PW, CB East & CB South were winners in SOL District One 6A second round action Thursday. CB East/Great Valley photos provided courtesy of Tracy Valko. Check back for a gallery of photos.
CLASS 3A
#3 PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 1, #6 KENNETT 0
Scoring goals came easily for the Colonials during the regular season – they averaged 7.3 goals a game in 10 games, and while there were a few close games in that number, lopsided games were the norm.
The playoffs, as expected, have been another story entirely, and for the second time in as many games, the Colonials eked out a 1-0 win.
“It’s fun because we’re growing as a team, figuring out what works for us and what doesn’t work, and we’re trying a lot of new things,” Hailey Copestick said. “But it’s also obviously kind of scary when we don’t score right away.”
It was Copestick putting the Colonials on the scoreboard midway through the second quarter, turning an Ava Borkowski pass into a goal during corner play.
“For some reason, we could not get the ball in the back of the net on Monday (in a 1-0 win over Avon Grove), but we worked on that this week in practice, and we were very happy that we got the goal earlier in the game rather than later,” Copestick said. “Ava got in the in middle, and everyone usually crashes towards Ava – that’s what we have her there for to either tip it or draw people. She was able to dish it out to me, and I was able to get it in the goal.
“Even though we had a lead, we still wanted to make sure we didn’t get it in our heads that ‘Oh, we got this, we’re up.’ We had to keep playing the whole game.”
The Colonials did not score the rest of the way.
“Honestly, I wouldn’t say this was our team’s best game,” PW coach Charise Halteman said. “I think part of that is – Kennett is a pretty aggressive and physical team, so they were disruptive to our game plan.
“We probably saw – this was for both teams – more cards given out than we had in a while. It was just one of those games. I didn’t feel we ever got a chance to get a flow going. We had a few moments of great possession passing, working it up the field with some good opportunities, but we couldn’t sustain it or keep it going.”
Kennett turned up the pressure in the fourth quarter, but the Colonials’ defense stood tall.
“I think Kennett actually had more shots and corners than we did, and a lot of that probably coming in the fourth quarter,” Halteman said. “They put a lot of pressure on us at the end of the game.
“We earned a corner in the first minute of the game, so we got off to a pretty good start, but they were a physical, aggressive team. They had good defensive skills and broke up a lot of our plays, so I just felt we didn’t have our best possession game today. They were more of a big hitting team, a different style than what we’ve played against so far this season.”
For the first time this season, Halteman missed not being able to call a timeout – a change in the rules since the games are now divided into quarters instead of halves.
“The whole rest of the season I felt like we managed - the quarter breaks have been fine,” Halteman said. “Today there was a couple moments when I looked at my assistant and said, ‘I don’t know what to do here on the sidelines. If this was another season, I would have called a timeout by now or tried something different or moved positions around.’
“On the sidelines, there’s only so much I can yell to get information out to them while they’re playing. It was definitely one of those games when I was missing having the option of calling a timeout because I thought we could have used it.”
PW goalie Sarah Trask was credited with a season high seven saves in a strong effort in goal.
“The kids kept their heads today,” Halteman said. “I thought my center back, Darcy Miller, played one of her best games of the season and led the defensive effort against a great deal of offensive pressure from Kennett in the fourth quarter.
“Sarah Trask, our goalie, also played a good game, and that was important for us, especially at the end of the game when we were under a lot of pressure.”
Creating a lot of that pressure was Kennett center forward Emma Schwartz
“She is a tall player who is aggressive –she loves to shoot, so she was creating a lot of opportunities,” Halteman said. “She also took a lot of free hits for their team from different positions on the field even though she was primarily more of a forward. She was a very dangerous player for Kennett.”
In a season that almost wasn’t, the Colonials are just happy to be playing games.
“You do get caught up in the season a little bit, and obviously, in the playoffs, you are focused on winning the game, but every time we get done and you reflect on it, and it’s like, ‘Wow, we’re still playing,’” Halteman said. “There are teams that didn’t even get to play this fall who are in our area. We feel blessed to be able to be able to play.”
“A lot of us have club and nothing was going on,” Copestick said. “People aren’t going to Festival (over Thanksgiving), so we can just focus on school and the season.
“I’m so happy that we’re playing. I was so bored doing nothing. I wanted to get out there because I’ve been playing for so long. Field hockey is my life.”
Plymouth Whitemarsh (12-0, 10-0 SOL) will host Methacton in a District One 3A semifinal on Tuesday at 3:45 p.m.
Kennett 0-0 0
Plymouth Whitemarsh 1-0 1
#5 CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 6, #13 GREAT VALLEY 2
Kenzie Lever and her teammates didn’t know a whole lot about Great Valley entering Thursday’s quarterfinal contest. Listening to the senior forward tell it, they liked it that way.
“We tried to watch some film on them, and our coach actually watched the game they played against Oley Valley last year because we played Oley Valley in our first game last year also, so she was giving us some insight on that game,” Lever said. “Other than that, we didn’t know anything going in which for us after playing North Penn three times in a row - we kind of needed that just because we’ve been playing teams we’ve seen before, so I think having a fresh start and not really going in expecting anything – I think that was good for us at this point in the season.”
The game started off slowly for the Patriots, although they did get a quick goal when Sophia Parker scored on a ball off the goalie’s pads just over a minute into the game. That turned out to be the lone goal of the opening half.
“Just the fact that we were adjusting to figure out what Great Valley was like and their positioning,” Lever said. “When we came out in the North Penn game, we kind of knew how everyone played, who to mark, but today we had to adjust to figuring 
out how they played and that caused us to not really focus on our own game, so I think it definitely took us a little time to get our own game and connect with each other.”
“It just seemed like something was off,” East coach Meghann Spratt said of the first half. “Scoring first is what we love to do, so that gave us confidence going into the second quarter as well. After halftime, we really started jelling, and our passing game really started connecting, and that made all the difference.”
Did it ever.
Lever got the ball rolling, scoring her first of three goals just two minutes into the second half. Four minutes later Caroline Suko scored with an assist from Phia Mannino to put the Patriots on top 3-0.
“Going into halftime only being up 1-0, we thought the game was not going to end the way it did,” Lever said. “Just it being so close, we knew we needed to turn the game around and get some more goals.
“After our second goal, the momentum just started from there, and we were able to get some more. Our team – when we’re only up 1-0, we definitely get a little frantic because obviously the game could change in a second, so when we’re up 2-0, we play a lot more confident and calm. We use each other as a team instead of playing individually. That second goal just gave us more security about the fact that it wasn’t as close.”
Freshman Paige Keller scored to put the Patriots on top 4-0 before Great Valley got on the scoreboard. Lever connected on an unassisted goal with 8:47 remaining in the fourth quarter, but again, Great Valley answered to make it a 5-2 game. Lever 
responded with another unassisted goal, this one completing her hat trick and giving the Patriots their final margin of victory.
“It made me very happy that when Great Valley scored – we came back and we scored again,” Spratt said. “I know that we were winning, but I just think it’s such great character to see my kids – ‘okay, you’re going to score, we’re going to come back and we’re going to keep chipping away.’ I was really, really happy with that.”
Spratt acknowledged the efforts of several players in the win.
“I thought Paige Keller, a freshman, and Caroline Suko both had really, really good games,” the Patriots’ coach said. “Kenz Lever on the attack had some really nice plays. Phia (Mannino) controlled the midfield.
“Olivia Nolan, a junior, had a very nice game. Overall, it was truly a very good team win heading into a game against our sister rival.”
Central Bucks East (11-1, 9-1 SOL) will host #16 Central Bucks South in a District One 6A semifinal game on Tuesday at 2:30 p.m.
Great Valley 0-0-0-2 2
Central Bucks East 1-0-3-2 6
#16 CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 1, #8 WISSAHICKON 0
The Titans – so close to not making the field of 16 - continued their run of district upsets, this time sending the eighth-seeded Trojans home with a shutout win.
Maybe Gwen DiPrinzio is onto something when she says the Titans have a point to prove.
“Our coach has been telling us – ‘This could be our last game. Play your hearts out and have fun. You want to walk off the field proud,’” DiPrinzio said. “For us, it was difficult to get in the playoffs because our league is insane. I feel like in the playoffs we wanted to prove why we are supposed to be here, and we’ve done exactly that.”
DiPrinzio did her part to ensure the Titans’ season would continue, turning in a glittering 10-save effort in goal in the shutout win.
“My goalie had a fantastic game,” South coach Pat Toner said. “They actually outshot us 10-7, and they have seven corners and we had five.
“This is her first year varsity, and we’re really proud of her. She’s doing a great job.”
For three years, DiPrinzio bided her time behind Jill Heilig.
“I’ve been going to all the varsity games since freshman year, and even though technically this is my first season I’m on the field with the varsity playing as starter, I’ve always been there,” DiPrinzio said. “Yes, there is some pressure, but at the same time, I learned so much from her just to stay composed and have faith in your team.
“The whole theme of this game because it was such a close score was just to not panic – play how we know how to play, go out there and put your heart and soul into the game.”
DiPrinzio credited the play of her defense.
“Our sweeper is Sarah Cooper – she keeps me very calm,” the Titans’ goalie said. “She’s very smart on the field, she has very good vision of where the ball should go.
“Communication is key when it comes to defense, and I think we do a great job knowing who should step up to the ball when.
“I’m just so thankful to be on the field with such amazing players. I just love the support and how much everyone believes in each other. It’s really nice, especially now since things have been so stressful. It’s nice to walk on the field and have a sense of normalcy. Yes, I know this season is modified, but it feels normal to walk on the field and play. It’s a nice escape. It’s truly such an awesome experience.”
Erin Smith scored the only goal DiPrinzio and the Titans would need during corner play with 8:20 remaining in the first period. Julia Cooper assisted on a goal that turned out to be the game-winner.
“The ball was inserted to Julia Cooper, and she drove the ball,” South coach Pat Toner said. “Erin has a great stick, and she just got a tip on the ball.
“We’ve been working very hard on corners, and we were fortunate to put a nice corner in. I know there goalie’s very good.”
That 1-0 score held up the rest of the way.
“I’m really proud of them for managing the game because Wissahickon is very good,” Toner said. “They have a lot of speed, they have a lot of talent.
“The one thing COVID did for us and every other team – we usually spend 25-30 hours on corners before we ever play a game, and maybe we spent three hours this year. That wasn’t enough, and we could never catch up. Fortunately, they’re starting to look a little bit better.”
The Titans coach acknowledged that Thursday’s game wasn’t her team’s best.
“And they know it wasn’t their best game, but I’m very proud of them for battling through it,” Toner said. “Sometimes you just aren’t on. It wasn’t that they didn’t want to be. We just weren’t on today, but they managed the clock and they managed the game.
“One thing is different this year – you can’t call a timeout when something’s going wrong. It’s quarters, so if you find in minute two that there’s something wrong, you can’t fix it until minute 16, so that makes it a little tough.”
Thanks to Thursday’s win, the Titans advanced to the district semifinals, a spot they undoubtedly couldn’t have imagined finding themselves in.
“I’m going to be honest – I did not think we would have a season at all, and I’m so thankful that even though it was a shortened season that we’ve had the games we’ve played,” DiPrinzio said. “Our team just enjoys spending time together. We love each other.
“Not only do we have the chemistry, but we’re always supportive of each other, and we also work so well together, and we want it. There are so many teams that underestimate us because of our record. Our record doesn’t really reflect, in my opinion, how we play as a team. We just have excellent chemistry and the support we’ve gotten from our school – it’s all amazing.”
Central Bucks South (6-5-1, 4-5-1 SOL) will travel to Central Bucks East for Tuesday’s District One 3A semifinal contest.
“It’s a tall order,” Toner said. “They’re well coached, they have a great talent.”
Central Bucks South 1-0-0-0 1
Wissahickon 0-0-0-0 0
#7 METHACTON 2, #2 NESHAMINY 1 (OT)
In a game that was remarkably similar to Monday’s district opener – a 2-1 win over Owen J Roberts, the Redskins scored a late goal only to see their visitors knot the score, sending the game into overtime. That’s where the similarities ended.
On Monday, the Redskins eked out a win in overtime. On Thursday, it was the Warriors earning the win.
“It was an evenly matched game,” coach Jamie Pinto said. “Methacton came out really strong. Not to take anything away from our girls in their last game, they did play hard, they played well, but we just couldn’t get the shots off we needed.”
The Redskins appeared to be in good stead when they took a 1-0 lead with five minutes remaining in regulation, thanks to a goal from sophomore Aralyn Hackney with an assist from Madi Neiman.
“Madi Neiman did a nice job of leading the team, coming down the center of the field and giving us opportunities,” Pinto said. “She played very hard.”
Just over a minute after Neshaminy took a lead, the Warriors answered with the equalizer, scoring during corner play. Methacton won it with 4:22 remaining in the first overtime.
“Defensively, we played hard again,” Pinto said. “Morgan Shaltens stepped up today as a freshman in a big game. She played well. Megan Hollenbaugh in the back again stepped up for us.
“Avery McGinty has been solid throughout the year, and Dylan Beegal did a nice job holding down the defense, but we couldn’t score, and Methacton didn’t give up. We’ve done well in overtime throughout the season, and the girls played hard, but it just wasn’t in our favor today.”
Neshaminy, the SOL Patriot Division champions, closed out its successful season with an 11-2 record overall (8-0 SOL).
Methacton 0-0-0-1-1 2
Neshaminy 0-0-0-1-0 1
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