Life in the newly aligned SOL has been very, very interesting this season.
Three teams have emerged as the top dogs in their respective conferences. Neshaminy is 11-0-1 in league play (14-0-1 overall) and has already clinched sole possession of the National Conference title. The only blemishes on their otherwise perfect record are a 1-1 tie with Central Bucks South and, more recently, a 0-0 tie with William Tennent.
The Titans, who are 11-1 in the league, have sewn up the Continental Conference crown. They hold a two-and-a-half game lead over their next closest competitor with two league games remaining.
Wissahickon also remains perfect with 13-0 mark in league play (16-0 overall), and the Trojans have locked up the American Conference championship.
The only question remaining is which teams will finish second as the remainder of the schools look to move up in the standings with the hopes of securing a berth in the upcoming District One Tournament.
Stay tuned.
On a mission – No one on Neshaminy’s field hockey team has forgotten last year’s early exit from the district tournament. The National Conference champions appeared poised to make some noise in the post-season, but – after a first round bye – they were sent packing in the second round when they were stunned by Hatboro-Horsham 1-0.
The players came into the season with firm resolve to write a different ending this time around.
“We definitely work as a team, and that’s the main thing,” senior midfielder Diana Rowan said. “We don’t depend on any players individually. We work as a team, and we don’t give up.
“We’ve been down a goal at halftime, and we’ve been tied sometimes. We were losing to Council Rock North with no time left on the clock at the beginning of the season, and we never let down. We really right now don’t want to accept a loss. I guess that happens with confidence.”
The Redskins resolve was underscored after their impressive 3-1 win over Council Rock North last Monday. The win clinched at least a share of the National Conference crown, but no one was celebrating.
“Coach won’t let us,” Rowan said. “You can never think you’re all that. You definitely just have to keep working.”
Making the Redskins’ win over Rock North even more impressive was the fact that they were playing with dangerous forward Marlaine Schneider sidelined.
“We work really hard at practice every day – we continue to run a lot every single day,” senior Moriah Allen said. “We talk a lot on the field, and we work well together. It’s not an individual effort.”
“It’s been a lot of fun,” Rowan said. “No one likes losing.”
Hot streak – Central Bucks East got off to a strong start this season but then endured a stretch of four straight 2-1 losses in a row.
“Everything was great, and then something just tweaked us,” senior Ana Bocutti said. “I don’t know what it was, but we lost four games in a row.
“The coaches and captains sat down and said, ‘We have to find something to get the spark back.’”
So they called a team meeting to clear the air.
“We laid everything on the line,” said Bocutti. “We really started to define ourselves again. People owned up to things. People came out and said, ‘I never realized it. I’m sorry. I’m going to change.’
“Instead of giving 100 percent at practice, we put in 150 percent at practice. “
“That team meeting definitely turned things around for us,” senior Caitlin Vasey said. “We needed to get a lot of things out in the open and let everyone know how we felt. That was part of our problem – we weren’t communicating any more.
“The intensity wasn’t there, and I hate to say it, but there was a lot of inside drama going on. We needed to get everything out in the open, and after we did, we were able to get past it and start winning again.”
The Patriots followed that with a four-game winning streak that culminated with a 2-1 win over Hatboro.
“I had asked the captains to get the girls together,” coach Marie Meehan said. “I have done this with other teams, and it just helps educate the younger kids. They’re new to the program, they’re new to the team experience, and they don’t understand what it means.
“They (the seniors) talked about their legacy and when they leave how the season would be remembered.”
During their four-game winning streak, the Patriots outscored their opponents 12-2.
“I think winning 3-0 and 5-0 is making a statement,” Bocutti said. “For a team to lose all those games and all of a sudden come back and say, ‘We’re not done’ – so many teams would give up, but we’re not giving up.”
Meehan was impressed with her team’s response to a tough situation.
“Four 2-1 losses in a row can bring a team down,” she said. “They laid their hearts out on their sleeves, banged out some issues and misunderstandings.”
Meehan – whose team saw its winning streak snapped in a 2-1 loss to Souderton on Friday - made some changes to the lineup, and the results were nothing short of amazing.
A familiar face – Krista Greene took over the helm at Hatboro-Horsham this season while coach Marie Schmucker is on medical leave as she battles breast cancer. The transition to head coach was a natural one for Greene, who was an assistant under Schmucker.
Still, there are some marked differences between the two positions for Greene, who admits she played the role of ‘good cop’ under Schmucker. Now she must make some tough choices.
“We have a really open relationship, so it’s really tough when it comes to playing time,” Greene said. “I love them all, and I want them all to play, but this is a varsity sport. I want to give everybody a chance to play, and I want to bring them up (on the varsity). But if I bring them up and put them back down, it’s really hard.
“Going home knowing people are really hurt and crushed - that’s the most difficult part. It’s not the games – the games are easy. The toughest part is making the final decision and having to answer for that decision.”
Last year, Greene could be a cheerleader for the player who was moved down to the jayvee. This year, she’s the one sending them back down.
“These are my girls,” she said. “This is my team.
“I always tell my dad (Hatboro assistant football coach Rick Hahn) that the biggest difference between girls and boys is that boys will say, ‘Why am I not playing?’ and they’ll say, ‘Because you suck. You need to get better.’
“The girls will ask ‘Why am I not playing?’ and their friends will say, ‘You’re so good, you should be playing.’ I said, ‘You guys lie to each other to make each other feel better, and then it makes us look like the bad guy.’ It’s true.”
After a 1-4 start, the Hatters are 7-3-1 in their last 11 games.
“I really believe I’m making the best decisions for my team with my assistant coaches,” Greene said. “We know what we need to do to win.”
SuburbanOneSports.com’s Fab Five
- Neshaminy
- Wissahickon
- Central Bucks South
- Central Bucks West
- Council Rock South/Council Rock North
- Log in to post comments
0
