There were several upsets in SOL soccer play. Check out all of Friday’s action. To view photos of the William Tennent/CR North boys’ game, check the Photo Gallery later this weekend.
GIRLS
NATIONAL CONFERENCE
William Tennent 1, Council Rock North 0
It was a victory years in the making when the Panthers beat the National Conference powerhouse Indians on Friday. The victory over Council Rock North was one the Panther seniors had sought after.
After losing to the Indians (6-2 SOL) by four goals earlier in the season, the Panthers were on a mission. Tennent’s winning goal was scored about ten minutes into the second half when Taylor Hopkins intercepted a goalie clear and capitalized on her being in a vulnerable spot, unable to recover to net quickly enough.
Coach Dan Russo was thrilled with his team’s upset victory.
“We carried play for most of the time,” he said. “We changed our lineup a bit. They played very well.”
Russo also was very happy with his back line of Alyssa Ferraro, Emily Bocklet and Shannon Troy stating, “They were tremendous. They enabled us to play a more offensive game and took care of everything.”
Russo says his team’s record of 3-5 in the league and 6-5 overall isn’t indicative of the level of play they have been maintaining.
“We have been playing really well,” the Panthers coach said. “It just hasn’t translated into wins.”
Russo knows anything could happen as the second half of the season gets underway, and he hopes this win will give his team a confidence boost when they face Pennsbury on Tuesday. The Falcons are now tied with North for second place in the league.
Neshaminy 6, Truman 0
The Redskins went into the half with a one-goal lead but exploded for five goals in the second half as they eased by the Tigers. Gabby Farrell scored a pair for the ‘Skins and added an assist while Katie Suchodolski, Megan Schafer, Amy Mandia, and Jess Kelly (1 assist) each added a goal. Erin Farrell was credited with two assists in the victory. Neshaminy remains unbeaten at the top of the conference (7-0), and Truman is now 0-7.
Council Rock South 4, Abington 2
The Golden Hawks picked up their fifth league win after defeating the Ghosts on Friday. Junior Taylor Dillon scored a hat trick for the Hawks while sophomore Nikki Caffey added one goal. Molly Wyman and Gabby Nolan each found the net for the Ghosts. The victory keeps the Hawks (5-3) just ahead of the Ghosts (3-5) in the conference standings.
Pennsbury 3, Bensalem 2
The Owls started off strong after Bree Rock scored in the first 90 seconds. The Falcons tied it up before the end of the half when Lexi Brown found the net off a corner kick. Uche Onouha scored the Falcons’ second goal to give them the lead early in the second half (Brown assist). Brown continued to be hard for the Owls to contain as she scored the Falcons’ third goal in the 68th minute. However, the Owls fought until the end as Paige Wendling connected with only one minute remaining to make it a one-goal game. Pennsbury improves to 6-2 while Bensalem falls to 1-7 in the league.
CONTINENTAL CONFERENCE
Hatboro 3, Central Bucks East 0 (Thursday, Sept. 27)
The Hatters led the second place Patriots (5-2-1 SOL) by two goals at the half after Marykate Bateman and Tori Adlam found the net in the first half. Lauren Brophy would also score for the Hatters off a Sydney McNutt assist in the second half. Briana Cummins turned away seven of the Patriots shots for the 3-0 shutout.
Hatboro Coach Kate Lamplugh applauded the efforts of Ramsey McMenamin and McNutt in this key victory.
“(They) controlled the center of the field and created offensive chances for us,” she said.
But Lamplugh acknowledged the win shouldn’t be credited to only a few players.
“It was a whole team effort,” the Hatters coach said. “Everyone seemed to be on the same page and wanted to get the same result tonight.”
The Hatters have been struggling to find a balance and be consistent for an entire 80 minutes, but Lamplugh believes they are on the right track.
“Our overall goal has been to put together two solid halves,” she said. “We have lost because we have given up goals in second half. We are looking to get winning results against teams we lost to or tied earlier in the season.”
One of those teams they look forward to matching up against again is Pennridge, and the Hatters (4-2-2 SOL) are hoping their new-found confidence helps them continue to rise in the rankings as league play starts to heat up.
Lamplugh understands that in the highly competitive Continental Conference, it could be anyone’s game.
“It’s going be tough in our conference,” she said. “It’s a roll of the dice.”
Central Bucks South 1, Pennridge 1 (2 OT)
The Rams just can’t figure out a way to get past the rival Titans as they battled to a tie for the second time this season. The only marks on the Rams 6-0-2 record have come at the hands of the Titans, as these teams have historically had battles for years in the Continental Conference.
The Titans (2-3-3) were the first to score in this contest when Nikki Weiss connected off a Margo Fox assist in the 48th minute. The Rams answered 20 minutes later when Megan Shenk placed her corner kick in front of teammate Andrea Caya who knotted the game 1-1. Neither team would score again, even after 20 minutes of overtime.
South Coach Joe Bocklet thought his team played at a high level.
“I thought Pennridge had the edge in the last game, but this time we were the superior team,” he said. “We were playing with urgency. We have some (league) losses so we have some ground to make up.”
Bocklet credited the entire team with a solid showing, but particularly acknowledged the performances of Emily Birsa and Kelli Jeorger as well as his defensive line.
Coach Audrey Anderson was less impressed with her team’s performance.
“We came out flat and they came out on fire,” she said. “They (South) worked so hard for every ball.”
Anderson admitted that her team is physically exhausted but that Caya’s goal was an igniter for them, and this tie can serve as a lesson for the Lady Rams.
“We know there will be some bumps in road but we are a strong, determined team,” the Rams’ coach said. “We can bounce back and we know things aren’t always going to go our way - that’s what gets us ready for playoffs.”
Both teams ended up with seven shots on goal in what Bocklet called, “a great game to watch.” The Rams continue to lead the conference as the Titans keep climbing up the ranks.
Central Bucks West 1, Quakertown 0
Carmen Telesco scored the game-winner with a diving header to the back post (assisted by Erica Moyer) in the 25th minute for the Bucks as they shut out the Panthers 1-0 on Friday. The Bucks are now tied with East behind Pennridge in the league, upping their record to 5-2-1. The Bucks will face the Patriots in a rematch on Tuesday night (5:30 pm) at home.
“We are going to play it one game at a time,” West coach Chris Freudig said. “The league teams are just too good.”
Souderton 1, North Penn 1 (2 OT)
The Indians and Maidens remained deadlocked 1-1 after playing for 100 minutes in Friday’s league battle. The Indians were the first to tally a goal as Taylor Schwartz scored in the 26th minute to send her team into the intermission with a 1-0 lead.
The Maidens answered with a goal three minutes into the second half when Katie Miller found the net. The game remained scoreless for the next 57 minutes, ending in a 1-1 tie. Souderton keeper Jaclyn Parry stopped four shots, and Maidens goalies Megan Gerhart and Laura Leonard combined for five saves.
The Indians, who have been struggling in the competitive Continental Conference, were pleased to get on the scoreboard early. Their record is now 1-6-1 (2-7-1 overall) as the second half of the season gets underway while North Penn is now 1-4-3 in the league.
AMERICAN CONFERENCE
Wissahickon 4, Upper Dublin 0
The Trojans remain atop the American League with a 7-1 record after beating the third-place rival Lady Cardinals (5-3 SOL). Cailin Grey opened up the scoring after only five minutes of play (Alyssa Ryan assist). Ellen-Claire Benbow would add another to send her team to the half leading by two goals. Benbow scored again in the second half as did Talia Abrahams for the 4-0 final.
Trojans Coach Shannon Creamer-Franke was especially impressed by sophomore back Anna Chiodo-Ortiz who played a solid defensive game. Franke also credited Alyssa Ryan with a standout performance that set the tone early in Friday’s victory.
“She really hustled the whole time, she was the one who assisted the first goal,” the Trojans’ coach said. “She took it up the right hand sideline, passed a couple of players and placed it perfectly in front of Grey.”
Creamer-Franke noted that to stay on top and handle the top teams in the league like Plymouth Whitemarsh, the Trojans will need to fine-tune some things.
“We are going to tighten up the midfield and defense and hopefully be able to penetrate their (PW’s) back line,” she said. “We had trouble getting behind them last time.”
The Trojans face the Colonials on Thursday in a battle of the top two seeds.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 5, Upper Moreland 0
The Colonials (6-2) stayed in the number two spot in the conference standings after beating the Bears (3-5) on Friday. Five different goal scorers found the net in their victory: Nicole Abbott, Amanda Cranney, Madi Berman, Maude Orler and Devon Taormina.
Cheltenham 6, Springfield 0
The Panthers cruised by the Spartans. They were led by Sloane Macklin, who was unstoppable, scoring four goals. Alix Macklin and Allie Graul added one goal each for Cheltenham.
BOYS
NATIONAL CONFERENCE
Council Rock South 4, Abington 2
In a key battle between two of the National Conference’s top squads, the Golden Hawks took a 1-0 lead into halftime and then exploded for three second-half goals. Julian Antal led Rock South with a pair of goals while Dalton Ford and Dan Kockett each added single goals. Chris Spadaro had a pair of assists while Ford and Antal each had an assist.
“Julian Antal was outstanding,” coach Alan Nicholl said. “Dalton Ford was all over the field and gave Abington fits, and Alex Wolf neutralized Abington’s attack in the back. He was flawless.”
While the Ghosts fell to 5-3 in league play (6-3 overall), the Golden Hawks upped their league mark to 7-1 (9-2 overall).
William Tennent 4, Council Rock North 0
Joey Traynor scored a pair of goals, and teammates Bryan Note and Johnnie Cialantre each added a single goal for the Panthers, who took a 2-0 lead into halftime and never looked back.
Coach Luke Gibson lauded the strong performance of Jimmy Haslett as well as Jason Knox in the back.
The Panthers evened their record at 4-4 in conference play (5-5 overall) while the Indians remained winless (0-9, 0-8 SOL).
Neshaminy 6, Harry S. Truman 0
Austin Transue earned the hat trick in a win that kept the Redskins deadlocked with Council Rock South atop the conference standings. It was Transue (Cody Minnig assist) connecting on a header off the crossbar to put the Redskins on the scoreboard in the third minute of Friday’s game. Another Transue header – this one turning a Nick Tucci 40-yard free kid into a goal – put the ‘Skins on top 2-0. Transue completed the hat trick in the 15th minute, this time capitalizing on a Tucci through ball. When Cody Minnig headed in a Reynaldo Bonilla cross into the net, the Redskins went on top 4-0 in the 47th minute. John Blickle finished off a Minnig rebound for a 5-0 lead, and when Devlin Mettee converted a penalty kick into a goal, the Redskins led 6-0.
“(Everyone) played today and played well,” coach Tom Foley said. “It was nice not to be in a one-goal game for a change.”
While the Tigers fell to 1-7 in conference play, the Redskins improved to 7-1.
CONTINENTAL CONFERENCE
North Penn 4, Souderton 1
In a marquee matchup pitting a pair of Continental Conference powers, the Knights used a pair of goals from both Matt Robinson and Alex Evans to earn the important win over the Indians.
The Knights are 6-2 in conference play (7-2 overall) while the Indians fell to 5-2-1 in the conference (7-2-1 overall).
Central Bucks South 3, Pennridge 1
The Rams took the early lead in Friday’s contest when Kris Gross scored in the 12th minute, but the Titans answered with three late goals to earn the win. Connor Stackhouse scored his first of two goals in the 56th minute and added another one in the 77th minute (Russell Heist assist) while Bryan Brady (Pat Berneski assist) connected in the 63rd minute for the 3-1 final.
While the Rams fell to 2-6 in conference play (2-8 overall), the Titans remain alone atop the conference standings with a 6-6-1 mark (8-1-1 overall).
Central Bucks East 4, Hatboro-Horsham 1
Ben Marks scored three goals in a dazzling 14-minute span early in the second half, breaking a 0-0 tie and propelling the Patriots to the win.
“We had opportunities, and we haven’t been finishing,” coach Mike Gorni said. “We have been struggling with that last entry pass and just scoring in general with the proper shots at the proper time.
“We just got in sync for a 15-minute period of time and showed up in the right spots. The ball was played to the right area, and we made simple finishes simple, and we don’t always do that.”
Marks first goal came 10 minutes into the second half (Mark Philipson assist), and the second came with an assist from Evan Vare to put the Patriots on top 2-0. Corey Milewski broke Marks’ personal tear with a goal for the Hatters to make it a 2-1 game. Marks answered with his third goal (Ryan Gleason assist). Vare (Kyle Clow assist) added a goal for the 4-1 final.
“We knew they were coming off a win over CB West,” Gorni said of the Hatters. “In our league, you can’t take an opponent and not respect them. They were certainly in the game at 0-0, and they were doing all the right things.
“With the teams all in the thick of things, everybody is the same as us – we’re just going to take one game at a time and get every result you can.”
The Patriots improved to 5-3 in conference play (6-3 overall) while the Hatters fell to 1-7 in league play.
Central Bucks West 1, Quakertown 0
The Bucks received a goal from Brian Van Eckelen in the 16th minute (Jared Kelley) assist and then held on for the hard-fought win.
The Bucks are 4-4 in conference play (5-5 overall) while the Panthers fell to 2-6 in the conference (4-8 overall).
AMERICAN CONFERENCE
Cheltenham 2, Springfield (Montco) 0
The Panthers scored five minutes into the first half when Kyree Willis-Lear put home the rebound of a missed penalty kick. The game remained tight until the 67th minute when Willis-Lear notched his second goal to seal the win for the Panthers.
Jonah Katz notched his second shutout of the week with seven saves in goal. The Panthers, after an 0-4 start in conference play, have won their last four conference games to even their record at 4-4 in the conference (4-5 overall). The Spartans are 3-4-1 in conference play (4-5-1 overall).
Wissahickon 1, Upper Dublin 1
The Trojans and Flying Cardinals battled to a tie in Friday’s battle of the American Conference’s top two squads. The Flying Cardinals went on top 1-0 when John Roos scored in the 48th minute. Zach Scannapieco scored the equalizer in the 70th minute. Neither team scored the rest of the way.
While the Flying Cardinals are 6-1-1 in conference play, the Trojans are 7-0-1.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 1, Upper Moreland 0
Upper Merion 2, Norristown 0
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