Central Bucks East advanced to Saturday’s District 1 4A title game while Pennridge kept its season alive with a win. CB East/Downingtown West photos courtesy of John Gleeson. CLICK HERE to view Suburban One Sports’ GIRLS’ SOCCER GALLERIES. (Pennridge/OJR photos courtesy of Gordon Kocher/Pennridge Soccer)
Class 4A semifinal
No. 2 Central Bucks East 3, No. 6 Downingtown West 1
In legal terms, “possession is nine-tenths of the law” basically means someone physically in control of something has a stronger claim to it than someone just saying they own it.
In soccer terms, it’s not too far off from that. A team that controls the ball has a much stronger claim to the eventual result than the one that’s chasing after the ball trying to claim it back as their own. The more a team keeps the ball, the more chances they can generate and, in theory, the more goals they’ll score.
At times, it felt like the Patriots had nine-tenths of the possession in Tuesday’s semifinal, and it allowed them to lay claim to a second trip to the District 1 4A title game in the last three years.
“Some days or some halves, we’re just really ‘on’ and that first half and some of the second half was like that,” forward Mia Forney said. “Everything was working, the connections were being made, and it was easy the way everything was just coming to us.”
The Patriots’ lineup is an interesting mix. Of the 10 field players that start, half of them are sophomores and the other half seniors although senior center backs Savannah Hayes and Sydney Ralph are also first-year starters. So for many of them, Saturday’s district title game will be a new experience.
Two years ago, the Patriots lost in a thrilling final against Neshaminy but saw their district run tripped up early last fall, forcing them to play their way into states. While the program has established a high bar, having qualified to the PIAA bracket now four years in a row, East senior co-captain Jessie Bernabe wasn’t treating Tuesday as just another win.
“I’d say definitely take it in, I think sometimes it can be a little under-appreciated just how hard it is to get where we are right now and where we have been the past two or three years,” Bernabe said. “It’s something to be celebrated, it’s a huge accomplishment and I want our underclassmen to realize how big of an accomplishment it really is.”
Getting past the Whippets, who had beaten three straight SOL opponents in their playoff run, would require a special kind of effort. From the opening tap, the Patriots looked like they were ready to bring it.
Downingtown West had to clear a ball off the goal line two minutes in, then East senior Madelyn Hill forced a kick save that took a fortunate bounce for the Whippets off the post and out a few minutes later. The Patriots center midfield trio of Bernabe, Kiera Sleicher and Ava Mignon was particularly strong, it seemed every time the ball went into the middle, one of those three came out in possession and they strung some quality passes together.
Forney was relentless, the sophomore finishing with a goal, an assist and several set piece opportunities created through her willingness to go at attackers.
Near the midpoint of the first half, the Patriots won a corner and as they lined up, Sleicher and Forney worked up an idea.
“I whispered to Mia ‘let’s do a short corner,’ so she played me the ball, I took a touch and there was a player running on so I just hit it as quick as I could,” Sleicher said. “I got on my left foot, and I got it to the back upper 90.”
The strike put the Patriots ahead at halftime, but they knew there was work to be done, especially after they’d seen Downingtown West turn things up in a quarterfinal round win over Pennridge.
“We saw they came out strong in the second half and we knew they were going to come out strong again, especially being down one,” Forney said. “We knew we needed to be stronger, and sometimes we do struggle with that coming out in the second half. Tonight, our beginning was very strong and just what we needed.”
East’s back line was solid as well, twins Ella and Taylor Roumy held their ground on the flanks while Ralph was strong in the air and she and Hayes were involved in the possession and passing game too. Senior Mae Leedy, who got the whole game in goal, made eight saves and was locked in late when Downingtown West found a spark in the final 15 minutes.
“It was a great win,” Hayes said. “Everybody gave 110 percent, I’m just really proud of this team.”
Taylor Roumy got free down the left side, the defender able to serve in a nice cross that proved a little too high for a mark at the near post but just perfect for Forney at the far post. The forward was able to settle the ball and knocked in a short-range finish to make it 2-0.
Shortly after, Forney would win another corner with a run at the Whippets’ back line. That one turned into a goal when Sleicher bombed a great ball off the service across the box to the far post, where Bernabe put it home with a thunderous header.
“The halftime talk, everybody was really proud of our first half, we knew we had a few things to work on, but it was a really strong half,” Bernabe said. “At the same time, as Mia said, we knew we had to take it up one more notch in that second half.”
Downingtown West made it a little interesting late, the Whippets getting a goal with 6:37 left amidst a run of pressure during the final 15 minutes, but the Patriots held the line.
Now, they have a chance to win a district title on Saturday when they face No. 8 seed Lower Merion.
“Once we got the first goal, everything really picked up for us,” Sleicher said. “We started off strong and we were really connected tonight.”
Scoring Summary
1st half
CBE – Kiera Sleicher (Mia Forney) 21:34
2nd half
CBE – Mia Forney (Taylor Roumy) 24:55
CBE – Jessie Bernabe (Kiera Sleicher) 18:03
DW – Camryn Bayly 6:37
CB East senior Jessie Bernabe on the team’s performance: “The work rate was top-notch tonight. Everyone was giving 110 percent tonight, I think everyone had an amazing game and like Jake said before the game, everybody needed to have a 10 out of 10 game tonight, we couldn’t afford any lower scores than that.
“After our last game, which we didn’t feel like was our best, we knew this one had to get 110 percent from everybody.”
–The team’s ability to play off each other: “It’s our connection on and off the field. It’s so much easier when you’re friends with everybody you’re playing with, and we work well together. We all know where each other are and what needs to be done.
“We know where to go. I know Mia’s playing style and where she’s going to go, and I think there’s a lot of that between the other girls too, so it’s easy to know where the ball is going to go, but also where it needs to go.”
CB East sophomore Mia Forney on the team’s connections: “The chemistry between our attacking half of the field is super tight this year, everyone knows without looking or hearing where the other people are going to be. We know the runs everyone’s making, and we know everyone’s ability, so it’s been easier this year.”
CB East sophomore Kiera Sleicher on carrying the effort forward: “We have to play the same way. I think we dominated the game, they are a really good team and we owned them and shut them down, so I think if we can take that same energy into the next game, we’ll have a really good chance to win.”
Up next: CB East (20-1, 10-0 SOL) will face No. 8 Lower Merion in the District 1 4A final at Spring-Ford, set for 3 p.m. on Saturday
DOWNINGTOWN WEST 0 1 – 1
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 1 2 – 3
Class 4A playback
No. 3 Pennridge 3, No. 10 Owen J Roberts 0
One down, one to go.
If the Rams want to defend their PIAA Class 4A title, they’re going to have to win their way in. That track started Tuesday with a visit from Owen J Roberts, the PAC champion and an opponent Pennridge had seen way back in its season opener.
“It was a good night for us,” Rams coach Audrey Anderson said. “We came out strong and we were able to control the tempo. We wanted to make sure we created more goal scoring opportunities and really focused on taking quality shots on goal.”
Seniors Kaylie Thran and Caitlyn Peace combined to open the scoring while senior Kate Brashear added the second goal, also her second tally of the season after coming off a knee injury, to make it 2-0 at half. Junior Cam Snyder scored in the second half, it was her third straight postseason game notching a goal while junior defender Avery Runk assisted the second and third markers.
Pennridge will need one more win to get into states. Standing in their way is another team they know well in top-seeded Conestoga, the Pioneers having served as Pennridge’s opponent in last year’s District 1 and PIAA finals.
In a strange twist, it will come down to a rematch of last year’s state championship game to decide which team gets the last spot out of District 1 in the PIAA bracket.
Scoring Summary
1st Half
P – Kaylie Thran (Caitlyn Peace)
P – Kate Brashear (Avery Runk)
2nd Half
P – Cam Snyder (Avery Runk)
Rams coach Audrey Anderson on the goals: “Caitlyn Peace put another dangerous cross in, and Kaylie Thran was able to make contact to put the ball in the goal. Kate Brashear had our second goal, another hard-earned goal, and Camryn Snyder finished off our goal scoring after beating a couple players and placing the ball past the keeper.”
–Props: “Avery Runk had a great goal-scoring opportunity out of the back in the second half. We had a handful of corners but just missed the goal. I thought defensively we did a good job of defending their deep/long throw-ins. We are looking forward to another opportunity on Friday.”
Up next: Pennridge (17-3-1, 7-2-1 SOL) will visit No. 1 Conestoga at 4 p.m. Friday in the fifth-place game with the winner getting the final spot in the state playoffs.
OWEN J ROBERTS 0 0 – 0
PENNRIDGE 2 1 – 3
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