LANGHORNE - As Neshaminy and Souderton took the field for the second overtime period in Friday’s District One AAA quarterfinal thriller, coach Mary Ann Harris turned to the sidelines.
“This is better than Friday night football,” the Indians’ coach said with a smile.
And it was.
This game was a battle of wills between two teams that quite simply refused to lose, and it took 89 minutes and 59 seconds to determine a winner. The Redskins needed every second of that to solve the mystery of Souderton goalie Ann Jefferis and a relentless Indian squad.
Finally, with time about to expire in the second of two overtimes, Chelsea Rota did what no one before her had been able to do when she followed teammate Jenny Hentz’s shot, taking the ball off Jefferis’ pads and putting it in the cage for an electrifying 1-0 win.
The ball crossed the goal line as the final whistle sounded, setting off a euphoric celebration in the striking circle as Rota’s teammates converged for a joyous pile-on.
“It was incredible,” Rota said. “In my head, I thought we were going to strokes. I didn’t know how much time was left.
“That effort took the entire team. Everyone said, ‘We’re winning. We’re not going to strokes,’ and everyone worked to get that ball in there.”
The win ensured the Redskins a spot in the PIAA AAA Tournament, but no one was thinking about states after this giddy win.
“The kids didn’t realize that they were going to states,” Neshaminy coach Lisa Pennington said. “That was a nice surprise.
“I’m just proud of the entire team. Every kid stepped up and played hard today.”
Forget the fact that Friday’s game pitted the tournament’s 24th seed – Souderton – against the top-seeded Redskins. These two teams have had their share of classic battles over the years, but few could top this one between.
“We have gotten this far for a reason,” junior Christine Dougherty said. “That’s because we work hard every single game.”
All the hard work in the world looked as though it might be for naught as Jefferis – a soccer player who put on goalie pads for the first time 18 months ago – was playing at another level. All told, the turned away 18 shots, many with highlight reel saves.
“She was amazing,” Redskins senior Marlaine Schneider said. “You just have to keep playing hard, keep playing your game, just completely play Neshaminy field hockey.”
Schneider spent the game carrying the ball down the right alley and sending it into the striking circle. It was appropriate that the Redskins’ dangerous senior forward would set up the game winner with a cross into the circle.
“I was just thinking the entire time – I have to hustle my butt off,” she said. “My whole entire team was hustling. I was like, ‘I’m crossing this ball, and this ball better go in.’”
Hentz took the initial shot that was turned away by Jefferis, but this time the senior goalie couldn’t clear the ball out of harm’s way, and Rota was there to finish off the play.
It wasn’t just Jefferis, according to Schneider, that posed a problem for the Redskins in Friday’s game.
“It was their entire team,” she said. “Their entire team hustled. They came out to play. They didn’t come out saying, ‘Oh, we’re going to lose.’ Their defense is very good, and Becca (Chylack) can hit the ball. She knows how to play.
“They gave us a run for our money, and she was amazing.”
‘She,’ in this case, was Jefferis. The senior goalie served early notice that she might be onto something special when - on the Redskins’ third corner of the game midway through opening quarter - she made a spectacular diving save on the left post of a shot that had some of the Redskin fans celebrating prematurely.
Moments earlier, Neshaminy goalie Alexa Bell had a dazzling save of her own when she made a hand stop of a ball that appeared to be heading for the cage, and it became apparent – goals would be hard to come by in this one.
They were.
The Redskins drew a corner with time expired in the opening half. They took three shots. Jefferis stopped all three, and when they were awarded a stroke, the senior goalie turned that away as well, and she was just getting started.
The Redskins dominated play in the second half, drawing nine corners and taking 10 shots. The Indians, meanwhile, took just one, but that shot – which deflected off the left post – came within inches of finding the cage.
Midway through the half, Schneider, Moriah Allen and Hentz fired three consecutive shots on goal. Jefferis stonewalled all three in an acrobatic display of goal tending.
“I don’t know,” Jefferis said when asked the key to her success. “I guess God gives me the strength. It’s so automatic for me.
“I was pretty into it today. I really wanted to win. I have been thinking about it all day. We all were. “
In one of the most remarkable sequences of the game, Jefferis found herself facing a two-on-one with a pair of Redskins coming at her from the right side. The senior goalie went down and blocked a pair of shots, taking away the angle and blocking a wide open cage in a classic two-on-one.
“Nobody can play better than that,” coach Mary Ann Harris said. “She completely read a goal – there were two of those (sure goals) that she read.”
All told in the two overtime periods, Jefferis made six stops, but she couldn’t come up with the seventh, and the Redskins escaped with the dramatic win when Rota connected for the game winner.
“Souderton’s goalie had an unbelievable game – kudos to her,” Pennington said. “She played great. I thought Souderton played strong.
“I just thought we had it today. We stepped to the ball. We had our finesse, we had our stickwork, and we had our determination. I thought we really stepped up and played hard today. We played as a team.
“Going into the second overtime, I said to my girls, ‘You’re it. You’re out there, and you have to give it to us.’ I called Chelsea (Rota) and Marlaine (Schneider) over with three minutes left, and I said, ‘You have to work every second.’ The team worked together, and the two of were really strong. I was very proud.”
While the Indians will face Strath Haven with a berth to states on the line, the Redskins have earned a date with Downingtown West, a 3-2 winner over Hatboro-Horsham in another quarterfinal – in a semifinal game on Wednesday.
“This kind of game gives you motivation to keep going,” Dougherty said. “That’s what we plan to do – we just plan on keep going and working hard.”
Extra shots: Pennington acknowledged the strong play of Dougherty at sweeper and Bell in goal. “Those two juniors led the defense,” the Redskins coach said. “They stepped up and played tremendously.”
NESHAMINY 1, SOUDERTON 0 (2 OT)
Souderton 0 0 0 0-0
Neshaminy 0 0 0 1-1
Goals/Assists: Neshaminy – Chelsea Rota 1-0.
Shots: S-6, N-25.
Corners: S-5, N-15
Saves: Ann Jefferis (S) 18, Alexa Bell (N) 5
Central Bucks South 1, Mount St. Joseph 0 (OT)
The Titans used a goal by high-scoring forward Gretchen Kempf with 11:54 left in overtime to eke out a 1-0 win over the defending district champs in an evening played game at South.
“It was an excellent game,” coach Meg Hutchinson said. “There was a lot of back and forth and a lot of play in the middle third during the second half.”
South will face Wissahickon in a semifinal contest.
Wissahickon 4, Strath Haven 1
Aubrey Bossert scored a pair of goals and twin sister Ashley added a goal to propel the Trojans to the convincing win. Aubrey Bossert (Colleen Lynch assist) put the Trojans on the scoreboard at the 19:20 mark of the opening half, but Strath Haven answered with a goal to knot the score.
At the 9:04 mark, Aubrey Bossert scored another goal, this time using a Gretchen Guaglionone assist. Adelle Lever converted a penalty stroke at the 17:04 mark of the second half, and Ashley Bossert closed out the scoring at the 3:19 mark, Guaglionone assist.
Wissahickon goalie Maria Marinari turned away four shots.
Downingtown West 3, Hatboro-Horsham 2
The Hatters found themselves starting at a 2-0 deficit early in the second half, but they battled back. Lauren Purvis converted a penalty stroke at the 17:35 mark, but Downingtown West answered with a goal to go on top 3-1.
Jenna Gould made it a 3-2 game when she scored with 2:32 remaining, but the Hatters would get no closer.
“We controlled most of the last 10 minutes and were banging at the door,” coach Krista Greene said.
Goalie Jenna Phillips turned away 11 shots. Downingtown West held a 14-7 edge in shots.
The Hatters will face Mount St. Joseph in a consolation round game as they continue their quest for a berth in states.
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