CB South & PW advanced in the District 1 3A Tournament. CB South/CB West photos provided courtesy of Tracy Valko. Check back for a photo gallery of the game.
CLASS 3A
#13 CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 2, #4 CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 1
Amy Hazell had a good feeling heading into Tuesday night’s second round district game against the fourth-seeded Bucks.
Granted, the Bucks were decided favorites, and it was hard to argue that fact since they owned a pair of regular season 2-0 wins over the Titans, but none of that mattered to the senior captain and her Titan teammates.
“Honestly, we had that underdog mentality,” Hazell said. “We haven’t beaten them since our freshman year, and we didn’t have anything to lose, right?
“I think there was a lot of excitement, I think obviously some nerves, but overall, I think we all just wanted to win.”
And on a crisp fall night under the bright lights of War Memorial Field, the Titans found themselves on top 2-1 when the final horn sounded. It was a moment to savor.
“There was a lot to process in the moment,” Hazell said. “Obviously, I was flooded with happiness that we have another shot, we have another game coming up.
“But honestly, I think we’ve been itching to win for years. It’s been my dream since freshman year to kind of get that going. I’ve been waiting, I’ve been itching, so, honestly, I just broke down in tears.”
On Wednesday, in the third meeting between the two teams, it was the Titans turning the tables on the division champion Bucks and opening up a 2-0 lead when – with two minutes remaining in the third quarter – Hazell scored with an assist from Emily Aldrich. A goal by West’s Lucy Smith with 2:35 remaining in regulation trimmed the Titans’ lead to one, but they would get no closer.
Early on, Jenna Butler scored during corner play less than five minutes into the game, and in a contest of limited scoring opportunities for both sides, that 1-0 lead stood until Hazell’s goal, which turned out to be the game-winner.
Wednesday’s win ensured the Titans at least three more games with seven of the eight remaining teams earning a coveted ticket to the PIAA 3A state Tournament. It is the first time in seven years that the Titans have advanced beyond the second round.
Scoring Summary:
First quarter
Jenna Butler on corner (CBS) 10:20
Second quarter
No score
Third quarter
Amy Hazell from Emily Aldrich (CBS) 2:00
Fourth quarter
Lucy Smith (CBW) 2:35
By the numbers: Penalty corners: CBS – 2, CBW 3; Shots on goal: CBS 5, CBW 5; Goalkeeper saves: CBS 4, CBW 3.
Central Bucks South coach Steph Bardell:
–The game: “It was very heavily between the 25s, and it was a lot of back and forth, just possession game. Neither one of us wanted the other in the circle, so both circles were pretty locked down on getting the ball out, so that was exciting.
“I went into the game saying to the girls, ‘You now need to trust each other. You now need to look at the person across and next to you, and go out and play for them but also play for yourself and know there’s a ton of people out there cheering for you.
“I think it’s kind of cool when you look up into the stands in an away game, and you see a lot of your colors up there. Especially our second goal, I took a moment to look at the stands, and I was just like, ‘Yep, there’s a good crowd for South up here.’”
–Third time’s the charm: “The first time we played West, it was the (second) game of the season. They scored two goals in three minutes, and our team was a little rattled by that, but the rest of the game was scoreless.
“I think tonight we really focused – hey, don’t give up for even a minute in this game,’ and I think that was a big difference maker in the way they attacked the game today. I said – ‘Do not give up for one minute out there.’”
–A positive feeling: “I was feeling pretty good about things (heading into the game). “I knew I had given the kids the tools they needed to have to play in a game like that, and the senior class is the last class that has beaten West at West, so it’s been a minute.”
–Props: “Sophia Kraft is my defensive back, and she really held the game outside of our circle, outside the 25. She was really an impactful player. Ryann VanDerSluis and Mia Jones helped keep the ball outside of the field in the midfield, and then naturally Jenna Butler and Ella Marchesi, covering the middle of our field on every single play, making sure they distributed the ball when they needed to, making sure that they held the ball when they needed to and that they blocked a lot of West’s straight down the middle drives that they were trying to do on us. The two of them are a complete powerhouse in the middle of the field for us. Amy Hazell was also a huge leader with her heart and hustle on the field. She’s our captain, but also the heartbeat of this team.”
CB South senior captain Amy Hazell:
–Third time’s the charm (Part 2): “I think it’s very hard to beat a team three times. It’s honestly such a mental game as well and going in – you really never know what the outcome could be. We visited them, they visited us earlier in the season, and both times it was 2-0 them, so I think we were just ready to break the stigma. We were a little tired of it.”
–Scoring early: “That was just such a crucial moment in the game and boosted our confidence. It was super special
coming from someone who is younger. It came from a sophomore (Jenna Butler), who plays for the national team (the U.S. U-16 Women’s National team), and it’s just great having her on the field.”
Central Bucks West coach Lori Ierubino:
“Tonight’s loss is tough one. We had beaten South twice this season, and I truly believe we are the better team—but tonight, we weren’t. South is a good hockey team and they earned this win. Best of luck to South moving forward in districts.
“At times, we were unlucky, but ultimately, we didn’t play our game. We dominated the majority of the game, created opportunities, and had chances to finish, but we weren’t able to capitalize on offense and stop shots defensively the way we normally do. More importantly, we weren’t mentally tough enough when the game demanded it. South was able to make the most of this and amplify our lack of discipline.
“I reminded the team that sports are games, but they offer us so much more than the wins and losses. They teach us lessons that carry far beyond the field. Tonight’s lesson was about the power of the mind—and just how influential it can be in our lives, for better or for worse. Confidence, composure, belief, and the ability to stay mentally strong can change everything.
“I am proud of this team – it wasn’t meant to be tonight, but that doesn’t diminish the work, growth, and memories this group created together. Thank you to our seniors and the legacy they have helped to create at CB West.”
Up next: Central Bucks South will travel to fifth-seeded Spring-Ford for a quarterfinal contest Friday (3:45pm). Central Bucks West closed out its successful season with its fourth straight SOL Colonial title and a 14-4-1 overall record.
Central Bucks South 1-0-1-0 2
Central Bucks West 0-0-0-1 1
#11 PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 3, #6 QUAKERTOWN 2
Gracie Kerns knew exactly what she had to do when she found herself on a breakaway with only Quakertown goalie Darcy Baxter – who’d been outstanding all night – to beat.
“It was a great ball from Katie Guarino – a perfect ball leading me into the circle, and I knew the goalie was going to come out, so I took a pull back and shot it into the cage,” the speedy Kerns said of her highlight reel goal that broke a 2-2 tie fourth quarter tie and turned out to be the game-winner.
“Gracie, as a senior, has been in multiple games this season where she has shown up as that senior leader that you’re looking for to finish the job,” PW coach Charise Halteman said. “So, it’s awesome to see that.
“I thought all of my seniors who were on the field played awesome tonight, bringing that leadership.”
Sporting a black eye after taking a ball in the face two days earlier, Kerns wore a protective mask in Thursday’s game, looking every bit the part of the warrior she is on the hockey field.
“A ball was shot in, and the defender deflected it, and hit me straight in the eye, “ said Kerns, who was sidelined for the remaining three quarters of Monday’s 7-0 win over Lower Merion. .
It certainly didn’t slow her down in Wednesday’s showdown, and according to Kerns, speed has been a key to the Colonials’ success.
“That’s been a big factor this season,” the Sacred Heart commit said. “When we were playing with positions at the beginning of the season, we knew we had so many fast people on this team that we had to be really offensive heavy.
“We have a great defense, so when they can push the ball up to the offense, and we can get a fast break, it’s super quick and we’re super fast.”
Added PW coach Charise Halteman, “By the end, we were like – we need to play solid defense, but our strength is our attack, and we just emphasized – keep the ball on your stick and make them make the defensive foul, and I thought we took advantage of that.”
Wednesday’s win ensured the Colonials of at least three more games with seven of the eight remaining teams earning a coveted state berth. Over the last four years, the Colonials have lost in the second round.
“Our seniors really felt passionate to win this game today because we really want to get a chance to get into the state tournament,” Kerns said. “We think that’s a great opportunity for this team.”
Thursday’s game was the third meeting between the SOL Liberty Division co-champions. The two teams split the two regular season meetings, and both would have preferred facing another opponent in Wednesday’s must-win second round game.
“When I saw it, I’m like – ‘Are you kidding me? Third time this season,’” Kerns said. “But I was pretty confident. It was kind of our tiebreaker game. They had one on us, and we had one on them, so we were really excited going into this match because we knew it would be a really good game.”
In Wednesday’s rubber match, the two teams spent the first half exchanging goals. The Colonials received first-half goals from Guarino and Julz Scherzer while senior Sunny Draper had a hand in both of the Panthers’ goals – assisting on the first and scoring the second that evened the score 2-2 at halftime.
Scoring Summary
First quarter
Katie Guarino (PW) 9:46
Zoe Smith from Sunny Draper (Q) 7:46
Julz Scherzer from Quinn Burns (PW) 2:06
Second quarter
Sunny Draper (Q) 7:35
Third quarter
No score
Fourth quarter
Gracie Kerns (PW)
Plymouth Whitemarsh coach Charise Halteman:
–On facing a division rival: “The one thing I would say it’s kind of a shame. You always want it to work out so that multiple teams in your division go forward, so it’s unfortunate. They are a good team with some good skill, and I’m sure they would be able to compete too.
“Today was yet another hard-fought and highly competitive game with Quakertown that showcased the best of playoff hockey.”
–Bringing their ‘A’ game: “I didn’t think we played our best on Monday, and I think sometimes that happens in that first playoff game. There are some of those jitters and the pressure and nerves of like the situation has changed. It was actually a very close game for the first half, and it just took us a little bit to get going. Then, obviously, we poured on a bunch of goals in the second half.
“We had to adjust some positions with Gracie off the field Monday, but we practiced well yesterday, and they came out and were just sharp from the very beginning tonight.”
Up next: Plymouth Whitemarsh will travel to #3 Villa Maria Academy for a quarterfinal game Friday (4pm). Quakertown closed out its historic season with a share of the SOL Liberty Division title and a 17-2 record.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 2-0-0-1 3
Quakertown 1-1-0-0 2
#7 GARNET VALLEY 2, #10 PENNSBURY 0
(Submitted by Pennsbury FH)
The Pennsbury Falcons Field Hockey team boarded the bus with excitement and anticipation (Wednesday) afternoon for a road trip to their second round playoff game against Garnet Valley. After a win at home as the higher seed on Monday in the first round, the tables turned and the Falcons had to travel to the higher seed for the next step. PHS is ranked 10th and Garnet Valley is ranked 7th. The distance (1.5 hours) provided the opportunity to connect, focus, and mentally prepare for the task at hand. It has been nine years since a Pennsbury field hockey team made it this far into postseason and the first time since this coaching staff – Traci Curtis, Lori Riley, and Lauren Gerth – have led the program. The historical season story was still being written – a fresh page and another sixty minutes.
The night. The lights. The starting lineups. It all contributes to the electric energy that fills a stadium for a playoff game. The first fifteen minutes was a scoreless battle with each team getting shots on goal and having offensive opportunities. The Jaguars were ahead with possession percentage and pressuring PHS at every turn, but the orange and black defensive unit was putting on their familiar show of strength and resilience. Both goalies were making incredible saves, keeping the goose eggs on the scoreboard and forcing the attack to work overtime in the creativity department. It was a 0-0 tie going into the second quarter.
The first nine minutes of the second quarter were a continuation of a purely great hockey game. The Falcons and Jaguars were swapping possessions and performing at playoff caliber across the width and depth of the field.
“We were extremely proud of how our girls were playing and handling the Garnet Valley style,” head coach Traci Curtis said. “They are very skilled, fast, and precise with their passing and we were disallowing them to finish the scoring chances they created. Our defense was working really well together and our middies and attack were nonstop.”
With six minutes left in the half, GV earned a penalty corner and converted to put them ahead 1-0.
“The insert went out far to a backup player who sent it right back into the circle,” explained Curtis. “The ball was passed around our keeper and tipped in at close range on a heads-up play in front of the cage. Corners are advantage opportunities. It’s that simple. They executed the play well and were able to capitalize on the numbers up situation.”
The score remained 1-0 going into halftime.
“The third quarter began with multiple earned penalty corners for the Jaguars. The Pennsbury defense was busy and standing their ground together to keep GV off the board. The rest of the quarter was a back-and-forth battle of continuous great hockey on both sides of the ball. “We had a few really good chances to tie it up and just could not find the back of the cage,” said Curtis. “Garnet’s goalie was making saves and keeping us off of the scoreboard, but we were not backing down, and it was awesome to watch.
“It was a 1-0 game going into the final quarter against a really strong team in the second round of playoffs. We were certainly proving we deserved to be there and understood the privilege to be competing in this moment. Coach Riley and I could sense emotions rising. The girls were feeling the moment, and it was a really beautiful thing.”
There were fifteen minutes left – an eternity to play and put one or a few in the cage but also felt like a split second left for a season that began on August 17th – we were not ready for it to end.
The final fifteen minutes of a history making season. Seven minutes ticked by and the bright red 1-0 score still ignited the scoreboard. Garnet Valley took a quick side in possession and Katelyn Slowik freed up her body to set up for a reverse stick shot that snuck past PHS goalie Amelia Fernandes by an inch. The Jaguars went up 2-0 with eight minutes left. The Falcons never backed down and had a couple of last-minute offensive pushes to get within one, but there just wasn’t enough time and the 2026 season came to an end. An end that was an exclamation point on an incredible run. Undefeated in the Patriot Division making them SOL Champs, a 16-3 record, and a hard fought second round playoff game. It will forever be strewn all over that Garnet Valley field.
We walked away from that game with our heads held high. It was a great match up from start to finish. Our defense was a rock holding them to two goals, shutting down nine out of ten Jaguar penalty corners, and protecting the circle as a well-oiled machine like they have all season – thank you Payton Worth, Joley Hohman, Allie Fouss, and Cailyn Reilly. Our goalie, Amelia Fernandes, played the best game of her career with a dozen saves – lights out against a very strong offensive team. She kept it close and helped us to stay within one for 52 minutes. We are all so proud of her. Our midfielders were work horses and did their job with strength and skill – thank you Ava Pinto, Ryan Burdette, Mallory Harrison, and Lilly Alon. And our forwards fought the good fight despite falling short in the goals column. You showed grit, power, and persistence – thank you Nandi Ntshalintshali, Abby Iacona, Regan Rodriguez. We are grateful to our reserve players who were a constant support and lifted us all along the way without hesitation – Jamie Kolanko, Leila Curtis, Lily Fanini, Claire Payonk, Olivia Descotte, Ava Ranniello, and Tori Mays. You show us what it means to be a team. Thank you to our JV team who supported us along the way and helped us to be our best. We truly appreciate you.
Congratulations to our eleven seniors who will leave their treasured legacies behind. May you always be relentless in all that you do and never, ever back down.
Cheers to all of the teams who moved on and best of luck as you continue to compete at the highest level.
About the Author
