minute, one of Engeland’s corners careened off a defender’s head and bounced to Rachel Beri, who had begun to push up in a more consistent fashion. The sophomore wearing #4 showed incredible poise, took a peek at the net, and volleyed a ball that dipped in the upper ninety far panel. Wow!
The Falcons celebrated and appeared to have the game’s momentum, but twice in a row Emily Munchak, yup her again, and freshman Allie Walsh played ice hockey on the turf and dove in front of projectile launches from Kelly Amador and Amy Blaze. As the minutes waned, the uneasily boisterous crowd prepared for the possibility of overtime, and I wondered and maybe scribbled the five shooters that each side would hypothetically send to the spot. But neither overtime nor PKs would be necessary.
Inserted into the game in the 84th minute, Jillian Nolan took over McCarty’s high space, and the combination won the last five minutes of play back for West. Mary Kate Vinkler expertly shifted into the middle and back out to the left, and Sophie McKnight, Taylor Burke, and Carmen Telesco repeatedly won balls at midfield to keep the West attack.
With under a minute to play, it was Nolan who found Munchak with a trail pass, and the right back blasted a service one time to Vinkler on the left. Although Vinkler was covered well, she attacked the ball without caution and launched a head ball over the outstretched fingers of Pennsbury’s keeper Kayla Kunde. Kunde who had minutes earlier saved a high Vinkler strike off a short corner and who had denied CB East their best opportunity in the district final crumbled in despair, but as mayhem tackled Munchak on her right flank, a heartwarming Pennsbury squad lifted their keeper and their chins to the historic accomplishments which this season delivered.
“In between the tears, there is still so much to be proud of,” said Battiste. “I hurt for the seniors who set an incredible example for this entire team. Any of the success we have in the future will still be a reflection of their leadership on and off the field.”
The Pennsbury coach also used the word “grief,” which is apropos to a season’s end. It is a loss of something alive and something to love. For the Bucks, it is please take a day off your club games on Sunday and back to practice Monday. They have neared the top of a staircase that few expected them to climb. Their sisters at CB East occupy the same perch, and both have the faith to take the next step upwards.
Reserve a motel room just to be safe: Hershey Park, November 15, East vs. West. Could it be a rubber match for chocolate? It’s quite nice to be a writer and not a coach – Tuesday, they would say, is all that matters.
GOOD LUCK BUCKS (and PATRIOTS).
About the Author
