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NEWTOWN – In the midst of a jubilant post-game celebration, Lauren Purvis took a moment to reflect on what it had been like to win a total of six games in two years combined as a sophomore and junior.
“It beats you down,” the Hatboro-Horsham senior said. “It’s not fun.”
The Hatters – just one year removed from a two-win season – were certainly having a lot of fun on Wednesday as they celebrated their 16-12 win over Council Rock North in an opening round District One Tournament contest. “Being on this team is so much fun,” Purvis said. “Everyone gets along so well. No one ever fights. It’s just awesome.
“We’ve been working hard all season, and it feels so good to be winning and keep moving on and proving ourselves, not only as individuals, but as a team.”
It’s not a coincidence that the Hatters’ change in fortunes coincided with the return of coach Marie Schmucker to the sidelines after a medical leave of two years as she waged a battle with breast cancer.
“For the kids, this meant a tremendous amount,” Schmucker said. “The last couple of years these kids have been underestimating themselves, and I’m just happy for them.
“I’m happy that there’s a group of kids that want to learn and are willing to listen. All I’m doing is steering the ship. They’re doing it all. I’m just fine tuning things. They’re all on board, and they want to win. They want to be successful.”
One team’s joy is another team’s heartbreak, and the National Conference co-champion Indians – who had just one loss all season – were not ready to see a special season end.
“It’s really hard,” senior Elly Plappert said. “I’ll never get to wear this uniform again. This is the most fun team I have ever been on.
“We have so much fun. We never fight on the field like some other teams that are yelling at each other and arguing. We never fought. I can’t imagine what it will be like not having them.”Plappert and her teammates didn’t have to look far to figure out what went wrong. The Indians were ultimately doomed by a slow start that saw the Hatters sprint to a 7-2 first-half lead.
“We had a slow warm-up, and we weren’t ready,” Plappert said. “They came out strong, and we just fell behind.”
Purvis scored four of her game-high five goals in the first half. She also had a pair of assists. Cortnee Day added the hat trick while Nicole Beck and Lizzie Carr (one assist) both added a pair of goals. Kelly McCartin, Kristen O’Brien and Sarah Tustin each added single goals. Tustin also handed out four assists as the Hatters avenged a 13-8 loss to the Indians in their non-league opener.
“We worked as a team so much more today,” said Tustin, who was sidelined for that season opener. “It wasn’t about stats – it was about winning.”
Sophomore Lindsey Rheiner led the Indians with four goals and one assist while Elly and Hannah Plappert both contributed the hat trick. Hannah also had one assist. Kara Magley closed out the scoring with a pair of goals while Molly Doyle had an assist.
“If they didn’t win one game, I would have loved every minute of being with them,” Rock North coach Pat Toner said of her squad. “I absolutely love them.
“These kids did more for me than they will ever realize because it was just a rough go of it for me, and they made it so much better. There was no bickering, there was never a question as to what we were doing. They were just awesome. That’s why I’m sad – I just don’t want it to be over.”Toner - who is still dealing with the pain of her younger sister’s sudden passing earlier this year – acknowledged that Wednesday’s game did not represent one of her team’s better performances.
“I don’t think we played well,” she said. “I think we probably took 20 shots that hit the goalie or missed the cage totally, which is unlike us.
“Hatboro is very aggressive, and I think that took us out of our game a little bit. I thought Hatboro played very well. I also think they play in a tougher league than we do, so us not playing some of the tougher games – we needed that kind of competition.”
It didn’t take long for the Indians to realize they would have their hands full with the Hatters, who opened up a 3-1 lead and extended that lead to 7-2 after Tustin found Daley for the score.
“To take the lead early was the most important thing,” Schmucker said. “Once you get a decent lead – you’re pretty much taking the air out of the other team’s sails. It’s like the Phillies or Flyers – you’re up by so many goals, and it’s hard to come back.
“I think that was a tremendous message that we sent.”
The Indians twice pulled to within three goals but still found themselves on the short end of a 10-6 score at halftime.“Draw control is huge, and I think in the first half we controlled the draw,” Tustin said.
“Draw control was the key,” Schmucker agreed. “It’s like anything else – when you don’t have the ball, you’re not a threat. When you have the ball, you’re a threat.”
Elly Plappert scored off the draw to open the second half, and it was a 10-8 game after a Bridget Doyle check and takeaway set the stage for a Rheiner goal.
Purvis answered for the Hatters, and then it was Daley (Tustin assist) scoring to give the Hatters a 12-8 lead five minutes into the second half. Back-to-back goals by Elly and Hannah Plappert pulled the Indians to within two, but again the Hatters had an answer – this time going back on top by three after a goal by Carr.
Magley scored on a tough shot across goal to make it a 13-11 game with just over 13 minutes remaining in regulation. Less than a minute later, Daley scored on a free position.
Rheiner scored on a come-around goal to make it a 14-12 game, but a goal by Beck upped the Hatters’ lead to three with 7:58 remaining. The Indians would get no closer the rest of the way.
Rock North ends the season with a National Conference co-championship to its credit.
“I never came into the season thinking that would happen,” Elly Plappert said. “It was a happy surprise, and it was like an added bonus to the best team ever.”
The post-game tears, according to Plappert, were not because of the loss but because a special season had ended.
“Now what?” she said. “Do I go home and sit on the couch? What do I do now that I don’t have them?”
The Hatters certainly don’t have much time to enjoy their big win. They will face second-seeded Great Valley in a second round game on Thursday.
“We’re so used to playing back-to-back games,” Schmucker said. “Our conference is so tough with Souderton and North Penn, and this team is very resilient.
“They can bounce right back. We played well today, but we didn’t play our best game. I think it’s going to take a whole team to beat Great Valley, but we have the team to do it. I’m confident we can do it – if the right team shows up. That’s the bottom line. An entire team has got to play the game tomorrow.”
HATBORO-HORSHAM 16, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 12
Hatboro-Horsham 10 6-16
CR North 6 6-12
Goals/Assists: Hatboro – Lauren Purvis 5-2, Cortnee Day 3-0, Lizzie Carr 2-1, Nicole Beck 2-0, Sarah Tustin 1-4, Kristen O’Brien 1-0, Kelly McCartin 1-0, Caroline Hagan 1-0. CR North – Lindsey Rheiner 4-1, Hannah Plappert 3-1, Elly Plappert 3-0, Kara Magley 2-0, Molly Doyle 0-1.
Saves: Jackie Giovinazzo (HH) 13, Sarah Kiely (CRN) 6.
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