Central Bucks West advanced to Tuesday’s District 1 3A semifinals. Souderton fell in Friday’s quarterfinal but remains alive for a state playoff berth. (Photo courtesy of Tracy Valko) CLICK HERE to go directly to Suburban One Sports’ FIELD HOCKEY GALLERIES.
District 1 3A quarterfinals
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 4, CONESTOGA 3 (OT)
Things happen quickly in 7v7 overtime in field hockey.
Zola Morelli didn’t have a whole lot of time to think when she received the pass from teammate Aida Ierubino just beyond midfield and saw nothing but open space and the goalie ahead.
With a pressure-packed 1v1 awaiting her, a singular thought went through her mind.
“All I was thinking was ‘I have got to get this past the goalie,’” Morelli said. “I’d had a lot of 1-on-one opportunities, so it’s definitely nerve-racking. I knew I had to have a powerful shot, so I just fired it into the back left.”
Morelli made it sound almost easy when it was anything but as a video on X by @emor09 confirms. The speedy junior was racing alone down the right alley after receiving the pass from Ierubino during a restart with the Conestoga goalie waiting to meet her on the right post. Morelli fired a shot across goal from a difficult angle before the goalie had a chance to move, and the big win was in the books.
“She had me on a tough angle, but I saw the back of the cage,” Morelli said. “It was definitely such a relief, especially since we’ve had trouble with overtime throughout the season.
“There was a lot of nerves, and to get it in the back of the cage felt very nice. We didn’t want to go into double overtime, and Conestoga being a tough team that we lost to last year in the state semis (2-0) – it felt good to finally finish.”
The win not only vaulted the Bucks into the district semis – it also assured the Bucks of a top four seed entering the state tournament after last year earning the seventh and final state berth last year.
“We didn’t want to fall into the playbacks – we wanted to get right into states,” Morelli said. “Last year, we fell back in districts, and it was more of a battle playing those extra games. We’re playing Downingtown West on Tuesday, so it’s good to have (earning a state berth) off our shoulders.”
An action-packed regulation saw the Bucks – behind the hat trick of Aida Ierubino – twice rally from a one-goal deficit. The University of Maryland-bound senior spotted the Bucks a 1-0 lead just over a minute into the first quarter only to the see the Pioneers answer with a pair of goals in the quarter.
Ierubino evened the score late in the second quarter, turning a pass from Claire Demmer during corner play into the equalizer. The two teams went into halftime deadlocked 2-2.
After a scoreless third quarter, Conestoga took a 3-2 lead on a goal by Brynn Wozniak four minutes into the final quarter. Again, Ierubino – who had a hand in all four goals – answered with the tying score just over a minute later, setting the stage for OT.
Scoring summary:
First quarter
Aida Ierubino (CBW) 13:49
Conestoga goal 10:28
Emily Good (C) from Kate Bruderfield, 6:15
Second quarter
Aida Ierubino (CBW) from Claire Demmer, 2:49
Third quarter – No score
Fourth quarter
Brynn Wozniak (C) 10:53
Aida Ierubino (CBW)
Overtime
Zola Morelli (CBW) from Aide Ierubino, 1:10
By the numbers: Shots CBW 17, C 7; Penalty corners CBW 13, C 4; Saves CBW 4, Conestoga 13; Defensive save: Eve Damsker (CBW) 1.
Up next: Central Bucks West will host #7 Downingtown West in Tuesday’s District 1 3A semifinal round.
Conestoga 2-0-0-1-0 3
Central Bucks West 1-1-0-1-1 4
#4 METHACTON 3, #5 SOUDERTON 1
(Game info will be added when it is received.)
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