CB West fell to second-seeded Downingtown East in a District One AAA semifinal contest. Neshaminy saw its season come to an end in a playback game. Photos of the Neshaminy/OJR game were provided courtesy of Jesse Garber. To view game action photos, please click on the following link: http://jsgarber.zenfolio.com/p986543278
#2 DOWNINGTOWN EAST 3, #3 CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 0
Never underestimate the importance of momentum.
The Bucks had the early advantage in that department in Wednesday’s District One AAA semifinal game at Haverford High School, drawing a corner in the opening minute and generating some offensive threats. Midway through the opening half, the Bucks were awarded a pair of corners. Bryn Boylan’s laser shot on the first was stonewalled by East goalie Claire Riley. On the second, the junior midfielder’s shot went just wide, and no one was on the post.
Three minutes later, Kallie Gray found the cage on the Cougars’ first and only shot of the half. The Bucks answered with two more corners. Again, their attempts to get on the scoreboard were thwarted, and the Cougars led 1-0 at halftime.
“For any team, when you score, it really motivates you to get more just because you know that you can do it,” said senior Emily Halderson. “It changes the game because it boosts up the entire morale of the team because you get excited for scoring, and you get hungry to score more. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen today.”
The Bucks had the better of play in the opening half and held an advantage in both shots (6-1) and corners (6-3), but it didn’t translate to a lead on the scoreboard.
With the Bucks hoping for an early lift in the second half, it was the Cougars who got it instead when Isuru Amarasekera turned Elizabeth Farrell’s crossing pass into a goal and a 2-0 lead just 59 second into the half.
“That changed the tide,” West coach Courtney Lepping said.
If the Bucks entertained any thoughts of a comeback, they were all but put to rest when Farrell scored at the 25:50 mark to give the Cougars a 3-0 lead they would hold the rest of the way.
“The second half they really stepped up defensively and had the momentum,” said Lepping. “They really took it to us defensively.
“This is a game that the momentum swung, but we could have still been in it. The score is very deceiving because it wasn’t like that. I think our team will use it as motivation.”
For the game, the Bucks held a 9-7 advantage in shots and a 10-6 edge in corners with their best opportunities coming in the first half.
“The first half – we saw lots of positives,” Lepping said. “We were in this game. I didn’t feel like we were losing to a better team.
“I felt like it was a great game that we could easily come out there and do our thing. I think we just got tight in the second half, especially when that second goal happened quickly. It put a lot of pressure on us, and we were forcing things that maybe weren’t there.”
Three years ago Central Bucks West sent Downingtown East home in a district second round game, and the Bucks went on to earn a berth in states. East coach Steph Bullock, for one, hadn’t forgotten and wasn’t comfortable with her team’s tenuous 1-0 halftime lead.
“We know the type of team they are,” the Cougars’ coach said. “They’re not the type of team to back down. If anything they feed off of it, and they come out stronger.
“We knew we had to come out even more on the offensive side in the second half.”
For the first time in 21 games, the Bucks walked off the field on the short end of a score. It is the first time they were shut out this season.
“It’s definitely not good,” Halderson said. “It’s a different feeling, but it’s a learning experience.”
The Bucks (20-1, 14-0 SOL) will have a chance to get back on the winning track on Friday when they take on fifth-seeded Conestoga in the third place game. The winner will take on the District 12 champion, and the loser will take a road trip to face the District 2 champion.
Downingtown East will face top-seeded Unionville in Saturday’s title game.
Central Bucks West 0-0 0
Downingtown East 1-2 3
#8 OWEN J ROBERTS 2, #4 NESHAMINY 1
Wednesday’s playback game to keep their season alive started out on a good note. The Redskins took an early 1-0 lead when Emily Alexis turned a Mia Sexton pass into a goal just over two minutes into the game. That turned out to be the Skins’ last hurrah offensively.
For the second time in as many games, the Redskins held a decided advantage in shots (9-4) and an even bigger edge in corners (13-5), but they couldn’t capitalize.
Instead, it was the visiting Wildcats converting a pair of opportunities in the second half into goals. Makena Aberle scored the equalizer at the 20:12 mark, and with 3:33 remaining Natalie Fuertsch (Corrine Gerber) scored a goal that turned out to be the game winner.
Wildcat goalie Amanda Lamb was credited with eight saves while Neshaminy’s Haille Sheppard had a pair of saves.
Neshaminy closed out its year with an 18-3 record overall and sole possession of the SOL National Conference championship with a perfect 14-0 mark.
Owen J Roberts 0-2 2
Neshaminy 1-0 1
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