Check out the recaps for SOL field hockey teams in action Wednesday. Wissahickon/Hatboro-Horsham photos courtesy of Kim Supko, Pennsbury/CR South photos provided courtesy of Darryl Rule of J&D Photography and Neshaminy/Bensalem photos courtesy of Greg Lindsay. Check back for photo galleries.
SOL Patriot Division
NESHAMINY 2, BENSALEM 0
With 14 seniors on its roster, Neshaminy had plenty of reasons to celebrate on the team’s Senior Night. The Redskins capped off the celebration with a shutout win over the visiting Owls.
Senior Mia Brooks converted a penalty stroke midway through the second quarter and then assisted on senior Sydney Shearer’s insurance goal early in the fourth quarter.
Scoring Summary
First quarter
No score
Second quarter
Mia Brooks, penalty stroke (N) 8:07
Third quarter
No score
Fourth quarter
Sydney Shearer from Mia Brooks (N) 13:21
Neshaminy coach Jamie Pinto: “Tonight we celebrated our 14 seniors and were able to get the win. Tonight, all the seniors worked hard and well together on the field; it was a nice night to celebrate a great group. The coaches would like to thank: Lily Basalik, Mia Brooks, Molly Fehrle, Eve Garrison, Kylie Kiss, Delaney Mee, Ellie Miller, Emma Sauermelch, Sydney Shearer, Lauren Staines, Lexi Tarapchak, Taylor Tenaglia , Abby Weiner, and Amya Young for their time and dedication the past four years.”
Bensalem coach Gary Kubik:
–The game: “The teams played a scoreless first quarter with both teams getting one corner each. It stayed scoreless until 8:07 remaining in the second quarter when Neshaminy was awarded a stroke. The ball was saved by Lexi Hartman as it headed into the goal by her stick, then the ball, which was no longer going to the goal, hit Hartman’s foot. The correct call should have been a corner, but the umpire awarded the stroke. Mia Brooks, who is the reigning Player of the Year, stepped up and converted the stroke.
“The teams went into halftime at 1-0. No scoring in the third quarter led to a one-goal deficit going into the fourth. Just one minute and 43 seconds into the fourth quarter, the Skins got their second on a right baseline run and Sydney Shearer deposited into the back of the cage.”
–Props: “I am so proud of the way our girls played tonight against the seven-time defending champs. This team has made so many strides in the last few years, and it’s such a great thing to see. I’ve been around for a few years watching this competition, and this year was the closest we’ve come in a long time. As a coach, I’m getting tired of saying ‘good game, we were so close,’ but tonight, that was a good game and we were so close. I can’t wait to see where this takes us in the future.
“Offensively, we weren’t able to convert tonight, but we were able to pull three corners and have our own stroke called. Mollie Reilly scored what was believed to be our first goal, only to have it called back and be called a stroke. We were unable to convert.
“Defensively, we were in this game until the end. We were able to play with this team up and down the field. Standout games from Abby Cheung, Veronica Lennon, and Lexi Hartman(with a defensive save-yeah, it was), superb midfield play from Reese and Tierney Sayers, Anjali Guda and Paige Dando.
“Goaltender Hailey Fricke had 8 saves on the night.”
Up next: Neshaminy will be on the road at Council Rock South on Monday (7pm), and Bensalem will host Jenkintown in a non-league game Friday.
Bensalem 0-0-0-0 0
Neshaminy 0-1-0-1 2
PENNSBURY 6, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 3
(Submitted by Pennsbury FH)
It was a perfect fall evening on Falcon Field under the lights, setting the scene for a great field hockey game. The Falcons were happy to take to their home pitch again after a very long travel stint at the end of September. Coming off a strong showing against the Lower Moreland Lions at home on Monday (won 7-0), the orange and black were ready to jump back into league play. It had been four games, and they missed their Patriot Division peeps. Pennsbury came into the game leading the Patriot division with a 6-0 record, and they understood the assignment as they faced Council Rock South for the second time. The remaining league games were important steps along the way to clinching the SOL title – something this program has not accomplished during head coach, Traci Curtis’ tenure (2019-present). It’s been a little over a month since their first match p where Pennsbury defeated the Rock 6-1, but with time comes lots of growth and change – tonight they arrived as different teams.
The Falcons came out of the gates with strength, dominating possession and working the ball skillfully throughout the field. They earned a penalty corner in the first six minutes of the game and executed it beautifully. Iacona launched a rocket shot from the top of the circle off of Ryan Burdette’s insert and the sound of the backboard echoed across the stadium. PHS went up 1-0 and was just getting started.
“We had taken time at practice and before the game to work on shots from the top, isolating and breaking down the skill – fine tuning timing, footwork, and focus and it paid off. It was a beautiful corner shot,” said head coach, Traci Curtis.
Two minutes later, junior defender Allie Fouss sent a long ball from far outside of the PHS attacking circle that made its way to the CRN goalie. Nandi Ntshalintshali was right there to collect the ball and shot it into the pads, but sophomore midfielder Lilly Alon was ready for the rebound with a quick stick and sent it right back for the goal. PHS went up 2-0 on great heads up play in the circle and took that score into the second quarter.
“We loved the way the girls were playing,” explained Curtis. “Our passing was really on target and the off-ball movement was smooth and creating a lot of opportunities. Our midfield and defense were denying them the chance to get their attack going by filling the space well and anticipating every move.”
The orange and black continued to dominate possession and earn penalty corners in the second quarter, but the CR South goalie made it difficult to add to the two-goal lead with some stellar saves. With four minutes left in the quarter the Hawks found a way to break through Pennsbury’s defense and put one past goalie Amelia Fernandes, making it a 2-1 game with a lot of hockey left to play.
“Fernandes made the initial save, but they did a good job of picking up the rebound for a second chance and finishing in that moment,” said Curtis.
Fifty seconds later, the PHS dynamic duo of Iacona and Burdette had an answer for the Hawks. On the whistle, Iacona helped the Falcons gain yardage with a big hit over the endline. They pushed up and gained possession right at the circle. Iacona took a quick free hit and weaved through a few defenders. She dumped the ball to the stroke where Burdette was ready to pounce – and she did with a one-time shot that flew past the diving goalie. PHS was leading 3-1 in a matter of seconds. South was gaining momentum and earned a corner toward the end of the quarter, but Fernandes denied the shot. The score remained 3-1 going into halftime.
Two minutes into the third quarter, Ryan Burdette had a breakaway with Iacona to her left. Burdette took the shot on the move, and the goalie made the save. The save bounced off the goalie’s pads right to Iacona, who never broke stride and batted the rebound into the goal to notch another one for the Falcons and her second of the game. It was a 4-1 game with two quarters left to play. With time almost expired in the quarter, Pennsbury earned a few corners in a row,2 and as the clock hit 0:00, Burdette scored her second of the game on some more great rebounding. The Falcons widened the gap 5-1 going into the final quarter of play.
South showed no signs of slowing, and in fact, they used sheer speed to score in the first three minutes of the fourth quarter. The Hawks Kylee Ward gained possession of the ball in their defensive end and ran it for 80 yards past several PHS players and pushed a dinger right by PHS goalie, Fernandes to finish the play. CRS was still ready to battle making it a 5-2 game with 12:15 to play. Rock scored the next goal as well, earning a penalty corner at the 4:45 mark and connecting on a nice reverse tap right in front of the goalie.
“South never let up for sixty minutes and that third goal was a wake-up call,” Curtis said. “You can never let down or think a game is in the bag – not at this level and at this point in the season. Teams come back the second time with a new look and things to prove. We can’t allow scoring like that in the final quarter of a game.”
Now it was 5-3 with 4:33 left – plenty of time for the Hawks to come back and make an amazing headline.
But Pennsbury’s Abby Iacona wanted a different headline. Twenty seconds later, on the starting whistle, Burdette and Iacona did a give-and-go that landed the ball on Iacona’s stick. She dodged a handful of Rock players in the circle and executed a beautiful reverse stick shot into the net. That gave her a hat trick, and the gap widened 6-3, making the Hawks’ comeback a little more difficult as time ticked away. The Falcons secured the victory on their home turf, sweeping CR South in the division, bringing their record to 11-2 overall and 7-0 in the Patriot Division.
Curtis summarizes, “This was a well-played game across the board – our passing continues to be our super power, and the connections on the field are telepathic. We had eight penalty corners and got off twenty shots while holding Rock to three corners and a handful of shots. The work we have to do is not allowing scoring like that in the final quarter and continue to fine tune what we can. It was another full team effort that makes us really proud of this group as a whole. This was the next step, and we will take each day as it comes.”
Up next: Pennsbury will host Truman on Monday afternoon for another league matchup, and Council Rock South will travel to Abington for a non-league SOL crossover game on Friday (5pm).
Council Rock South 0-1-0-2 3
Pennsbury 2-1-2-1 6
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 8, HARRY S TRUMAN 2
(Game information will be added when it’s received.)
SOL Colonial Division
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 2, NORTH PENN 1
Brynn Bonargo broke a 1-1 tie with a goal midway through the fourth quarter, turning a Sam Lafferty pass into a goal that stood as the game-winner.
Bonargo had a hand in both goals, assisting on a second quarter goal by Emerson McFeely.
In a contest that saw North Penn celebrate its Senior Night, Samantha Stone scored the team’s lone goal early in the third quarter.
Scoring Summary
First quarter
No score
Second quarter
Emerson McFeely assisted by Brynn Bonargo (CBE) 11:50
Third quarter
Samantha Stone (NP) 10:05
Fourth quarter
Brynn Bonargo assisted by Sam Lafferty (CBE) 8:25
By the numbers: Penalty corners- CBE 8, NP 12; Shots- CBE 8, NP 9; Saves- CBE Nora Kanyok 8, NP Julianna Henning 1, Liz McClarron 6. Defensive saves: NP- Lily Brown, CBE – Sam Lafferty
Central Bucks East coach Sam Rosenthal
“Every time we play North Penn, it’s a great game, and tonight was no different. It was a really back and forth game, and I’m just proud of us for working the ball up the field together and utilizing our teammates to double the ball nicely tonight. Thea Martinez and Lily Okolichany did a great job locking down the middle and working together very nicely tonight, connecting all sides of the field. Caitlyn Puhalla had some really nice runs on attack and got some good momentum for us.
“A big turning point in the game came with Sam Lafferty’s defensive save. Had that ball gone in, it would have shifted the entire momentum of the game. Brynn Bonargo and Emerson McFeely did a great job creating offensive opportunities and finding the back of the cage.”
North Penn coach Shannon McCracken
“It was an intense battle and fast paced game tonight. Unfortunately, we made a few critical mental errors and did not capitalize on offensive corner opportunities. We have a tough division, and every game against division opponents has an intensity and competitiveness to it. Well played by CB East.
“Congratulations to our senior class – Cara Albano, Sofie Arnaiz, Lily Brown, Abby Clark, Devon Crowley, Julianna Henning, and Ava Taubenberger.”
Up next: Central Bucks East will host Central Bucks South Monday (7pm), and North Penn will be on the road for a non-league game at Plymouth Whitemarsh Friday.
Central Bucks East 0-1-0-1 2
North Penn 0-0-1-0 1
SOUDERTON 2, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 1
The Indians found themselves on the short end of a 1-0 score after one quarter but answered with a pair of goals in the final three minutes of the second quarter – both by Brooke Wagner, the second with a Caylee DeSimone assist.
Jenna Butler accounted for South’s goal.
Scoring Summary
First quarter
Jenna Butler (CBS) 12:29
Second quarter
Brooke Wagner (S) 2:47
Brooke Wagner from Caylee DeSimone (S) 0:00
By the numbers: Shots: CBS 7, S: 6; Penalty corners: CBS 2, S12; Goalie saves: CBS Sophia Hurley (4) S Rylee DeSimone (6)
Central Bucks South Steph Bardell:
“Our turn on the injury bus. Five games in eight days was tough on our squad. We are tired against a fast and prepared Souderton team.
“’Control our controllables,’ that’s all we could say to our players about today’s game.”
–Props: “Hailey Finn and Paige Bauman had strong games for our team today.
Ella Marchesi and Jenna Butler worked with Ryann VanDerSluis and Mia Jones to move the ball through the field and recover back. We look towards our break and coming back strong with a three-game week next week.
Up next: Souderton will be on the road at Pennridge on Monday (7pm), and Central Bucks South will travel to Central Bucks East on Monday (7pm).
Central Bucks South 1-0-0-0 1
Souderton 0-2-0-0. 2
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 4, PENNRIDGE 0
Lucy Smith had a hand in three goals, scoring the first – which turned out to be the game-winner, adding a second-quarter goal and then assisting on Heidi Schoenleber’s goal during corner play in the third quarter.
The Bucks, who pelted the Lady Rams with 30 shots, drew just three corners, but they capitalized on two of them – the first by Zola Morelli with a Schoenleber assist with time expired in the first quarter and the second by Schoenleber in the third quarter with a Smith assist.
Scoring Summary
First quarter
Lucy Smith field goal (CBW) 12:20
Zola Morelli from Heidi Schoenleber corner (CBW) 0:00
Second quarter
Lucy Smith from Quinn Carroll (CBW) 2:44
Third quarter
Heidi Schoenleber from Lucy Smith corner (CBW) 2:18
Fourth quarter
No score
By the numbers: Penalty corners: CBW 3, P 2; Cs 3, SOG: CBW 30, P 3; Goalkeeper saves: CBW 3, P 26; Defensive save:
Central Bucks West coach Lori Ierubino:
“A beautiful display of passing In tonight’s contest. We had good execution on corners scoring on 2 of our 3 earned penalty corners. Shout out to the entire team and Pennridge for their tenacity and growth this season.”
Up next: Central Bucks West will host North Penn Monday (7pm), and Pennridge will host Souderton on Monday (7pm)
Central Bucks West 2-1-1-0 4
Pennridge 0-0-0-0 0
SOL Liberty Division
WISSAHICKON 5, HATBORO-HORSHAM 2
Carly Lehman had herself a Senior Night to remember. The Wissahickon senior collected a hat trick in the second quarter, erasing an early Hatters’ 1-0 lead. For good measure, Lehman tacked on a pair of goals in the fourth 
quarter, finishing with all five of the Trojans’ goals in a stellar outing. Layla Keller assisted on the first two.
Scoring Summary
First quarter
Hatboro-Horsham goal
Second quarter
Carly Lehman from Layla Keller (W) 13:01
Carly Lehman from Layla Keller (W) 11:24
Carly Lehman (W) 0:45
Third quarter
Hatboro-Horsham goal
Fourth quarter
Carly Lehman (W) 9:20
Carly Lehman (W) 4:00
Wissahickon coach Hannah Havrilla
–The game: “We started out slow and on our heels, but we were able to turn it around in the second half and play our style of hockey for our seniors. We need to continue to be patient in our defensive end and remember that second effort and grit are needed for a full 60 minutes of hockey.”
–Props: “I would like to recognize our amazing six seniors tonight: Hannah Perkins, Manika Ishi, Abby Smith, Samantha Farno, Layla Keller, and Carly Lehman. Shoutout to all of them for an amazing four years with our
program and for their incredible leadership, effort, and attitude. We are not the team we are without them, and they have left a lasting impact on this program.
”Props to Carly Lehman for having five goals on Senior Night! What an incredible accomplishment and an amazing stat to finish her high school career. Gettysburg is lucky to be getting a scoring machine!
“Also, props to Layla Keller for recording assists on two of Carly’s goals. She truly is a playmaker with great speed who always steps up when we need her the most.”
Up next: Wissahickon will travel to Upper Dublin on Monday (7pm) for the Cardinals’ Corners for Cancer game, and Hatboro-Horsham will host Upper Moreland for its Senior Night on Thursday (7pm).
Hatboro-Horsham 1-1-0-0 2
Wissahickon 0-3-0-2 5
QUAKERTOWN 5, ABINGTON 0
The Panthers continued to roll through the SOL, upping their winning streak to 13 with a shutout road win over the Ghosts.
Sunny Draper once again set the tone for the Panthers, scoring a pair of first-quarter goals – the second with an assist from Cassidy Landis. Penny Longacre scored her first of two goals in the closing minute of the opening quarter – also with a Landis assist.
Quakertown added a pair of goals in the third quarter – one each from Penny Longacre and Zoe Smith, both with assists from Mya Pallone.
Scoring Summary
First quarter
Sunny Draper direct shot (Q) 10:09
Sunny Draper assisted by Cassidy Landis (Q) 2:17
Penny Longacre assisted by Cassidy Landis 0:40
Second quarter
No score
Third quarter
Penny Longacre assisted by Mya Pallone (Q) 12:21
Zoe Smith assisted by Mya Pallone (Q) 8:14
Fourth quarter
No score
By the numbers: Goalkeeper saves: Darcy Baxter (Q) 1.
Quakertown coach Peach Draper:
“We were dominant right from the opening whistle today, setting the tone early with three goals in the first quarter to secure a complete team win where everyone contributed.
“We are so thankful for our fans and their non-stop support, and we want to wish a very special Happy 18th Birthday to Cassidy Landis, who celebrated with two big assists!
“While we’re proud of today’s performance, the job isn’t done, we’re going to keep putting in the work every single day as we push ourselves to meet and exceed our standard. Proud to be QCSD.”
Up next: Quakertown will travel to Plymouth Whitemarsh for a key division battle Monday, and Abington will host Council Rock South in a non-league SOL crossover game.
Quakertown 3-0-2-0 5
Abington 0-0-0-0 0
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 7, UPPER DUBLIN 1
Kayleigh Boland connected on a pair of first-quarter goals, and the Colonials were off and running. They led 3-0 after one quarter and took a 3-1 lead into halftime. They put the game out of reach with a three-goal third quarter that saw Boland score to collect her first hat trick.
Gracie Kerns scored two goals for PW.
UD’s Remy Wilmore (Abby Rucker assist) broke up PW’s shutout bid with a goal midway through the second quarter.
Scoring Summary
First quarter
Kayleigh Boland (PW) 13:00
Kayleigh Boland (PW) 8:04
Gracie Kerns (PW) 4:26
Second quarter
Remy Wilmore assisted by Abby Rucker (UD) 7:28
Third quarter
Gracie Kerns assisted by Sophie Kerns (PW) 3:44
Kayleigh Boland (PW) 1:38
Reese Smith (PW)00:16
Fourth quarter
Leah Caucci, PW, Q4, 14:20
By the numbers: Penalty corners: PW 8, UD 0. Saves: Bree Molony (PW) 2, Lily Barclay (PW) 1.
Plymouth Whitemarsh coach Charise Halteman:
“PW had a strong offensive showing today with sophomore Kayleigh Boland scoring her first career hat trick. Boland scored the first two goals of the game, finishing scrappy plays in front of the cage at the 13-minute mark and 8:04 mark of the first quarter. Gracie Kerns – with 4:26 remaining in the first quarter – got off a strong shot from the top right-hand side of the circle.
“Upper Dublin played with intensity throughout the game and scored during the second quarter (7:28) and kept the game close for much of the third quarter. The game broke open at the end of the third quarter (3:44) when PW executed a nice corner play (Gracie Kerns assisted by Sophie Kerns). Boland would score her third of the game with 1:38 left and Reese Smith added one with 0:16 seconds left to give PW the 6-1 lead. Leah Caucci scored early in the fourth quarter (14:20) to round out the scoring. Defender, Julz Scherzer, played a strong possession game to help PW control the play.”
Upper Dublin coach Erica Kelly:
“Huge credit to PW, they are a very strong team and consistently come out ready to play. Today, we strung together a lot of great passing patterns and quick transitions in the second quarter. Our focus is on maintaining that level of play for the whole 60 minutes. I would like to shout-out Ellie Kusnitz, Caitlin Diehl and Caroline Powell for their energy and effort to step to every 50-50 ball today.”
Up next: Plymouth Whitemarsh will host North Penn in a non-league SOL crossover game Friday, and Upper Dublin will host Wissahickon on Monday.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 3-1-3-1 7
Upper Dublin 0-1-0-0 1
SOL Freedom Division
UPPER MORELAND 2, LOWER MORELAND 1 (OT)
Sophia Riehle and Olivia Torres combined for a pair of goals, including the game-winner when Riehle turned a pass from Torres into a goal with 4:17 remaining in a classic battle of neighboring rivals.
Scoring Summary
First quarter
Sophia Rehle from Olivia Torres (UM) 7:09r
M London (LM) 0:02
Second quarter
No score
Third quarter
No score
Fourth quarter
No score
Overtime
Sophia Riehle from Olivia Torres (UM) 4:17
(Article submitted by Upper Moreland FH)
This was a rematch of a game in September where UM felt they let the win slip away. That game was one of Upper Moreland’s first league games and we lost in OT and certainly wanted to redeem ourselves today.
As a team, we talked about how much we have improved as a team since the last meeting and wanted to show it today by playing at our best! Our goalie, Izzy Fisher, has improved so much! The first meeting was one of Fisher’s first varsity games with a lot of pressure. Today, Fisher handled the pressure with more confidence and composure with 13 saves, including one in OT and only allowed one goal on a corner.
Upper Moreland scored the first goal eight minutes into the game! Olivia Torres sent a hard pass across the circle and Soph Riehle swept it in for the goal.
The game continued with a lot of back and forth. We were missing two key starters today, so everyone had to step it up and subs off the bench played multiple minutes to keep the play at a high level. ACM Olivia Torres never came out of the game and battled to the end. Liv gives it her all every game and today, she was determined to do everything she could to get the win! The team was tired going into OT, but Liv was able to dig deep and dominate the OT.
When UM forced a corner. Liv put a great shot on goal that Soph Riehle was able to get the rebound off the pads to sweep it in for the victory goal!
Our forwards played with a lot of energy today! Even though they did not score a lot, this was one of the best games for our forward trio of MJ Reilly, Gianna Jones and Soph Riehle! They had multiple breakaways and did a great job keeping possession but just couldn’t find the back of the net.
On defense, once again Hannah Gardner and Bridget Hess stopped the Lions attack from getting in the circle multiple times. On defense, Charlotte Russo earned the game ball for her outstanding defensive play, making key tackles, clearing the ball out of the circle and consistently moving it upfield to her teammates.
Lower Moreland loves to play the right, so Lyla Soleau did a great job stopping the Lions momentum multiple times along with Mia Hood providing valuable minutes off the bench.
Sophomore Kourtney Malone played one of her best games of the season. Kourtney’s main sport is lacrosse and as the season continues, she is developing into an impactful field hockey player. Junior Harper Richmond also battled throughout the game. Richmond’s positive attitude and willingness to learn has continued to help her grow throughout the season.
All in all, the team is improving and looking forward to finishing the season strong!
Up next: Upper Moreland will travel to Hatboro-Horsham Thursday, and Lower Moreland will be on the road at Cheltenham Monday.
Lower Moreland 1-0-0-0 1
Upper Moreland 1-1-0-0 2
NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 8, WILLIAM TENNENT 0
Gabi Solis continued her explosive offensive production, connecting for a hat trick and also contributing an assist to lead the visiting Lions to the win. Danielle Wilson added a pair of goals while Elizabeth Varghese had a goal and an assist.
Eight players contributed to the scoring for the Lions, who opened up a 3-0 lead after one quarter and never looked back.
Scoring Summary
Gabi Solis 3 goals, 1 assist
Danielle Wilson 2 goals
Olive Rankin 1 goal
Elizabeth Varghese 1 goal, 1 assist
Rebecca Valliyil 1 goal
Brianna McBride 1 assist
Bridgette Smith 1 assist
Josie Taggi 1 assist
Up next: New Hope-Solebury will host Springfield Twp on Monday (6pm), and William Tennent will be on the road at Archbishop Wood for a non-league game Friday.
New Hope-Solebury 3-2-1-2 8
William Tennent 0-0-0-0 0
SPRINGFIELD TWP 8, CHELTENHAM 0
(Game information will be added when it is received)
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