Check out the recaps of SOL field hockey teams in action Monday. Neshaminy/CR North photos provided courtesy of John Gleeson. Check back for a gallery of photos.
SOL Patriot
NESHMINY 6, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 0
Sophomore Aralyn Hackney had herself a day, connecting for the hat trick to lead the Redskins to the win in their division finale.
“Today was the best game we’ve played as a team,” Neshaminy coach Jamie Pinto said. “It really was because people like Aralyn Hackney stepped up. She practiced well at our last two practices. We worked on scoring – I had the forwards, and the other coaches had the defense. We just worked on basic things like cutting back to the ball, going to goal, cutting in front of 
the goalie, and Aralyn did well, so she earned herself a starting spot Friday. She did well Friday, and she started today and scored three goals.”
It took all of 28 seconds for Hackney to get on the scoreboard, using an assist from Carena Barr. Hackney connected on an assisted goal five minutes into the second quarter, and with 1:32 remaining in the half, Hackney turned a Madi Neiman pass into her third goal, sending the Redskins into halftime with a 3-0 lead.
Four-and-a-half minutes into the second half, Colette Schardt scored an unassisted goal. Dylan Beegal converted a penalty stroke in the opening minute of the fourth quarter, and the Redskins closed out the scoring when Ciara Lambon (Schardt assist) connected with 9:33 remaining in regulation.
“Throughout the whole season, they’ve played well at times, they haven’t played well at times, but when they have played well, we haven’t really built on it as much as we wanted to,” Pinto said. “We practiced really well the two days before Friday’s game (at Archbishop Wood), and we told them that we needed to start putting everything together.
“They have their moments of great passes, good scoring opportunities, great defense, but it wasn’t consistent throughout every game. Today they put it together. From scoring 28 seconds into the game – they had beautiful passing from the backs to the mids, down the right side, a cross ball and a tip in the goal. It’s what we practice. They all played well today.”
The Redskins’ coach lauded the strong outings of several players.
“Ciara Lambon did really well – she was cutting back to the ball, she had great touches, she was creating scoring opportunities, so it was all the things we worked on in practice – they were really putting together,” Pinto said. “We had a couple of injuries and some people were out, so we were moving some positions around.
“Megan Hollenbaugh – we’ve had her honestly all over the field. She’s played forward, she’s played mid, but the last couple of games, she’s really stepped for us defensively and has done a nice job back there.
“It’s things like that – we’re working together, girls are working hard at where we’re putting them. Today was probably the first time that the girls were really communicating on the field. They were recovering well for each other. They really played well as a team today. We have not played like this. The forwards – I was so impressed. They did such a great job. The mids were supporting them, they were recovering to help the defense. This was a really good game for us. I hope we can keep building from this.”
Neshaminy (10-0, 8-0 SOL) will travel to Wissahickon Tuesday for a non-league game. Council Rock North (3-5, 1-5) will wrap up conference play when the Indians host Pennsbury on Wednesday.
Council Rock North 0-0 0
Neshaminy 3-3 6
Non-league
WISSAHICKON 1, SOUDERTON 0 (OT)
The play was textbook.
Ella Hummel stole the ball from a Souderton defender trying to get it out of the Indians’ defensive end, dribbled to the center of the field and dropped a back pass to a trailing Aiden Drabick. The senior midfielder carried the ball to the right of the circle and sent a perfect cross that a waiting Hummel redirected into the cage for the game-winner.
“We’ve been taught to pass the ball back to our midfield, then we’ve been taught to go outside and bring it back in,” Drabick said. “I was just doing what my coaches taught me to do and just hit back inside the circle.”
Drabick – a transfer from Great Valley – has been a difference maker for the Trojans, and the Temple-bound senior’s impact on the game at both ends of the field is impossible to miss. She admits she was pleasantly surprised when she joined the Trojans.
“I was not expecting them to be this good honestly – I think they’re a very good team, and they’re all extremely sweet and very welcoming,” Drabick said of her new squad. “At first it was hard for me because I’m a shy person. That’s just who I am – I’m not outgoing.
“Once I started to get to know them all, it was so much better and a lot more fun.”
One thing the senior standout noticed immediately was the Trojans’ intensity.
“This team definitely cares a whole lot more about winning and trying hard,” Drabick said. “This team goes full out. They don’t give up.”
The Trojans are closing out their regular season with three straight non-league games. For Drabick, every game has special significance after being sidelined her junior season with an injury.
“On my god – it’s incredible, especially because I’m a senior,” Drabick said. “I didn’t get to play my junior year at all. I didn’t play until our (district) playoff game, and we didn’t win, so it’s very special for me to have a season because I wanted it so bad. Especially to have these extra games too because we don’t know what’s going to happen in the playoffs.”
While Drabick played a major role in Hummel’s game-winner, she also helped disrupt Souderton’s offense.
“Aiden is so fast that she comes from behind, never even touches their stick, pokes it away and then turns and goes,” Wissahickon coach Lucy Gil said. “Our whole season is ‘put pressure on the ball, put pressure on the ball.’
“That was definitely part of it. The other part was – we noticed after the first quarter that they wanted to go to the right the whole time, and so we said, ‘Let’s not let them.’ Their (right) side was super strong, so we decided to try to keep it on our side. That really helped and gave our defense a little bit of a breather because they really did put a lot of pressure on us. Brynne Miller, our center back, did a great job of controlling that. Between her and Aiden in the middle, it’s hard to get through. She’s also one of those that puts a lot of pressure on the ball, so that was really nice.
“I think Kate Lovensheimer – my right midfielder – carried the ball down the field superbly. She’s really smooth and did a really nice job.”
The two teams took turns controlling play, and while time of possession may have been fairly even, the numbers of shots taken was not. Souderton goalie Jordan Michalak came up with big save after big save – five in a busy third quarter that included a clutch stop in the closing seconds to keep the Trojans off the scoreboard.
Hummel scored the game-winner at the 13:46 mark of overtime.
“Souderton is a really nice team,” Gil said. “It was great to come out on top. That game could have easily gone either way.
“I’ll tell you – they put a lot of pressure on us. It wouldn’t have surprised me if they had popped it in. It was a really great game. I’m proud of my team that we’re staying with these really great teams – with PW and all the others. They’re playing great and they’re having a good time.”
The Indians, who will be in the 16-team District One 3A field, have a week to find their offense.
“It was a very even game, but we just don’t get enough shots off in our end,” Souderton coach Sue Casciato said. “We’ve worked and worked on that. It’s something we’ve been working on all season. We had eight corners, and their goalie only had to make two saves on corners.”
Wissahickon (10-3, 7-3 SOL) will host Neshaminy in a non-league game Tuesday and will travel to North Penn for a non-league game Wednesday.
“These games are really good for us,” Drabick said. “We’re not the best team out there, but we’re a pretty good team that can hold their own.
“It’s really good going up against good competition because it just makes us better in the end.”
Souderton (6-4-1, 6-3-1) will await its seed in the upcoming District One 3A Tournament.
Wissahickon 0-0-1 1
Souderton 0-0-0 0
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 7, WILLIAM TENNENT 0
Kylee Hager scored two goals and assisted on another, and Cailey Hiscox also had a pair of goals, leading the Golden Hawks to the no-doubt-about it non-league win in their regular season finale.
With six minutes remaining in the first quarter, Rianna Shields broke a scoreless tie with an unassisted goal. Karissa Smedley found the cage with 54 seconds remaining in the quarter, using a Hager assist.
In the second quarter Hiscox turned an Amanda Green pass into a goal that sent the Golden Hawks into halftime with a 3-0 lead.
Back-to-back goals by Hager in the third period – both unassisted – made it a 5-0 game. Kerry Kaufman had a hand in two goals in the fourth period, scoring an unassisted goal and then assisting Hiscox for the 7-0 final.
Rock South goalie Karlie McCloskey recorded one save in the shutout win.
Council Rock South (7-4, 6-2 SOL) will await its final seed in the District One 3A power rankings. William Tennent closed out its league season with a 2-6 record (2-9 overall).
William Tennent 0-0-0-0 0
Council Rock South 2-1-2-2 7
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