Check out the recaps for SOL field hockey teams in action Monday. CB South/CB East photos provided courtesy of Tracy Valko. Check back for a gallery of photos. All SOS photo galleries for FIELD HOCKEY can be viewed by clicking HERE.
SOL Patriot Division
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 1, NESHAMINY 1 (OT)
In a battle of the division’s top squads, the two teams exchanged goals, and overtime could not determine a winner.
“This was a tough physical battle,” Rock South coach Kelly Mason said.
The Golden Hawks scored an early goal when Breanna Gable found the cage midway through the first quarter with a Kylee Hager assist.
Four minutes into the third quarter, the Redskins evened the score when Kasey Rieger connected with an assist from Olivia Roscoe.
“We didn’t start the game with the intensity and composure that we needed to control the game,” Neshaminy coach Jamie Pinto said. “As the game went on, we began to play our game— found our passing and calmed down.
“The second half we dominated, we were able to generate offense and score early in the third but couldn’t find the back of the net again.”
The Redskins’ coach lauded the efforts of several players.
“Kasey Rieger and Olivia Roscoe were key in helping to get the offense started, and Avery McGinty helped to settle down the defense and take charge,” Pinto said. “I’m proud of the way we came together as a team to start playing our game, especially in the second half.
“In overtime, we played hard. We played down for about seven minutes in OT due to cards, we didn’t give up and were able to get the ball down the field and draw corners.”
Mason liked a lot of things she saw in her team’s performance.
“Peyton Wright had great saves in the goal, and Grace Franchini not only played great defense but had the defensive save of the game in overtime,” the Golden Hawks’ coach said. “Neshaminy had 14 corners. Breanna Gable and Clare Morgan played great defense in our circle. Megan Rafter shut down their offense by covering their main forward and moved the ball nicely up the field for us on the offensive side. Annagrace McKinney and Caroline Martin played aggressively on their defenders and kept us in the game. Our team played as a whole today, and everyone did exactly what they had to do.”
Council Rock South (8-6-1, 7-5-1 SOL) will travel to Council Rock North on Wednesday (6 pm), and Neshaminy (11-2-1, 10-1-1) will host Harry S Truman Wednesday. The Redskins are 11th in the latest District One 3A power rankings, and Rock South is 18th.
Neshaminy 1-0-0-0-0 1
Council Rock South 0-0-1-0-0 1
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 7, BENSALEM 3
The Indians – sparked by Maddy Mela’s hat trick in the opening 15 minutes of the game – erupted for five goals in the first quarter on their way to the division win.
Mela scored back-to-back goals to open the game – the first with an assist from Aubrey Williams and the second assisted by Julie Ondria. Charlotte Ondria scored – also with an assist from Julie Ondria, and then it was Bryn Bogle and Mela connecting on unassisted goals, giving the Indians a 5-1 lead after one quarter.
In the second quarter, Jordyn Zazoff turned a pass from Kailyn Smith into a goal that sent the Indians into halftime with a 6-1 lead. The Owls connected on a pair of goals in the third quarter to make it a 6-3 game, and in the fourth quarter, Mela put an exclamation point on a big night, scoring her fourth goal with an assist from Bogle for the 7-3 final.
Council Rock North (6-9, 5-8 SOL) will host Council Rock South on Wednesday (6 pm), and Bensalem (2-11, 1-11) will host Pennsbury on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Bensalem 1-0-2-0 3
Council Rock North 5-1-0-1 7
PENNSBURY 4, HARRY S TRUMAN 0
(Submitted by Pennsbury field hockey)
There is a saying that goes, “Any team can beat any team on any given day.”
The Truman Tigers arrived at Pennsbury with that quote blazing in their hearts.
“I have so much respect for their hard work, drive, and ability to show up with renewed determination for every game,” said Pennsbury’s head coach Traci Curtis. “The progress they have made is an incredible testament to their coaches and especially to the players who have obviously decided that giving up is not an option. They have definitely improved their field hockey IQ, individual skills, and come together as a team to make it all work.
“We gave some different players the opportunity to start for us today and they did a nice job out there.”
Truman put up a solid fight and held us scoreless for the first two quarters.
“Although we were frustrated that our kids weren’t scoring, we could not help but be so excited to see the success of our opponents,” Curtis said. “We all share the same vision of growing the game in our area so celebrating one another across the league should be a natural part of what we do each day.
“Kudos to Truman’s goalie and red zone defenders who made it tough for our first line up to get one into the cage. Their goalie had some really nice saves and kept us on our toes, forcing us to be creative and figure out a way around her. Some of the Tigers’ defenders came to the ball hard and had really strong sticks against us.”
The Falcons broke the scoreless tie in the third quarter when Mia Popovich snuck one in during a circle scramble (unassisted). Popovich tallied another goal about two minutes later on an assist from Meg McClure.
“Meg and Mia are sparks that ignite offensive energy and momentum so when they stepped onto the field, the game did shift in our favor,” Curtis said. “McClure has such a knack for the right side and Popovich has an eye for the ball that is hard to match. She’s fast, scrappy, and does whatever it takes to get to the ball and make something happen.”
McClure capitalized on a beautiful shot with one minute left in the third to give the orange and black a 3-0 lead.
“She is a difference maker for our team and her style of play forces her teammates to raise their game when she’s on the field,” Curtis said.
The fourth goal for the Falcons came at the end of the final quarter on a penalty corner shot from Reagan Ward.
“Ward is one of senior defenders who has such a nice, strong hit. We brought her up to take the shot and she got it off just in time and McClure was there to tip it in,” Curtis said. “It was a really nice corner. We have been struggling with success on offensive corner set pieces, so it felt good to see one result in a goal.
“Today was a full team effort with every single varsity player contributing to the game, along with some additional players who had a chance to see what a varsity game feels like. Avalee Shumski did some really nice things out there along with Riley Askey, Abby Anderer, and Olivia Coen. There are lessons to take away from every match up and it’s up to the kids to decipher what those lessons are.”
In addition to the game, Pennsbury’s Mini THON reps were on the sidelines raising money FOR THE KIDS in the fight against childhood cancer. The Falcons wore their GOLD OUT shirts in honor of the organization, and the team will make a donation to the club as well.
“Once again, we are reminded that it is bigger than us and the game is just a piece of the larger picture,” Curtis said. “Today was a fun field hockey day and despite the win/lose because of the score, it was a WIN/WIN for Pennsbury and Truman in so many ways. Best of luck to the Tigers as they finish out their season.”
Pennsbury (5-8, 3-8 SOL) will travel to face Bensalem for the first time this season Wednesday night, and Harry S Truman (0-14, 0-13) will travel to Neshaminy on Wednesday.
Harry S Truman 0-0-0-0 0
Pennsbury 0-0-3-1 4
SOL Colonial Division
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 1, CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 0
Rebecca Zakrewski scored with a Marielle Mauri assist with just over three minutes remaining in the second quarter. That goal turned out to be the extent of the offense for either team as the Titans
went on to win by that 1-0 score.
“East is really good – they have beautiful passing, and their defense to offense transition was one of the scariest I’ve seen yet,” South coach Pat Toner said. “They really have some talent, and they put the ball right down our throats. I have a lot of respect for East’s program and for Emma Rosenthal, who does a really nice job.
“We had to readjust a couple of things we were trying to do defensively. I think my defense stepped up and played phenomenal. There wasn’t a minute where either team could relax.”
The Titans held a decisive 22-4 advantage in shots and an 8-4 edge in corners.
“Without a couple of crucial players, our offense definitely hurt tonight,” East coach Emma Rosenthal said. “Anna Daly (1 defensive save), Katie Szczypoirski and Sienna Valenti played solid on the ball through pressure.
“I am incredibly proud of Audra Szymborski, who absolutely shined in goal. Overall, it was a great intense game with a playoff type feel.”
Szymborski was credited with 22 saves.
“Their goalie was unbelievable and had quite a few amazing saves,” Toner said. “She was really good.”
The Titans’ coach had plenty of praise to go around for her players as well after Monday’s win.
“Sophomore Ella Haag has been playing out of her mind – she has absolutely really shined this year,” Toner said. “She was good 
last year, but she just really stepped up. I actually forgot she was a sophomore – I thought she was a junior. She’s playing with such poise.
“Her sister Lily Haag, who’s one of our captains, also played really well. Our other captain, Bella Schute, had a fantastic game. Marielle Mauri had a fantastic game. Our two freshman – Avery Tyler and Kaeli VanDerSluis – both had really nice games. Actually, there’s nobody that didn’t.
“Rebecca Zakrzewski and Megan Reilly did a nice job on the forward line. Sam Thomas and Maddie Orr along with goalkeeper Emma Kraft all had strong performances. I thought we played very well tonight against a very talented team. Congrats to both teams on a well-played game.”
Central Bucks South (6-6-1, 5-6-1 SOL) will travel to Central Bucks West for a 7 p.m. game on Wednesday, and Central Bucks East (5-8) will travel to Pennridge on Wednesday (7 pm). The Titans are 23rd in the latest District One 3A power rankings while the Patriots are 27th.
Central Bucks South 0-1-0-0 1
Central Bucks East 0-0-0-0 0
SOUDERTON 4, PENNRIDGE 1
The Indians celebrated their eight seniors – Caitlyn Asmann, Ang Borisow, Lauren Frye, Ashley Magnus, Jaeda Radcliffe, Ava Shaw, Julia Vizza and Anjolie Ware – with a win over their neighboring rival. All eight seniors were in Monday’s starting lineup.
“We’re just trying to take one game off at a time at this point,” said Souderton coach Sue Casciato, whose team is atop the division standings.
Two minutes into the game, Ava Jones scored on the rebound of her own shot. The sophomore standout had scored at least one goal in each of her team’s first 13 games, a streak that was snapped in the Indians’ 1-0 win over Central Bucks South on Friday.
With 9:35 remaining in the second quarter, Asmann scored with an assist from Tatum Andrews to send the Indians into halftime with a 2-0 lead.
Pennridge’s Payton Muth cut that lead in half with a goal three minutes into the second half.
“It was a beautiful shot,” Casciato said. “She carried it to the top of the circle, slammed it, and it went in the left corner. Not much you can do about that.”
Later in the third quarter, the Indians got that goal back when Borisow banged home a shot on a corner, using an Ava Shaw assist. In the fourth quarter, Borisow deflected a shot by Jones into the cage during corner play for the 4-1 final.
“Ang had a really good second half,” Casciato said of Borisow. “She didn’t play particularly well in the first half, and she came up to me at halftime and said, ‘What am I doing wrong?’ I said, ‘I think your timing’s off a little bit.’ She just works so hard to get back to the ball that she gets a lot of quality touches.”
The Indians held a 12-5 advantage in shots while both teams had five penalty corners – the Rams had four of their corners in the first half. The Indians had all five of their corners in the second half.
Souderton (14-1, 13-0 SOL) will host North Penn on Wednesday at 7 p.m., and Pennridge (6-8-1, 5-7-1) will host Central Bucks East on Wednesday (7 pm). The Indians are fourth in the latest District One 3A power rankings while the Rams occupy the 24th spot in what will be a 24-team field.
Pennridge 0-0-1-0 1
Souderton 1-1-1-1 4
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 7, NORTH PENN 0
The Bucks took a 2-0 lead into halftime and upped that lead to 3-0 heading into the final frame when they exploded for four goals to win going away.
“The final outcome does not reflect how fiercely competitive the match was versus North Penn,” West coach David DeAngelis said. “We were proud of how each of our lines responded to the speed and physicality this afternoon. North Penn has a great, fast pitch and will battle you for a full 60-minutes.”
The Bucks got on the scoreboard four minutes into the opening quarter when Eve Damsker scored with a Mimi Duffy assist.
“Mimi Duffy crossed the ball for an Eve Damsker back-side tip in,” DeAngelis said.
It was a 1-0 game until just 1:15 remained in the first half.
“Nina Mayro doubled our advantage with a nifty reverse to hold a 2-0 halftime lead,” DeAngelis said.
In the third quarter, freshman Aida Ierubino (Mayro assist) finished off a strong passing sequence with a goal and a 3-0 West lead.
Early in the fourth quarter, Calista Boos converted a penalty stroke, and adding one goal each were Mayro, Damsker and Lily Cosner. Mayro’s two-goal, two-assist effort led the Bucks.
“We had very good connections and ball movement that led to many attacking opportunities,” DeAngelis said. “When North Penn attacked, our defense and team was able to hold the line to maintain a clean sheet by the end of the match.”
The Bucks held an advantage in shots (24-3) and penalty corners (11-4).
Central Bucks West (13-1, 11-1 SOL) will host Central Bucks South on Wednesday (7 pm), and North Penn (8-7, 8-5) will be on the road at Souderton on Wednesday (7 pm). The Bucks are seventh in the latest District 1 3A power rankings while the Knights are 18th.
Central Bucks West 1-1-1-4 7
North Penn 0-0-0-0 0
SOL Liberty Division
WISSAHICKON 2, UPPER DUBLIN 1
The Flying Cardinals threatened to knock the Trojans from the ranks of the undefeated, taking a 1-0 lead into the fourth quarter when the Trojans’ offense came to life and scored a pair of goals to eke out the win.
“Upper Dublin played us really tough,” Wissahickon coach Lucy Gil said. “They came out really strong and were very determined.
“We were missing one of our captains (Caroline Kirkpatrick), and she’s leading the team in assists. She’s our center back, and she’s kind of the backbone of the center and the defense, so we had to do a lot of reshuffling. It took us the entire first half to get back on our feet. In the second half, we dominated, and we were able to keep them pinned in their defensive end. It was a nail biter, I must say.”
The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead three minutes into the second quarter when Rayla Kratchman scored with an assist from Olivia Burdo. UD took that 1-0 lead into the final quarter.
“You’re down by one goal, and you know that your team is better than what you’re looking at,” Gil said. “I know what they can do, but I think they were feeling the loss of Caroline and they were feeling the pressure to do things that they’re not normally asked to do.”
With just over 10 minutes remaining in the contest, Sophia Havrilla evened the score when she connected on a penalty stroke, and with 7:24 remaining, the Trojans took a 2-1 lead when Havrilla scored with an Ella Hummel assist. That score stood until the final whistle.
“I was really proud of them because they turned it around,” Gil said. “We had a really great halftime talk. Everybody was super encouraging each other. They were really good to each other, and they started to support each other, which was really nice to see. I was really proud of them.”
The Trojans’ coach credited captains Havrilla and Hummel for their leadership.
“Our other two captains really stepped up,” Gil said. “Sophia Havrilla scored both goals, and Ella Hummel had the assist, but she just was everywhere on the field. She said, ‘We are not losing this game’ and just took over. She was wonderful. When you talk about a catalyst, I think Ella decided ‘We are going to change things right now.’
“The three captains work really well together, but I think Sophia and Ella really stepped up. Would I have loved another 9-1 game? Sure, but these tough games – that’s what is going to get us ready for districts, not the 10-0 or 9-1 games. As much as my heart was turning flips, it’s also really good for the team to have a hard game like this. Upper Dublin is much improved, and they came out really strong. I can’t say enough about that.”
Wissahickon’s Meredith Walsh (6 saves) and Ava Fell (4 saves) combined for the win in goal. Upper Dublin’s Camryn Muth was credited with four saves.
Wissahickon (15-0, 13-0 SOL) – third in the latest District One 3A power rankings – will travel to Quakertown on Wednesday, and Upper Dublin (8-6, 7-5-1) – eighth in the District One 2A rankings – will be on the road at Abington on Wednesday.
Wissahickon 0-0-0-2 2
Upper Dublin 0-1-0-0 1
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 1, QUAKERTOWN 0
The Colonials edged the visiting Panthers 1-0 – it was an identical score to their win over their division foe early in the season.
“It was a hard fought, gritty win,” PW coach Jessica Randazzo said. “Quakertown came out ready to play and fought until the final whistle.
“We were on defense just as much as we were on offense. We were able to score on a corner, which gave the team the energy and focus to complete the game.”
The Colonials scored a goal that turned out to be the game-winner in the second quarter when Emily Dobrolowski turned a pass from Maddie Carr on a corner into a goal.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (7-6-1, 7-4-1 SOL) – 20th in the latest District One 3A power rankings – will travel to Hatboro-Horsham on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. game, and Quakertown (9-5-1, 8-4-1) will host Wissahickon on Wednesday (7 pm). The Panthers are 14th in the latest rankings.
Quakertown 0-0-0-0 0
Plymouth Whitemarsh 0-1-0-0 1
ABINGTON 7, HATBORO-HORSHAM 1
The Ghosts and Hatters were deadlocked five minutes into the game, but the Ghosts – who celebrated Senior Day – responded with six unanswered goals to earn the convincing win.
“Today we celebrated our five seniors – Camryn Stewart, Maddie Slavin, Erica Devline, Nina Van Ekelenburg, and Emma Brown – with banners, signs, flowers and praise,” Abington coach Katie Small said. “And it really lit a fire under everyone today.
“We came out and scored in the first minute of the game with a great top of the circle shot by Stewart. Four minutes later HH responded with a goal of their own, but after that, it was all us.”
Stewart scored an unassisted goal in the opening minute, but the Hatters answered four minutes later with a goal from senior mid Emily Nelson, capping a beautiful passing sequence from senior back Charlotte Elwell and junior forward Lauren Steinberg.
The Ghosts connected on a pair of goals in the second period. Stewart scored her second unassisted goal of the game, and then it was Skylar Beal finding the cage with an unassisted goal, sending the Ghosts into halftime with a 3-1 lead.
Three third-quarter goals put the game out of reach Contributing one goal each in the quarter were Carly Hughes (Maeve Link assist), Stewart (Erica Devlin assist) and Devlin (Maura Calladanoto assist). In the fourth quarter, Olivia Dougherty scored with a Stewart assist. Stewart led the Ghosts with three goals and an assist.
“Hatboro-Horsham played a great game today,” Small said. “We were just really connecting inside the 25-yard line today and it was great see. The girls went out loose and just had fun and it showed. The whole team played well today. It’s hard to single any one player out.”
The Ghosts held an advantage in shots (15-2) and penalty corners (9-2).
“The girls hung in until halftime when we trailed by two, but things fell apart in the second half,” HH coach Marie Schmucker said. “Even with great efforts from Nelson, Elwell, Steinberg, freshman forward/mid Avery Mullen and freshman goalie Mia Fisher, we couldn’t get our offense back up in the second half.
“Abington had some nice players who really were able to move the ball. We’re making adjustments and hope to have things sorted out for our game on Wednesday night under the lights for Senior Night.”
Abington (9-5, 8-4 SOL) – 15th in the latest District One 3A power rankings – will host Upper Dublin on Wednesday, and Hatboro-Horsham (2-11, 2-10) will host Plymouth Whitemarsh Wednesday (7 pm).
Hatboro-Horsham 1-0-0-0 1
Abington 1-2-3-1 7
SOL Freedom Division
NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 1, SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP 0
Sophia Cozza scored a first-quarter goal that turned out to be the game-winner in another spirited match between the SOL rivals. With an 11-point lead in the division standings, the Lions clinched the division crown with Monday’s win.
“It’s always a high intensity game with Springfield,” New Hope-Solebury coach Gwen Smith said. “You have to have high energy the whole time. It’s back and forth, and that was for sure the story of today.
“Springfield did a really nice job. They created some nice offensive drives, but we were able to hold them.”
Cozza scored with an assist from Avery Mendola on a corner with 3:33 remaining in the opening quarter.
“Soph did a nice job capitalizing on our corner,” Smith said. “She read the play well and finished well.”
The Spartans held a 6-2 advantage in shots and a 5-2 edge in penalty corners.
“Springfield had some nice offensive drives that we were able to stop,” Smith said. “My goalie, Caroline Berman, played well. The defense did a nice job of staying composed and getting the ball out.
“In the first half, I thought we handled the ball a little better, but I think we played a little bit frantic in the second half, but we still stayed composed enough.”
Berman was credited with five saves in the shutout win.
“Springfield played a solid game,” Spartans’ coach Anita Stum said. “We had a lull in the second quarter but came back with a solid performance and fought right to the very last second. We just could not finish with the ball in the cage.
“Hailey Lesniak, Emily Jackson, Grace Buchholtz and Emma Yoder kept us in the game with their hustle. I am proud of the way the team played. New Hope did a good job defensively in the circle to hold us at bay.”
New Hope-Solebury (13-2, 11-2 SOL) – ranked first in the latest District One 1A power rankings – will host Lower Moreland on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Springfield Township (7-7-1, 7-5-1) will travel to Upper Moreland Wednesday. The Spartans are ranked sixth in what will be a six-team field.
New Hope-Solebury 1-0-0-0 1
Springfield Twp 0-0-0-0 0
UPPER MORELAND 0, WILLIAM TENNENT 0 (OT)
Neither team could find the cage in Monday’s division battle, although the Golden Bears had a whole lot more opportunities. UM held a 15-3 advantage in penalty corners but could not capitalize in Monday’s Senior Night game.
“Our team played with a lot of heart for a full 75 minutes,” UM coach Marissa Elizardo said. “We had plenty of chances in the attacking end but could not finish.
“Our forwards (Alexa Marczak, Jenna Piantieri, and Zoe Longstreth) did an excellent job in our press during OT and forced a handful of turnovers with their pressure. Our backs did a great job applying pressure and limiting shots on goal. While it was not the result we wanted, I am incredibly proud of the way our team played.
“Congratulations to all of our seniors (Lia Liou, Zoe Longstreth, Jenna Piantieri, Leah Zoltek, Haleigh Woodman, Claire Mahoney, Liz Santry, and Alexa Marczak).”
UM goalie Addi Hurley was credited with seven saves in the shutout win. Liz Santry recorded a defensive save for UM.
Upper Moreland (4-10-1, 2-10-1 SOL) will host Springfield Township on Wednesday, and William Tennent (1-10-1, 1-9-1) will host Cheltenham Wednesday (7 pm).
William Tennent 0-0-0-0-0 0
Upper Moreland 0-0-0-0-0 0
LOWER MORELAND 9, CHELTENHAM 0
The Lions found their offense in a decisive win over the Lady Panthers.
“We moved the ball and kept the offensive pressure going throughout the game,” LM coach Janet Lutter said. “It was a well-played game by all 22 Lady Lions who contributed to the win with goals scored by eight different players.”
Mady Link’s two-goal effort led the Lions while Carlie Keller, Reagan Hopkins, Jess Pachman, Liz Neeld, Mia Peng, Bri Rocha and Jessica Shein had one goal apiece.
Cheltenham goalie Finn Boyle was credited with 17 saves on the day.
Lower Moreland (7-7, 6-7 SOL) will travel to New Hope-Solebury on Wednesday, and Cheltenham (0-12) will travel to William Tennent for a 7 p.m. game Wednesday.
Lower Moreland 2-1-3-3 9
Cheltenham 0-0-0-0 0
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