There were a whole lot of close games and one tie in SOL girls’ soccer action. Check all the recaps.
SOL American
Plymouth Whitemarsh 3, Wissahickon 2
It was the kind of win Ryan Zehren had been looking for.
A hat trick by Alyse Caffrey lifted the Colonials past a very game Wissahickon side, with PW twice rallying back from one-goal deficits. Zehren was effusive in his praise for both his team's effort and the way Wissahickon played.
"Alyse just had space all day today," Zehren said. "She was finding space, and our midfield again – the experience there, the ability in winning tackles, making combinations and playing it up to Alyse was fantastic."
Wissahickon senior captain Alexis Smith provided two assists as the Trojans went up 1-0 and later 2-1 in the first half. Lieke Black scored the first not even five minutes in and though Caffrey netted her first in the 10th minute, Wissahickon continued to press.
Freshman Sophia Chido Ortiz put Wissahickon back on top in the 29th minute.
"She capitalized on a back-door run, chesting the ball into the back of the net to take the lead once more," Wiss coach Shannon Creamer-Franke said.
Caffrey got free on a breakaway and tied the game with less than five seconds left in the first half.
"The second half was a battle," Zehren said. "It was just an all-out battle. Both teams had chances, maybe we had a little more possession than them. Late in the game, with about two and a half minutes left, we scored the game-winner. It's just really good for the culture of our program."
Some may have pegged Wissahickon for a rebuilding year. Zehren is not in that camp. He thinks the Trojans just haven't seen results come their way yet, but fully expects Wissahickon to be much better when the teams rematch in a few weeks.
"Although the score doesn't show a victory for Wissahickon, every player deserves to be acknowledged for their work ethic," Creamer-Franke said. "They have shown a massive improvement and desire both technically and tactically."
Creamer-Franke noted the play of seniors Sam Comonitski and Victoria Selverian, both captains along with Smith, and a host of the team's sophomores for helping raise the intensity in the second half. Brooke Berry, Carly Amato and
Anna Schools all performed strongly for the Trojans.
"They continue to show growth and consistency in their play every day," Creamer-Franke said.
Likewise, Zehren had a long list of players who made a mark. In the midfield, it was Victoria Betterly and Sarah Putsch in the holding role, winning tackles and finding feet of the attacking players.
"They're both seniors and this was the game we've been looking for out of both of them," Zehren said.
In the second half, freshman Gabby Cooper was asked to shadow Smith and played great defense. Helping out on defense were Haley Zygmunt, Ava Schreiber and Bella McNew, who stood their ground and played their way out of trouble.
At the front end of the midfield, Zehren noted Ali Diamond and Natalie Lannie as helping to move the ball and find Caffrey in space.
"The girls look at it as we had an opportunity today to make something happen," Zehren said. "The girls should see this and think we can beat Wissahickon, we can beat Upper Dublin, these strong teams we've struggled against. We have an experienced team and today we finally got the ball in the back of the net."
Plymouth Whitemarsh (2-1, 2-0 SOL) will host Springfield Township on Tuesday, and Wissahickon (0-3, 0-2) will be on the road at Upper Dublin.
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 2 1 – 3
WISSAHICKON 2 0 – 2
Goals: PW – Alyse Caffrey (3); W – Lieke Black (Alexis Smith), Sophia Chido Ortiz (Smith)
Upper Dublin 2, Quakertown 1
This game lived up to expectations.
"Every time you play Quakertown, you know they're going to be well-organized and well-drilled in the back," Upper Dublin coach John Topper said. "We were fortunate that in the first five minutes of the game, Emily Booth was able to get 1-v-1 with a defender and put the ball in the back of the net."
Tina Haig continued her run of strong play, assisting Booth's strike in the second minute then supplying the eventual game-winner in the 44th minute. Haig, a senior midfielder, now has four goals and two assists in her last two games, though it's not a surprise to her coach.
"She is just an absolute playmaker out there," Topper said. "When you have her in the midfield, she's great at spraying balls around but when you put her the box, she strikes the ball great and she only needs a yard to get a shot off."
Quakertown settled in and certainly put Upper Dublin to task after the opening salvo. Topper credited the play of his central midfielders and all four backs for being strong in their tackles and winning enough challenges to give the Cardinals an edge.
"We had the better of play for the first part of the game, but then Quakertown really upped their level of play," Topper said. "The game evened out for a good portion of it."
Ashley Gluck pulled a goal back in the 74th minute and the Panthers pressed the issue until the final whistle. Topper noted his team was playing for the second day in a row and some of his players' tired legs were catching up to them at the end.
"I was just proud of the way they fought," Topper said. "Toward the end of the game, Quakertown was throwing a lot of girls forward and we were on our heels a little bit. It was a physical game, it was a bit dicey at times but I was just glad the girls were able to hold onto it."
Upper Dublin (2-0-1, 2-0 SOL) will host Wissahickon on Tuesday, and Quakertown (1-2, 1-1) will host Hatboro-Horsham on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
UPPER DUBLIN 1 1 – 2
QUAKERTOWN 0 1 – 1
Goals: UD – Emily Booth (Tina Haig), Tina Haigh (Aiden Hopkins); Q – Ashley Gluck (Katie Moyer)
Hatboro-Horsham 4, Upper Moreland 1
The Hatters continued their strong start and managed to give one of their players a birthday present.
Cam Hughes celebrated her 15th birthday by scoring the team's second goal, and the eventual game-winner as four different Hatters found the net.
"It was nice that she got a goal to mark the occasion," Hatboro-Horsham coach Ike Onyeador said.
Cam Ryan started the party with a goal in the third minute and Hughes scored in the 17th, but Upper Moreland wasn't going away easily.
"Hatboro (Horsham) came out strong today. They moved the ball really well amongst their defenders and their midfield and were able to find their wings," UM coach Lisa Benvenuto said. "Once we figured out how to cover and pressure them, it became more of an even match."
Alexis Lamb pulled a goal back for the Golden Bears in the 56th minute, but a goal by Erica Paluszek restored the two-goal lead and Kara Thomas finished it off in the 78th minute.
"In all, the team played well and Siera Cruz came up with a couple of big saves tonight," Onyeador said.
Benvenuto noted a tempo shift after the UM goal, but the Bears weren't able to capitalize on it.
"We had some really strong opportunities that we just didn't capitalize on, whereas Hatboro did," Benvenuto said. "Great play today from Sarah Veneziale, Alexis Lamb, Brigid Ounan and goalie Jen Storbrauck."
Hatboro-Horsham (2-0 SOL) will travel to William Tennent for a non-league game on Monday, and Upper Moreland (1-3, 0-2) will be on the road at Norristown for a non-league game.
HATBORO-HORSHAM 2 2 – 4
UPPER MORELAND 0 1 – 1
Goals: HH – Cam Ryan, Cam Hughes, Erica Paluszek, Kara Thomas; UM – Alexis Lamb
Springfield Twp 4, Cheltenham 1
The Spartans put together a solid effort in topping Cheltenham on Friday.
Samantha Wynn got the scoring started in the first half. Emily Cooney and DJ Bosca both added goals to send the Spartans into halftime with a 3-0 lead.
“(Wynn) normally plays defense for me, but she’s got a knee injury, so I’ve been trying to kind of play her up top a little," Spartans coach Suzette Wolf said.
Freshman Hannah Potocki wrapped up the scoring in the second half for Springfield. Cheltenham got on the board via a penalty kick.
“We got some really nice play from Meghan Nelson. She played as a central midfielder, and she really did hustle and control the game." Wolf said. "I’ve never played her there before so it was a nice thing to see. She laid off some really nice passes and was really good for us.”
Springfield Township (1-2, 1-1 SOL) will be on the road at Plymouth Whitemarsh on Tuesday, and Cheltenham (0-2) will host Upper Moreland on Tuesday.
SPRINGFIELD TWP 3 1 – 4
CHELTENHAM 0 1 – 1
SOL National
Pennsbury 2, Abington 1
Pennsbury started about as well as possible.
"I was happy with how we came out ready to play," Pennsbury coach Kaitlyn Battiste said. "Sophomore Rosie Bostian scored her first goal just 38 seconds into the match."
The Falcons had a few more chances, but Battiste felt her team lost some of its edge as halftime drew near. Pennsbury struggled to find that early spark again until a couple moves got it back.
"We were trying to move players around to see who would give us a spark," Battiste said. "Junior Ella Palmieri came off the bench as a defender but was able to keep a corner kick alive and was able to play a beautiful ball into the upper 90 of the far post."
Cam Lexow continued her goal-scoring spree to start the season with the lone marker for the Ghosts, who cut the lead in half but couldn't generate much more.
"Cam Lexow is a talented player and we had a series of defensive breakdowns that she was able to capitalize on," Battiste said.
Pennsbury (2-0-1, 2-0-0 SOL) will host Boyertown in a non-league game Monday at 3:45 p.m., and Abington (1-2, 0-1) will host Neshaminy on Tuesday at 7 p.m.
PENNSBURY 1 1 – 2
ABINGTON 0 1 -1
Goals: P – Rosie Bostian, Ella Palmieri; A – Cam Lexow
Council Rock South 3, Council Rock North 0
The Golden Hawks claimed the first meeting of the next-door neighbor rivalry.
Paige Mikula got the only goal South would need on a breakaway. Grace O'Kane added a goal from a scrum in the box off of a corner kick, and Jordi Rubakh sealed the win by finishing off an Allie Jones through ball.
"Julie Rebh really controlled the midfield, which allowed us to dictate the speed of play," South coach Nick Heim said. "Kiera Flanagan and Sierra Tarantino created multiple chances on the offensive end for us."
Heim also cited the play of Sammy Jones in the midfield and Callie Deola, Carly Hickey, Emily Kavash, and Grace O'Kane on the back line.
Council Rock South (2-0, 1-0 SOL) will host Harry S Truman on Tuesday, and Council Rock North (2-1, 1-1) will host Bensalem on Tuesday.
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 1 2 – 3
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 0 0 – 0
Goals: CRS – Paige Mikula (Carly Hickey), Grace O'Kane, Jordi Rubakh
Neshaminy 6, Bensalem 1
Holding a tight lead at the half, Neshaminy erupted for five tallies in the second half.
Fiona McDonald scored in the 38th minute to break a long deadlock in the first half. The momentum clearly carried over into the second half.
Brooke Mullin scored the second, fourth and fifth goals of the game for Neshaminy to score a hat trick in just 11 minutes.
Neshaminy (2-1, 1-0 SOL) will be on the road at Abington Tuesday for a 7 p.m. contest, and Bensalem (1-2, 0-2) will travel to Council Rock North on Tuesday.
N – Fiona McDonald (Genna Obringer), Brooke Mullin (Michaela Boyd), Jackie Ziegler (Jess Dierolf), Brooke Mullin (Kristin Curley), Brooke Mullin (Michaela Boyd), Gina Sexton (Maddy Bolli)
SOL CONTINENTAL
Central Bucks East 3, Souderton 0
The Patriots had certainly played well in their first two games but only had a single goal to show for it.
That changed Friday when East finally opened things up against a Souderton team coming off a big win. Ashley Balderson vanquished the East scoring issues with a well-hit free kick from about 35 yards out in the 11th minute to begin the scoring.
Her goal held up as the difference at the break and East held on until Brooke Zarzycki's service into the box found Riley Kane for a second in the 67th minute.
East's third goal, which sealed the game up in the 70th minute, seemed to be payback for all those missed chances.
"Our third goal came from a hard-working Ali Lapioli, a back converted to midfielder, on an incredible through ball by Julie Beedle," East coach Paul Eisold said. "Ali worked incredibly hard to receive the ball behind the Souderton defense on a perfect, clutch pass from Julie."
While his team won, Eisold knew it took a massive effort to keep Souderton off the board.
"Souderton played a terrific possession game and was the better of the two teams today," Eisold said. "We constantly had to adjust to such a great technical team. (We) hung in there and were able to finish the chances and that was the difference in the game."
Central Bucks East (1-0-2, 1-0-1 SOL) will host Pennridge on Tuesday, and Souderton (1-1) will host Lansdale Catholic in a non-league game Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 1 2 – 3
SOUDERTON 0 0 – 0
Central Bucks South 0, Pennridge 0 (2 OT)
Perhaps the best way to describe this game would be the individual battle waged between CB South's Aleksa Peev and Pennridge's Courtney Supp.
Peev, a senior forward and Supp, a senior defender, matched up over and over and over again Friday, with each winning a small battle here and there but neither able to claim the overall war for themselves. Sure, Supp held Peev off the scoring sheet, but Supp's team didn't score either.
So, as it was, both teams chalked it up as a positive result in a matchup that's had a lot of close results the last few seasons.
"There was a moment in the second overtime where Aleksa got the ball, and she's so good at dribbling and Courtney didn't even panic," Pennridge coach Audrey Anderson said. "She was so confident in that she knows what to do."
South was happy to post a clean sheet after a tough loss to Souderton – also in double overtime – on Thursday. Much of that was due to senior keeper Maddie McShane, who made 10 saves in the match.
Of the 10, two really stand out. The first was a diving stop on Pennridge's Abby
Groff in the first half and the second a reactionary, athletic effort to stop Abby Ciampa's rebound in the second half.
"We always knew she was very good, but she was playing behind Sophia Boggs so she didn't really get many varsity minutes," Bullock said. "She kept us in the game. She had two pretty incredible saves."
The back lines for both teams starred. Supp, of course, was excellent, but so was junior Sarah Williams at the other center back spot. Keeper Mary Kate Levush made six saves in her shutout effort, and the fullbacks, Maddie Angelo and Molly Groff, both played very well for Pennridge.
On the other side of the field, veteran Margot Centofanti was reliable as usual at left back while Morgan Hilton played well on the left side. The Titans' center back pair of Lauren Ewell and Amanda Krysko played just as well as their counterparts, with Krysko clearing a ball off the line after McShane's save against Groff led to a second chance effort.
"I was proud of them because it was a rough loss to Souderton in the final minutes," Bullock said. "To come back and have to face another overtime game, it really taxed girls but they're really fit and they held up."
Pennridge didn't score, but it was an important match for the plethora of young and inexperienced players the Rams are looking to in the midfield and up top. Lauren McIntyre, Lindsey DeHaven and Nicolette Harrison all had chances on net while Ashley Groeber, Kat Estep and Maddie Anderson had turns in the midfield.
"It was good for me and those girls to see they could compete and get those scoring opportunities," Anderson said. "I have no doubt that once we get our first goals, they'll just keep coming. Once they see the effort they need to put in to get that goal, it's just going to open up for them."
Pennridge (1-0-1, 0-0-1 SOL) will travel to Central Bucks East on Tuesday, and Central Bucks South (0-1-1) will be on the road at Central Bucks West (7 p.m.).
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 0 0 0 0 – 0
PENNRIDGE 0 0 0 0 – 0
North Penn 3, Central Bucks West 2 OT
A goal in the final seconds of regulation helped propel the Knights to their first SOL win of the season.
Grace Sacchetti's header inside the six-yard box with 21 seconds left forced overtime and North Penn capitalized when Cynthia Sheehy one-touched home the winner early in the first period of extra time.
"My keeper, Ashley Schmidt, sent a ball from midfield into the six-yard box for a finishing header from Grace," North Penn coach Steve Whitby said.
Trish Hauck had another sterling outing for the Bucks, who were handed their first loss of the season. The junior netted both West goals, the first just after halftime in the 42nd minute and the go-ahead 20 minutes later.
But North Penn refused to wilt.
"They are a very good team that is extremely organized and will win a lot of games this year," Bucks coach Chris Fehrle said of the Knights. "Myself and the coaching staff were extremely proud of the effort that was given today, unfortunately, we came out on the wrong end of the final. I fully expect us to bounce back and refocus with two tough games this coming week."
Once in the overtime, the Knights continued to go after West and finally broke through about three minutes in.
"Josie Ruzek, my outside midfielder, beat their outside defender to serve a low, driven cross to (Sheehy), who one-touched it to the far post," Whitby said of the game winner.
North Penn (1-0-1 SOL) will host William Tennent on Tuesday at 7 p.m., and Central Bucks West (3-1, 1-1) will hos Central Bucks South on Tuesday, also at 7 p.m.
NORTH PENN 1 1 1 – 3
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 0 2 0 – 2
Goals: NP – Alexa Sparango (Cynthia Sheehy), Grace Sacchetti (Ashley Schmidt), Cynthia Sheehy (Josie Ruzek); CBW – Trish Hauck (Gracie Power), Hauck (Erin Fitzsimmons)
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