Quakertown wrapped up an undefeated conference season. Check out Wednesday's SOL girls soccer results. Check Keith Clemens' photos of the Quakertown/PW contest…CLICK HERE!
American Conference
QUAKERTOWN 2, PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 1
Twenty-four hours after clinching their program’s first conference title since 2007, the Panthers put the finishing touches on an undefeated conference season with a hard-fought win over the Colonials. The title came in the Panthers’ first year of competition in the American Conference.
“This is my seventh year and the other six were in the Continental Conference,” coach Mike Koch said. “We always worked hard and we always competed, and we garnered a lot of respect in the Continental Conference from the other teams, but we couldn’t replicate that effort game after game after game against those teams, mainly because of depth.
“We couldn’t run out 11 people off our bench like those schools could, so our kids worked hard, but they never got a reward. This year we knew we were changing conferences and we knew it would be a challenging conference.
“I can’t overemphasize how much respect I have and did have coming in. Upper Dublin, in particular, I’ve known John Topper for a long time. I’ve garnered a lot of respect for a lot of those schools – Plymouth Whitemarsh and even Upper Moreland. Upper Moreland might not have the best record, but I love the way they compete. They kind of remind me of the Quakertown of the old Continental Conference.”
The Panthers came to camp in August with positive energy and a good number of players back from last season’s 4-13-1 squad.
“We made a big commitment that we were going to make the best of this,” Koch said. “We never really used the word conference championship or district playoffs.
“I was very careful not to set a goal other than – we’re in a better position to compete than we’ve been in previous years.”
The Panthers opened conference play with a 2-1 win over perennial conference power Wissahickon and followed that one day later with a 1-0 win over defending conference champion Upper Dublin, despite the absence of Katie Crouthamel from the lineup.
“Those two games got us confidence, got us battle tested and slowly we kept knocking off markers,” Koch said. “We had a lot of close games – a lot of one-goal games, three ties, one overtime win. It was a battle the whole way.”
The Panthers capped an 11-0-3 conference season with Wednesday’s come-from-behind win over the Colonials, who took a 1-0 lead on a goal by Anni Shula (Ragan Ebersole assist). Sam Barkholz scored the equalizer and Ashley Gluck found the net for the game winner with five minutes remaining in regulation. Katie Crouthamel and Kyra Handel contributed assists.
“We had adversity today,” Koch said. “We got down 1-0. It was our third game in three days, and we weren’t playing particularly well.
“They knew they won the conference championship the day before, and that’s what is great about this group. They had all kinds of reasons to let one go or take it easy, and instead, we battled back and got the game winner in the 75th minute.”
Koch credited captains Lauren Pursel and Vic Sturgess for providing leadership this season.
“They’re the two I started communicating with long before the season started,” the Panthers’ coach said. “Even going back to last winter, and they organized getting everybody out.
“They’re very, very selfless players. You’ll see them carrying the ball bags after games. Vic went to a leadership seminar, and a Penn State coach basically said – if you want to be a leader, don’t have a freshman do all that stuff like that. Show them by example.
“They’ve done that, and that just embodies the spirit of the whole team. It might sound like a silly thing – who carries ball bags, but it led to a group of kids that all do what we need to do to be successful.”
Morgan Smalls anchors a stingy defense in goal. Twelve of the Panthers’ 18 wins have been shutouts.
“She’s an incredible goalkeeper, and she’s had an amazing season,” Koch said. “Our center backs were what we needed to stabilize the defense.
“We had a senior, Carley Peacher, who was always a ball winner but was never that center back in club. We paired her with a freshman, Melina Jagiello, and what a great pairing it’s been. It’s a freshmen and senior, but if you watched them, you’d think it was two seniors who had played together for four years.”
Seniors Julia Taylor and Haley Dulis are outside backs
“It’s not a spectacular position, and neither was a defender coming up, but both have just been rock solid,” Koch said.
Haley Pursel anchors the midfield and leads the team in assists.
“She’s just one of the most creative players out there,” Koch said of his center midfielder. “She has a great understanding of the game, so she kind of organizes them.
“My other midfielders are just so good at doing their work. Sam Ramsden is a player I have played at every position in the field. Wherever we have a hole, she filled it and has just been incredible.”
Forwards Crouthamel and Sturgess are the team’s finishers. Crouthamel leads the team in goals scored while Sturgess is tied for second with Ashley Gluck, who comes off the bench.
“They’re dangerous players,” Koch said. “It’s a team. Everybody has a role, and they fill their roles. They subject themselves to what works for the team.
“We have a few players on the team that could have been 15 or 20 goal scorers, and they chose to do what was necessary to win games.”
Quakertown closed out its regular season with a 14-1-3 record while Plymouth Whitemarsh is 8-9 overall (7-7).
WISSAHICKON 2, SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP 1 (OT)
Coach Shannon Creamer-Franke described Wednesday’s regular season finale as a “barnburner of a game.”
The Spartans celebrated Senior Night, but this was hardly your ordinary Senior Night as the game was the second of a boys/girls soccer doubleheader that – between games – included recognition of senior members of the soccer teams, the band and cheerleaders as well as homecoming festivities in front a packed stadium.
“It was an honor to be part of Springfield’s homecoming festivities,” Creamer-Franke said. “Wissahickon was able to pull out a win, and on a war-torn field battled Springfield for 82 minutes.
“Escaping pressure at the top of the 18 to turn and shoot (right footed), senior captain Maddie Elwell lifted her team to victory two minutes into overtime.”
Elwell also scored her team’s first goal 19:50 into the contest, but the Spartans rallied to knot the score in the 65th minute on a goal by Sarah Potocki, setting the stage for OT.
Coach Suzette Wolf acknowledged the contributions of her seniors – Jamy Krewson, Molly Dugan, Emily Giampietro, Katherine Nelson, Josie Anderson, Ellie Leitzel and Katie Fitzpatrick.
"All of our seniors played outstanding," the Spartans' coach said.
The game was the third in a row for the Trojans, who fell to Pennridge in overtime on Monday and then celebrated their own Senior Night with a win over Upper Moreland on Tuesday.
“Springfield’s fans were deafening at times – their team pressing, physical and relentless, but Wissahickon answered the call and played on,” Creamer-Franke said. “Elwell’s work rate was tremendous, scoring first to put Wissahickon on the board and then again in overtime for the game winner.
“She was the real deal tonight. (Anna) Wilde and (Mary) Matthews once again did not let up out of the back. (Victoria) Selverian and (Jasmine) Bishop pushed hard as well, along with (Kelly) Dickson in the midfield to win balls and advance their Trojans.”
Wissahickon closed out its regular season with an overall record of 12-4-1 (10-3-1 SOL) while Springfield was 3-13-1 overall (2-11-1 SOL).
Wissahickon 1-0-1 2
Springfield 0-1-0 1
National Conference
NESHAMINY 8, HARRY S TRUMAN 0
Eight players scored one goal each, and all eight of the Redskins’ goals were assisted on a day that saw seven different players contribute assists.
Riley Nyhus put the ‘Skins on the scoreboard just over five minutes into the game, using a Jackie Ziegler assist. Less than a minute later, Alyssa Tobin (Nicole Palmer assist) found the net, and then it was Maggie Daeche turning a Hannah Stonkus pass into a goal. Anastasia Lebotesis assisted on a goal by Palmer and two minutes later scored her own, benefitting from an Emily Tantala assist to send the Redskins into halftime with a 5-0 lead.
In the second half, the Redskins received single goals from Kelli Kowalick (Tantala assist), Brooke Mullin (Michaela Boyd assist) and Amyanne Murray (Emily Tomlinson assist).
Keepers Riley Spingler and Victoria Smith combined for four saves in the shutout. Truman keeper Kaitlyn Larkin recorded eight saves.
The Redskins held a 17-4 advantage in shots.
Neshaminy (15-1-1, 9-1-1 SOL) will host Council Rock South in its Senior Night game on Thursday at 7 p.m. Harry S Truman (1-15, 0-11) will travel to Pennsbury for Thursday’s SOL finale.
Neshaminy 5-3 8
Harry S Truman 0-0 0
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 2, BENSALEM 0
Jess Magee contributed a goal and an assist while Sierra Tarantino also scored a goal to lead the Golden Hawks to the conference win.
Council Rock South (11-5-1, 7-3-1 SOL) will be on the road at Neshaminy on Thursday for a 7 p.m. contest. Bensalem closed out its conference season with a 3-9 mark (5-11-2 overall).
Bensalem 0-0 0
Council Rock South 2-0 2
Non-league
ABINGTON 2, CHELTENHAM 1
In a battle of neighboring rivals, it was the Ghosts eking out a 2-1 win. Payton Gormley opened the scoring with a strike from distance on a direct kick. After the Lady Panthers knotted the score, Lindsay Burstein found the net with the game winner.
Abington closed out its season with a 6-11 record (4-8 SOL). Cheltenham (0-15, 0-13) will close out its season at Hatboro-Horsham on Thursday.
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