Pennsbury & CB East both clinched a share of conference titles. Check out the recaps for SOL field hockey teams in action Tuesday. (Photo provided by Pennsbury field hockey)
SOL National Conference
PENNSBURY 4, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 0
(Submitted article)
The final seconds were ticking away, counting down to the first Suburban One National Conference field hockey championship for Pennsbury in eight years. As the clock struck all zeroes, the Falcons celebrated with … well … nothing. There was a high-five or two, and that was about it. No wild yells. No massive display of joy.
Nothing.
Did they even realize what they’d accomplished?
“I didn’t want to play it up too much,” said Pennsbury coach Jamie Parell. “We still haven’t achieved our goal, and we can’t let up at all now.”
Pennsbury got goals from four different players en route to a 4-0 win over Council Rock South, a win that improved the Falcons to 10-0 in the SOL National Conference with two games to go. Coupled with Neshaminy’s win over Council Rock North, Pennsbury earned at least a tie for the league championship, and a win over either Council Rock North Thursday or Truman next week – or a Neshaminy loss in either of its last two games – would give Pennsbury the outright championship.
Pennsbury’s last SOL National championship was in 2009.
“We were able to get ahead of them, but Council Rock South never quit,” Parell said. “That’s how it is in the league. No game is easy. You can’t take anyone for granted, and you have to play hard in every game. We need to come out with intensity for the last two games. We don’t want to let anything get away now.”
Boston College-commit Nell Webber got Pennsbury on the board just three minutes into the game, and Samie Hackman made it 2-0 four minutes later.
A little more than 10 minutes later, Webber fed a ball into the circle to the stick of Bev Bozarth, who one-timed it in from about five yards out, making it 3-0 Pennsbury at intermission.
Council Rock South put pressure on the Pennsbury goal for most of the second half but couldn’t break through. Olivia Mauro tucked one in with 23 minutes to play to make it 4-0.
Pennsbury had a 22-14 edge in shots, but it was 12-4 Pennsbury in the first half and then 10-10 in the second. CR South goalie Aspen Handel made 13 saves, while Pennsbury’s Michelle Deodati had four. Pennsbury did not attempt a corner in the game, while CR South had nine.
“It’s great to know that we have won at least a part of the championship,” Parell said. “That’s a great achievement for us, but we still have a lot of things that we want to accomplish though.”
The Falcons are eighth in the District One 3A power rankings after Tuesday’s win, and Council Rock South is 15th.
Pennsbury (12-3, 10-0 SOL) will host Council Rock North on Thursday, and Council Rock South (8-7, 6-4) will host Bensalem on Thursday at 7 p.m.
Council Rock South 0-0 0
Pennsbury 3-1 4
NESHAMINY 3, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 0
Abby Geisler scored two goals and assisted on another to lead the visiting Redskins to the shutout win.
Peyton Ritchey turned a pass from Geisler into a goal with 11:42 remaining in the first half, breaking a scoreless tie and sending the ‘Skins into the intermission with a 1-0 lead.
Geisler scored a pair of second-half goals – the first with 12:02 remaining with an assist from Anna Skrot and the second with a Jamie Pennington assist with 8:27 remaining.
“Today was a good team win for us,” coach Jamie Pinto said. “We worked hard and came out strong.
“Defensively, Sophie Schardt, Jamie Pennington and Tori Young stepped up and did a nice job distributing the ball. Abby Geisler hustled up top and finished well.”
The Redskins are 14th in the District One 3A power rankings.
Neshaminy (9-6, 8-2 SOL) will host Harry S Truman on Thursday, and Council Rock North (8-7, 5-6) will be on the road at Pennsbury on Thursday.
Neshaminy 1-2 3
Council Rock North 0-0 0
ABINGTON 4, HARRY S TRUMAN 0
The Ghosts celebrated Senior Day with a shutout win over the visiting Tigers.
“Today we honored our seniors with all the pomp and circumstance they deserved,” coach Katie Small said.
The Ghosts took a 2-0 lead into halftime, thanks to goals by Georgia Wasekanes and Francesca DePaul. They added two more in the second half. Natalie McNamara scored with a Wasekanes assist, and then it was Grace Hopkins turning a Paige Doyle pass into a goal.
“We started off slow but were able to put together some great passing sequences that allowed us to get into the circle and get the ball in the net,” Small said. “Truman did a great job today on us.
“Luckily, we were able to get four different girls to score, all seniors, to get the win.”
Abington (7-9, 5-6 SOL) will travel to Garnet Valley on Friday for a non-league game, and Harry S Truman (3-11, 1-9) will be on the road at Neshaminy on Thursday.
Harry S Truman 0-0 0
Abington 2-2 4
SOL Continental Conference
NORTH PENN 2, SOUDERTON 1
Mikayla Barrow scored a pair of second-half goals – including a highlight reel goal on a breakaway late in the game – to propel the Knights to a hard-fought 2-1 win over the visiting Indians on Tuesday night.
When it was over, the senior forward was quick to deflect the credit.
“It wasn’t just me, it was my teammates,” Barrow said. “I had the transition up and the beautiful pass to get the second goal. It was just the placement of the ball, and before that, (Julia) Scanlon gave me a perfect ball to put in the cage.
“It was just a whole team effort. I was just in the right spot at the right time.”
For the Indians, it was another one of those ‘what if’ games.
“We played our hearts out, and if one of our shots in the first half would have gone in, it would have been a different story,” Souderton coach Nicole Bauer said. “We had opportunities. We played hard. We just have to keep our heads high for the next three games.”
The majority of the first half was played between the 25s, but it was the Indians who had the better opportunities to get on the board.
“I have to hand it to Souderton – they came out really strong tonight,” coach Shannon McCracken said. “They came out fired up and ready to play.
“They had many more opportunities than we did in the first half, but my defense played really strong to keep us in the game. Anissa (Gardizy) came up with some great saves. Rachael Fisher played really well at right back, and Meghan Daniels at left back in the first half. Rachael, Meghan and Lauryn Fahey kept a persistent Souderton off the scoreboard in the first half. That gave us the confidence – we had it in the backfield. We just needed to create more opportunities.
Barrow broke the scoreless tie with 19:56 remaining in regulation, using a Scanlon assist. Then it was Barrow giving her team insurance when she banged it home on a breakaway with 6:36 remaining.
“That was a beauty with Scanlon giving a great pass to Emily Crawford in the middle of the field on a quick transition from defense to attack,” McCracken said. “Crawford fed the ball to Barrow on the run down the top of the circle. Mikayla made a good run.”
The Indians didn’t go down quietly, drawing a corner just over a minute later. They collected a pair of shots. Both were turned away by Gardizy.
“She’s been doing that a lot,” Barrow said of the Knights’ senior goalie. “It’s just a confidence booster, knowing you have that strong goalie back there. You know she’ll get it out.
“We have a new defense this year, and I think we’ve really come together. They’re getting the ball up, which is excellent, and they’re having awesome defensive saves.”
The Indians refused to go away, and with 3:58 remaining, Anna Gwiazdzinski scored on a beautiful reverse stick goal to make things interesting.
With just over two minutes remaining, the Indians drew another corner, but again their shot for the tie was turned away. The Knights drew a pair of corners of their own in the final minute as they held the Indians at bay to earn the big win.
“They’re a good team – they have a lot of strong players on their team,” Barrow said. “We played as a team coming out in the second half. We really came together – we had good receptions, we had good passes, and we placed the ball to the right spot.”
The Knights held an edge in shots (18-16) and corners (8-7). Gardizy was credited with 10 saves in the win. Fisher also recorded a defensive save.
Souderton goalie Jordan Michalak recorded seven saves.
The Knights are 11th in the District One 3A power rankings, and Souderton is 23rd.
“Souderton is a great team, and when you see these teams in the second half, you know they’re going to be improved,” McCracken said. “It’s always that cross-town rivalry.
“We always have good games with Souderton, so it was a great win for us, especially because we’re going into a big week. We have (Central Bucks) South on Thursday and PW on Friday, so it’s great to get that first win of the week.”
North Penn (9-5, 8-2 SOL) will host Central Bucks South on Thursday, and Souderton (6-9, 3-7) will host Central Bucks West on Thursday.
Souderton 0-1 1
North Penn 0-2 2
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 8, WILLIAM TENNENT 0
The Patriots clinched a share of the conference title they own with Tuesday’s no-doubt-about-it win over the visiting Panthers. With just one conference game remaining – next Tuesday at Central Bucks South, the Patriots hold a one-game lead over second place North Penn in the loss column.
The Patriots raced out of the gate to a 4-0 halftime lead and doubled that lead in the second half.
“They worked for a full 60 minutes to support their teammates and get the win on Senior Day,” coach Michelle Finegan said.
East’s eight seniors – Mackenzie Boyle, Whitney Dietz, Riley Donnelly, Tara Harper, Sophie Kane, Isobel Mannino, Alexa Rivera and Casey Voglesong – were recognized in a pregame ceremony.
Cailey Lever opened the scoring with a goal at the 20:41 mark of the first half and then made it a 2-0 game with her second goal seven minutes later. The Patriots blew the game wide open with back-to-back goals in a 73-second span. First it was freshman Phia Mannino scoring with a Kyleigh Talomie assist, and then Kane connected with a Riley Donnelly assist to send the Patriots into halftime with a four-goal advantage.
Back-to-back goals by Riley Donnelly in just over a minute – the first with a Casey Voglesong assist – made it a 6-0 game. Emma Donnelly turned a Phia Mannino pass into a goal, and then it was Allison Gallant scoring on the rebound of her own shot for the 8-0 final.
The Patriots – seeded sixth in the District One 3A power rankings – held a lopsided advantage in shots (35-0) and corners (15-0) over the Panthers, whose seniors were also recognized prior to the game.
Tennent keeper Sophia Trozzi was credited with 18 saves. Victoria Yanes had a defensive save for the Panthers.
Finegan lauded the strong defensive play in the backfield of Tennent’s Katie McDonald.
Central Bucks East (13-3, 10-1 SOL) will host Villa Joseph Marie in a non-league game on Friday, and William Tennent (2-12, 0-10) will travel to Pennridge on Thursday for a 7 p.m. contest.
William Tennent 0-0 0
Central Bucks East 4-4 8
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 7, PENNRIDGE 0
Taylor Mason is on a tear.
Twenty-four hours after contributing three goals and two assists in a rout of Villa Joseph Marie, the Maryland-bound senior scored four goals to lead the Bucks to their second shutout in as many days.
Eva Altadonna, Liv Fitzgerald and Kaci Murray added one goal each. Murray’s goal was the first of the year for the converted forward, who has helped to anchor the Bucks’ defense this season.
Lauren Kubit was credited with the shutout win in goal for the Bucks, who are seeded ninth in the District One 3A power rankings.
Central Bucks West (12-4, 8-3 SOL) will travel to Souderton on Thursday, and Pennridge (3-10, 1-9) will host William Tennent on Thursday at 7 p.m.
Pennridge 0-0 0
Central Bucks West 4-3 7
SOL American Conference
QUAKERTOWN 1, UPPER MORELAND 0
Talk about celebrating Senior Night in style – the Panthers did just that, avenging a 5-0 loss to Upper Moreland on Sept. 15 with the shutout win.
“It was Senior Night, and the girls were really excited to play,” said coach Kelly Driscoll. “It was a great win for the senior class, and it was wonderful to see the fight in them and the excitement of working together.
“Our nine seniors played the first half. We had a lot of movement and push towards goal. They attacked as a team and defended as a team, and that made the difference from our last meeting.”
The two teams battled to a scoreless halftime tie. At the 23:35 mark of the second half, the sophomore duo of Makenzie Adamson and Halle Frederick combined for a goal that turned out to be the game winner.
“Halle had a breakaway on the right,” Driscoll said. “Makenzie trailed on the left with her defender close behind.
“Halle passed in front of the goalie, and Makenzie finished it off. It was very exciting. The rest of the game was very intense with many drives to our offensive end but also some really strong moves by UM. We had a brilliant save by senior Juliette Dessart as well as some great movement out of the back from senior captain Makenzie Hadfield.”
Quakertown goalies Amanda Tuley and Caitlyn Lashaw combined for four saves in the shutout. UM goalie Cassidy Murphy recorded eight saves.
The Golden Bears are 17th in the District One 2A power rankings.
Quakertown (5-9, 5-7 SOL) will travel to Springfield Township on Thursday, and Upper Moreland (5-7, 6-8) will host Wissahickon on Thursday.
Upper Moreland 0-0 0
Quakertown 0-1 1
SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP 3, UPPER DUBLIN 0
The Spartans reeled off three unanswered goals in the opening 20 minutes and that 3-0 lead stood the rest of the way.
Six minutes into the game, Ellie Hamilton turned a Hannah Grothusen pass into a goal, and at the 16:08 mark of the half, Hamilton assisted on a goal by Ella Marino that put the Spartans on top 2-0. Maddie Yoder’s unassisted goal with 11:53 remaining closed out the scoring for both sides.
“It was a fast game,” Springfield coach Linda Nixon said. “Ellie Hamilton and Hannah Grothusen were great offensively today.
“Emily Henry held her own in the goal cage, securing the shutout.”
The Spartans had a 17-10 advantage in shots and a 10-4 edge in corners.
Spartan goalie Emily Henry recorded three saves in the shutout win. UD goalkeeper Sarah Herchenroder recorded eight saves, and Meghan Muth had one.
The Spartans are second to New Hope-Solebury in the District One 2A power rankings while Upper Dublin is 24th in Class 3A. Twenty-four teams will earn 3A berths.
Springfield Township (11-3, 10-2 SOL) will host Quakertown on Thursday, and Upper Dublin (8-6, 7-5) will travel to Hatboro-Horsham on Thursday for a 7 p.m. contest.
Springfield Township 3-0 3
Upper Dublin 0-0 0
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 6, HATBORO-HORSHAM 0
The Colonials celebrated Senior Night with a convincing win over the Hatters. Seniors Jess Bendl, Jess Dixon, Julia Fiddler, Katherine Houghton, Sophie Kolkka, Emily Koval, Michelle McGrath, Caitlyn Miller, Gia Schweitzer, Emma Stanley and Emily Trask were all honored before the game for their contributions to the program.
“It was a great team win,” coach Charise Halteman said. “We are so proud of everything our seniors have accomplished this season.”
Fiddler and freshman Ava Borkowski led the scoring with two goals apiece while juniors Sam Spera and Kennedy Reardon each added one goal. Reardon and Kolkka both chipped in an assist.
Senior goalkeepers Katherine Houghton and Caitlyn Miller (two saves) combined for the shutout that moved the Colonials one step closer to another conference title.
PW is fifth in the District One 3A power rankings, the highest seeded 3A SOL squad.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (14-1, 12-0 SOL) will host Cheltenham on Thursday, and Hatboro-Horsham (1-14, 1-11) will host Upper Dublin on Thursday at 7 p.m.
Hatboro-Horsham 0-0 0
Plymouth Whitemarsh 2-4 6
WISSAHICKON 3, CHELTENHAM 0
The Trojans scored three goals in the first half. It was all they needed to earn a win over the Lady Panthers. Scoring for the Trojans were Ellen Kane (Sammi Pak assist), Sammi Pak (Emily Purnell assist) and Kendal Williams (Ellen Kane assist).
Wissahickon is 25th in the District One 3A power rankings.
Wissahickon (9-6, 8-4 SOL) will travel to Upper Moreland on Thursday, and Cheltenham (0-17, 0-12) will be on the road at Plymouth Whitemarsh on Thursday.
Wissahickon 3-0 3
Cheltenham 0-0 0
Non-league
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 7, BENSALEM 0
Casey Reilly connected for a hat trick while Megan Weeks added a pair of goals to lead the visiting Titans to the decisive non-league win.
Weeks put the Titans on the board midway through the first half, using a Kaitlyn Barnhart assist. Reilly’s unassisted goal with two minutes remaining sent the Titans into halftime with a 2-0 lead.
Just over a minute into the second half, Weeks connected on an unassisted goal, and the Titans upped their lead to 4-0 when Remy Kelinson scored midway through the half, using a Kasey Dietzel assist. Reilly scored back-to-back goals in a one-minute span – the first with an assist from Barnhart and the second with a Dietzel assist. Jordan O’Connor closed out the scoring with a late goal, using a Shannon Kelly assist.
The Titans – 15th in the District One 3A power rankings – held an advantage in shots (23-1) and corners (7-1).
Central Bucks South (9-5, 6-4 SOL) will host North Penn on Thursday, and Bensalem (3-12, 1-9) will travel to Council Rock South for a 7 p.m. contest.
Central Bucks South 2-5 7
Bensalem 0-0 0
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