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By Scott Huff
DOYLESTOWN – Central Bucks South won the PIAA District One Class AAA girls’ soccer trophy as a result of an 8-7 advantage in penalty kicks -1-0.
Council Rock South easily could have exited War Memorial Field carrying the same hardware.
It was a wonderfully played contest that consumed 80 tense minutes of regulation, 30 minutes of two edgy overtimes, and had a parade of would-be heroes line up for the penalty kicks.
“That was a quality high school soccer game,” said Council Rock South head coach Tim Keddie. “This was without doubt the best high school game that I have seen.
“Losing the game with the PK’s obviously isn’t the way that you want the game to end,” added Keddie. “But after playing hard for 110 minutes, it has to be enough. It’s a better system than having co-champions.”
“We know what it is like to lose with PK’s, and it’s an awful way to lose,” said Central Bucks South head coach Joe Bocklet in reference to his Titans’ state exit to Emmaus via penalty kicks last season. “It is a very tough way to decide a game.
“We have practiced penalty kicks the last couple of weeks,” added Bocklet. “We came up with a lineup that seemed to be the best at it.”
The penalty kicks may have decided the game, but the blood, sweat, and eventual tears were evident in a dramatic game during the regulation and two overtimes.
The Titans came out in the first ten minutes of the game and pressured the Hawk defense and senior goalkeeper Nicole Ulrick.
Ulrick was fabulous with some clutch saves over the first 6600 seconds of the game, and the net minder never stopped talking the entire game.
The feisty leader shouts defensive alignments and ‘encouragement’ to her teammates.
“I really haven’t had my voice all season,” said Ulrick who will attend George Washington University next season as a goaltender. “I have to keep a water bottle next to the cage, or I couldn’t continue to talk.
“We both had good chances to end the game during regulation, and the overtimes, but it didn’t happen,” added Ulrick. “Both teams played very hard.”
The offensive pressure put on Ulrick came from Titans’ Lauren Boess, Caitlyn Boyle, Lauren Buchannan-Dwyer, and Ashley Saylor.
Rock South also had its shot at victory with some offensive thrusts of its own.
Lauren Heath stood out for the Hawks and generated scoring opportunities with her nifty footwork.
“I love to play the game, but I am very tired right now,” said Heath after accepting her silver medal in the medal ceremony.
The dynamic duo of the Titan defense was lanky sophomore goal tender Meghan Kaminski and senior Melanie Keer.
“Melanie is a rock back there,” said Bocklet said of his defensive ace that is also on her way to George Washington University on a soccer scholarship. “She makes sure that everyone is in the right place, and shows tremendous senior leadership.
“Meghan came up with some good saves,” added Bocklet. “And obviously, the last one was the biggest.”
The game was forced into the penalty kicks, and both Ulrick and Kaminski took that their lonely positions at the end of the field near the goal cage.
Central Bucks South and Council Rock South each made four of five penalty kicks in the shoot out.
The ‘goal’ scorers for the Titans were Lindsay Osgood, Shannon Senour, Caitlyn Deibler, and Ashley Saylor.
The ‘goal’ scorers for the Hawks were Lauren Heath, Dara Deola, Brianna Schlupp, and Chrissy Vollrath.
The game moved into the ‘Sudden Victory’ portion.
Lauren Buchannon-Dwyer tallied for CB South, but Emily Nowicki scored for Rock South to knot the score. Jackie Nelms (Titans) and Jackie Weber (Hawks) exchanged clutch ‘goals’ to keep the score deadlocked.
Both Ulrick and Kaminski came up with huge saves to keep the score tied on the next round.
Gabrielle Gibson (Titans) and Erica Mikula scored in the next round to make the PK total 7-7.
Emily Casey scored what proved to the winning penalty kick, and Kaminski made a save to end the PK competition at 8-7 in favor of the Titans.
“I don’t really do anything different on penalty kicks, I just go for the ball,” said Kaminski. “I don’t know that it is really fair to end a game on penalty kicks, but that’s the way it is.
“Now that we are in states, we want to keep on winning,” added Kaminski. “It would be nice to play them again. It was a great game.”
“It’s hard to hear them over there celebrating,” said Ulrick. “We have a taste of what it is like to lose in the playoffs, and we don’t want to have that taste again.”
“All it takes for us is to win four games, and we are state champions,” reminded Keddie. “And I wouldn’t be surprised if we meet up with them again.”
It is a game that both teams would like to settle on the field of play – not in a shootout.
Penalty Kicks –
The road to the PIAA District One Class AAA championship for Central Bucks South included wins over Abington (7-0), Upper Dublin (5-1) and Pennridge (1-0 – overtime)….The same road for Council Rock South included wins over Cheltenham (6-0), Pennsbury (6-3), and Central Bucks West (2-1).
The state playoffs will begin on Wednesday (June 2). CB South will play at Souderton, while CR South will play at Palisades. Opponents are not known.
Pennridge – a winner over CB West in the third place game – will also play in the state tournament. West will be the fourth and final SOL team to make the field.
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