CB West & New Hope-Solebury will represent the SOL in Saturday’s District 1 Tournament finals – West in Class 3A and New Hope-Solebury in 1A. CB West/Downingtown West photos provided courtesy of Tracy Valko. Check back for a gallery of game photos. CLICK HERE to go directly to Suburban One Sports’ FIELD HOCKEY GALLERIES.
District 1 3A semifinals
#3 CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 2, #7 DOWNINGTOWN WEST 1
Their joy was unmistakable.
The Bucks’ celebration began the moment the final horn sounded, and there were plenty of reasons to celebrate. CB West, thanks to Tuesday’s tightly contested win over the Whippets, is heading to the District 1 3A championship game.
It the program’s first trip to the district title game since 2016.
“It feels awesome,” senior Aida Ierubino said. “I don’t even know the last time West has gone to the district final, and to come together as a team and make it to the district final is so surreal. It’s awesome.”
“It feels great,” junior Zola Morelli said. “I feel we’ve grown so much together as a team, so to finally make it this far, especially after falling short last year, it feels pretty good.
“We ended last year so strong making it to the state semifinals that we knew we had to keep that momentum into this year. We lost a few good players, but we still had most of our team with us, so we knew we had to capitalize.”
Twice in the past three years, the Bucks have advanced to the state tournament, but on both occasions – 2022 and 2024, they earned the seventh and final state berth. This year, they are going in through the front door, and win or lose, they will enter the 16-team state tournament field with a favorable seed.
“Looking back – it’s my senior year, it’s Zola’s junior year, and she’s been here almost since the beginning, and it’s so 
amazing to be here and kind of see how far the program has come,” Ierubino said. “Getting seventh place freshman year, seventh place last year and now going to the district final – it’s so awesome.”
But there’s even more to it than that for the Bucks, who have been wearing new black uniforms with pink lettering during October for Breast Cancer Awareness month.
On the back of the jerseys are the initials ZM in memory of Zoe Morelli, Zola’s mother, who lost her courageous battle with breast cancer last October.
Zoe was not only a fan of field hockey but was herself an All-American and a national champion during her playing days at Becker College and then Shippensburg University.
“I feel like having her initials on our back – it’s such a symbol, and it’s right at the top, and it feels like she’s always part of us, watching us play,” Ierubino said. “It just feels like every game is for her, and it’s pretty awesome to do that.”
The uniforms were purchased with contributions made in Zoe’s memory that were split between her son Vance’s football team at West and Zola’s field hockey team.
“It definitely means a lot,” Zola said. “She was one was one of our biggest supporters last year, so being able to represent her and play for her feels good to make it this far, knowing she’s looking down on us, and we’re representing her while we do it. It’s pretty cool we get to do that. I’m very thankful.”
Morelli certainly has played a key role in the Bucks’ magical postseason journey, scoring the game-winner in overtime in last Friday’s quarterfinal win over Conestoga and then scoring a goal with one second remaining in the third quarter (Ierubino assist) to give the Bucks a 2-0 lead heading into the final quarter.
The Whippets cut that lead in half less than a minute into the fourth quarter.
“In the first half, we definitely came out really strong,” said Ierubino, whose first quarter goal with a Claire Demmer assist sent the Bucks into halftime with a 1-0 lead. “We set the pace in the first half, but obviously, when they scored, that was a momentum change for them. I do think they kind of controlled the second half, but we controlled the first half.”
The final 14 minutes were not without their anxious moments, but in a gutsy effort, the Bucks held off the Whippets for a win that assured them a spot in program history.
Scoring summary
First quarter
Aida Ierubino (CBW) assisted by Claire Demmer, 8:19
Second quarter – No score
Third quarter
Zola Morelli (CBW) assisted by Aida Ierubino, 0:18
Fourth quarter
Allie Pizak (DW) assisted by Scarlett Wood, 14:03
By the numbers: Shots: DT 18, CBW 14; Penalty corners: DT 10, CBW 7.
Central Bucks West coach Lori Ierubino:
–On the game: “This was a physical, aggressive game between two really good teams. A 1-0 lead, you were never comfortable. Even 2-0, you were never comfortable. In the third quarter, I thought we got outplayed but we ended up scoring.
“Our defense came through. We had to make a few changes during the game, and we don’t have a huge bench in terms of subs. It was a little chaotic at times, but they gritted it out, they pulled through and we’re going to the district finals.
“I’m looking forward to a really good game Saturday as a prep for states – if we’re one or two, it’s a really good lead into states.
“Tonight, we were mentally beating ourselves at times. Our receptions were off – they’re a very good team, not to take from them, but I also thought we were sort of defeating ourselves at times. Just to be able to handle the pressure of playing a really good team – you’re going to make mistakes, but then they got it right back, and they gritted through. They found a way to get it done and that’s important too.”
Up next: Central Bucks will fact top-seeded Villa Maria Academy in Saturday’s District 1 3A title game at Methacton High School (3pm). Villa Maria defeated #4 Methacton 6-0 in the other semifinal contest.
Downingtown West 0-0-0-1 1
Central Bucks West 1-0-1-0 2
District 1 3A playback game
#9 GARNET VALLEY 4, #5 SOUDERTON 1
The Indians held the edge statistically, but the visiting Jaguars had the advantage the only place that mattered – on the scoreboard.
Hannah Cornes scored the Indians’ lone goal early in the fourth quarter.
Scoring summary
First quarter – No score
Second quarter
Maggie Ioannou (GV) from Addison Troy, 10:05
Third quarter
Regan Leydig (GV) from Hannah Wines, 13:59
Regan Leydig (GV) from Fiona Marano, 11:00
Fourth quarter
Hannah Cornes (S) 9:36
Regan Leydig (GV) from Lexi Magliocco, 4:13
By the numbers: Shots: S 11, GV 10; Penalty corners: S 8, GV 6; Goalie saves: S 6, GV 11
:Unfortunately, we struggled today with the same issues we have struggled with most of the season. We failed to finish in our offensive circle and only played a half of the game with urgency. Garnet Valley had a much better step to the ball than we did until the middle of the third quarter. As a coach, it’s disappointing to have any opponent outhustle you to the ball. I do have to credit our two sophomores, Siobhan Hays and Ella Dower, who came off the bench and gave us a spark in the second half. Senior Sophie Dubois had another strong game and has really been a standout in the post-season.
Up next: Souderton will host #6 Conestoga in a playback game Thursday.
Garnet Valley 0-1-2-1 4
Souderton 0-0-1-0 1
District 1 1A semifinal
#2 NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 6, #3 DOCK MENNONITE ACADEMY 1
Teamwork.
New Hope-Solebury’s decisive win over visiting Dock Mennonite Academy in Tuesday’s district semifinal could well serve as an advertisement for teamwork. Five of the team’s six goals were assisted in a win that featured a whole lot of stick-to-stick passing and vaulted the Lions into Saturday’s District 1 1A title game against Faith Christian Academy.
Faith upset top-seeded Delco in the other semifinal contest, and its win sets up a rematch of last year’s district semifinal that saw New Hope-Solebury’s season end in a 3-0 loss to Faith.
“I’m so excited,” NH-S senior Abby Varghese said. “Especially because we played as such a team during this game, and now I feel like we’re going to be even better.
“Last year, during the semifinals, we lost to Faith, so it’s very emotional. It’s going to be a symbolistic game – can we match up to our competitors, and I feel like we can.”
For a while, it looked like Tuesday’s semifinal was going to be a dogfight. Just over a minute into the contest, Brianna McBride tipped a cross from Gabi Solis into the cage, and before fans had settled in their seats, the Lions led 1-0.
But with 25 seconds remaining in the opening quarter, Dock’s Belyse Landis (Scarlett Derstine assist) scored the equalizer.
“I feel like when they got the goal at the very end of the first quarter – it kind of shook us up a little,” Varghese said. “I can remember from our Senior Night game, we let that push us down and get in our heads and made us play emotionally.
“In this game, we expected it because of that experience, and we were able to change our mindset to focus on the game and not what the score was. That prepared us for this game. We definitely were shaken by their first goal, but we got on the field, and we were like, ‘Oh, that doesn’t dictate how we’re going to play. We’re just going to do what we know how to do and get on with it.’”
And get on with it the Lions did.
Less than two minutes into the second quarter, they regained a lead they would not lose when McBride scored her second goal of the game, this one with a Sophia Leonardi assist. With 5:42 remaining in the first half, Olivia Conte turned a McBride cross into a goal, sending the Lions into halftime with a 3-1 advantage.
“For a lot of us, that 1-1 tie -it drove us,” Conte said. “We wanted it more. A game like this gives you a lot of adrenalin. We were using each other a lot more because we all wanted it collectively as a team, and we were hungry for it.
“We were set back a little like Abby said, but we pulled it all together. We talked about it, and I think that’s what really helped. We had a lot more offensive opportunities, and then we got rolling. We used each other a lot – stick to stick, goal. It was a lot more cohesive. It was a lot of fun.”
Any thoughts of a Dock comeback were put to rest in the third quarter. Solis scored an unassisted goal six minutes into the quarter, and when Conte turned a pass from McBride into a goal during corner play, the Lions led 5-1. Another McBride to Conte goal on a corner gave the Lions their final margin of victory.
McBride had a hand in five goals, connecting on a pair and assisting on three others.
“(We took) time in our breaks to really pull ourselves together and know that we can focus on the details – the passing stick to stick and everyone being involved, working as a unit up the field,” said Conte, who collected a hat trick. “I think sometimes we got caught, and that’s why they did tie us up.
“We knew we had to pull things together defensively as well and just support each other, especially with communication. We pulled that together, and as soon as we pulled that together, we had a lot more offensive opportunities, connecting passes and just getting out there and getting corners a lot more.”
Neither team scored in the fourth quarter of a contest that left the Lions eager to get back on the field for Saturday’s district final.
“I’m really excited,” Conte said. “We have a lot of energy, and I think this team has it in us to go all the way. I think this gave us a ton of confidence, and if we go out and play the way we did today, we have a lot of opportunity ahead of us, and I think it’s going to be a great game.”
Tuesday’s win assured the Lions of a berth in the state tournament.
“My freshman year we went to states, and we got knocked out in the second round,” Conte said. “I believe everyone on this team is super hungry for that experience, including the seniors who have had that experience.
“We want that again. We want to close it out like that. We’re super excited for the opportunity, and win or lose, we have another game after that, so we have a lot more season ahead of us.”
Scoring summary
First quarter
Brianna McBride (NH-S) assisted by Gabi Solis, 13:52
Belyse Landis (DM) assisted by Scarlett Derstine, 0:25
Second quarter
Brianna McBride (NH-S) assisted by Sophia Leonardi, 13:31
Olivia Conte (NH-S) assisted by Brianna McBride, 5:42
Third quarter
Gabi Solis (NH-S) 8:56
Olivia Conte (NH-S) assisted by Brianna McBride 7:17
Olivia Conte (NH-S) assisted by Brianna McBride
Up next: New Hope-Solebury will face #4 Faith Christian Academy in the District 1 1A final on Saturday (11:30 a.m.) at Methacton High School.
Dock Mennonite 1-0-0-0 1
New Hope-Solebury 1-2-3-0 6
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