Pennsbury & Neshaminy notched wins in SOL field hockey action Wednesday. (Pennsbury photos provided courtesy of Pennsbury field hockey)
SOL Patriot Division
PENNSBURY 10, HARRY S TRUMAN 0
(Article submitted by Pennsbury field hockey)
It was an historic day for the Pennsbury High School field hockey team when they took the field against the Truman Tigers at 3:00PM. The contest marked the first ever game played on the recently finished turf in the newly renovated Falcon Field Stadium.
“Today was about so much more than the sport or this game,” coach Traci Curtis said. “It was about having this moment for our players and embracing the excitement we all feel surrounding this brand new space on our campus.
“We have all been waiting for such a long time to have an updated facility and a place we can proudly call home. To be the first team to use it for a game meant a lot to us
– it may seem like something so simple, but it was a big deal and not something we are taking for granted. We understand the privilege it is to play a sport and have this facility to use, and we will honor that along the way. I was glad to share the moment with our entire field hockey family and with outstanding coaches – Lori Riley, Lauren Gerth, and Michelle Siegle.”
The Falcons iced the cake and won 10-0, scoring in every quarter and distributing the work amongst both varsity and JV players.
“We had never stepped foot on this turf, so the girls had to acclimate to the new surface in real time during the game,” Curtis explains. “We have another game tomorrow, so this was a great opportunity to settle in and get comfortable with our new home.”
The goal scoring was shared across the board with great passing combinations and purposeful assists. Senior Rylie Borgman had a hat trick and freshman Abby Iacona set the table and spoon fed her teammates almost every time there was an offensive push, helping them to be successful in the circle.
“It was a complete effort from everyone and an afternoon we will never forget,” Curtis said. “Our season theme is RAISE THE BAR, and I think we achieved that today both on and off the field.
“I have to give kudos to the Truman coach Alexa Doyle. She leads with her heart and is working so hard with her team. Not only did her girls never give up, they were extremely respectful and had great sportsmanship – it was nice to be able to share the moment with such a great group of athletes. Cheers to all of the students at Pennsbury who will be competing, performing, graduating, and collecting treasured memories in the new stadium for many years to come.
Pennsbury (3-2, 2-2 SOL) is set to host Council Rock North on Thursday at 3:00PM for their first meeting of the season. Harry S Truman (0-5, 0-3) will host Council Rock South Thursday.
NESHAMINY 2, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 1
They needed a bounce-back win, and the Redskins got it.
Sparked by a pair of Kasey Rieger goals, the Redskins opened up a 2-0 lead and held on for the division win. The win came on the heels of a 3-2 loss to Council Rock North in a game the Redskins dominated play.
“Today was much better for us – we learned a lot from North,” said Neshaminy coach Jamie Pinto.
Rieger – who reached the 100-point milestone – connected on an unassisted goal to put the ‘Skins on the scoreboard less than five minutes into the contest, and with 5:45 remaining in the opening half, she added her second goal.
Rock South broke up Neshaminy’s shutout bid with a goal by Annagrace McKinney with 4:54 remaining in regulation for the 2-1 final.
“We can’t play defense for most of the game,” Rock South coach Kelly Mason said. “We have really good moments, but we need to be more consistent on offense. We made a simple error that caused us to go down by a goal early.
“Junior captains Maria and Sarah Freeman played well on both sides of the ball, and they are a strong presence for our team. Ava Leonetti came off of the bench in the second half and gave us some momentum going forward. We scored late in the fourth quarter, and we ran out of time before we could get our spark going. If we learn to score earlier it will lead to more success.”
Pinto lauded the strong play of several of her players.
“Defensively, we were led by Morgan Shaltens, Maddy Shtino and Alayna Roscoe,” Pinto said. “Casey Rieger led the offense.
“Mia Sermarini also did a nice job at generating offense and working hard. We are going to continue to learn from our mistakes, improve and work together as a team.”
Neshaminy (3-1, 2-1 SOL) will travel to Bensalem on Thursday, and Council Rock South (2-2, 2-1) will host Pennridge in a crossover game Thursday.
Neshaminy 1-1-0-0 2
Council Rock South 0-0-0-1 1
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