Check out the recaps for SOL field hockey teams in action Monday. Upper Moreland/Lower Moreland photos provided by Kathy Leister Photography. Check back for a gallery of photos.
SOL Patriot Division
NESHAMINY 1, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 0 (OT)
The ending came quickly.
The Redskins – who hadn’t seriously threatened for the better part of regulation – had just survived some serious offensive pressure by the Golden Hawks, and this was their opportunity.
They didn’t waste it, cashing in after a flurry of activity that included back-to-back saves by South goalie Karlie McCloskey. They won it when sophomore Olivia Roscoe deflected a ball from teammate Avery McGinty into the cage.
When it was over, senior Dylan Beegal wasn’t sure who had scored the game-winner. The truth was she didn’t care. All that mattered was that the ball found the cage, giving the defending conference champions the dramatic win.
“It was insane,” said Beegal, who was in the middle of the wild scramble. “We lost our goalie, our centers and we lost some great wingers as well, so coming out this year knowing we’re basically a brand new team, I didn’t even really care. I was like, ‘Hey, even more of a reason to step up, show everyone what we can do,’ and I think that’s what we did today.”
Perhaps even more important than the exhilarating win was the fact that the neighboring rivals were back on the field.
“Honestly, I don’t know how else to put it except ecstatic,” Beegal said. “Being a senior and waiting for this since my freshman year, I was so excited to get on the field and lead as a captain and just have a great season.
“With everything going on with COVID, I was disappointed and didn’t think we’d have a season. Then getting our schedule – I saw our first game was Council Rock South. Don’t get me wrong – I was scared. This is our hardest game of the league in my opinion. Knowing this would be our first game, I was so excited to get out here.” The Golden Hawks were equally ecstatic to be back on the field.
“Honestly, it’s the best thing ever,” South junior Kerry Kaufman said. “This is the longest I think I’ve gone in my life without playing a game, and I was going a little bit insane during quarantine. It’s just a blessing to be out here. Yes, masks are annoying, but I’d rather wear a mask than not be able to play.”
The Golden Hawks had their chances, including a stretch late in the third quarter when they drew five consecutive corners in a three-minute span but came up empty.
“It’s really tough because that’s our offensive chance, but I feel like it’s incentive to get the next one because in a team sport, you can’t get down,” Kaufman said. “You have to lift each other up and get the next one.
“It does get frustrating, but when I get frustrated, it makes me want to score a lot more.”
Neshaminy flyer Madi Neiman broke up the fifth and final corner of the sequence, clearing the ball out of harm’s way and setting up a pair of Redskin corners.
“Our four main defensive corner people are myself, Madi Neiman, Avery McGinty and it’s between Olivia Roscoe and Mia Martin – the five of us and obviously our goalie Riley Wert,” Beegal said. “Every time we got back on a corner, we gave ourselves a little pep talk and said, ‘This ball is not going in the goal.’
“Madi is flying and I’m on post, and if it’s anywhere near me, I’m diving. We’re all diving for the ball. Us five – we know we will do anything to not let that ball in the goal. Once we save one or two in a row, that boosts our confidence, and when the rest of the team sees our confidence, they follow that, and I think that’s why we won this game.”
The Golden Hawks generated early pressure in overtime but couldn’t convert in what was yet another classic battle between the conference rivals.
“It was a great game,” South coach Lisa Belz said. “It was a great opportunity to play against a good team. It was hard going in with three weeks of practice and not having any scrimmages.
“I’m really proud of my team. I think they played hard and did a good job.”
“This is my favorite game of the year,” Kaufman said. “To play a team this difficult – we always have to come out and be on our best game. I love this game. This just makes it better.”
Neshaminy coach Jamie Pinto had high praise for her relatively inexperienced defense.
“Defensively, we played strong, we played smart,” she said. “So credit to our defense.
“We have two new players back there – Kristina Brown, and we have a freshman back there – Morgan (Shaltens) – who stepped up. This is one of the toughest games of the season, if not the toughest we’ll have this year, and Morgan played composed and smart.”
It is also Riley Wert’s first year as a varsity starter in goal.
“She played well and made some really good saves out there,” Pinto said. “Avery McGinty also stepped up. We’ve had her practicing at mid, and we had to make some adjustments the last couple of days of practice, and we put her back. Avery and Dylan Beegal played very strong.”
Beegal, a captain, played center defensive mid.
“Dylan is an aggressive player,” Pinto said. “No matter where she is on the field – Dylan is a presence, and we’re really going to her as a leadership position this year. She did a really nice job defensively.
“Megan Hollenbaugh stepped up. She’s a junior who has not played varsity. She just came in and hustled and that’s what we needed. Colette Schardt played well. She was consistent on the left side.”
The Redskins’ coach acknowledged she wasn’t sure what to expect.
“We’ve been practicing on grass, we haven’t had any scrimmages, and it was like, ‘Here we go, we’ll see what we’ve got,’” Pinto said. “We had to make some adjustments here and there, but the girls played hard, and that’s Neshaminy field hockey. If it’s not pretty, at least we’re playing hard. That’s what we did.
“That came from our defense and kind of worked its way up. We got better each quarter. I’ll give it to the girls that were playing overtime. They never gave up, they hustled. They were exhausted, but that’s what we expect from them. I think this game will give us lots of confidence. We lost five starters down the center of the field. We don’t want to say we’re rebuilding, but we want to keep rolling from last year. They worked hard. I’m really proud of them.”
Neshaminy (1-0) will travel to Pennsbury on Wednesday, and Council Rock South (0-1) will host neighboring Council Rock North Wednesday.
Neshaminy 0-0-0-0-1 1
Council Rock South 0-0-0-0-0 0
PENNSBURY 2, BENSALEM 1
The Falcons kicked off the 2020 season with a road trip to Bensalem for a game under the lights as the Owls celebrated Senior Night.
According to coach Traci Curtis, the Falcons controlled possession most of the game with skilled passing, smart decision making, and great communication.
“Pennsbury’s greatest challenge was finding ways to get around Bensalem’s packed circle defense strategy and finishing on the numerous shots taken throughout the game,” the Falcons’ coach said.
The Owls’ defense held strong in the first half, denying every shot and making some nice defensive plays under pressure. The two teams entered halftime scoreless, and the energy in the stadium was very exciting.
Midway through the third quarter, Pennsbury junior defender Sophia Curtis notched her first varsity goal during penalty corner play.
“Sophomore Molly Murray caught a rebound off the goalie and passed it across to Curtis who shot it into the far corner,” coach Curtis said.
Pennsbury’s second goal came quickly after the first with some more great movement across the goal during another penalty corner. Curtis assisted senior forward Kayli Williams, who got a shot off quickly from the right side. Despite being down 2-0, Bensalem never let up.
“They came into the fourth quarter on fire and scored their first goal with tons of time left on the clock,” coach Curtis said. “The fourth quarter was high intensity as the Owls had some more opportunities to tie it up, but the Falcons were able to stand their ground.
“PHS goalie Jordan Vradenburgh did not see much action, but when she did, she made it count, and defenders Hannah Aker and Reilly Monach helped to hold onto the lead until the final second ticked away. Other strong contributors to the PHS unit included Sophia Hitchingham, Megan McClure, Jaclyn Gorgo, Marissa MacAinsh, and Reagan Ward. The Pennsbury coaching staff was so proud of the way their girls moved the ball and utilized the entire field to penetrate from all angles.”
Coach Curtis credited the success in her squad’s first game to the team’s connection, shared mindset and vision, and the way each player took ownership of their role and executed with full focus and intensity from start to finish.
Pennsbury (1-0) will host Neshaminy on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m., and Bensalem (0-1) will be on the road at Council Rock North next Tuesday.
Pennsbury 0-0-2-0 2
Bensalem 0-0-0-1 1
SOL Colonial Division
NORTH PENN 1, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 0
Katie Blanche turned a Riley O’Donnell pass into a goal with six minutes remaining in the first quarter. That freshman to senior connection stood the rest of the way as the Knights held on for the shutout win over the pesky Bucks.
“It was a beautiful Riley O’Donnell cross from the right side of the circle, and Katie Blanche put it in on a lift, which was nice,” NP coach Shannon McCracken said of the game-winner. “CB West is an improved team from the previous season. They’re fast, and they’re a chippy, aggressive team, so they put a lot of pressure on the ball.
“It was just nice to be out there. When you do preseason in these types of circumstances, you don’t really know what’s out there. We didn’t play in summer league, we didn’t have any scrimmages. As coaches, we weren’t able to scout teams. It was kind of unknown. You hope you’re preparing really well in your environment, and it was just really great to see the kids put a game together and play well.”
The Knights held an advantage in corners (9-4) and shots (8-4).
“We had a lot of kids that did really good things,” McCracken said. “Any time that CB West had a little bit of attack, our defense came up really big, and that’s led by Maddie Waldspurger and Megan Albert. They play in the center, and they did a really nice job of shutting down CB West’s attack.”
A pair of freshmen – twins Riley and Kerry O’Donnell – made an immediate impact. They are the last of four O’Donnell sisters who played for the Knights. Bri O’Donnell is playing hockey at Penn State, and Erin O’Donnell is a junior midfielder for the Knights.
“I thought Riley and Kerry had a great opening game as freshmen,” McCracken said. “Erin also had a great game for us. She has transitioned to center mid for us, and I thought she was a key player in transitioning our defense to our attack tonight.
“We had another freshman back who played a quarter, so it’s really nice when you have some youth to mix in with our big senior class. It’s fun to mix some youth in with the experience. It was a great team win, and the team looks forward to building off of game one.”
The Knights’ coach noted that her team is taking nothing for granted.
“It’s unique and it’s challenging,” McCracken said. “We just keep saying – every day is a gift that we’re out there, and we’re just trying to make the most of every opportunity. We’re taking this whole COVID thing day by day.
“We’re talking about taking every game just game by game, every quarter by quarter.”
Mallory Stowell stopped three shots in goal in the shutout win. West’s Brooke Golbeski recorded five saves.
“North Penn did a nice job creating multiple offensive opportunities that resulted in corners,” West coach Dave DeAngelis said. “Our corner defense rose up to the challenge many times as NP was able to convert one on a rebound effort. We were pleased with our effort and will continue to focus on taking care of the ball better along with greater connections across our lines.”
North Penn (1-0) will host Pennridge on Wednesday, and Central Bucks West (0-1) will host Central Bucks South on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Central Bucks West 0-0-0-0 0
North Penn 1-0-0-0 1
SOUDERTON 3, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 3 (OT)
In a spirited opener between the conference rivals, the Titans and Indians battled to a tie.
“Both teams had some excellent goals and some good defensive plays,” South coach Pat Toner said.
Erin Smith scored her first of two goals 6:24 into the opening period, using a Julia Cooper assist. Souderton answered with a pair of goals – both during corner play. Josie Doughty connected on the equalizer with an assist from Lauren Frye, and Lauren Kenah’s goal sent the Indians into the second period with a 2-1 lead. They took that lead into halftime.
In the third period, the Titans knotted the score when Smith connected on her second goal, again with a Cooper assist. The teams exchanged goals in the fourth period with Kenah connecting on her second goal, and Anna Shirley deflecting Sophia Wasyliw’s reverse lift into the cage.
“CB South did a better job playing as a team today – we relied too often on individual effort,” Souderton coach Sue Casciato said. “We had a lot of opportunities in OT, but their goalie had some key saves.”
South goalie Gwen DiPrinzio recorded 11 saves in her varsity debut.
“She made some clutch saves including stopping a 1v1 in overtime,” said Toner, going on to credit the play of several players. “Lily Haag and Marielle Mauri played well in their first varsity starts at back and mid, and Julia Cooper’s presence in the lineup made an immediate impact after missing most of last season with an injury. Julia and Erin connected on two beautiful goals.”
Souderton held an 18-10 advantage in corners.
Souderton (0-0-1) will travel to Central Bucks East on Wednesday, and Central Bucks South (0-0-1) will be on the road at Central Bucks West.
Central Bucks South 1-0-1-1-0 3
Souderton 2-0-0-1-0 3
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 4, PENNRIDGE 0
Kenzie Lever scored a pair of goals to lead the Patriots to the win.
Lever scored an unassisted goal in the opening period that turned out to be the game-winner. Her second goal – early in the second quarter – was set up by a Sophia Parker assist. Three minutes later, Grace Betke found the cage, benefitting from a Phia Mannino assist. Parker’s unassisted goal late in the third quarter closed out the scoring.
Emily Bullard turned away all eight shots she face to earn the shutout in goal.
“It was a great start to the season, and we’re looking forward to our home opener on Wednesday against Souderton,” East coach Meghan Spratt said.
The Patriots’ coach lauded the efforts of several players.
“Paige Hussie settled in tremendously in a new position, anchoring the defense with veteran Emily Bullard,” Spratt said. “Kenzie Lever and Phia Mannino controlled the midfield with Kenzie being an offensive force.
“Junior Sophia Parker played solid along with freshman Paige Keller.”
Central Bucks East (1-0) will host Souderton on Wednesday in a battle of last year’s SOL Continental co-champs. Pennridge (0-1) will be on the road at North Penn Wednesday.
Central Bucks East 1-2-1-0 4
Pennridge 0-0-0-0 0
SOL Liberty Division
UPPER DUBLIN 4, ABINGTON 1
A big fourth quarter was the difference in Monday’s Liberty Division opener as the visiting Flying Cardinals erupted for three fourth-quarter goals, breaking a 1-1 tie that stood since the second quarter.
“The kids played very, very well,” UD coach Heather Boyer said. “We have nine seniors that have been together the last few years, and many of them have multiple years of varsity experience, so that bodes well for us.
“Especially since we had not one summer workout, and then we had an abbreviated preseason where you used to have two-a-day practices to now one practice after school. We had a split session because we had 40 kids, and I’m trying to space them out and social distance them. Literally, kids are getting an hour-and-a-half workout a day.
“As a coach who likes to cross every t and dot every i, I was really worried that we were underprepared. I was nervous because I had to spend so much time on everything else that I don’t have enough time spent on everything we normally do, so I was real proud of the girls for coming out with a really good tempo and intensity level.”
The Cardinals took a 1-0 led just over five minutes into the game when Allie Rock scored with an assist from Jenn McCarry. Abington’s Camryn Stewart answered with an unassisted goal in the second quarter to knot the score.
“They scored a really nice goal to tie it up 1-1, and then they had us back on our heels a little bit,” Boyer said. “They peppered us with some corners, and it was a situation where we kind of went bend but don’t break to the defense’s credit.
“Also, we had a new goalie back there in Morgan Tabas, and they held their own. The goal Abington did score was a good one. Even a veteran goal might have had trouble stopping that. Erin Eby had a stick save in one of those corner segments.”
Just over three minutes into the fourth quarter, Jenn McCarry turned an Avery Lennon pass into a goal that turned out to be the game-winner.
“Jenn McCarry set the tempo in the fourth quarter,” Boyer said. “She got a beautiful through pass from Avery Lennon. Avery did a great job of keeping it on the right side of the stick so that Jenn could have a really good approach with her angle. She drew her down to the left and then shot it hard into the back right corner. She was going so hard that she literally tumbled over afterwards – she was going so fast. It was a really good goal.
“The excitement of the goal elevated the team. That’s how Jenn is – if you need somebody to up the ante a little bit, put Jenn in there and let her run around a little bit, and everybody’s level steps up.”
Just over two minutes later, the Hatters tacked on an insurance goal when Annabel Coplan scored on a well-executed corner play with a Peyton Kullmann assist.
“Annabel was the inserter,” Boyer said. “It went up top. Peyton had a good shot on goal, and Annabel tipped it in. She was in the right place at the right time, good positioning.”
Mikayla DeMichele’s strong penalty stroke with seven minutes remaining in regulation put the finishing touches on the big win.
“We got some younger kids that are new to the program in the mix,” Boyer said. “They got some good varsity minutes. Everybody contributed in their own way whether their name was in the stat line or not.
“It’s been tough on the kids. We’re very big about our team community and our team chemistry, and there really hasn’t been the opportunity for any of that. For them to really come together and figure out the right things at the right time today was important.”
The Flying Cardinals coach credited the play of several of the game’s unsung heroes.
“Caitlyn Darcy came in defensively in the second half, and she picked up the tempo in the backfield a little bit and did a nice job back there,” Boyer said. “Efforts that go unseen in the scorebook but definitely make a difference.
“Dani Lucidi is the type of kid if you ask her to run through a wall – she’ll ask you which one and how many. Abington has a really talented player in Camryn Stewart, who’s only a sophomore. I saw her starting to get comfortable and really come out of her shell in the first quarter. You can tell she’s talented and has a lot of potential.
“She scored their goal, so I knew if we were going to break the tie, we had to shut her down. I put Dani one-on-one with her the rest of the game, and she did a great job. She did exactly what we needed her to do, which was not make her an option for Abington’s other players. That’s a really hard job to do, and Dani did a really good job.”
Tabas recorded four saves in the win for UD. The Ghosts held a 9-3 advantage in corners and a 5-4 edge in shots.
Upper Dublin (1-0) will celebrate Senior Day when it hosts Quakertown on Wednesday, and Abington (0-1) will travel to Wissahickon Wednesday.
Upper Dublin 1-0-0-3 4
Abington 0-1-0-0 1
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 12, QUAKERTOWN 1
Ava Borkowski and Alexa DeLucca came out of the gate on fire.
Both scored five goals for the Colonials, who brought a 67 game conference winning streak into the season. Borkowski also assisted on a pair as the Colonials begin their quest for an eighth consecutive conference crown.
Kaleigh Missimer and Regan Gehman each added single goals for PW, which opened up an 8-1 halftime lead over the visiting Panthers.
Maureen Healey put the Panthers on the board in the first quarter, using assists from Lauren Junker and Megan Meyers.
Quakertown goalie Kylie Lerch recorded 17 saves in a standout effort.
“She made some great saves and stopped many of PW’s strong shots,” PW coach Charise Halteman said. “But our seniors found a way to lead the team to a win.”
Missimer, a senior midfielder, put the Colonials on the board at the 9:32 mark of the first quarter. Borkowski scored less than a minute later, and the Colonials were off and running.
“Senior forward Alexa DeLuca had a big game, scoring five goals with some nice finishes in front of the net,” Halteman said. “The midfield line of Hailey Copestick, Kaleigh Missimer, and Molly Lynch controlled the tempo of the game and created some great passing sequences. It was great to be out on Victory Field competing again.”
Plymouth Whitemarsh (1-0) will host Hatboro-Horsham on Wednesday, and Quakertown (0-1) will travel to Upper Dublin on Wednesday.
Quakertown 1-0 1
Plymouth Whitemarsh 8-4 12
WISSAHICKON 6, HATBORO-HORSHAM 0
SOL Freedom
LOWER MORELAND 3, UPPER MORELAND 1
The Lions made their SOL debut an impressive one, controlling play and notching a win over their neighboring rival. The Golden Bears, however, did not make it easy, holding the Lions – who had 21 corners – off the scoreboard until the third quarter.
“(We) dominated with corners and shots on goal, but we had trouble finishing in the circle,” said LM coach Shawn Mayer.
Finally, four minutes into the third quarter, junior Meredith Lutter found the cage with an assist from senior Taryn Mayer to break the scoreless tie. Shortly thereafter, Liz Heeld scored, using a Lutter assist that sent the Lions into the fourth quarter with a 2-0 lead.
At the 12:46 mark of the fourth quarter, Upper Moreland trimmed that lead in half when Taylor Boone scored with an assist from Isabel Leiter. Taryn Mayer’s unassisted goal three minutes later gave the Lions their final margin of victory.
“It was a total team effort for Lower Moreland’s first SOL game as 17 players were utilized,” Mayer said. ”Senior Linda Tang anchored the defense as center back, and it was a nice start for sophomore Sara Rosala, who had three saves in goal.”
Keeping Upper Moreland in the game was goalie Emma Hurley, who recorded 16 saves in a strong outing.
Lower Moreland (1-0) will host New Hope-Solebury on Wednesday, and Upper Moreland (0-1) will host Springfield Township next Tuesday.
Lower Moreland 0-0-2-1 3
Upper Moreland 0-0-0-1 1
Non-league
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 8, WILLIAM TENNENT 0
The Indians scored two goals in each of the four quarters on their way to a convincing shutout in Monday’s non-league opener. More important than the outcome was the opportunity to play.
“It literally was just so much fun getting to play sports again,” North coach Heather Whalin said. “There is no pressure – we just want to go out and have fun.
“The girls said they felt really good because we are just playing for the love of the game, and we feel privileged to get the opportunity to play.”
Rebecca Ripans, Brenna Schoenfeld and Lindsey O’Brien each scored a pair of goals to lead a balanced Indian attack. Ripans also had an assist. Adding one goal each were Riley Clarke and Emily Baram. Bella Carpentier chipped in an assist.
Sara Teitelman posted a shutout in goal for the Indians. Whalin also credited Teitelman’s counterpart in the cage.
“Tennent’s goalie was good and made some amazing saves,” the Indians’ coach said.
Council Rock North (0-1) will take on archrival Council Rock South Wednesday, and William Tennent (0-2) will be on the road at Springfield Township Wednesday.
Council Rock North 2-2-2-2 8
William Tennent 0-0-0-0 0
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