Check out the recaps for SOL field hockey teams in action on Wednesday.
SOL American Conference
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 1, SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP 0
Turf teams are never particularly fond of playing on grass, and coach Charise Halteman had an idea that her squad would need time to adjust to the Spartans’ grass field. In the end, the Colonials prevailed, but it wasn’t easy.
“We have been talking as a team before the game and even the end of last week that this was a really big week for us because we were hitting everybody who was close to us in the league,” Halteman said. “Certainly for Springfield it would have been a chance to maybe get a share of the league title if they would have beaten us, so we knew that it would be a tight game.
“We expected them to come out and be fast and aggressive, and that’s exactly what they did. We definitely did struggle with the surface today. I think it just took us a long time to adjust. We practiced on grass yesterday, but our grass field is very thick compared to Springfield’s, so it was definitely a different environment for us.
“I think a strength of some of my players is their tight stick work and really good skills, and it’s hard to rely on that on grass sometimes. I’m proud of the girls for remaining composed and continuing to fight the whole game.”
The Colonials didn’t get on the scoreboard until 10:28 remained in regulation when Kennedy Reardon turned a pass from Jess Dixon into a goal during corner play. That 1-0 lead stood the rest of the way.
“Honestly, it was kind of a nerveracking game,” Halteman said. “We didn’t score until 10 minutes were left in the game, so for 40 of those minutes, you’re thinking – ‘Oh my goodness, if this keeps going on, we’re going to play an overtime grass game.’
“It was a lot of big hits, hoping that you would track the ball and that kind of thing. I thought we played a better second half than we did first half, earned some more corners, and that certainly gave us an advantage.”
The Colonials held an 11-3 advantage in shots and 7-3 edge in corners.
“There were definitely parts of the game that were a little bit like you were playing a ping pong game, lots of back and forth,” Halteman said. “I thought their corners were dangerous on grass.
“They were definitely a good team. They’re aggressive. A lot of receptions were off of our stick, and they took advantage of those moments and stepped to the ball, especially in the first half.”
For the Colonials, Wednesday’s win comes on the heels of Monday’s 4-0 win over Wissahickon and precedes Friday’s contest against Upper Dublin.
“I’m expecting that to be a good game,” Halteman said. “Upper Dublin, in the current (district) rankings, they were sitting just outside the 24, and we’ve been talking about that – even if they can’t win the league by beating us, this is a big moment for them to try to make their season last a little bit longer. We are expecting a really good game again on Friday. Coming off a win against Wissahickon, I’m sure they’ll be confident and ready. It’s turning into a big week for us.”
Plymouth Whitemarsh upped its conference mark to 10-0 (12-1 overall). Springfield Township (9-3, 8-2) will host Upper Moreland on Friday.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 0-1 1
Springfield Township 0-0 0
UPPER DUBLIN 1, WISSAHICKON 0
Lauren Greene connected on an unassisted goal with 3:10 remaining in the first half. That 1-0 lead held the rest of the way as the Flying Cardinals avenged an early season 2-1 loss to the Trojans.
“Wissahickon is a close rivalry,” UD coach Heather Boyer said. “It’s always a competitive, intense game regardless of whatever kind of year anyone is having. It’s always a fun matchup.
“They have some good players that have good stick skills, and they understand where to be on the field, how to pass and where to transition the ball, so it was an exciting game today.”
Boyer typically splits time between goalies Meghan Muth and Sarah Herchenroder but went with Muth for the entire game.
“We’re very fortunate with both Meghan and Sarah being very talented and very good for different reasons,” the UD coach said. “We split time every single game, but for today, it wasn’t that Sarah did anything, but there was such good chemistry, I didn’t want to tweak it. Sarah is getting the nod against PW on Friday. She was terrific today and the defense’s number one cheerleader.
“When one’s doing a great job and having a great game, the other one is right behind them cheering them on, and vice versa. It’s rare, and we’re very lucky to have some depth in that position this year. It’s very helpful.”
Muth recorded six saves in the shutout, and Boyer pointed to her defense led by Emma Kate Powell, Madeleine Casey, Ashley Bonanni and Jamie Rock for having a strong presence.
“Meghan turned away some hard shots with some good clears,” Boyer said. “Overall, the defense did a nice job of keeping the pressure on and keep the ball up in transition.
“They didn’t panic when Wissahickon put on some pressure. They maintained their composure. Especially late in the game, there was a flurry of Wissahickon corners, and they managed to hold their ground and stay tough back there, which was really good.”
Boyer made an important adjustment during a timeout 12 minutes into the game.
“Sammi Pak is their go-to girl, and we reverted to a tactic that we used pretty religiously last year and we face-guarded her,” the Flying Cardinals’ coach said. “So I changed my formation and put a girl, Lydia Casey, that’s experienced in lacrosse and understands what that role means, and she did a really, really good job.
“When we took Sammi out of the mix, it disrupted their flow a little bit. Lydia is a sophomore, and she had not been asked to do it at all before in field hockey. She really stepped up and fulfilled a critical role today.”
Upper Dublin (8-4, 7-3 SOL) will host Plymouth Whitemarsh on Friday. The Colonials defeated the Flying Cardinals 4-0 in the initial meeting.
“We played a very good game against them the first time around,” Boyer said. “There was a stroke called, and it ended up being a difference maker, which was frustrating because the effort was just unbelievable.”
Wissahickon (7-5, 6-4) will host Hatboro-Horsham on Friday.
Upper Dublin 1-0 1
Wissahickon 0-0 0
QUAKERTOWN 2, HATBORO-HORSHAM 1 (OT)
Senior captain Mackenzie Hadfield scored during corner play with 12:42 remaining in overtime, propelling the visiting Panthers to the dramatic win.
“Mackenzie scored a beautiful goal,” Quakertown coach Kelly Driscoll said. “Tonight we had a lot of forward movement, and they really seemed to be working well attacking as a team and defending as a team.
“It was a hard-fought game by both teams. I was very proud of them all for working hard the entire game.”
The Hatters had the better of play in the first half, but it was Halle Frederick connecting for her first goal of the season on a corner with 6:13 remaining to send the Panthers into halftime with a 1-0 lead.
“You don’t get points for possession, but we had a majority of the possession in the first half,” HH coach Laura Swezey said.
“We spent a lot of time in our defensive end,” Driscoll said.
The Hatters wasted little time before knotting the score in the second half when Lizzy Theurer found the cage just 35 seconds into the half, using an assist from Sorrell Long. Neither team scored the rest of the way.
The Panthers won the coin toss and had possession to open overtime.
“Quakertown passed the ball forward and we intercepted and sent the ball long, but Quakertown stopped the progression and sent the ball towards their goal,” Swezey said. “A corner was awarded to Quakertown, and the insert to the (corner striker) was stopped by goalie Liz Wilburn and then intercepted at the top of the circle by Mackenzie Hadfield, who then scored on a backhand sweep into the right corner that ended the tie.”
The Panthers drew seven corners and had an edge in shots (11-5).
Quakertown (3-9, 3-7 SOL) will be on the road at Cheltenham on Friday, and Hatboro-Horsham (1-12, 1-9) will travel to Wissahickon on Friday.
Quakertown 1-0-1 2
Hatboro-Horsham 0-1-0 1
UPPER MORELAND 11, CHELTENHAM 0
Claudia Zanine had four goals and one assist and Jess Flanagan added three goals and two assists to lead the Lady Panthers to the big win.
“Once again, the girls played very well as a team,” UM coach Karen Grossi said. “They had great passing, communicated well and stayed strong defensively.
“Everyone adapted well when put into different positions with different girls around them. It was a great day for our three seniors.”
Flanagan had a hat trick, and Chloe Tice scored her first goal on the last play of the game during corner play. Cassidy Murphy, the team’s third senior, posted a shutout in goal and took her first two shots on goal as a field player.
Zanine scored 20 seconds into the game with an assist from Phoebe Longstreth, and the Golden Bears were off and running. Goals by Zanine and Flanagan in a three-minute span put the Bears on top 3-0 six minutes into the game. Flanagan connected for her second goal and then assisted on Zanine’s third goal as Zanine completed her hat trick less than 17 minutes into the game.
Madison Casey’s unassisted goal was followed by another goal by Zanine, this one with a Flanagan assist, and the Golden Bears led 7-0 at the intermission.
The second half featured goals by Meredith Marsteller, Flanagan, Kayla Meakim (Zanine assist) and Tice (Cassidy Hirsch assist).
“This win was a total team effort,” Grossi said. “No one had an off day.”
Cheltenham goalkeeper Jzoya Arebamen recorded 18 saves while Nimi Badejoko had one.
Upper Moreland (6-6, 5-5 SOL) will travel to Springfield on Friday, and Cheltenham (0-15, 0-10) will host Quakertown on Friday.
Cheltenham 0-0 0
Upper Moreland 7-4 11
SOL Continental Conference
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 2, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 0
The Bucks are hoping they’ve saved their best for last as the regular season winds down.
Two days after avenging an early season loss to North Penn with an overtime win, the Bucks shut out a Titan squad that extended them to overtime earlier this season.
“The way we played we controlled the momentum of the game,” senior Taylor Mason said. “That was probably the best passing game we played with girls coming off the bench keeping up with the momentum of the game.
“We went into this game, and I think we were just really focused. Our warm-up was a little bit more quiet than we would have liked it, but in the end, we got really excited before the game and that led us to control the entire game.”
West’s win sets up a showdown with defending conference champion Central Bucks East on Friday. Just one game separates the two teams in the standings.
“We’re really looking forward to it,” Mason said. “I think we’re all pleased with the way we played this week, so going in with that mindset of – ‘Okay, let’s keep this momentum going.’
“We’re really excited. We’re a completely different team from the first time we played them.”
“We had a lot of new players this year,” senior Liv Fitzgerald added. “So half of our starters are new players.
“It’s been really interesting to see the different people that are stepping up in different games. Playing East the first time – they have a lot of really good players and they are a very respectable team, so it’s fun to play them. I think it will be a good game.”
In Wednesday’s showdown, the Bucks – who drew four first-half corners to just one for the Titans – broke a scoreless tie with 8:49 remaining in the first half. The play was set up by freshman Julia Bunch, who carried the ball into the circle and passed to Mason. The senior captain hit a drive that was deflected into the cage by Bunch. It was her first varsity goal.
“Julia is one of the hardest working people on our team,” Fitzgerald said. “We’ve been really trying to get her to score.
“We have so many people on the team that are super unselfish. Taylor Mason passed it to Julia. It wouldn’t have worked without teamwork. When she scored, our intensity went up as a team.”
“We’ve been working so hard with her,” West coach Courtney Lepping said of Bunch. “As a freshman, you want to pass off to your playmakers, and she’s a great distributor.
“In that particular instance, she saw the space, she took it with speed. Her carry was beautiful and set up that whole goal sequence. That’s where you see growth in her as a freshman throughout the year. She really came through.”
The Bucks, who took that 1-0 lead into halftime, drew two quick corners in the opening minutes of the second half. The second saw Mason take a shot that was turned away by goalie Jillian Heilig.
Then it was South’s turn to apply some pressure. The Titans drew four straight corners in a four-minute span. Their fourth was by far the most dangerous with Kasey Dietzel firing a shot that was turned away by goalie Laura Kubit, who also stopped the follow.
The Bucks answered with two corners of their own, and on the second, Fitzgerald scored on a lift shot with an assist from Mason. It’s the second time in as many games the duo have teamed up for a goal during corner play.
“It really helps when the person inserting it hits a flat ball and is quick because it doesn’t really work when it’s slow,” Fitzgerald said. “It’s a team effort. I wouldn’t have gotten that shot off if we didn’t get a corner as a team.”
The Titans battled to the final whistle, drawing a pair of late corners, but they came up empty.
“I’m disappointed in how we came out and played,” South coach Pat Toner said. “We’ve been playing great, and we just did not show up today.
“It could be because West outplayed us, I don’t know, but I just felt we didn’t go after the ball hard at all. I’m not sure what the reason was. I don’t have an answer. I have seen them play at a much higher level against as strong a team as these guys, but not today. For whatever reason, we did not come ready to play.”
On the other side of the field, Lepping had nothing but good things to say about her team’s performance.
“I was pleased with the way we controlled play,” the Bucks’ coach said. “I was pleased with our passing, I was pleased with our effort. I thought we gave 100 percent the whole time.
“Taylor Mason was all over the field today, and she just led the team with that desire to get out there and stop everything.”
Central Bucks West (10-3, 7-2 SOL) will be on the road at Central Bucks East on Friday, and Central Bucks South (7-5, 5-4) will travel to William Tennent on Friday.
Central Bucks West 1-1 2
Central Bucks South 0-0 0
NORTH PENN 4, WILLIAM TENNENT 0
The Knights dominated play, scoring a pair of goals in the first half and adding two more in the second half. They didn’t get on the scoreboard until Morgan Rees found the back of the cage with an unassisted goal with 9:39 remaining in the first half. Kristin Varilla’s unassisted goal just over two minutes later sent the Knights into halftime with a 2-0 lead.
Bri O’Donnell and Kellie Pickford both added unassisted goals in the second half.
The Knights held a decided advantage in shots (28-3) and corners (14-0). Anissa Gardizy recorded three saves in the shutout win in goal for the Knights.
North Penn (8-5, 7-2 SOL) is off until Tuesday when the Knights will host Souderton in a 7 p.m. contest. William Tennent (2-10, 0-8) will host Central Bucks South on Friday.
North Penn 2-2 4
William Tennent 0-0 0
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 9, PENNRIDGE 0
Mackenzie Boyle scored two goals and assisted on two others to lead the visiting Patriots to the decisive win.
Just over five minutes into the game, sophomore Emma Donnelly scored her first of two goals, this time using a Cailey Lever assist. Then it was Donnelly returning the favor, assisting on a Lever goal. Phia Mannino turned a pass from Riley Donnelly into a goal, and then it was Lever connecting on her second goal, this one with an assist from Mannino. Boyle scored back-to-back goals to close out the half – both on tips, the first with a Casey Volgelsong assist and the second assisted by Riley Donnelly.
In the second half, Mannino scored her second goal, this time with an assist from Boyle, and then it was Sophie Kane finding the cage with a Boyle assist. Emma Donnelly closed out the scoring, using an assist from sibling Riley Donnelly.
The Patriots controlled play, holding an advantage in shots (31-4) and corners (14-0).
Central Bucks East (11-3, 8-1 SOL) will host Central Bucks West in a key conference game on Friday at 3:30 p.m., and Pennridge (3-8, 1-7) will be on the road at Souderton for a 6:30 p.m. game on Thursday.
Central Bucks East 6-3 9
Pennridge 0-0 0
SOL American Conference
NESHAMINY 2, ABINGTON 0
The stage has been set for Friday’s conference showdown between archrivals Neshaminy and Pennsbury. Thanks to the Redskins’ shutout win over the Ghosts, they trail the Falcons by just one game in the conference standings.
Sophomore Peyton Ritchey scored an unassisted goal just 90 seconds into Wednesday’s contest. That 1-0 lead held until 9:46 remained when Ritchey set up a goal by Abby Geisler.
“Today was a hard-fought game, a total team effort,” coach Jamie Pinto said. “We knew Abington was going to come out strong, and they did.
“Our girls were ready to play today, working as a team and playing aggressive. Sophie Schardt and Kelly Baradziej really stepped up defensively, and goalie Maddie Tiemann played well, making some tough saves.”
Neshaminy (8-5, 7-1 SOL) will travel to Pennsbury for a key conference battle on Friday, and Abington (5-8, 3-6) will host Council Rock North on Friday.
Abington 0-0 0
Neshaminy 1-1 2
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 8, HARRY S TRUMAN 0
Katelyn Cocco connected for a hat trick and also had one assist to lead a balanced Golden Hawk attack.
Tori Wright scored her first of two goals on the day at the 24:12 mark of the first half, using a Caitlyn Thornton assist. Two minutes later, Wright set up a goal by Bridget Doherty. Cocco followed with a goal, and when Shannon Lind turned a Cocco pass into a goal, the Golden Hawks led 4-0 less than 10 minutes into the game. Doherty scored her second goal of the half, and then it was Cocco connecting with an assist from Mikayla VanAken to send the Hawks into halftime with a 6-0 lead.
Wright and Cocco added second half goals in a contest that saw the Golden Hawks hold a 15-0 advantage in shots and a 10-1 edge in corners.
Truman goalie Kyra Martin was credited with seven saves.
Council Rock South (7-6, 6-3 SOL) is off until Monday when the Golden Hawks will travel to Wissahickon for a non-league contest. Harry S Truman (0-8, 1-10) will be on the road at Bensalem on Friday.
Council Rock South 6-2 8
Harry S Truman 0-0 0
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 6, BENSALEM 0
Rebecca Ripans contributed three goals and an assist to lead the Indians to the convincing win. Hannah Barsky added a pair of goals, and Bridget Thompson had a goal and an assist. Lindsey O’Brien contributed two assists, and Sabrina Green and Nikki Jackson each chipped in an assist.
Council Rock North (7-5, 5-4 SOL) will travel to Abington on Friday, and Bensalem (3-10, 1-8) will host Harry S Truman on Friday.
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