SOL District Field Hockey Preview (10-19-14)

Twelve SOL teams have earned berths in districts with nine teams in action in Monday’s District One AAA Tournament. Check back for a recap of all of Monday’s action.

By Mary Jane Souder
Nine SOL teams will be in action when District One AAA Tournament play begins Monday. Two more will see action on Tuesday in the District One AA Tournament with second-seeded Central Bucks South, which received a first round bye, joining the party with a second round game on Wednesday.
Against the odds – If the Quakertown field hockey team is looking for a title to their season, they might want to consider borrowing the title of the 1984 movie “Against All Odds.”
There weren’t many outside of the Panther hockey family who gave this team of 12 players a chance of earning a spot in the district tournament when their season began amidst a swirl of controversy, but on Thursday night when the brackets were released, the Panthers received the news they had earned a coveted berth as the 26^th team in the 28-team tournament.
“We had a party after our last game, and we were going to be together to see what the final seeding was, but it came out later than expected, so a group text was sent out,” junior Becky Gerhart said. “Even through the texting, you could tell everyone was so excited. I was running and jumping around. It was just super exciting.”
The players knew their team was on the bubble after a 3-2 upset at the hands of Pennridge in their final regular season game the day of the district seeding meeting.
“After our Pennridge loss, we weren’t sure we would be able to make it,” junior Emma McLaughlin said. “We found out we made it, and we were in a group text together. We were just really happy and proud of ourselves for fighting through and making it.”
What this Panther squad fought through would have broken most teams.
There was the heated battle over whether the school district would permit boys to play even though the PIAA had issued a ruling stating that any team playing a boy would be ineligible for the postseason. The school board voted to not allow boys to play, but the controversy didn’t end there.
Several players – key players – opted to leave the team, and on the eve of the Panthers’ SOL opener against Central Bucks West, head coach Peach Draper, varsity assistant Melinda Lepko and junior varsity coach Jim Maiorino stepped down.
Athletic director Sylvia Kalazs, who five times led the Panthers to the state tournament during her 14-year tenure at the helm, took over the reins until Alyssa Maltese was hired to serve as interim coach. Former Quakertown star Diane Bracalatente Clune, an All-American at ODU and a member of the Olympic team, assisted.
The Panthers not only survived, they thrived.
“We have a small team, but we all stuck together, and we knew that we had to do that because if we didn’t, we knew we would fall apart,” Gerhart said. “We’ve had people tell us we couldn’t do it. We had people tell us that we’d never make it to districts.
“Not only making districts but to see how much we have improved from previous years after all we’ve gone through – losing our varsity goalie, losing our center mid and (losing) our three coaches.
“Over the past three years, our program has really been improving, and this was icing on the cake after all we’ve been through.”
Players filled the holes left with the departure of several key players.
“Our young goalie (Rylee Lawler) stepped up and got much better,” McLaughlin said. “And we’re just really thankful our new coaches came into a not so good situation. They really helped us out and just reminded us to fight for what we knew we could achieve.
“All the seniors on our team were really good leaders, and they stuck together with us. Our athletic director (Sylvia Kalazs) stepped in when the coaches left, and she coached us for two or three games. She was just a really positive influence.”
A date with seventh-seeded Phoenixville awaits the Panthers in Monday’s opening round game.
“I am so excited for these girls,” Maltese said. “The second I met them I knew this team was special.
“To go out and lose some tough games and go through tough situations and still make the playoffs is thrilling. They are making history for themselves. It’s been years since Quakertown field hockey made it to districts. The girls are excited to have this opportunity and certainly have worked hard to get it.”
“We’re just really excited,” McLaughlin said. “Our whole team knew this could be the year that we could make it. Even through everything that happened, we just wanted to prove this is the same team through everything.”

Rock North earns share of National Conference crown
With very little fanfare, the Indians captured a share of the conference crown, surviving a late-season blip that saw them drop back-to-back games to Neshaminy and Council Rock South. Those losses were the only blemishes on the team’s record after opening the season with 14 straight wins.
“I don’t think I expected to come in and win 14 straight, especially with the teams we had for our out-of-league games,” coach Heather Whalin said. “We beat Wissahickon 6-0, but they’re always good, and they came on strong at the end of the season.
“I really was surprised how well we did against WC Henderson, and when I saw us playing against them, I’m like, ‘Okay, we could do something here.’”
The Indians suffered a setback when both Julianne Mangano and Amrit Ahluwalia went down with injuries. Mangano was sidelined for a week, but Ahluwalia was on the shelf for three weeks.
Remarkably, the Indians did not lose during that stretch.
“I think that made them pull together as a team, and I think that’s why we were as successful as we were,” Whalin said. “When Amrit came back, we had those two letdowns because we were thinking, ‘Oh, Amrit’s back. She can handle it back there.’
“We tended to not play as much as a team during those games because we said, ‘Our D-1 player is back as a defender. We’re going to be great.’ I think that’s where we had our letdown.
“I told the girls – I would rather lose now than have this monkey on our backs. ‘When are we going to lose? When are we going to lose?’ It’s over and done with. They came back stronger.”
The team’s four seniors – Ahluwalia (Dartmouth), Jules Singer (Ursinus), Theresa Delahanty (Lafayette) and Gigi Tutoni (Tuft) – will continue their careers at the collegiate level. All four have played club hockey for Mystx.
“I have known all four of them since seventh grade,” said Whalin, who works with the Mystx. “They have different personalities, and they make practice fun. They make it enjoyable to be there.
“They are amazing seniors. I have put Theresa Delahanty in so many positions this year just to fill in where we were lacking. Gigi has moved from attacking mid to center mid to center forward. She’s played everywhere. Jules is the backbone of the defense. She’s always yelling and getting the girls pumped up about things. They’re always pumping up their teammates.”
This year’s squad, according to Whalin, is a team in every sense of the word.
“It doesn’t matter who scores,” the Indians’ coach said. “They all jump on top of each other whoever scores. Not one of them knows their scoring. They don’t care. They just really want the team to win, and that’s what I love about them.
“The entire team hangs out together. I always forget who’s a sophomore, who’s a junior because they literally hang out together all the time. They are literally best friends.”
The sixth-seeded Indians will host Radnor in Monday’s opening round game.

#27 RADNOR at #6 COUNCIL ROCK NORTH
Council Rock North

16-2 overall
12-2 SOL National Conference Co-champions with Neshaminy
Opened season with 14 straight wins
Wins over #9 WC Henderson (2-1), #17 Neshaminy (3-1), #18 Mount St. Joseph (3-0), #20 CR South (4-3) and #24 Wissahickon (6-0)
Twelve of 16 wins were shutouts
Sophomore Anna Lehman leads the attack with 20-plus goals

Coach Heather Whalin says: “I’m glad we’re playing Monday. I think a bye for us is the kiss of death. We had a bye twice, and we lost both games. I just think you’re sitting around too long. Radnor is (seeded) 27, but I don’t care. They don’t play like a 27^th place team. They played Merion Mercy to a 3-2 game, and they lost to WC Henderson 2-0 but had 20-some shots. Radnor is not an easy draw. They’re a good team, but they have played really good teams, so they’ve been losing to good teams.”

Radnor

9-9 overall
9-3 Central League
Led by senior Lydia Sydnor, who has committed to Michigan, and senior Lexi Kenneally
Defeated #28 Strath Haven

#17 PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH at #16 NESHAMINY
Neshaminy

13-5 overall
12-2 SOL National Conference Co-champions with Council Rock North
Wins over #6 Council Rock North (2-1) and #20 Council Rock South (2-0)
Closed regular season with six straight wins after a 3-0 loss to top-seeded Unionville on Sept. 27
Posted 10 shutouts during the regular season

Plymouth Whitemarsh

13-4-1 overall
12-1-1 SOL American Conference champions for second consecutive year
Reeled off nine straight wins in SOL play after opening season 0-2
Split season series with #24 Wissahickon, winning first meeting 4-1 and losing second 1-0
Paige Totten leads Colonials’ attack with 22 goals.

Coach Marianne Paparone says: “We are very proud of the season we have had, especially given the players we lost to graduation as well as the poor start. We feel like we are a much different team then we were in August and the players are looking forward to the opportunities playoffs bring. As a league champ, we were definitely disappointed to not have a home game but that is part of what sports is about – overcoming adversity. We are ready to go.”

#20 COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH at #13 CENTRAL BUCKS WEST
Central Bucks West

13-4-1 overall
10-4 tied for second place in SOL Continental Conference
Opened season with nine straight wins
Battled CR South to 1-1 tie in a non-league battle
Split season series with #12 North Penn, winning first game (5-4) and losing second (2-1), and #22 Hatboro-Horsham, winning initial meeting (2-1) and losing rematch (2-1)
Swept season series with #26 Quakertown (4-0 & 6-1)

Council Rock South

12-5-1 overall
11-3 third place in the SOL National Conference
Tied CB West 1-1 in late season non-league game.
Split regular season series with #6 Council Rock North, losing the first game (4-3) but winning second (3-1) and #16 Neshaminy, winning the first (2-1) but dropping the second (2-0).

#21 BISHOP SHANAHAN at #12 NORTH PENN
North Penn

12-6 overall
10-4 second place SOL Continental Conference
Closed regular season with a five-game winning streak
Wins over #4 Downingtown West (3-2), #13 CB West (2-1), #22 Hatboro-Horsham (3-1 & 2-1) and #26 Quakertown (9-2)
Attack led by Amanda Laessig (19 goals, 8 assists) and Casey O’Donnell (13 goals, 13 assists)

Players to Watch: Casey O'Donnell (Sr, Forward), Amanda Laessig (Sr., Forward), Marissa Elizardo (Sr, GK), Amanda Lashkevich (Sr., Defense), Brianna O'Donnell (Fr., Forward), Frankie Tossona (Sr., Midfield)
Coach Shannon McCracken says: "North Penn is excited to host a home game on Monday. The girls are playing well as a team, passing the ball well, clicking offensively, and playing strong defense. The heart of the team is the senior class, and they are displaying excellent leadership that could carry this team in the post season."

Bishop Shanahan

10-8 overall
7-6 sixth place Ches-Mont National Conference
Defeated #5 Downingtown East 4-2

#22 HATBORO-HORSHAM at #11 WEST CHESTER EAST
Hatboro-Horsham

10-7-1 overall
7-6-1 fourth place in SOL Continental Conference
Wins over #13 CB West (2-1), #20 CR South (1-0), #24 Wissahickon (7-1), #26 Quakertown (6-3) and #28 Strath Haven (2-0)

West Chester East

13-5 overall
10-3 tied for second in Ches-Mont National Conference
Defeated #21 Bishop Shanahan 3-2 and #23 Avon Grove 3-0

#24 WISSAHICKON at #9 WEST CHESTER HENDERSON
Wissahickon

10-6-1 overall
13-3-1 finished second to Plymouth Whitemarsh in SOL American Conference
Defeated #17 Plymouth Whitemarsh 1-0 in rematch after falling 4-1 in initial meeting.

West Chester Henderson

14-4 overall
10-3 tied for second in Ches-Mont National Conference
Defending District One AAA champion
Defeated #3 Perkiomen Valley 4-1, 2-1 win over #21 Bishop Shanahan, 2-0 win over #11 West Chester East, and 2-1 win over #23 Avon Grove

#26 QUAKERTOWN at #7 PHOENIXVILLE
Quakertown

8-9-1 overall
5-9-1 overall
First trip to districts in more than a decade
Wins over #12 North Penn (4-3) and #27 PW (4-1), and a tie with #22 Hatboro-Horsham (2-2)
Attack led by Emma McLaughlin (15 goals, 10 assists) and Becky Gerhart (10 goals, 4 assists)

Phoenixville

17-2 overall
12-1 PAC-10 Frontier Division champion
Lost to eventual champion Owen J Roberts 2-1 in PAC-10 Tournament semifinals
Wins over #15 Owen J Roberts (1-0), #10 Methacton (2-1) and #21 Bishop Shanahan (1-0)
Led by senior forward Bailey Quinn’s 34 goals. Quinn has committed to play field hockey at Old Dominion University.
Katie McErlean added 10 goals

Class AA (Tuesday, Oct. 21)
#7 UPPER PERKIOMEN at #6 UPPER MORELAND
UPPER MORELAND

12-5-1 overall
10-3-1 tied for second in SOL American Conference
First trip to District One AA Tournament since 2008
Two wins over #9 Springfield (1-0 & 1-0) and a 1-1 tie with District AAA #24 Wissahickon

Players to watch:
Emily Jeinnings –11th grade, midfielder
“Emily is a very intelligent field hockey player,” said Grossi. “She leads by example, in both practices and games.”
Maura O'Leary — 11th grade, forward
“Maura does an excellent job cutting to the ball,” Grossi said. “Her effort and enthusiasm during a game lifts the play of her teammates.”
Delaney Smith — 11th grade, midfielder
“Delaney has made a huge impact on the field in every game,” Grossi said. “She has terrific stick skills and always steps up when her team needs her.”
Our Defense — Melissa Felicetti (12), Emily Keene (10), Samara Santry (12) and Goalkeeper Allison Felicetti (10)
“We've won numerous games by one goal this season, and in most of those situations, the opposing teams had the ball in our defensive end,” Grossi said. “Our defenders have the ability to remain calm and stop the opposition. They work very well together.”
Coach Karen Grossi says: “Upper Moreland is extremely excited to have made it to the postseason. The girls have worked extremely hard to turn last year's 3-win season into this year's 12-win season. Throughout the season, the girls have worked well together, and pushed each other to continuously improve. If we can maintain our composure (afterall, none of our girls have ever experienced playing in a playoff game), work together, and play our game, we think good things can happen for us.”

UPPER PERKIOMEN