CR North and CB South advanced to the District One AAA field hockey semifinals on Wednesday. To view photos of the Rock North/PV game, please visit the Photo Gallery.
#6 COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 1, #3 PERKIOMEN VALLEY 0
Heather Whalin, on more than one occasion, has compared this year’s team to her 2010 squad that advanced to the state quarterfinals.
Thanks to Friday’s heartstopping win over the third-seeded Vikings, this year’s squad will have a chance to duplicate that feat. The Titans have not only earned a spot in Wednesday’s semifinals against Central Bucks South but also guaranteed themselves a spot in the state tournament.
“This team is eerily similar to that (2010) team, and this game was eerily similar to the game we had against Owen J Roberts,” Whalin said of her team’s 1-0 win over the Wildcats. “We scored a goal – they put on a little more pressure, but we maintained.
“I think we played much better this game than we did against OJ. We were just able to survive the last couple of minutes.”
And it was the last couple of minutes of Friday’s game at the Training Center in Spring City that had to feel like a lifetime to the Indians, who were clinging to a 1-0 lead since the 26:50 mark of the opening half when Gigi Tutoni scored on a reverse stick goal from the top of the circle.
“That was a gorgeous goal,” Whalin said.
That goal stood during a first half that saw the Indians fight off six corners – while they had none. They generated some pressure of their own in the early minutes of the second half, drawing two corners and taking a pair of shots on the second that were turned away by PV goalie Kerri Hanshaw.
As time was winding down, the Vikings turned up the pressure. Midway through the half, Singer – who finished with nine saves in a stellar showing – turned away back-to-back shots on a Viking corner. With six minutes remaining, a player from each side took a seat on the sidelines after drawing offsetting yellow cards as the game became more spirited.
Singer, who was magnificent all day, saved her best for last – delivering a remarkable split save on a point-blank shot by PV’s Laura Shelton with 5:28 remaining.
“She’s made saves like that the entire season,” the Indians’ coach said. “She has been unbelievably phenomenal, and for her, it’s natural.
“She says, ‘They put the goals in. I’ve got to keep them out.’ Ursinus (College) is one lucky school.”
Back-to-back-to-back corners in the final 1:45 netted nothing for the Vikings with the final their most dangerous that saw a deflection fall just wide of the left post. When the final horn sounded, the Indians converged for a celebration that probably was as much relief as jubilation.
“We were only up by one, and it was still anyone’s game,” said senior defensive mid Theresa Delahanty. “They could tie it up any time, and we knew we had to pick it up.
“It’s surreal. I kind of just broke down after the game. I didn’t even know what was happening. It’s unreal.”
While Singer was making all the stops, Delahanty was the flier who helped disrupt the Vikings’ 12 penalty corners, and this win, according to the Indians’ coach, was the result of yet another team effort.
“We do not have stars,” Whalin said. “That’s what has gotten us this far. We don’t look to one person.
“If you look at our stats, one of our players has 25 goals, but literally, the entire team will touch it, and she will touch it into the cage. It’s a whole team effort, and that’s why we’ve been successful this year. You can’t shut down one person because we have 11.”
Friday’s shutout was the 15th of the season for Singer, breaking the single season record of 14 set by Amanda Krause in 2010.
“It’s so amazing,” Singer said. “The first thing I thought about was winning because I think we deserve it so much, but it’s an amazing feeling knowing I broke the record.
“My coach kept telling me, ‘The record is 14. I know you can do it.’ It feels so great knowing I accomplished it.”
The Indians (19-2, 12-2 SOL) will face Central Bucks South at North Penn High School on Wednesday at 3 p.m.
Council Rock North 1-0 1
Perkiomen Valley 0-0 0
#2 CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 4, #7 PHOENIXVILLE 2
Sparked by Corrine Kenney’s hat trick, the Titans fought off a pesky Phantom squad to not only earn a spot in Wednesday’s District One AAA semifinal game against Council Rock North but also a coveted spot in states.
“It’s great for our team, especially winning this game and not having to play in the playback bracket,” coach Brittany Grzywacz said. “We can take that momentum moving forward.
“I was really pleased with the team and how we were able to defend their speedy attackers. I think we did a good job of working the ball up the field together and really capitalized on the opportunities we had inside of our circle.”
It took all of 90 seconds for the most dangerous of the Phantoms’ speedy attackers to put her team on the scoreboard. Bailey Quinn, the PAC-10’s most prolific scorer with 34 goals coming into Friday’s game, connected for her first of two goals on the afternoon.
The Titans got that goal back when Kenney (Emily Cligett assist) scored on a corner at the 15:29 mark. The two teams went into halftime deadlocked 1-1.
The Titans took their first lead on a goal by Cliggett just over two minutes into the second half, but the Phantoms knotted the score with 13:45 remaining in the second half when Quinn converted a penalty stroke.
Another Kenney goal on a corner – this one at the 7:25 mark with an assist from Cliggett– gave the Titans a lead they would not lose. Kenney found the cage on a penalty strike with three seconds remaining for the 4-2 final.
“We did a really good job of holding our composure because it was a very tense game when you have a 3-2 game in those last few minutes,” Grzywacz said. “I think the girls did a really good job of just keeping their composure and playing our field hockey game throughout the entire game.”
Playing Phoenixville, the PAC-10 Frontier Division champion, posed some unique challenges.
“It’s a different style hockey than we’re used to,” Grzywacz said. “They’re a very powerful team.
“They get a lot of good touches from behind. Their forwards are fast, and that was a little bit hard to contain. Their defense is also very low, and they’re very strong when they’re coming up with the ball. They’re just a very powerful team.”
The Titans’ first-year coach went on to acknowledge the strong play of senior defensive back Sam Bodo.
“She had a good game at center back,” Grzywacz said. “She was really staying low and able to pick up those balls coming in hard into the back.
“She’s just a really skilled player when she does have the ball, and she was able to work the ball out of the backfield and have her eyes up and have that vision to distribute the ball.”
The Titans (18-2, 14-0 SOL) will face CR North in an all-SOL district semifinal at North Penn High School on Wednesday at 3 p.m.
Phoenixville 1-1 2
Central Bucks South 1-3 4
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