Three SOL girls’ soccer teams advanced to the quarterfinals of the District One AAA Tournament
By Dan Beck
#1 CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 6, #16 WISSAHICKON 1
Mission number one: accomplished.
The district’s top team, undefeated CB East, rolled to a first round win over fellow SOL opponent Wissahickon. Once again, Emma Loving led the way as the Patriots romped 6-1 over the Trojans.
Loving got things started in the 11th minute, taking a feed from senior midfielder Maddie Myrtetus and finishing the goal with a rocket into the opposite corner of the net. Then, just before the end of the half, Loving helped distance her team from its foe.
Emma LiVolsi found Loving in the 36th minute for a goal, and then two minutes later Myrtetus again connected with Loving to make it 3-0.
Another game. Another natural hat trick for the senior superstar, Loving.
“Emma thrives on competition,” coach Paul Eisold said. “She thrives on players trying to box her out and that kind of gets her going. The more competitive the environment, the more she is determined to be successful.”
The Patriots kept the pressure on in the second half. Loving added an assist to her stat sheet, passing to Abby Brown for a goal in the 62nd minute. Wissahickon did come back with a goal for itself shortly after. Lieke Black scored for the Trojans in the 65th minute to make it 4-1.
Hannah Zach would have none of that, though. The junior midfielder added tallies in the 75th minute (from Erin Lutz) and in the 78th minute to put the game away. 6-1 East. A total team effort.
“They key for any team is having individual players stepping up at the right time and we’ve been able to get a variety of players doing the right thing at the right time,” Eisold said. “That takes a lot of pressure off everybody when that occurs. Then they’re able to play as a unit and finish games off.”
East was able to handle the myriad of offensive threats from Wissahickon, limited their offensive output to just the one second half goal.
“We were fully aware of the players that they had and we just made sure defensively that we had them covered with a first and second defender,” Eisold said. “They definitely had some good threats with Maddie [Elwell] and some of the other girls, but we were able to keep them out of our end.”
Eisold was impressed with a number of his own players outside of just Loving.
“I thought in key situations Bri Talbot and Hannah Zach were outstanding,” he said of his two flank midfielders. “As the game wore on, they just got better. I though Maddie Myrtetus was excellent in getting things forward and put duress on the Wissahickon defenders.”
Up next for East is a date with a familiar team from across town—CB South. Twice this year, East got the better of the Titans, winning 1-0 both times. Saturday’s quarterfinal match should be another battle.
“They are going to give us their A-game,” Eisold said of South. “They’re not going to sit back. They have great goalkeeping and they can counter. “
Wissahickon 0-1 1
Central Bucks East 3-3 6
#24 CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 2, #8 PENNRIDGE 1 (OT)
For the second straight game, CB South pulled off an upset. On Tuesday, the Titans traveled to Downingtown East and took down the ninth-seeded Cougars. Thursday, they slayed the Rams in a closely contested double overtime match.
With six minutes remaining in the second overtime period, Aleksa Peev, fresh off the bench, dribbled around a defender, slotted it in the box, and found Courtney Taylor. Taylor finished off the golden goal and Pennridge’s season.
Kylie Walsh got things started for the Titans. With 17 minutes left to play in the first half, Walsh, off a throw-in from Taylor, scored to give South an early 1-0 lead, and it stayed that way through the opening 40 minutes.
Savanna Harrison knotted it up in the second half for Pennridge, though. It was tied up at one goal apiece at the end of regulation. Cue overtime and Taylor’s eventual game-winner.
“Courtney Taylor has been one of the reasons we’ve got as far as we have,” South coach Betsy Bullock said. “Courtney has played every position for us. Wherever she plays, she’s an impact plays. She’s extremely tenacious and it made the difference tonight. We were into the second overtime and she was still making runs at the goal.”
Taylor also played an important role Tuesday, assisting Mackenize Edwards’ game-winner off a corner kick against Dowingtown East. Sophia Boggs loomed large in goal once again. She made four saves in the win.
“Every game, [Boggs] comes up with one or two stupendous saves that keep us in the game,” Bullock added. And by doing so, it gives us an opportunity to come back and score.”
The underdogs struck again, Thursday.
“I don’t mind if they see us as an underdog. We can embrace that. We just take it one game at a time,” Bullock said.
Pennridge is skilled, that’s for sure. Their scoring threats—sisters Kennedy and Kouri Peace to name a few—were kept in check by the Titans’ defense for much of the evening, though.
“They’re a very good team with a lot of talented players,” Bullock said. “They have very gifted, fast forwards. Our defenders really contained them. It was difficult at times, but they did their job. We’re very proud that we were able to pull this one out.”
Saturday will be another challenge for the underdogs from Warrington. It will come in the form of CB East, the unbeaten SOL Continental champs. But the Titans hope they are ready to crack the Patriots. They’ve knocked on the door twice, losing just 1-0 on both occasions.
“They have so much talent,” Bullock said of Saturday’s opponent. “Emma Loving is arguably the best forward in the area. She’ll present some difficulties for us, but we’ll do the best we can. We played them close both games, so maybe this time will be the charm.”
Central Bucks South 1-0-0-1 2
Pennridge 0-1-0-0 1
#2 PENNSBURY 3, #15 RADNOR 0
Sometimes outside factors play a big role in games. On Thursday—and this was the case in games across the district—it was the wind.
In the first half of Pennsbury’s opening playoff game against Radnor, the wind wasn’t their friend. The second-seeded Falcons struggled with the wind coming at them when they went on the attack on offense. Still, Pennsbury won the possession battle and managed some good looks at the net, but Radnor’s defense and keeper were able to keep them out of the net.
The second half was a much different story.
Kelly Amador got it started for the Falcons, scoring in the 44th minute to break the scoreless tie. Caroline Foley made it 2-0 in the 55th minute, with an assist from Jenna Peters. In the 68th minute, Amador closed it out, scoring with an assist from Hope Drewes.
“At halftime, they weren’t frustrated and they just went out and executed in the second half and took advantage of the wind at our backs and continued to put the ball on the frame,” Pennsbury coach Kaitlyn Battiste said.
With Pennsbury, it’s never the same standout. Thursday, the spotlight belonged to Amador, whose two goals made the difference in the second half.
“Kelly Amador was all over the field today and playing with a ton of confidence,” Battiste said. “We didn’t know what lineup we were going with today so we told her we would be moving her around so that we had the best 11 players on the field.”
2015, much like 2014 for Pennsbury, has been defined by great offense. The Falcons have scored 84 goals this season from 16 different players.
“The team continues to challenge the coaching staff in who the best 11 are,” Battiste added. “Today, Kelly was on fire, but the whole team really stepped up their level of play.”
Nany Santiago was big in net, despite having just one save. It came in a big spot, stopping a Radnor breakaway in the first half to keep the game scoreless.
On the defensive end, Battiste noted the play of Karina Raykova.
“Defender Karina Raykova really got involved in our attack today and sparked numerous opportunities on offense,” Battiste said.
Pennsbury, which enjoyed a first round bye, will resume play in the District One AAA quarterfinals on Saturday. They’ll face Downingtown West. Tenth-seeded West defeated Strath Haven 1-0 in Thursday’s second round game.
Radnor 0-0 0
Pennsbury 0-3 3
#14 COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 2, #3 WEST CHESTER RUSTIN 1
Wendell Beres looked over at his assistant coach midway through the second half and noted the strong play of Meredith Hill.
Maybe Hill was listening in to her head coach because the sophomore midfielder stepped up to score her first career goal in the biggest moment of her career. With the game tied at one in the 74th minute, Casey McAlister found Hill in the box, who finished the game-winner. With that, 14th seeded Council Rock North upset third-seeded West Chester Rustin on the road to advance to the District One AAA quarterfinals.
Rustin, which had a first round bye, came out in the first half trying to get into a rhythm despite having the favor of high winds. In the 35th minute, the Indians capitalized. Tori Hill converted a set piece from Brielle Wright to put North up 1-0. But Rustin responded quickly, tying the game in the 38th minute to deadlock the teams at the half.
“We were into the wind in the first half and we had the mindset that if we could get out of there, we would be in good shape,” Beres said. “They scored the equalizer and took the wind out of our sails a little bit. We spent most of halftime making sure we came back with some more momentum.”
But Rustin kept pace with the wind-favored Indians to open the second half. Much of the game was played at midfield, with neither team getting too many opportunities. It made Hill’s goal all the more important. After her goal, North held on for the win and upset. It was a big day for Meredith Hill.
“She’s a kid that we ask to do a lot of defensive work—not really one that we ask to do a whole lot of offensively,” Beres said. “Today was her best game in a Council Rock uniform.”
Beres felt his squad benefited from playing a first round game—a 5-1 win over Upper Dublin on Tuesday—whereas Rustin was idle.
“The playoff atmosphere is tough to replicate and we got to experience Tuesday night,” he said. “We had that under our belt and Rustin didn’t. We knew they were going to have the playoff jitters.”
It’s an all-too-familiar sight for Rustin, which lost as the third seed to another 14 seed from Council Rocklast year—the Golden Hawks from South. It’s another early exit for the Golden Knights.
Beres wasn’t completely satisfied with his team’s play, but he’ll certainly take the win and berth in the quarterfinals. Even with a loss in the next round to sixth-seeded Wes Chester Henderson, the Indians have a shot at the fifth and final spot in the state tournament through playbacks.
“I’m a really happy coach when you’re the 14 seed and you don’t think your team played their best game and you’re still going to live to see another day,” Beres said.
The Indians will pick up playoff action Saturday at a time to be determined at Henderson, which defeated the SOL National runner up Neshaminy in overtime on Thursday.
Council Rock North 1-1 2
West Chester Rustin 1-0 1
#6 WEST CHESTER HENDERSON 2, #11 NESHAMINY 1 (OT)
Neshaminy’s season and the prolific high school career of Gabby Farrell came to an end, Thursday at the hands of host West Chester Henderson in an overtime thriller.
The teams were scoreless after the first 40 minutes, but in the 47th minute, Farrell put Neshaminy on the board first, following her own shot and putting back a rebound.
With just under 17 minutes left, Henderson got the equalizer. Addy Zandi knotted the game up at one for the Warriors.
The game went to overtime and in the 83rd minute, Henderson found the golden goal. Kailee Coonan put it between the pipes and Henderson won the second round game, advancing to the state quarterfinals to take on Council Rock North.
Neshaminy 0-1-0 1
West Chester Henderson 0-1-1 2
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