PW advanced to Tuesday’s District One 4A semifinals. CR South & Souderton will meet Tuesday in a battle for a state playoff berth. (PW/CR South photos courtesy of Kelly Spencer.)
#2 PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 2, #10 COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 1
The monkey is off their backs.
The Colonials – thanks to their hard earned win over the Golden Hawks – have earned a berth in the state tournament for the first time since 2004.
“We’re really proud of ourselves,” senior co-captain Kayla Link said. “This is a big accomplishment for us because it’s something we’ve been working so hard for, but we know we need to go into practice on Monday and stay focused for the next game.”
“It’s certainly an accomplishment for the girls,” coach Charise Halteman said. “It’s something they’ve been working for.
“I’m just proud of the kids for working hard. I think it’s always that monkey on your back a little bit – we know we’re a good team, but we just haven’t been able to get ourselves to compete in the state playoffs. It’s an accomplishment for the team, and it feels great.”
The Colonials broke a 1-1 tie two-and-a-half minutes into the second half on a perfectly executed corner when Kayla Link – on the left post – turned a Kaleigh Missimer drive from the top of the circle into the game-winner.
“We had been paying attention to how their defense was coming out in the first half, and at halftime, we talked about what corners we were going to run next and what was open,” Halteman said. “We really felt that one was going to be an option. It was exciting to see them execute on that.”
Link knew it was imperative to capitalize.
“I was kind of like, ‘Okay, this is something that’s really a golden opportunity for the game,’ so I tried to go into it relaxed and just make sure I was in the correct positioning,” the senior co-captain said. “We had a couple of corners in the first half so we could see what kind of defense they were running.
“It was something we realized was open, and we’ve been practicing that specific corner for a while because we knew they ran that kind of defense, so we were able to put that into effect, and it worked out.”
Nine minutes into the opening half, Hailey Copestick scored from close range, using an Ava Borkowski assist. With time winding down in the half, it looked as though Katelyn Cocco had knotted the score, but she was outside the circle.
“They were dangerous, especially on their fast breaks,” Halteman said. “That’s an area we need to work a little harder – our transition defense – because Katelyn Cocco is a good player, and when she gets on the break, she’s dangerous. That’s where they were definitely good.”
With 5:27 remaining in the first half, sophomore Kerry Kaufman scored the equalizer for the Golden Hawks. It came on the heels of back-to-back saves by PW goalie Sarah Trask.
“Although we dominated the offensive stats, CR South played great defense all game long,” Halteman said. “This was a game where Ava (Borkowski) did not score today for the first time all season, but I thought she played well. They were all over her. It was very crowded in the circle. I thought she played well, tried to set things up and had great skills. They found a way to keep her from scoring, but I still thought she played a good game.”
“I don’t know if we necessarily played our best game, but sometimes that’s how playoffs go. I was proud of the girls for holding tight at the end. Despite the fact that it was close, they kept working, and that was great. Now we not only get to states but also compete for a district championship. That’s exciting.”
PW’s Trask was credited with three saves.
“I thought our goalkeeper played one of her better games today,” Halteman said. “They didn’t get a ton of shots, but she knew where the people were on the post, so I thought she played well for us.”
Plymouth Whitemarsh (19-1, 14-0 SOL) will host #3 Owen J Roberts in a district semifinal contest Tuesday. The two teams met in the regular season with the Wildcats eking out a 4-3 win.
“I think it’s good for us that we’re on our field this time because it was a really hard drive for us last time,” Link said. “I think we can come out strong. It will be a similar style of play like today was. Even today is good preparation for the next game.”
Council Rock South 0-1 1
Plymouth Whitemarsh 1-1 2
#4 PERK VALLEY 2, #5 CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 1
The Patriots found themselves staring at a 2-0 halftime deficit and never could dig their way out of that early hole.
“My girls came out disconnected and needed some time to adjust to the quick Astro surface,” coach Meghann Spratt said. “At halftime, we reassessed some very important fundamentals and stressed some key components and came out very strong, demanding respect from a very disciplined Perk Valley.
“We started drawing corners, playing a stronger defensive game, generating an offense in our transition game, and took advantage.”
Emma Donnelly (Kenzie Lever assist) put the Patriots on the scoreboard with 16:47 remaining in the second half on a well-executed corner.
“We battled hard and fought until the end, but came up short,” Spratt said. “I’m unhappy that we lost an entire 30 minutes in the first half to show what we are made of, but I’m very proud of these girls to continue to grind and work through it. We just aren’t done yet. We have some unfinished business. Looking forward to Tuesday.”
Central Bucks East (16-4, 11-1 SOL) will travel to top-seeded Garnet Valley for a playback game Tuesday (7 p.m.). The Jaguars were defeated by eighth-seeded Downingtown West 8-0.
Central Bucks East 0-1 1
Perk Valley 2-0 2
#3 OWEN J ROBERTS 5, #6 SOUDERTON 4
A goal by Courtney Kenah gave the Indians a 4-3 lead four minutes into the second half, but the goals that had come so easily suddenly stopped coming and the Indians did not score the rest of the way.
Jenna Kirby knotted the score at the 21:50 mark, and that 4-4 score stood until just over 10 minutes remained in regulation when Maddie Koury scored a goal that turned out to be the game-winner.
“We certainly had chances to win today, but in the end, we came up a bit short,” Souderton coach Sue Casciato said. “It was a fast, back and forth game, and the other coaches and I are really proud of how our team battled for 60 minutes. We had a couple of lapses in our defensive circle that really hurt us.”
The two teams spent the first half exchanging goals.
Anna Gwiazdzinski (Kenah assist) put the Indians on the board two minutes after the Wildcats opened up a 1-0 lead. The Wildcats went on top 2-1, but Kenah connected on a rebound of a goalie save. A goal by Ange Borisow sent the Indians into halftime with a 3-2 lead.
The Wildcats held a 14-8 advantage in penalty corners.
Souderton goalie Jordan Michalak was credited with 14 saves in a busy outing.
Souderton (17-3, 11-1 SOL) will host Council Rock South in a battle for a state berth on Tuesday.
Souderton 3-1 4
Owen J Roberts 2-3 5
Thursday, Oct. 24
Class A
SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP 2, LOWER MORELAND 0
The Spartans scored a pair of first-half goals, and despite dominating play, they never could add to their lead and won by that 2-0 score.
Charlotte Henry turned at Maddie Yoder pass into a goal that was the game-winner. Ella Marino tacked on a first-half goal, using assists from Henry and Yoder.
Springfield held a 20-0 advantage in shots. They also had 17 penalty corners to just four for the visiting Lions. Spartan goalie Rebecca Berglund recorded two saves.
Springfield Township (16-4, 10-4 SOL) will face top-seeded New Hope-Solebury in the District One 1A championship game on Tuesday at Lower Moreland (3:30 p.m.)
Lower Moreland 0-0 0
Springfield Twp 2-0 2
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