CB West will take on top-seeded Unionville in a District One AAA semifinal match Tuesday. Three SOL teams will be battling it out for the two remaining state berths in playback games. Check back for recaps.
Central Bucks West punched its ticket into the state tournament with its 2-1 double overtime win over fourth-seeded Methacton in a quarterfinal game Friday. The win also propelled the Bucks into the District One AAA semifinal round for the second time in as many years. They will be traveling to top-seeded Unionville for a date with the two-time defending district champion Indians Tuesday (7 p.m.). Last year, the Bucks fell to second-seeded Downingtown East 3-0.
The Bucks finished second to Central Bucks East in the SOL Continental Conference but have won eight straight since a 3-2 setback at the hands of North Penn on Sept. 29.
“We just needed everyone to step up,” senior defender Lydia Bothwell said of the Bucks’ late-season surge. “At the beginning, it’s always tense because everyone is playing different positions.
“I started as right mid and now I’m playing left back. Everyone goes everywhere, so I think it takes a little while to finally get comfortable. Once you do – knowing where your teammates are going to be, I think we’re really good at people getting to their positions, and you know someone is always behind you and has your back.”
Three other SOL teams are among four squads battling for the two remaining state playoff berths. Seventh-seeded Plymouth Whitemarsh will travel to sixth-seeded Central Bucks East for a 3:30 p.m. contest, and eighth-seeded Council Rock South will be on the road at fourth-seeded Methacton for a 6 p.m. game. The winners of both games will be in the state tournament.
Stay tuned.
#5 CENTRAL BUCKS WEST at #1 UNIONVILLE (7 p.m.)
Central Bucks West
- 16-3-1 overall
- 9-2-1 Continental Conference second place
- Explosive offense led by Bryn Boylan (27 goals, nine assists), Cadera Smith (18 goals, nine assists), Taylor Mason (15 goals, five assists) & Ryan Murray (eight goals, 12 assists).
- Split regular season series with #6 Central Bucks East (3-4 & 4-3) and #9 North Penn (6-3 & 2-3). Tied #18 Souderton (3-3) in initial meeting and won rematch (5-2).
- Regular season wins over Class 2A #2 Mount St. Joseph (5-3), #20 Council Rock North (4-1) and #22 Pennsbury (4-0)
How they got here:
- The Bucks had an opening round bye.
- In second round action, West rolled to a 3-0 win over 12th-seeded Haverford, using goals from Eva Altadonna, Taylor Mason and Bryn Boylan.
- In Friday’s quarterfinal, Bryn Boylan (Ryan Murray assist) scored at the 13:46 mark of the second overtime, propelling the Bucks to a 2-1 win over fourth-seeded Methacton. Taylor Mason scored the tying goal with 7:59 remaining in regulation after the Warriors had taken a lead earlier in the second half.
Unionville
- 19-1 overall
- 13-0 Ches-Mont American champions
- Two-time defending District One champions
- Only loss to Class AA #1 Villa Maria Academy (4-3 OT)
- Dangerous attack led by Katie Anderson (28 goals) with Annie McDonough the leader in assists with 17.
How they got here:
- Unionville had an opening round bye.
- In a second round 7-1 win over 17th-seeded Upper Dublin, the Indians raced to a 5-1 halftime lead on their way to the convincing win. Lauren Newbrough scored a pair of goals while Annie McDonough, Claire Donovan, Maddie McDonough, Katie Anderson and Morgan Lyons each added single goals.
- Unionville used a second-half goal by Madison Miles to edge eighth-seeded Council Rock South in a quarterfinal game.
#7 PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH at #6 CENTRAL BUCKS EAST (3:30 p.m.)
Central Bucks East
- 14-5-1 overall
- 11-1 SOL Continental Conference champions
- First conference championship since 2002
- Multi-faceted attack is led by Riley Donnelly (23 goals, 10 assists), Cailey Lever (19 goals, 10 assists), Emma Donnelly (nine goals, eight assists), Reilly Finegan (nine goals, six assists), Abby Butler (five goals, eight assists) & Lindsey Adriaansen (eight goals, one assist).
- Regular season win over #3 Downingtown West (3-2 OT) and tied #4 Methacton (2-2) in regular season finale.
- Swept season series with #9 North Penn (6-4 & 6-2), #18 Souderton (5-1 & 6-1) and #23 Central Bucks South (2-0 & 4-3). Split season series with #5 Central Bucks West (4-3 & 3-4)
How they got here:
- Central Bucks East had an opening round bye.
- In the opening round, Mackenzie Boyle (Reilly Finegan assist) scored during corner play with 7:26 remaining to propel the Bucks to a 2-1 win over 11th-seeded Owen J. Roberts. Cailey Lever’s goal in the first half sent the Patriots into halftime with a 1-0 lead, but the Wildcats knotted the score in the opening minute of the second half.
- Third-seeded Downingtown West avenged an early season 3-2 over loss to East with a 2-1 win in a quarterfinal game that saw the two teams battle to a 0-0 halftime tie. Cailey Lever (Riley Donnelly assist) scored East’s lone goal.
Plymouth Whitemarsh
- 17-2-1 overall
- 14-0 SOL American Conference champion
- Fourth consecutive conference title
- Offense led by Frankie O’Brien (29 goals, nine assists), Sam Spera (14 goals, 14 assists), Kennedy Reardon (11 goals, two assists), Jess Dixon (eight goals, four assists), Julia Fiddler (10 goals) & Kerin Bechtel (eight goals).
- Swept regular season series with #17 Upper Dublin (8-1 & 4-0) and #24 Wissahickon (3-1 & 2-1).
- Regular season win over #16 Lower Merion (5-0) and tied #22 Pennsbury (2-2)
- Only regular season loss to #12 Haverford (3-1)
How they got here:
- The Colonials had an opening round bye.
- In the second round, PW edged 23rd-seeded Central Bucks South 3-2. Goals by Frankie O’Brien and Sam Spera sent the Colonials into halftime with a 2-0 lead only to watch the Titans rally to knot the score. O’Brien broke the tie with just over two minutes remaining in regulation.
- PW fell to second-seeded Conestoga 5-1 in a quarterfinal game. The Colonials took an early 1-0 lead, but the Pioneers came back to take a 2-1 halftime lead on their way to the win.
#8 COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH at #4 METHACTON (6 p.m.)
Council Rock South
- 16-4 overall
- 12-0 SOL National Conference champion
- Senior Caroline McGovern (37 goals, nine assists), the SOL’s most dangerous offensive weapon, recently surpassed the 100-goal milestone
- Other offensive contributors include Tori Wright (10 goals, 11 assists), Mikayla VanAken (eight goals, 10 assists), Paige Schmid (10 goals, three assists) and Katelyn Cocco (eight goals, three assists).
- Swept regular season series with #13 Neshaminy (2-1 & 2-1), #20 Council Rock North (4-3 & 5-1) and #22 Pennsbury (3-2 & 4-2).
- Regular season wins over #6 Central Bucks East (4-3) in season opener and #24 Wissahickon (7-2)
How they got here:
- The Golden Hawks had an opening round bye.
- In a 1-0 win over ninth-seeded North Penn, Paige Schmid turned a Katelyn Cocco assist into a goal just over four minute into the game, and the Golden Hawks – sparked by a stellar defensive effort – held on for a win by that score.
- In a quarterfinal contest, top-seeded Unionville used a second-half goal to edge the Golden Hawks 1-0. It is the first time this season that the Indians have been limited to one goal.
Methacton
- 15-4-2 overall
- 10-2-1 PAC-10 Liberty Division, three-way tie for first place
- Lost in PAC-10 semifinals to Upper Perk (2-0)
- Tied #6 Central Bucks East (2-2) in regular season finale and defeated #9 North Penn 6-1 in season opener
- Regular season sweep of #21 Perk Valley (2-0 & 1-0) tied and lost to 11th-seeded Owen J Roberts (0-1, 2-2), split regular season series with Spring-Ford (2-1 & 2-3). Regular season win over Class 2A #5 Upper Perk (3-2).
- Led by Olivia Hoover (17 goals, six assists), Emily Owens (11 goals, seven assists), Jackie Cerchio (nine goals, seven assists) and Julia Dickinson (seven goals, seven assists).
How they got here:
- The Warriors had an opening round bye.
- In Methacton’s 3-2 second round win over 13th-seeded Neshaminy, Jackie Cerchio (Olivia Hoover assist) scored with 7:46 remaining in regulation to break a 2-2 tie. An Emily Owens goal sent the Warriors into halftime with a 1-0 lead, but back-to-back goals by Mia Sexton put the Redskins on top 2-1. Julia Dickinson scored the equalizer, setting the stage for Cerchio’s game winner.
- In Friday’s quarterfinal against fifth-seeded Central Bucks West, Jackie Cerchio (Emily Owens assist) scored to give the Warriors a 1-0 lead at the 19:10 mark of the second half, but the Bucks used a goal by Taylor Mason to knot the score and send the game into overtime where they won it 2-1 early in the second OT on a Bryn Boylan goal.
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