Four SOL field hockey teams advanced out of Monday’s opening round, joining third-seeded Plymouth Whitemarsh and second-seeded Central Bucks South in Wednesday’s second round. To view photos of the CR South/Haverford, CR North/Strath Haven and Wissahickon/Mount games, please visit the Photo Gallery.
The opening round of the District One Tournament included its share of surprises as several SOL squads were sent home earlier than expected. Wissahickon, the tournament’s 13th-seed, fell to 20th-seeded Mount St. Joseph Academy, and 15th-seeded Council Rock North saw its season end at the hands of Strath Haven.
Central Bucks West won the battle of SOL Continental rivals against Pennridge, and Neshaminy won its SOL National Conference battle against Pennsbury. Hatboro-Horsham escaped with a double overtime win over Spring-Ford, and Council Rock South eked out a 3-2 win over Haverford. North Penn fell to Downingtown West.
Central Bucks South, the tournament’s second seed, and third-seeded Plymouth Whitemarsh had opening round byes.
#7 COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 3, #26 HAVERFORD 2
Kristin Donohue and her teammates watched Council Rock North’s season come to an end in the opener of Monday night’s District One AAA twinbill. They were determined their squad would not suffer a similar fate.
“I honestly think we wanted it more,” Donohue said. “We worked so hard to win the league, and we really just wanted it so much more than them.
“Even though Haverford was the 26th seed, we knew they were from a strong league. We knew the team Rock North played was (seeded) above the team we were going to play, but they were a good team. They were really good competition.”
The Fords simply refused to go away in Monday’s game, despite the fact that the Golden Hawks had the better of play. Kristen Meihofer spotted the Golden Hawks an early lead when she scored three-and-a-half minutes into the game, using an assist from freshman Caroline McGovern. Midway through the half, the Fords knotted the score.
McGovern gave the Golden Hawks a huge lift when – with 6.3 seconds remaining in the opening half – she scored an unassisted goal to send Rock South into halftime with a 2-1 lead.
Rock South’s lead didn’t hold up all that long in a second half that saw the Fords knot the score 90 seconds in, but at the 23:54 mark, Meihofer scored a goal that turned out to be the game winner.
“I was worried about them,” coach Tina Reinprecht said of the Fords. “There were stretches where we had very good possessions and counter attacks.
“In stretches we maintained possession in the midfield, and that allows you to get numbers on the attack, rather than just hitting the long ball and always being two versus three or two versus two. I think working the ball through the midfield was the secret and then doing a great job defensively because they had their opportunities as well.”
Reinprecht lauded the performances of a pair of unsung heroes in the win.
“It was a good team effort,” the Golden Hawks’ coach said. “Jackie Schrager did a really outstanding job at right back, and Kristin Donohue has really come alive the last two thirds of the season, and she’s just everywhere for us right now – playing defense, outletting the ball. She’s just doing a terrific job.”
“I just know that I can’t have a bad game,” Donohue said. “I know have to come out every game like it could be my last, and I just play my heart out. I really want it.”
The Golden Hawks held a 15-6 edge in shots on goal and an 11-4 advantage in corners, but that advantage was negated by Haverford goalie Katie Wyman, an all-league selection on last year’s Central League championship squad as a sophomore.
“We were able to get a lot of balls in the circle against a very talented goalie,” Reinprecht said. “She was unbelievable. We had straight shots, lifted shots, redirected shots. She was just a very talented kid.”
The Golden Hawks (14-4-1, 12-1-1 SOL) will face a familiar foe in Wednesday’s second round when they host National Conference rival Neshaminy.
Haverford 1-1 2
Council Rock South 2-1 3
#8 CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 3, #25 PENNRIDGE 0
There’s nothing that changes the momentum of a hockey game quite as dramatically as a goal very early or very late in the half. The Bucks scored in the closing minute of the first half when senior Erick Fiorelli turned a Kim Hitchcock pass into a goal that broke a scoreless tie and sent the Bucks into halftime with a 1-0 lead.
“I think it was really important,” Fiorelli said. “It really helped boost our confidence, and we could go into the second half with a lead.
“We were using each other very, very well. Our defense was having great transfers. We were just really finding each other tonight.”
Any thoughts of a Pennridge comeback took a serious hit when the Bucks scored again less than nine minutes into the second half. This time, freshman Cadera Smith tipped a crossing pass by Chrisitan DeAngelis into the cage to spot the Bucks a 2-0 lead.
With 3:49 remaining, the Bucks converted their 10th and final corner opportunity into a goal when Hitchcock (Fiorelli assist) hit a laser shot from the top of the circle into the cage for the 3-0 final.
For the Bucks, Monday’s win was third of the season over the Rams. The players are hoping that their opening round win is a springboard into yet another magical postseason run. Last year, the ninth-seeded Bucks finished third in the district and made their first state playoff appearance since 1997.
“It’s crazy,” Fiorelli said. “Last year we had no idea where we were going to end up, how far we would go.
“Now we have an idea. We know we’re a state-contending team. We know we can get there again. That’s our goal.”
While the Bucks (17-2, 12-2 SOL) will host ninth-seeded Downingtown East in a second round game on Wednesday, the Rams (12-7, 8-6) were sent home for the season.
“I’m really proud of them,” coach Brieann Wolfe said. “They started out strong this season, and the second time around when we had to play the teams we didn’t come out on top, but we learned from things.
“We worked on a lot, and I thought we looked really good in this game. I’m kind of disappointed we can’t play again, but it’s something to work on next season.”
Pennridge 0-0 0
Central Bucks West 1-2 3
#10 NESHAMINY 5, #23 PENNSBURY 0
Erin Bedesem and her Redskin teammates – despite a pair of regular season wins over the Falcons - weren’t taking anything for granted when they took the field on Monday.
“We knew we had to come out strong,” the Redskins’ senior co-captain said. “They made an upset in our league when they beat Council Rock North, so we didn’t take that game lightly.
“They know how we play, and we know how they play, so it was kind of up for grabs in that sense.”
To erase any thoughts of an upset, Amanda Binczewski (Maria Palmieri assist) put the Redskins on the scoreboard just over eight minutes into the game when she connected during corner play.
“After we scored, we kind of got momentum, and we were all pumped up,” Bedesem said. “We had great intensity, which helped carry through the whole game.”
A goal by Josafinne McIlvaine four minutes later sent the Redskins into halftime with a 2-0 lead.
“Scoring early definitely boosted the girls for the rest of the game, which was awesome,” coach Caitlin Koczynski said. “
Amanda Blum scored back-to-back goals in the second half, the first unassisted and the second with an assist from Christen Pennington. Marlena Koellner connected to close out the scoring with eight minutes remaining.
“Pennsbury is a great team, and to play them a third time can be challenging, but I told the girls – now is the moment,” Koczynski said. “Now is the moment to come out big – put the other two games behind you, and this is your time to shine.
“It was definitely a team effort. Our passing was on today. They moved the ball down the field as a team.”
While the Falcons closed out their year with an 8-8-3 record (7-5-2 SOL), the Redskins (13-5-1, 11-2-1 SOL) advance to Wednesday’s second round where they will find themselves in yet another National Conference showdown when they take on conference champion Council Rock South.
Pennsbury 0-0 0
Neshaminy 2-3 5
#14 HATBORO-HORSHAM 2, #19 SPRING-FORD 1 (2 OT)
Colby Eldridge couldn’t find words to describe her emotions after Monday’s dramatic win. The senior forward couldn’t even recall the sequence that led to her scoring the game winner with 6:16 remaining in the second overtime period.
“I don’t remember how I got the ball, but I had the ball,” Eldridge said. “I was on the left post, and I saw the goalie to my right.
“I had my right shoulder to the goalie – it was a reverse flick because I knew if I took the time to turn my feet, I wouldn’t have been able to get the shot off. It either went between the goalie’s legs or between his legs and the post, but it went in.
“I was so relieved and so proud that we could get to the next round because we all worked so hard for it.”
Eldridge, Carlee Baldus, Casey Swezey, Jenna Cutilli, Jane Henry, Kelsy Hopkins and goalie Emily Braunewell – the team’s seven v seven team - played the entire 85 minutes of Monday’s game.
“I was so proud of them,” coach Laura Swezey said. “They just kept going and going. Pretty much the same kids played the whole game.”
Eldridge, the center forward, is also the team’s flier on defensive corners, so she was running the length of the field.
“Playing a whole game plus the double overtime is very exhausting, but I knew how much I wanted it, and I wanted my team to experience it,” Eldridge said.
The two teams battled to 0-0 halftime tie that was broken when Jenna Cutilli (Eldridge assist) scored on a corner 51 seconds into the second half. The Hatters’ celebration lasted all of 19 seconds. That’s how long it took for the visiting Rams to get that goal back, knotting the score and setting the stage for overtime and Eldridge’s heroics.
“Our midfielders really did a nice job of transitioning the ball up tonight,” said coach Swezey, whose team held a decided shots on goal. “We should have scored more.”
A key to the win was the Hatters’ ability to contain Spring-Ford’s dangerous Gabby Major. The gifted senior, who already had 25 goals this season, is committed to the University of North Carolina. Defending Major during regulation was Jamie DiQuattro, and that task was turned over to Jenna Cutilli in overtime.
“Jamie really made a difference,” coach Swezey said. “We had Casey (Swezey) in the midfield when she came through and Jane (Henry), who is steady eddie. in the back, and they would then double her. It worked pretty well.
“Her stickwork is absolutely amazing. Even though Jamie did a great job, you had to come in and double her.”
Braunewell was credited with five saves in goal but several were of the spectacular variety.
“She had two saves – they were one-on-one with her (Major), and she’s a phenomenal player,” coach Swezey said. “It was pretty crazy.”
The Hatters (12-5-1, 9-5 SOL) will travel to Plymouth Whitemarsh on Wednesday for a second round matchup with the third-seeded Colonials, who had an opening round bye.
“This is really big for myself and the two other seniors – Carlee Baldus and Jane Henry,” Eldridge said. “This is our last year as Hatters field hockey players, and we want to get as far as we can.
“Last year we got to the second round and lost. This year we want to keep progressing and go as far as we can get.”
Spring-Ford 0-1-0-0 1
Hatboro-Horsham 0-1-0-1 2
#6 DOWNINGTOWN WEST 3, #27 NORTH PENN 0
The Maidens battled the Whippets to a 0-0 halftime tie, but a goal by Jaclyn Lutza (Nikki Freeman assist) three minutes into the second half gave the Whippets a lead they would not lose. Katherine Leahy (Savannah Cabaddu assist) scored seven minutes later, and when Cabaddu scored 14 minutes into the second half, the Whippets led 3-0.
The Maidens actually held a 12-11 advantage in shots while the Whippets had a 9-7 edge in corners. Chess Kownurko was credited with eight saves in goal.
North Penn closed out its season with a 10-9 record overall (7-7 SOL).
#18 STRATH HAVEN 2, #15 COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 0
Strath Haven scored a goal in each half, and the Indians never could find the cage. Strath Haven held an advantage in shots (13-7) and corners (10-2). The Indians closed out their season with a 13-5 record overall (11-3 SOL).
Strath Haven 1-1 2
Council Rock North 0-0 0
#20 MOUNT ST JOSEPH ACADEMY 3, #13 WISSAHICKON 1
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