CB East, CR North, CR South & Souderton were winners in District 1 4A Tournament action Thursday. Check out Andrew Robinson’s Kwik Goal recaps. CB East/CB South photos provided courtesy of Tracy Valko. Check back for a gallery of photos.
No 14 Council Rock North 2, No 3 Pennridge 0
It had been a while for Council Rock North.
The Indians are a perennial district playoff qualifier, but they kept seeing postseason runs come to an abrupt end in the second round. Thursday, on the road facing a Pennridge team that had already beaten them this season, CR North didn’t see another early exit in their future but an opportunity to change their postseason history.
CR North seized that chance, scoring a goal on either side of halftime to reach their first quarterfinal since the 2015 season.
“It honestly feels amazing just to show our hard work could finally pay off,” North defender Soph Milich said. “We’re still striving for that feeling, we want more of that feeling and I think we definitely got some of that tonight.”
Pennridge was down two of its senior captains – G Howley and Natalie Walter sidelined by season-ending injuries leaving Peyton Rabinowitz as the only one with an armband on the field, and the Rams saw a successful season come to an end a bit earlier than expected.
Buoyed by their defense – which features junior Cierra Frank along with seniors Milich, Annie Mills and Bella Lanza on the back line, senior Sophia Mills in goal and senior Addison Martin in the midfield – the Indians played aggressive and looked to generate set pieces or get endline for service into the box. Their goals came from that approach, senior Keagan Terry getting a late touch to knock in a corner with 3:35 left in the opening half then senior Brynn Rogers heading in a picture-perfect cross from senior Sarina Igval with 10:48 to play.
Council Rock North will take on No. 11 WC Henderson in the quarterfinals on Saturday, a win would send the Indians to states for the first time since 2015 as well.
Scoring Summary
1st Half
CRN – Keagan Terry
2nd Half
CRN – Brynn Rogers (Sarina Igval)
Council Rock North coach Gavin Flannigan: “I’m kind of a little bit speechless, this is a really good program they have up here (at Pennridge), Lucas took the reins from Audrey (Anderson) and continues to do a great job. Coming on the road to a No. 3 seed team, a team we’d played this season, it was tough, but I thought we deserved it in the end. We put the ball in the net, which is the most important thing, but the way we grinded and the way we really controlled the game at times was really good.
“They had to make some changes due to injuries, which changes some things for us, maybe a little less predictable but they’re a tough team and they’ve got some great players.”
–Shutout performance: “There’s a great balance back there. Soph is an aggressive defender, she’s really confident stepping in while Cierra sees the game really well and she cuts behind. Annie and Bella have the experience, we can talk about keeping it narrow and not letting those balls in behind where they can go do it and Sophia Mills in goal, she’s probably one of the most relaxed goalkeepers I’ve seen in terms of her mentality, nothing phases her.”
–Playoff effort: “We played Garnet Valley a few weeks ago and we talked about it then, our last run of games was Garnet Valley, Neshaminy then Pennsbury so we talked about that being our playoff-starting moment. It was on the road, at night after a long bus ride, so they’ve taken it on board, listened to what we’ve asked them to do and gone on from there. Tonight we were preaching about getting endline, getting set pieces or service and they did it.”
CR North senior Soph Milich: “The fact we were so close (in the regular season), we knew we had a chance tonight. I think we’ve had momentum recently, we tried to tap into that and execute off of that, and we did a really good job of it tonight.”
–Defense stepping up: “I’m just really close with these girls. I’ve been friends with Bella, our right back, forever, I’ve been playing club with the other center back Cierra forever, I just think we all have a really close bond and at practice we just try to push each other every day and it shows in the games because we really cover for each other.”
–Team chemistry: “It’s incredible how hard everyone was willing to work tonight and all 80 minutes, I think we all really showed up tonight. It’s a lot of team bonding but also, Gavin pushes us hard in practice and we know even if we’re hard on each other in practice, it’s all in good love and we want the best for each other in the end. We have a big senior group that wants to make it far and everyone just feels that.”
–Depth on the roster: “We’ve been subbing in and out more than in past years that I’ve been here. We have a lot of talented girls, and I think especially in playoff situations, depending on what the game needs, we have a very versatile team. We know our strengths, everyone is very versatile and we just know what we need to do.”
Pennridge coach Lucas Kriner: “The first game (against CR North) didn’t have the playoff energy and that’s the biggest difference. It comes down to being first to the ball, embracing the physicality of the game, reading the game quickly, understanding the flight of where the ball is going and this game was entirely different from the first game because of the playoff factor.”
–Playoff exposure: “It’s a huge growth experience for them. We’ll obviously miss our seniors, but the future does look bright with a lot of the younger players coming out here and hopefully they get the flavor of what playoff soccer is like when we have a lot of ninth and tenth graders on the field. The takeaway is a tough one because it is the end of the season, but we’re pleased the kids have the opportunity for this experience to take away from.”
–Takeaways: “It’s an expectation to make the playoffs at this program and to go deep into them. What we really focused on was how our regular season was really, really good; we talked a lot about how the body of work in the 17 games was really, really good. The girls turned a corner after losing those three games in a row, we had a lot to hang our hats on, a lot of victories and a lot to be proud of.”
Closing thoughts: “I’m really proud of the team, these games are different from the regular season with the intensity, physicality and pressure and we hope we can pull a learning experience out of this. Right now we’re just going to have to deal with a little bit of hurt, rally around our seniors and the wonderful work they did for us.”
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 1 1 – 2
PENNRIDGE 0 0 – 0
No 1 Central Bucks East 3, No 16 Central Bucks South 0
The second round of districts is always intense.
Every team is playing for the ability to extend their season, so every touch, tackle, shot and set piece is magnified. When it’s two rival schools on opposite ends, especially two that have had the history the Patriots and Titans have over the last two years – seven total meetings, a quarterfinal game last year, last season’s state final and plenty of familiarity between 
the sides – that intensity goes even further.
Quinn Reilley scored in the first half with East adding on in the second half from Addie Langlois at the spot and Kiera Sleicher combining with Mia Forney.
The Patriots will host No. 9 Garnet Valley, a 1-0 winner over No. 8 Lower Merion, at noon Saturday looking to secure a spot in states and the district semifinals.
Scoring Summary
1st Half
CBE Quinn Reilley (Mattie Williams) 20th
2nd Half
CBE Addie Langlois (PK) 44th
CBE Kiera Sleicher (Mia Forney) 55th
CB East coach Jake Nesteruk: “Proud of our girls for seeing this game through against a competitive South team. This round is always tough and tense, and while a bye is nice to get some recovery time in, it can take a team out of the rhythm of playing a bit.”
–Takeaways: “I thought we were good for much of this match – a bit slower than we’d like in some spots and a bit rushed in others, but much of what we aimed to do in this game we accomplished. I thought we had a few good spells on the ball and created some good chances in both halves, just struggled a bit converting or finding that right last pass. Overall, a good first effort in districts and a really united performance.”
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 1 2 – 3
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 0 0 – 0
No 4 Council Rock South 4, No 13 Penncrest 1
After a busy finish to the regular season, the Golden Hawks had a well-earned first round bye on Tuesday.
Sometimes, a delay that long can have an adverse effect with teams getting a little rusty or losing some of the form they had going into the time off. CR South got off to a dream start, getting a Maddie Mohr goal two minutes in but quickly faced a challenge when Penncrest standout Olivia Rife leveled it up five minutes later.
The Hawks responded in force, netting two before halftime then adding an extra insurance goal in a lockdown second half.
CR South will host No. 12 Souderton in an all-SOL quarterfinal at 11 a.m. on Saturday.
Scoring Summary
1st Half
CRS – Maddie Mohr
P – Olivia Rife
CRS – Anna Horn
CRS – Lylah Day
2nd Half
CRS – Zoya Joshua
Council Rock South coach Nick Heim: “I was a little concerned how we would open the game after having the bye; a full week between games seems like an eternity at this point in the year. To the girls’ credit, they responded well.”
–Scoring action: “Maddie Mohr put us on the board two minutes in. Penncrest got one back five minutes later when Olivia Rife, a Virginia Tech recruit, made a nice individual play against us. We were able to settle in and generate chances. Anna Horn and Lylah Day goals gave us a 3-1 halftime advantage.”
–Closing out: “At halftime we preached putting the game away and staying aggressive. We continued to generate and have the better run of play and Zoya Joshua extended our lead to 4-1. Our defense was solid in the second half. I’m not sure Penncrest generated a legit shot in the final 40 minutes. Overall pleased to get the win but no time to celebrate as we host a very good and experienced Souderton team Saturday.”
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 3 1 – 4
PENNCREST 1 0 – 1
No 12 Souderton 2, No 5 Spring-Ford 1
Second verse, same as the first.
For the second time in as many playoff games, Souderton found itself trailing only to turn the game around with a comeback victory. A talented Spring-Ford team struck in the first half and held the 1-0 lead at halftime before the Big Red again took charge in the second half.
Defender Kylie Cummings scored the first goal, using her size to knock home a corner kick from Aidia Manners to tie things up. An offside call on Spring-Ford brought a would-be go-ahead goal back but there was no doubt about Souderton’s response.
As they did a few days prior, the longtime teammate combo of junior Cailee Cush and Julia Purvy connected on the game-winner, extending a special season for Souderton.
Souderton is in its first district quarterfinal since 2018. Big Red will travel to No. 4 Council Rock South for an 11 a.m. start on Saturday.
Scoring Summary
1st Half
SF – Brynlee Williams
2nd Half
S- Kylie Cummings (Aidia Manners)
S- Julia Purvy (Cailee Cush)
Souderton coach Melissa Lollar: “We had a very slow and low energy start in the beginning of the game. While we definitely picked up energy and momentum in the first half after Spring Ford’s goal, our decision making was still way off.”
Back in the game: “Going into the second half, we were focused on energy, and playing selflessly as a unit to make better decisions. They immediately changed the game when they connected passes and looked for the open space. Our back line had a unified and confident second half, our rotation of midfielders were so strong on the ball and connected passes well to create strong buildups. Our forwards created great space and connected good sequences. Ava Yanchunas had a big night for us creating space and plays. Kylie was able to get one in off of a corner from Aidia and then I think we really settled into our confidence. The quick movement and grit in the attacking third from all the girls gave Jules the opportunity to slot the ball in.
Moving on: “I am really proud of all of these players for their ability to respond when down. We are looking forward to the next one.”
SPRING-FORD 1 0 – 1
SOUDERTON 0 2 – 2
No 7 Downingtown East 3, No 23 Plymouth Whitemarsh 0
The end of a season is never easy, especially when a few unfortunate bounces have a role in it, but the Colonials knew they accomplished something special this year.
PW did a couple things it never had before, qualifying for the postseason for a program record fifth year in a row then going on the road and winning against a higher seeded opponent for the first time ever. Coming off a division title and graduation of a large senior class, it was a testament to the team’s players, captains and coaches for building a new identity and maintaining the standard.
PW concludes its season at 8-6-6 and will have a strong foundation of returners coming back.
Plymouth Whitemarsh coach TJ DeLucia: “Tough loss today at Downingtown East. They’re a very good team. We felt good about the preparation that we put in in 36 hours. We had an unfortunate handball call midway through the first half which gave East a free kick from about 25 yards out and their kid buried it. Credit to her. That was it for the first half. We held them at bay in open play and had a few set piece chances of our own.”
–Second half fight: “We came out of halftime firing. We turned them over multiple times as they were playing out of the back. With about 18 minutes remaining in the game, there was a miscommunication in front of our net between two of our players and Liv Patete came flying through for a hard clearance that somehow bounced off an East player and into our own net. Extremely unlucky. Their final goal came as the final buzzer sounded as we didn’t even take the ensuing tap.”
Season accolades: “We are extremely proud of the team and our season. We were in contention for the league championship up until the final night of the season. We earned a playoff bid for the fifth straight season – a program record. We won an away playoff game for the first time in program history and advanced to the Round of 16 for the second straight year. In the playoffs, we played two top10 teams in the district and showed that we can compete with anyone.”
Props: Thank you to our six seniors: Emily Eddinger, Izzy Jackson, Maddi Lazaroff, Soph Nagle, Liv Patete, and Bella Zeoli. They represented their families, our program, and Plymouth Whitemarsh with class. They will be successful in the future due to the type of people that they are. To the underclassmen – The work doesn’t stop. We look forward to next year as we continue to build, grow, and take this program to another level.”
DOWNINGTOWN EAST 1 2 – 3
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 0 0 – 0
No 2 Downingtown West 5, No 15 William Tennent 0
The Panthers saw their historic season come to the close at the hands of a powerful Downingtown West team.
William Tennent’s seniors led the team to a 14-5-0 record, an SOL Freedom division title and the program’s first postseason win in more than a decade.
Class 3A
No 3 Strath Haven 2, No 6 Lower Moreland 0
The Lions saw a successful season – one highlighted by their first playoff victory since 2017 – come to the close Thursday night.
High-powered Strath Haven, usually a top team in the Class 3A bracket, proved too formidable a foe for LM to overcome. The Lions closed out the year at 12-6-2 and say goodbye to a strong senior class.
Lower Moreland coach Todd Hill: “We came up against a very talented Strath Haven team today. Our girls worked so hard and played a really strong game, but in the end, we came up short. I love this team. They are so much fun and have worked so hard. I am grateful that I had a chance to be their coach. We achieved some really significant goals this season. Their determination and hard work really paid off in achieving significant goals they set earlier this year. Our program is in a better place because of the 2026 team.”
STRATH HAVEN – 2
LOWER MORELAND – 0
Class 2A
(Weds October 28)
No. 1 Springfield Twp 9, No. 4 Collegium Charter 0
The Spartans had no trouble advancing to their second straight District 1 title match, getting a hat trick from Liz Hanushchak en route to a commanding win.
Springfield Twp will have a rematch of last year’s final when they take on No. 2 seed Villa Joseph Marie. The title game is set for 5 p.m. Wednesday at Hatboro-Horsham.
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