The SOL put on a strong showing in Monday’s opening round of the District One AAA Tournament. Seven teams moved on while three did not. Two of those squads that went home – Neshaminy and Council Rock South – found themselves matched up against another SOL team.
Rock South came out on the short end of a 3-1 score to neighboring Council Rock North, the tournament’s sixth seed, while the Redskins fell to 11th-seeded Upper Dublin 2-0. Pennsbury, seeded 24th, suffered a 1-0 overtime loss to Methacton
Plymouth Whitemarsh was the lone lower-seeded team to advance, downing Unionville 4-1 in a battle of the tournament’s 16th and 17th-seeded teams.
Seventh-seeded Central Bucks East rallied from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Bayard Rustin 3-2 while 13th-seeded Souderton sent West Chester Henderson home for the season, thanks to the Indians’ 4-1 win.
Fifth-seeded North Penn coasted to an 11-0 win over Chichester, and William Tennent, seeded 15th, upended Spring-Ford 3-2.
#5 North Penn 11, #28 Chichester 0
North Penn’s Emilie and Jan Ikeda are a study in contrasts.
Emilie – the self-proclaimed ‘next Oprah Winfrey’– enjoys being in the forefront of the action while Jan prefers to take a backseat.
“I work for NPTV – I want to be the person in front telling all the stories on camera,” Emilie said. “I like to talk to people, I like to meet new people.
“Jan would be the person videotaping.”
“I like to watch,” Jan said.
The Ikeda sisters – Jan is a senior defensive back and Emilie is a junior midfielder – are two of the important pieces on a Maiden squad that enters district play with its sights set high.
Neither sister – not even Emilie – could think of a whole lot to say after Monday’s rout of an overmatched Chichester squad.
“Double digits – we’ve never done that before,” Emilie said. “I feel bad, but because the flow of the game, it’s very hard to stall.”
“In field hockey, it’s not like lacrosse where you can hold the ball,” Jan added. “The ball barely crossed midfield.”
And it never went inside North Penn’s defensive circle.
It was that kind of game.
“To be honest, I didn’t know the caliber of the team going into the game,” Maiden coach Carrie Jankowski said of the Del Val champions who brought a 5-9-2 record into the game. “I simply told them they had to play North Penn hockey, and if they play their ‘A’ game of hockey, it doesn’t matter who we’re playing.”
The Maidens needed less than three minutes to get on the scoreboard when senior Amy Coughlin scored (Juliamae Marger assist). Coughlin led the Maidens with three goals and two assists while Marger had two goals and three assists.
Marger scored during corner play at the 21:20 mark, using a Coughlin assist, but despite her team’s 2-0 lead, Jankowski opted to use a timeout.
“We weren’t playing to our potential the way we should be,” Jan Ikeda said.
Jankowski’s message to her players was simple.
“I told them – it doesn’t matter what your competition is like, you still have to win every free ball,” the Maidens’ coach said. “You can’t just go through the motions. You have to fight.”
The Maidens responded by closing out the half with four goals to go into halftime with a 6-0 lead. The mercy rule went into effect when Coughlin (Ines Farre assist) scored at the 11:07 mark of the first half.
In addition to Coughlin and Marger, the Maidens received two goals and two assists from Farre and two goals and one assist from Elizabeth Fedele. Nikki Hall and Bobby Dougherty each added single goals, and Carly Pickford had an assist in a game that saw the Maidens – despite massive substitutions – hold a 43-0 advantage in shots.
“All of our conference teams – even teams that are losing – would beat this team,” Emilie Ikeda said. “It goes to show our conference has such good competition, and everyone pushes each other.
“If you’re in last place, don’t feel bad because compared to other areas – you’re actually a very good team.”
er areas – you’re actually a very good team.”In Wednesday’s second round, the Maidens will host Downingtown West – a 3-2 overtime winner over Radnor.
“We’re coming out pumped up, fired up for Wednesday,” Emilie Ikeda said.
#6 Council Rock North 3, #27 Council Rock South 1
Hours after the Indians had earned a hard-fought win over their neighboring archrivals, coach Heather Whalin was still trying to catch her breath.
“It was one of the most intense games,” the Indians’ coach said. “Even though it was 3-1, there was tension the entire time. I’m still tense.
“None of us on the sidelines were calm. Even when it was 2-1, you knew something could happen at any time. Both teams were so emotional. I know South was surprised to get into the playoffs, and then to have an opportunity to knock off North and spoil our season – I know that just gave them that much more fuel to the fire. They played well. We were lucky to come out with a win.”
Senior Becky Ely (Alex Kuzma assist) put the Indians on the scoreboard 45 seconds into the game.
“We’re a team that likes to score first,” Whalin said. “If we score first, we seem to settle in and play well.”
The Golden Hawks, however, weren’t about to go down quietly, and it was Becca Cocco beating the goalie on the short side and connecting for the equalizer at the 25:08 mark.
Hannah Plappert (Ely assist) scored the go-ahead goal at the 16:31 mark and then added an insurance goal with 12:01 remaining in regulation, this one with an assist from Kuzma.
“This was a tough game, and we needed something to kick our butts because we did not show up for the East game,” Whalin said of her team’s 2-0 loss to Central Bucks East in its regular season finale last Thursday.
Whalin went on to laud the effort of Ely, a senior captain.
“Becky Ely had a monster game,” the Indians’ coach said. “She definitely stepped up and took over the game at times. She carried the ball from circle to circle a couple of times and really had a nice game.
“Hannah Plappert got two goals off corners and did what we asked her to do – she stayed on the post and had her stick down and scored the goals.”
The Indians will host Upper Dublin in Wednesday’s second round.
#8 Central Bucks East 3, Bayard Rustin 2
Marie Meehan didn’t have much of a voice left after Monday’s district opener that saw her team spot Rustin a 2-0 lead.
“They came out and scored off a corner – they had a beautiful shot and banged in the rebound,” the Patriots coach said of a Rustin goal at the 28:11 mark. “With four seconds left in the first half, we had a defensive breakdown, and they scored.
“We pretty much dominated the first half - we had nine corners to their two and 16 shots to their four.”
Meehan listened to her players talking as they came off the field and decided it was time to try a new approach.
“We talked about the mishaps,” Meehan said. “Then you have to get in their heads a little bit. They were all talking – ‘We need to get this win. It’s do or die.’
“I just started talking to them about the power of positive thinking. I talked to them about focusing on positive thoughts and what they needed to do. They knew they could score.”
Meehan also made a move that paid immediate dividends, moving Jamie Schlotterer from left defensive mid to left wing.
“We were getting a lot of possibilities on the left post,” the Patriots’ coach said. “She had this stick at practice on Friday in our offensive drills - everything she touched went in.”
The Patriots got on the scoreboard at the 20:02 mark of the second half on a play that was set up on a drive out of the defensive end by Melissa Remmey to her sister Carolyn, who sent a shot that was banged home by Schlotterer.
Nine minutes later, Schlotterer tipped in a corner shot by Melissa Remmey into the cage. At the 7:49 mark, Emily Vasey connected for the game winner.
“Tori Kane hit the ball strong straight through, and Emily Vasey picked it up and went one-on-one and scored on a beautiful shot,” Meehan said. “Then I called a timeout.
“We went defensive and discussed our strategy. I said, ‘Our two-minute drill is going to last seven minutes.’ It worked.”
The Patriots will host Methacton in a 3:30 p.m. game at War Memorial Field on Wednesday.
#9 Methacton 1, Pennsbury 0 (OT)
With the graduation of 13 seniors from last year’s National Conference co-championship squad, coach Jamie Parell knew she would have to do some serious rebuilding in her first year at the helm. The Falcons didn’t win a championship, but they did perform well enough to earn a berth in districts.
In Monday’s opening round game, they gave the Warriors all they could handle before falling in OT.
“The game was back and forth the whole time,” Parell said. “No one was really playing better than the other. It was kind of even the whole time.”
The Falcons survived a penalty stroke late in the second half but saw the Warriors convert a give-and-go pass into a goal with 3:30 remaining in the first overtime.
“It was a good match, but it’s definitely tough to lose in overtime, and it’s tougher when it’s a do-or-die situation,” Parell said. “We did some nice things.
“We had some injuries, so some people were shifted in different positions, and that’s hard. We’re a young team, and I told them they need to be proud that we went to the playoffs.”
Parell acknowledged the strong play of senior defensive back Tenaj Moody as well as defensive center back Julie Kang. Goalie Jen Laraia turned away 16 shots for the Falcons in a solid outing.
#11 Upper Dublin 2, Neshaminy 0
Upper Dublin was opportunistic in the circle in a contest that saw both teams take 10 shots on goal.
“We played well, and I was very pleased with my team,” coach Heather Boyer said. “Neshaminy is a good little team and a class act. You could tell they were disappointed, but they were very sincere – telling us ‘Good luck, good game,’ and I was impressed with that.”
said. “Neshaminy is a good little team and a class act. You could tell they were disappointed, but they were very sincere – telling us ‘Good luck, good game,’ and I was impressed with that.”Emily Hitchings (Megan Rock assist) put the Flying Cardinals on the scoreboard with a goal at the 6:16 mark of the first half. The Flying Cardinals received an insurance goal when Kelly Cross (Sarah Carroll assist) scored at the 16:26 mark of the second half.
“When you look at the shots and corners, it was pretty even,” said Boyer, whose team had a 9-8 edge on corners. “I think if you went down to time of possession, we had the ball longer and were inside the 50 a lot more than Neshaminy.
“It was just catalyst players stepping up to the ball and going strong and not being afraid to make mistakes. Emily Hitchings did an outstanding job carrying the ball and Kelly Cross in the midfield did as well.”
Boyer went on to praise the effort of her defense - right back Shannon Briscoe, center back Brooke Callahan, left back Anna Lauer, sweeper Sydney Lang and goalie Dana Russell.
“They’re cool, calm and collected,” Boyer said. “If the ball gets past them or if they commit a foul, they’re not afraid to recover, and they trust each other to pick each other up.
“They do a really nice job working together, and our keeper, Dana Russell, doesn’t play like a sophomore. She is fierce. She’s not afraid. It’s fun to watch her from the sidelines because she’ll just zero in on that ball, and that’s all she sees. She’s just very focused.”
Russell was credited with nine saves in the shutout while Lauer also recorded a stick save. Neshaminy goalie Sarah Mitchell turned away six shots.
The Flying Cardinals will face National Conference champion Council Rock North on Wednesday.
Wednesday.“We can be a force to be reckoned with as long as we bring our ‘A’ game,” Boyer said. “For the first few years, it was just getting back to the playoffs.
“Last year, it was like, ‘We’re here. Let’s win the first game.’ This year let’s win the first round and look to make a little noise.”
#13 Souderton 4, #20 West Chester Henderson 1
The Indians – sparked by a pair of Rachel Valentine goals –sprinted to a 4-0 lead on their way to the convincing win.
“We weren’t scoring right away, but then we started scoring, and in the second half, I was able to put everybody in,” coach Mary Ann Harris said. “We played together very well as a team.
“We created scoring opportunities, and we had a positive attitude about the game. Everybody worked hard to contribute. The forwards didn’t take advantage of our opportunities early in the first half, but as we got going, they played really well.”
Valentine (Alayna Brown assist) put the Indians on the scoreboard at the 7:29 mark of the first half, and the Indians took a 2-0 lead into the intermission, thanks to a goal by Brown (Taylor Yoder assist) with 2:15 remaining in the half.
Less than a minute into the second half, Courtney Bradshaw (Alex Atiyeh assist) found the cage, and when Valentine (Brown assist) scored at the 19:36 mark, the Indians led 4-0.
Henderson scored on a corner in the closing minutes of the game for the 4-1 final.
#15 William Tennent 3, #18 Spring-Ford 2
The Panthers jumped out to an early 2-0 lead and then withstood a Rams’ rally to earn the huge opening round win.
It was Taylor Pritchett (Mia Morris assist) connecting for the game winner with 10 minutes remaining.
“Being up 2-0 in a playoff game is a great feeling, and the girls kept up their energy,” coach Kate Wyatt said. “That lit a fire under Spring-Ford. They weren’t going to lose like that, and they came back and tied it. They were a great team.
“Our girls were so determined to win, and they played so hard the entire game. In the 50th minute, Taylor put one into the bottom right of the cage. It was a pretty goal. She did a little pullback and put it in the bottom corner.”
Earlier, Brittany Mitchell put the Panthers on the scoreboard three minutes into the game, turning a pass from teammate Allison Malatesta into a goal. It looked like the Panthers were on their way to a convincing win after Malatesta (Pritchett assist) scored midway through the half, but the Rams cut that lead in half with a goal 10 minutes before the intermission.
They knotted the score nine minutes into the second half, setting the stage for Pritchett’s game winner. The win effectively erased memories of last year’s opening round loss to Conestoga in penalty strokes.“The girls wanted to prove they are a contender,” said Wyatt, whose team had five overtime games this season. “They wanted to get that first round win, but they knew coming in that Spring-Ford was going to be a great team too, but they were ready. They came out to win it.”
Wyatt lauded the efforts of her defense.
“Our goalie, Kirsten Doherty, had some amazing save on shots up in the corner,” the Panthers’ coach said. “Spring-Ford really liked to lift the ball, and Kirsten was getting to all of those and batting them down.
“Kelsey Hiltebeitel also had a big game. She was all over the field. Spring-Ford played with a different formation, and we had to adjust a little bit. She was able to use her speed to get to the ball.”
Spring-Ford, according to Wyatt, played a lot of big balls in the middle of the field.
“Our mids had to step up their game, and they were constantly cutting off those balls,” the Panthers’ coach said. “Allison Malatesta – even though she had an assist and a goal – was really dominating that center field play and cutting off those passes so they couldn’t set up in front of the net.”
With the win, the Panthers – who had not won a district game since 2005 – have earned a date with second-seeded Wissahickon in Wednesday’s second round.
#17 Plymouth Whitemarsh 4, Unionville 1
The Colonials put on a performance that gave credence to coach Marianne Paparone’s suggestion that her team deserved a higher seed than it received.
“They were very excited because for these kids – none of them have ever won a playoff game before,” the Colonials’ coach said. “Only three had played in a playoff game.
“It was hard to explain how we were tied (in the standings) with Upper Dublin but were seeded six spots below them, and for kids who weren’t at the meeting, it was hard to understand. I told them it was their fault too – if they had beaten Upper Dublin (twice) or won one or two non-league games, you make your own fate a little bit too. You can’t leave it in other people’s hands.”
With 11:10 remaining in the first half, junior Molly Getzfread put PW on the scoreboard, beating her defender after a self start and going in for the score. Then Sarah Naylor scored on the rebound of a corner shot on the left post, putting the Colonials on top 2-0 at the 8:38 mark.
“The first 10 minutes or so, they showed the nerves,” Paparone said. “After we scored, it seemed to really settle us down.
“I didn’t think Unionville would be as good as they were. They were really good. They have some really good skills kids.”
Unionville cut that lead in half with a goal 20 seconds before halftime.
Meg McCullough scored both second half goals for PW – her first came at the 15:25 mark of the half and the second came on a reverse sweep with 3:55 remaining.
“Everyone played well,” Paparone said. “It was one of our best games of the season. This is when you need to play well.
“Molly and Meg are the key players. Those are the kids you really look for to be the leaders out there. With Molly scoring the first goal and Meg giving us a couple of insurance goals, that was huge.”
Unionville held a 10-9 edge in shots.
“We were just more opportunistic today, and we really haven’t been opportunistic all season,” Paparone said.
Becky Stiteler turned away six shots for the Colonials, who will face top-seeded Central Bucks South on Wednesday night at War Memorial Field at 7 p.m.
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