CB West advanced to the District One AAA semifinals and also earned a berth in states with its 4-3 win over Mount St. Joseph Academy. To view photos of the CB West/Mount game, please visit the Photo Gallery.
#3 CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 4, #11 MOUNT ST. JOSEPH 3
This is a game they’ll be talking about for a long time.
And when they do, they’ll undoubtedly begin by recounting the play that tied the score and inspired a West squad that trailed by two late in the opening half.
Sophomore swing player Lucy Varner – on the left of the cage after a long hit – dodged every defender in her path and then added the goalie to the list of those unable to slow her down, slamming home a goal that stunned the Magic and ignited the Bucks.
“She’s beating three, four people, and we’re on the sidelines, and we said, ‘Is that Lucy?’” coach Courtney Lepping said. “Just the energy when a player that has worked so hard to even get a chance on the field makes that goal – it inspires the team.
“That was such a motivating factor for the rest of our game play from that point on. She turned the tide on our momentum. It was just a huge play.”
It took a huge play for the Bucks to get even with a Mount squad that came out of the gate on fire, opening up a 2-0 lead after speedy sophomore Natalie McNamara scored her second goal of the half.
“A lot of it was – we don’t know what other teams are going to be like,” Lepping said of her team’s slow start. “I don’t know. I have no real good excuses for us, other than we just started slow, and they really took it to us. That’s a very good team. To beat Downingtown West, you have to be a good team.”
“We had a lot of nerves coming in here,” senior captain Anna Hall added. “We knew they were a strong team, and we only heard things – we had never seen them play.
“They were so strong. They knew we were undefeated, and they really wanted it, and that showed. We were kind of shaky, and in the beginning, we didn’t complete passes, but later on, we gained confidence, and that was so incredible to see us evolve throughout the game.”
The comeback began with time winding down in the first half when Taylor Mason scored during corner play, banging home the rebound of a goalie save of Bryn Boylan’s rocket from the top of the circle.
Varner’s goal came after a key stretch that saw the Bucks’ survive a barrage of early pressure from the Magic. West goalie Courtney Westover (12 saves) all but stood on her head to keep the Magic at bay, delivering a diving stop and following that with a stick save to keep it a 2-1 game.
“The saves she made today – they could have scored another four or five goals if she hadn’t stopped the ones she did,” Lepping said. “It wasn’t just easy stops that she made – she was getting the first, then the second and then another rebound, having to reach here, there and everywhere.
“She’s a senior, and she wants it just as bad as the rest of the seniors for the last time playing on this field. That was another motivating factor for them – just giving all they had to give.”
The momentum of the game changed dramatically after Varner’s goal. The Bucks drew an almost immediate corner, and they were awarded a penalty stroke at the 18:22 mark – just two minutes after Varner scored the equalizer. Boylan was money, firing a no-doubt-about-it shot into the upper part of the cage.
The Bucks – who drew 11 second-half corners – continued to apply pressure, and with 10:10 remaining, Ryan Murray – on the left post – redirected a laser shot by Boylan into the cage for a 4-2 West lead.
“Honestly, at first, I didn’t even know I got it,” Murray said. “It was a good goal to get. It really boosted everything.”
The Magic didn’t make life easy for the Bucks, and a goal by Grace Wallis with 6:57 made it a 4-3 game, but the Bucks held on for a win that ensured their squad a coveted berth in the state tournament.
“I’m really excited,” Varner said. “I think it’s great, especially for our seniors that we got to do this for them.”
Added Lepping, “That was one of the goals they had all year, and that’s why they fought as hard as they did. Even down two goals, they didn’t give up.
“They could have easily rolled over and said, ‘You know what – we’ll try again another time.’ They wanted it so bad on this field for a goal they set, knowing we haven’t lost yet and we want to keep it rolling.”
Friday’s win was the 20th without a loss for the Bucks, but this one was the hardest earned. Central Bucks West (20-0, 14-0 SOL) will meet second-seeded Downingtown East in a semifinal game on Wednesday at Haverford Reserve (3 p.m.).
Mount St Joseph 2-1 3
Central Bucks West 1-3 4
#5 CONESTOGA 2, #4 NESHAMINY 1
The Redskins held an advantage in every category except the one that mattered most. They outshot the Pioneers by a 13-4 margin and drew 16 corners to just three for Conestoga, but they came up just short on the scoreboard in a quarterfinal game Friday.
The Pioneers got on the scoreboard with 13:35 remaining in the first half when Emma McGillis turned a Charlotte DeVries pass into a goal. The Redskins tied it up early in the second half when Emily Curran found the cage at the 25:45 mark, using a Mia Sexton assist. Four minutes later, Casey Allen (Kiley Allen assist) scored the game winner.
The Redskins (18-2, 14-0 SOL) will face eighth-seeded Owen J Roberts in a playback game Wednesday (3 p.m.) for one of two remaining state berths
Conestoga 1-1 2
Neshaminy 0-1 1
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