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DOYLESTOWN – It was the turf team versus the grass team when Wissahickon faced Neshaminy in Wednesday’s District One AAA semifinal contest at War Memorial Field.
The Trojans are a turf team. The Redskins aren’t.
But a funny thing happened as Wednesday’s game progressed - War Memorial’s turf became the Redskins’ biggest ally.
“At first we were really nervous about turf because we know they’re a turf team,” Redskin senior Michelle Kopera said. “We worked real hard this week, got our passing together, changed our game – less big ball, and it worked out in the end.”
The Redskins converted a pair of corners in the final 10 minutes of regulation – both after nifty passing sequences on the smooth carpet – to earn a 3-1 win over the pesky Trojans.
“We have a lot of trouble getting stops down on our field because of the elements – the bumps, the divots, and on the turf, there’s no excuse to miss the ball,” said Neshaminy senior midfielder Diana Rowan, who had a hand in both second-half goals. “We definitely came through with that today.
“Jenny Hentz – our girl who inserts the ball – did a great job of getting us great balls. It was our job to stop them, and we did.”
The win vaulted the Redskins into Saturday’s district title game where they will face Central Bucks South – a 4-1 winner of Downingtown West – in a rematch of a midseason contest that saw the two SOL squads battle to a 1-1 tie.
“This was one of the goals we set at the beginning of the year,” Rowan said. “We’d love to make a state run, but getting into the district final was our main goal.”
The season is far from over for the Trojans, who will face Mount St. Joseph in a consolation round game on Friday and then begin play in the PIAA Tournament on Tuesday. According to senior tri-captain Bridget Burgoyne, facing a team of Neshaminy’s caliber was a special challenge.
“They’re a fantastic team,” Burgoyne said of a Redskin squad that boasts a 19-0-2 record. “They move to the ball really, really quickly.
“This is the team we really needed to face because we haven’t faced anyone this difficult before. It was a great opportunity for us, and we’re definitely learning from the mistakes we made here and definitely stepping it up when we get to states.”
The Redskins caught the Trojans on their heels in the game’s opening moments. They drew four early corners and capitalized on the fourth. It happened in one of those classic scrambles in front of the cage when – with goalie Maria Marinari down – Dyana Henry lifted the ball into the cage to put the Redskins on top 1-0 at the 19:24 mark.
“I think when we came out, we were like, ‘Oh, we’re against number one Neshaminy,’ and just kind of got freaked out,” Burgoyne said. “It’s a new surface for us. We’re used to playing on our Nexturf, and just the whole adjustment for us – we never come out like we’re on fire, and that’s something we definitely have to change.
“Once we went back to our normal game of moving faster and moving to the ball first, we really stepped up.”
The Trojans capitalized on their first shot of the game to score a textbook goal. Freshman Lauren Becker sent a perfect pass across goal, and junior Alyssa Tourdot was there to redirect it into the cage, knotting the score 1-1 at the 17:25 mark.
“I think the fact that we came back and scored right away gave us a little bit of life,” Trojan coach Lucy Gil said. “We were a little too cautious in the beginning, and it probably cost us that first goal. Once we made the transition, we were able to keep up.
“It’s a slow turf. It really slowed us down, but I thought we staye
d with them until the very end. They’re really strong.”
d with them until the very end. They’re really strong.”Listening to the coaches, it was clear that War Memorial’s turf was a transition for both teams.
“In the beginning, we played like a grass team,” Redskin coach Lisa Pennington said. “We weren’t really passing much. We were doing what we do on grass. As we got more comfortable, we started pulling everybody into the play.”
Everybody seemed to get involved in a pair of perfectly-executed corners that capped a second half of limited offensive opportunities for both teams.
The Redskins didn’t get their first corner of the second half until 12:42 remained, and Marinari turned that shot away.
The Trojans weren’t as fortunate on Neshaminy’s second corner of the half as the Redskins used a pretty passing sequence from Rowan to Marlaine Schneider to Erika Elko for the score at the 8:46 mark.
“Diana Rowan is the lead,” Pennington said. “She makes the call depending on how she reads the defense. I totally trust her. She’s kind of like the quarterback with that.”
With 1:27 remaining, Rowan was the catalyst on another picture-perfect corner. This time she passed to Jenny Hentz, who dished off to Moriah Allen for the score and the 3-1 final.
“We need to execute on corners,” Pennington said. “We’ve struggled during the season, but playing on the turf is different. If you’re low and your stick is down, the ball is going to come to you. On the grass, it’s bouncing all over god’s green acres.
“Our three goal scorers today – one played sweeper, one played halfback and the other played mid. They stepped up today on penalty corners. All year we worked as a team. We don’t rely on one player. We have 12 seniors on the team, and they all lead in different ways. I’m very proud of them. They’re great kids.”
For a Redskin team that was sent home in the second round last year, this year’s playoff run has been sweet redemption.
“It’s so exciting after last year,” Kopera said. “When we were coming into the playoffs, our goal was to not have that happen again.
“We worked so hard this whole season. We have a lot of returning players from last year, and and we get along. It’s a lot of fun, especially winning like this because we are really good friends.”
NESHAMINY 3, WISSAHICKON 1
Wissahickon 1 0-1
Neshaminy 1 2-3
Goals/Assists: Wissahickon – Alyssa Tourdot 1-0, Lauren Becker 0-1. Neshaminy – Dyana Henry 1-0, Moriah Allen 1-0, Marlaine Schneider 0-1, Jenny Hentz 0-1.
Shots: W-4, N-12.
Corners: W-2, N-8.
Saves: Maria Marinari (W) 7, Alexa Bell (N) 3.
Central Bucks South 4, Downingtown West 1
Casey Haegele scored a pair of goals to lead the Titans to a convincing 4-1 win over Downingtown West and the program’s first ever trip into the district final.
“It’s kind of surreal,” coach Meg Hutchinson said. “We have been going game by game, and all of a sudden you bring your head up, and you’re in the championship game, and it’s like, ‘Oh my god, how did we get here?
“When the game ended, it was kind of subdued. They were ready for the next step. They’re very excited, of course, and thrilled to be playing Neshaminy again. It’s interesting. They’re not too overly excited. They’re ready for Saturday.”
Haegle got things started with a goal at the 21:50 mark of the first half, and a minute later, Sarah Hasson scored using a Maddy Harding assist to make it a 2-0 game. A Kelsey Lang goal (Julia Goldsworthy assist) sent the Titans into halftime with a 3-0 lead.
“The first half was very fast – a lot of quick transitions going into the attacking area for both teams,” Hutchinson said. “It was pretty nip and tuck.
“We were able to capitalize in the circle, and that was the different. Lydia Keener did come up with some good saves in the first half, and they missed a couple of posts.”
Downingtown West broke up the Titans’ shutout bid with a goal at the 10:24 mark, but Haegele scored with just over three minutes remaining for the 4-1 final.
“After the game, I said, ‘Think back to ODU when we went to camp and look where we are,’” Hutchinson said. “They all started giggling and smiling like, ‘Yeah, this is pretty cool.
“This is so special. It hardly ever happens. The last time I went through it was 12 years ago.”
That year – 1996 – Hutchinson’s Gwynedd-Mercy squad captured the district crown.
Mount St. Joseph 1, Hatboro-Horsham 0
Strath Haven 2, Souderton 1 (10-9 penalty strokes)
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