Check out the recaps for SOL field hockey teams in action Saturday.
Non-league
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 4, METHACTON 0
Methacton has not been especially kind to CB East over the years. Last year, the Warriors were the only blemish on an otherwise perfect regular season, and they also notched a 3-0 win over the Patriots in the third place game of the District One 3A Tournament.
Saturday it was payback time for the Patriots, who took early control of the non-league contest and owned it from start to finish.
“As long as I’ve coached, we’ve never beaten Methacton,” coach Meghann Spratt said. “We don’t know if we’ve ever beaten them, and my girls knew that going into it.
“Methacton was our first loss of the season last year, so we were hungry for the win today. We came out with a vengeance, and it was without a doubt our best team effort of the year. Our passing game was on, our defense was on. Across the board, it was our best game of the season.”
The Patriots set the tone for this one early. Emma Donnelly put the Patriots on the scoreboard 12 minutes into the opening half.
“Sophia Parker took a great shot from outside, and Emma Donnelly had a beautiful tip into the cage,” Spratt said.
Eight minutes later, Phia Mannino scored on a strong shot to give the Patriots a two-goal cushion at the intermission.
“The first half we dominated 100 percent” Spratt said. “But they did come out stronger in the second half, but we still dominated.”
Just over five minutes into the second half, Emma Larkin found the back of the cage, using a Donnelly assist. Mannino capped the impressive win with a highlight reel goal late in the game.
“It was such a great hustle goal,” Spratt said. “It was a ball that was sent through from our backfield, and it was a foot race between Phia and a Methacton defender to the end line. She outhustled the girl, beat her to the ball.
“It was at the end of the game – it was 11:51 (left in regulation), so everyone was beat. It was hotter than we thought. She ended up beating three defenders and took a reverse chip and scored on her own. It was a huge effort. It was a pretty goal.”
The Patriots’ coach lauded the play of her defense – Renee Gatto, Grace Bethke, Kiera Lamb and Elizabeth Philipp
“My entire defense played very, very well today,” Spratt said. “In the first half, Elizabeth Philipp took a stick to the face and needed stitches in her chin. She came back in and played the second half and went to the hospital after the game.”
Kenzie Lever’s name didn’t show up in the scoring summary, but according to Spratt, there was no mistaking the significant role she played.
“Without Kenzie Lever in the midfield, everything would basically fall apart,” the Patriots’ coach said. “Even though her stats don’t show it, she is the biggest workhorse. She sets up so many plays and distributes so well that I have to give her so much credit for controlling our game in the midfield and the pace of it.
“She deserves tons of credit as well as my forwards. Emma Donnelly played an amazing game, settling into the left forward. Phia played a great aggressive, strong game as well. It truly was a wonderful team effort.”
Emily Bullard was credited with three saves in the shutout win in goal.
The Patriots are seventh in the latest District One 3A power rankings, and Methacton is 11th.
Central Bucks East (10-3, 7-1 SOL) will be on the road at North Penn on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. contest.
Methacton 0-0 0
Central Bucks East 2-2 4
BENSALEM 2, UPPER MERION 1
The visiting Owls earned an impressive non-league win in Upper Merion’s Breast Cancer Awareness game that honored coach Greta from Merion Mercy, who is battling breast cancer.
Angie Lee scored in the first half, and Kaylee Jackson connected on the game-winner in the second half.
Coach Maggie Jordan lauded the defensive efforts of several players.
“Our center back, Kaylie Buechner, had an awesome defensive game as did our starting goalie, Emily McGivern,” the Owls’ coach said.
Bensalem (2-8, 1-7 SOL) will travel to Archbishop Ryan for a non-league game Monday.
HARRY S TRUMAN 2, CONWELL-EGAN 1
A young Tiger squad scored a goal in each half and earned a non-league win over the visiting Eagles.
“I only have five upperclassmen and 20 sophomores and freshmen,” coach Tom Leahy said. “This is a challenge to figure out which kid is best at what position. I’m doing some moving around trying to figure it out. They’re still learning the positions, and we still have the issue of following the ball instead of playing the position.They’re getting better at it, they’re learning it. As the games go on, they pick it up, and they see how much they can do with the ball as opposed to what they had been doing.
“I had always coached little kids for a number of years, and it was always impressive to see the difference in the team as you got towards the end of the season from when you actually started. Because the team is young, that’s the same thing that’s happening here.
“Despite the lopsided losses we’ve had against the stronger teams, these girls never give up. They’re in the game until the horn sounds at the end of the game. It doesn’t matter how many goals they’ve had scored against them. They’re still coming off the field with their heads up. As a coach, that’s really gratifying to see they can maintain that kind of mentality.”
Sophomore Solana Castillo found the cage near the end of the first half, capping a nice passing sequence. The Tigers took that 1-0 lead into halftime. Ten minutes into the second half, freshman Maya Joniec scored with an assist from sophomore Paige Gonzalez, giving the Tigers a two-goal advantage. The Eagles scored a late goal for the 2-1 final.
“They had taken the ball down the field pretty good, and we didn’t have all our players sprinting into the defensive area, and that led the goalie to think she had to come way out of the goal,” Leahy said. “She got caught too far out of goal, they made a crossing pass, and she couldn’t get back in time. That was with only two minutes left in the game.”
The Tigers coach lauded the play Joniec.
“She’s in a better position than I may have had her before,” Leahy said. “It’s a learning experience on both parts – on my part to figure out who’s best in what position and them to actually learn the position and play well.”
The Tigers held a 5-2 edge in penalty corners.
Harry S Truman (2-8, 1-7 SOL) will travel to Neshaminy on Wednesday.
OWEN J ROBERTS 4, PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 3
The Colonials suffered their first loss of the season on Saturday, but not a whole lot separated the two district powers.
“We lost to a quality team,” PW coach Charise Halteman said. “The game was played at an intense level with lots of back and forth action.”
PW got on the board with a beautiful reverse shot from Ava Borkowski. The Wildcats knotted the score a minute later. Borkowski connected on her second goal to send the Colonials into halftime with a 2-1 lead.
OJR evened the score early in the second half, but Borkowski completed her hat trick with the go-ahead goal a few minutes later.
“PW would play down two players for a period of time, which allowed OJR to get back on the board,” Halteman said.
The Wildcats scored a goal that turned out to be the game-winner with less than three minutes remaining during corner play.
In addition to Borkowski’s three-goal effort, Kaleigh Missimer contributed an assist.
Goalie Sarah Trask recorded eight saves.
PW and Owen J Roberts are ranked second and third, respectively, in the latest District One 3A power rankings.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (11-1, 9-0 SOL) will host Cheltenham on Wednesday.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 2-1 3
Owen J Roberts 1-3 4
PALISADES 4, QUAKERTOWN 0
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