CR North won an overtime thriller in non-league play. Check out the recaps for SOL field hockey teams in action Monday. Upper Moreland/Harry S Truman photos provided by Kathy Leister Photography. Check back for a gallery of photos.
Non-league
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 2, WISSAHICKON 1 (OT)
There’s something about the promise of snacks that lights a fire under the Indians. It’s a tradition that goes back three years to an overtime game against archrival Council Rock South.
“They came to the sidelines, and I said, ‘You’ve got two options – you either play 15 minutes of overtime or you get this done in less than a minute and you get snacks,’” coach Heather Whalin said of that 2014 contest. “If you know anything about girls, they love their snacks.
“Well, Gigi Tutoni took the ball from the start, ran down, scored the goal in 22 seconds, walked up the field and said, ‘Snacks.’ I told the girls that story today. Bridget (Thompson) was a freshman, so literally, no one knew who those girls were except for Bridget (Thompson) because she was the only one playing varsity as a freshman. She said, ‘That was the best game ever. I remember that.’
“The first game that went into overtime this year, they yelled ‘Snacks,’ and today they yelled ‘snacks’ again.”
It proved to be a charm yet again. This time the Indians scored 1:47 into the overtime period when Hannah Barsky turned a pass from Sarah Scott into the game winner.
“It was the same exact goal that we won in Abington’s game,” Whalin said. “The ball was hit across the cage, and Hannah Barsky slammed it home both times. It was a reverse sweep from (Scott), and Hannah dove into the cage and scored. It was gorgeous. They got snacks right after that. I told them they could have the snacks before we talked.”
Earlier, the Trojans took a 1-0 lead with nine minutes remaining in the first half on a goal by Julianna Sutow (Sammi Pak assist). The Indians rallied to knot the score seven minutes into the second half when Anna McQuarrie turned a pass from Sarah Everett into a goal.
“Anna has really come into her own this year,” Whalin said of a player who was the jayvee captain last year. “She’s been working hard. She doesn’t do anything fancy, but the goal was beautiful.
“There was a cross from Sarah Everett, and she ran as fast as she could with her stick down. The ball tipped up in the air, and Wissahickon’s goalie was aggressive – she came out and it just literally tipped right over her head and bounced into the goal. It was a beautiful goal.”
Whalin lauded the efforts of her defense and sophomore goalie Kyra Deehr-Lewis, who recorded seven saves in the win.
“I was most afraid of what we were going to be like on defense because we literally graduated the entire defense and I was moving Hannah Barsky up a level to defensive mid,” the Indians’ coach said. “Nikki Jackson, Kate McQuarrie and Sarah Everett have stepped up huge.
“Nikki Jackson played forward last year, but she is such a strong defender. I’m very proud of her. She stopped many, many attempts by them just by being down and in the right position. I had Hannah Barsky there last year, so I felt that safety back there. This year I feel the same way, and this is her first year playing in that position.”
An already young Indian squad became even younger Monday with the loss of senior captain Jess Kusters, who received word after the game that an MRI revealed she has a stress fracture. Her absence leaves coach Heather Whalin with just two seniors – Thompson and Sabrina Green – and a whole lot of young players she affectionately refers to as “babies.”
“They are talented kids, they work hard, they might not have the skill level and all the tricks that the older kids have, but what they lack they make up for in tenacity, and that’s how we got it done today,” Whalin said.
Council Rock North (4-3, 3-2 SOL) will host Pennsbury on Tuesday, and Wissahickon (4-2, 4-1) will host Upper Moreland on Tuesday.
Wissahickon 1-0 1
Council Rock North 0-2 2
SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP 5, LANSDALE CATHOLIC 0
Ellie Hamilton scored a pair of goals and also contributed an assist to lead the Spartans to the convincing non-league win. Hannah Grothusen assisted on both goals. Also scoring for the Spartans were Ella Marino (Hamilton assist), Katie Wojeck (Grothusen assist) and Brigid Roy (Maddie Yoder assist).
The Spartans held a lopsided advantage in shots (19-2) and penalty corners (14-2). Emily Henry was credited with a pair of saves in the shutout win.
Springfield Township (5-1, 4-1 SOL) will travel to Quakertown on Tuesday.
Springfield Township 2-3 5
Lansdale Catholic 0-0 0
UPPER MORELAND 3, HARRY S TRUMAN 1
Jess Flanagan scored an unassisted goal less than two minutes into the first half, and that 1-0 score stood until Moira Olexa found the cage with an unassisted goal at the 26:11 mark of the second half.
Truman’s Jaleezia Gibson scored to cut that two-goal lead in half, but Moira Olexa (Chloe Tice assist) got that goal back for the Golden Bears, who went on to win by that 3-1 score.
UM goalie Cassidy Murphy was credited with six saves in the win. Truman’s Christina Greggory recorded 15 saves in goal.
Upper Moreland (4-3, 3-2 SOL) will be on the road at Wissahickon on Tuesday, and Harry S Truman (0-6, 0-4) will host Neshaminy on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Harry S Truman 0-1 1
Upper Moreland 1-2 3
GWYNEDD MERCY 2, NESHAMINY 1
Kayla Connelly scored with an assist from Abby Geisler with 24 seconds remaining. The goal broke up the Monarchs’ shutout bid, but it didn’t prevent the Redskins from dropping their second one-goal game in as many outings.
The Monarchs went on top early on a goal by Hanna Sayon less than three minutes into the game, and it was a 2-0 game when Caroline Sweeney scored midway through the second half.
Neshaminy (4-4, 3-1 SOL) will be on the road at Harry S Truman on Wednesday.
Gwynedd Mercy 1-1 2
Neshaminy 0-1 1
NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 8, HATBORO-HORSHAM 0
Senior Sarah Wilson scored four goals to lead the Lions to the non-league win.
The loss overshadowed yet another strong outing by Hatter goalie Liz Wilburn, who recorded 20 saves.
“She is doing an amazing job even though the score does not reflect what she’s done,” coach Laura Swezey said. “She’s having an amazing year.”
Hatboro-Horsham (0-7, 0-5 SOL) will travel to Upper Dublin on Tuesday.
LOWER MORELAND 5, CHELTENHAM 0
Jamie Mayer and Linda Tang both scored a pair of goals, and Kimmy Graham added a single goal to lead the Lions to the non-league win. Taryn Mayer assisted on three goals while Tang, Kasey Duffey and Gianna Venafra each had one helper.
Cheltenham goalie Nimi Badejoko was credited with 18 saves in a strong outing.
Cheltenham (0-8, 0-5 SOL) will host Plymouth Whitemarsh
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