Four SOL teams advanced to Wednesday’s second round of the District One AAA Tournament. Check back for a gallery of photos of the North Penn/Wissahickon game by Keith Clemens Photography.
There are always a couple of surprises when district play begins.
Upper Dublin, the tournament’s 17th seed, edged 16th-seeded Lower Merion, but that hardly qualified as a surprise. Nineteenth-seeded Oxford upset 14th-seeded Spring-Ford, and perhaps no one saw that coming, but Central Bucks South created the biggest buzz when the 23rd-seeded Titans upset 10th-seeded Avon Grove.
Ninth-seeded North Penn defeated 24th-seeded Wissahickon while 13th-seeded Neshaminy needed overtime to defeat 20th-seeded Council Rock North.
In addition to Wissahickon and CR North, four additional SOL teams – Pennsbury, Souderton, Springfield and Upper Moreland – saw their seasons come to an end.
#9 NORTH PENN 4, #24 WISSAHICKON 1
North Penn’s usually high-powered offense was kept under wraps for the opening 43 minutes of Monday’s district opener, and the Knights found themselves clinging to a 1-0 lead against a pesky Trojan squad.
Then – without warning – Bri O’Donnell did what she does best, deftly dribbling by every defender in her path and slamming a shot into the cage at the 16:51 mark of the second half.
“At halftime, we said we really needed to step up our play and come out stronger,” O’Donnell said. “We – as a team – came together and played as hard as we could and answered back in the second half.”
It was the second goal of the game for the all-state forward.
“She got hit a couple times today – she’s a tough kid,” said NP coach Shannon McCracken of O’Donnell, who was sidelined for a stretch in the first half. “She’s such a team player, and she wants to finish the game.
“She had some great passes from the backfield, and she just keeps things simple out there.”
Ignited by O’Donnell’s goal, the floodgates were opened for the Knights, and within a span of three minutes and three seconds, the Knights scored three goals.
On a textbook corner, Mikayla Barrow turned Bri O’Donnell’s insert pass into a goal with a lifted shot that sailed over the outstretched arms of the goalie and fell into the cage.
“They had a really nice third goal – they lifted it right over our goalkeeper,” Wissahickon coach Leah Angstadt said. “They just kept building on the momentum of that second goal.”
Amber Blackshear capped the 3-0 tear when she turned a Barrow pass into a goal on a chip shot, and just like that the Knights had turned a 1-0 lead into a 4-0 advantage.
“I think we were playing with a little bit of nerves, and once we settled into the game and got that second goal, it kind of woke us up a little bit to playing hard,” McCracken said. “The girls – I could tell on the field – kind of turned to each other and it was ‘Let’s keep up the attack, let’s keep up the pressure.’”
The Trojans battled to the final horn, and with 12:55 remaining in regulation, Jess Waite (Julianna Sutow assist) found the cage for the 4-1 final.
“I think at the beginning we were getting the playoff jitters out,” Barrow said. “Once we got the first goal, we felt a little confident.
“This is my first time in the playoffs, and it’s very exciting knowing we got into the second round. We just want to keep pushing forward.”
Although disappointed with the outcome, Angstadt was thrilled to earn a spot in districts.
“It’s great to get here this year,” the Trojans’ first-year coach said. “We don’t have very many returning starters on the varsity level.
“It was new for a lot of the girls this year. It’s great for our seniors to finish out getting into districts, and it’s a great opportunity for our younger athletes to play at this level, so when we’re back again next year they know what it’s like.”
North Penn will travel to eighth-seeded Council Rock South for a second round game on Wednesday. Wissahickon closed out its season with an 11-8 record (9-5 SOL).
Wissahickon 0-1 1
North Penn 1-3 4
#13 NESHAMINY 2, #20 COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 1 (OT)
Senior Mia Sexton (Peyton Ritchey assist) scored with time winding down in overtime to propel the Redskins to the dramatic win in a battle of conference rivals.
“We knew they were coming to play, and they did play hard,” Neshaminy coach Jamie Pinto said of the Indians. “We had our opportunities, and I told the girls if we wouldn’t have won it would have been disappointing because they worked so hard, played so hard. They deserved to win.
“I would have liked to have scored more goals, but a win’s a win in districts. I’ll take anything.”
The Redskins’ coach was not looking forward to facing Rock North for a third time. It was hard to blame her. Twice during the regular season the Redskins defeated the Indians (2-0 and 1-0), but it wasn’t easy.
“(North coach) Heather (Whalin) and I were sitting next to each other at the seeding meeting, and we’re like, ‘Are you kidding? Out of all these teams, we’re playing each other,’” Pinto said. “It’s tough.”
Anna Lehman put the Indians on the scoreboard just three minutes into the game, and midway through the opening half, the Redskins knotted the score when senior Taylor Benton turned a Jamie Pennington pass into a goal during corner play.
“The first 10 minutes or so, the game was back and forth, and then we were kind of picking it up,” Pinto said. “We started to dominate, but we just couldn’t finish. Hopefully that will come on Wednesday.”
The Redskins’ coach lauded the performance of several players in the win.
“Mia Sexton played well – she was a driving force for the offense today,” Pinto said. “Emily Alexis again controlled the center. She did a nice job distributing the ball and working hard.
“Taylor Benton plays defense, and during practice the other day, we decided to put her up on corners, and she scored on a corner today. She’s just been working really hard throughout the season with her drives. She’s scored a couple goals in the last couple of games as a defender. She stepped up.
“Our goalie, Jill Mitchell, has been playing well. She hasn’t been getting as many shots, but the shots she’s getting, she’s making the initial save. She’s doing well.”
The Redskins held a 19-3 advantage in corners but scored on only one of them.
Neshaminy (14-5, 10-2 SOL) will travel to fourth-seeded Methacton for a second round game Wednesday. Council Rock closed out it season with a 9-10 record (8-4 SOL).
Council Rock North 1-0 -0 1
Neshaminy 1-0-1 2
#17 UPPER DUBLIN 1, #16 LOWER MERION 0
Heather Boyer began making plans for overtime as time was winding down in a scoreless game, but with 4:27 remaining in regulation, Shannon Reape took care of that little matter when – using an assist from Elizabeth Barber – she scored on a penalty corner, propelling the Cardinals to the dramatic win.
“They were super excited,” Boyer said. “The game was fun to watch. It was evenly matched. We might have had the ball a little bit more.
“We had some corners and shots, but it took a while to attack the cage. So much so that I was already planning for OT and strokes with some of the substitutions I made.”
Boyer was pleased with her team’s composure.
“A guys team showed up and was cheering for Lower Merion,” Boyer said. “It was getting loud, so we called a timeout and said, ‘Play your game. Do what you do,’ and they did. They didn’t panic. They really worked together as a team, and they communicated well, which is something we’ve struggled with on and off throughout the year. We played at a really good tempo and made sure every open ball was ours and really kind of clicked today.”
The win was Upper Dublin’s first in district play since 2010.
“I think it’s a reflection of their hard work and their grit,” Boyer said. “They have this innate desire to compete and really worked hard to turn the program around.
“That was the key today – they refused to lose.”
The Cardinals held a 10-6 advantage in corners while the Aces had a 7-6 edge in shots. Upper Dublin goalie Meaghan Muth recorded three saves in the shutout win.
“They all played really well,” Boyer said. “I made very few substitutions.
“Some of the composure of the younger players like Meaghan Muth in goal. Not that the ball got there all that much, but when it did, she was cool as a cucumber and took care of business the way she needed to.
“Lauren Greene, a sophomore, got some good minutes in the first half, and she transitioned well. She carried the ball and showed some good promise for next year. Every single one on the field had not been to the playoffs before in any sport except for Shannon Reape, who may have been there with Spring-Ford last year. To have them play with that composure across the board, they really kept it together.”
Upper Dublin (12-6-1, 11-3 SOL) will travel to top-seeded Unionville on Wednesday for a second round game.
Upper Dublin 0-1 1
Lower Merion 0-0 0
#23 CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 3, #10 AVON GROVE 1
The Titans rallied from a 1-0 halftime deficit to score three goals in the second half, stunning the 10th-seeded Red Devils and advancing to Wednesday’s second round.
“There’s not one person on the field that didn’t play well tonight,” South coach Pat Toner said. “I’m so happy for them. They were so excited.
“The whole entire season has been us trying to make them believe in themselves again. It’s hard to do. We have a very difficult league and very difficult teams that we play day in and day out, so it’s hard to get them to believe in themselves.
“(Assistant coach) Meg Hutchinson and I said we were very close to being able to upset somebody. We just weren’t quite there yet. Today I was thrilled that they were able to beat a very good Avon Grove team.”
Making the win even more impressive is the fact that it came on the heels of three straight losses to close out the regular season. The three losses came to schools seeded in the top 10 in the district tournament – North Penn, Central Bucks East and Conestoga.
“When you’re trying to get them to believe in themselves, it’s hard to do so in games against teams that are just so much more advanced than you are yet,” Toner said. “I just really wanted them to compete at a higher level, and they did tonight.
“They turned it around in the second half and I felt dominated and put three real nice goals in the net. I said to them at halftime – nothing exciting. I just made a couple of corrections and said, ‘3-1, you can do it,’ and they did.”
The Titans believed their coach, exploding for three second- half goals and going on to win by that 3-1 score. Toner credited her team’s remarkable showing to the fact that they stepped away from hockey for a bit.
“We had three losses in a row, we were outscored 10-0,” she said. “At any one time, we have a minimum of five sophomores out on the field, so when you’re trying to get them to another level and you’re constantly playing teams that are difficult, sometimes it’s okay to get away from hockey.
“We played a game that had nothing to do with hockey, we didn’t do one hockey skill, and they were crazy. It was a lot of fun, and I think that’s what they needed to get back together. I think that was the difference. They were able to come out and concentrate the next day at practice and just enjoy themselves again.”
The Titans certainly enjoyed themselves in the second half of Monday’s game. Senior co-captain Erin Chioffe (Megan Weeks assist) scored the equalizer at the 24:36 mark of the second half. Casey Reilly connected on her first of two goals midway through the half and then tacked on an insurance goal with 5:12 remaining, using a Lauren Dougherty assist.
Sophomore goalie Francine Richick was credited with 10 saves in a strong outing.
“Francine did a fantastic job, and Erin Chioffe had another defense save,” Toner said. “We did a really nice job on corners. They had powerful corners and pulled everyone up on them, and we were still able to stop their corners.”
Central Bucks South (9-8-1, 5-7 SOL) will travel to seventh-seeded Plymouth Whitemarsh for Wednesday’s second round game.
Central Bucks South 0-3 3
Avon Grove 1-0 1
#15 DOWNINGTOWN EAST 6, #18 SOUDERTON 2
Don’t be fooled by the final score.
The visiting Indians were in Monday’s district opener until the Cougars Kathryn Sheerer – who finished with one goal and four assists – found the cage with 11:11 remaining to break a 2-2 tie. The Cougars reeled off four unanswered goals to close out the game.
“We started to lack in connections and shots on goal, and they went down and turned it on,” Souderton coach Nicole Bauer said.
The Indians held a 16-12 advantage in penalty corners and matched the Cougars in every category except the final score.
“I’m gad they were able to see that we are a good team and will continue to get better,” Bauer said. “I want it to be second nature that we get to districts and that it is normal so we can focus on winning games in districts.”
The Indians took a 1-0 lead when Nina Disco scored during corner play with a Courtney Kenah assist at the 25:32 mark. The Cougars got on the scoreboard with 1:24 remaining in the opening half to send the teams into halftime deadlocked 1-1.
The Cougars went on top 2-1 early in the second half, but Disco turned a Jessica Gabriel pass into the equalizer with 18:31 remaining. That score stood until Sheerer’s goal that ignited a 4-0 tear.
Bauer acknowledged the strong play of several players.
“Jess Gabriel had a great game in transitioning us from defense to offense,” the Indians’ coach said. “Juliana Borisow had a great defensive game.”
Souderton closed out its season with a 9-9-1 record (5-6-1 SOL).
Souderton 1-1 2
Downingtown East 1-5 6
#11 OWEN J ROBERTS 2, #22 PENNSBURY 1
The Falcons battled the favored Wildcats to a 1-1 halftime tie, but Sarah Garritano scored with 18:19 remaining, and that goal proved to be the game winner.
“It was a great game,” coach Jamie Parell said.
The Wildcats got on the scoreboard just over 10 minutes into the contest, and the Falcons answered less than a minute later when Samie Hackman found the cage.
Coming up big for the Falcons was goalie Michelle Deodati, who recorded 11 saves.
“All in all, it was good teamwork, but she had some nice saves,” Parell said.
Pennsbury closed out its season with a 9-9-1 record (6-6 SOL)
Pennsbury 1-0 1
Owen J Roberts 1-1 2
CLASS AA
#15 PENNCREST 5, #18 UPPER MORELAND 2
The Golden Bears found themselves locked in a 2-2 halftime tie with the Lions in Monday’s district opener, but the second half was all Penncrest as the Lions reeled off three unanswered goals en route to the win.
“Upper Moreland played a terrific first half,” UM coach Karen Grossi said. “The girls were passing well, communicating, and working well together. After halftime, Penncrest picked up their play and Upper Moreland couldn't keep up.
“Penncrest's turf skills and speed proved to be too much. Penncrest's free hits were strong drives that UM was unable to control; Penncrest frequently took hits in their defensive end that ended up in their offensive circle within seconds. Despite the fact that UM struggled during the second half, they never gave up.”
The Golden Bears took a 1-0 lead when Kladdine Belaong scored with an assist from Jess Flanagan at the 19:57 mark of the opening half. Two minutes later, Penncrest answered with a goal of its own, but the Bears went on top 2-1 when Emily Keen (Madison Casey assist) scored with 9:10 left in the half. Again, the Lions had an answer, and this time, the Golden Bears had no response.
Despite the outcome, Grossi had high praise for her players.
“Jess Flanagan did an amazing job offensively,” the Bears’ coach said. “She took the game into her own hands a few times, dribbling the ball 50 yards down the field, dodging three, four, five, and sometimes six Penncrest defenders to get the ball into the circle. Unfortunately, UM wasn't able to finish.
“Becca Miekley and Emily Keene played well defensively, both making stops in the circle and controlling it to safety before passing to their teammates. As always, Allison Felicetti played well in goal. Allison has been a major factor in all of Upper Moreland's games this year and she didn't disappoint today.”
Felicetti once again finished with double-digit saves, turning away 11 shots.
Upper Moreland closed out it season with a 7-11 record (7-7 SOL).
Upper Moreland 2-0 2
Penncrest 2-3 5
CLASS A
#2 NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 2, SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP 0
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