Souderton and Wissahickon both suffered losses in Friday’s quarterfinal round of the District One 3A Tournament on Friday. Both remain alive for a state berth.
CLASS 3A
#7 GARNET VALLEY 3, #2 SOUDERTON 1
Never underestimate the importance of finishing.
The Indians dominated play in Friday’s quarterfinal game against the visiting Jaguars, taking 15 shots to just five for their visitors. Souderton had 16 penalty corners, Garnet Valley only had five.
But none of that mattered as the Jaguars made their opportunities count while the Indians didn’t. Garnet Valley capitalized on a pair of corners in the fourth quarter, breaking a 1-1 tie and bringing an end the Indians’ 17-game winning streak. The loss also brought an end to the goal of playing for a district title.
“We were talking afterwards – we just didn’t pick each other up,” Souderton coach Sue Casciato said. “We completely dominated the game, but we just didn’t finish.
“It’s obviously disappointing. You don’t mind losing if you think you’ve given everything you have or you’ve played your best. I don’t want to take anything away from Garnet Valley – they’re a good team, but we just had too many chances that we didn’t finish.”
The Indians were on the receiving end of a pair of yellow cards and actually played down two players for a brief stretch, but that didn’t prove costly. What proved costly were Garnet Valley’s two goals on penalty corners in the fourth quarter three minutes apart.
“The first one there was quite a scrum in front of the goal cage, and the other one was the same thing – it was a strike from the right side of the circle, went past a couple of our sticks, and somebody was standing on the left post by herself,” Casciato said. “It’s a bummer because I do feel we have a team this year that should be competing for the district title, but I also do know it was the girls’ goal to get back to states, so hopefully we play better hockey on Tuesday. That’s the bottom line.
“We dominated and didn’t play well, and that’s the frustrating part, but sometimes you do have days where you just can’t score or you give up an easy goal, and you just can’t do anything about it.”
The Jaguars scored late in the opening quarter only to see the Indians answer with 6.5 seconds remaining in the frame when Ava Jones – on the left post – deposited a Lauren Frye cross into the cage.
The Indians had plenty of opportunities the rest of the way but could not convert.
“We felt like we were the stronger team – and I’ve said this to them all season, ‘You have to be careful. You can only waste so many opportunities before they get a breakaway goal and you’re behind,’” Casciato said. “It was one of those days where I felt like the ball just hopped over our stick all day, and we just didn’t execute basics when we needed to.
“It just wasn’t our day, and that happens in sports. That’s why they play the game because you never know who’s going to win.”
Souderton (18-2, 16-0 SOL) will host #3 Wissahickon in a playback game on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. The winner will earn a state berth, and the loser will have an opportunity to win the seventh and final spot in states.
Garnet Valley 1-0-0-2 3
Souderton 1-0-0-0 1
#6 METHACTON 4, #2 WISSAHICKON 1
The Trojans found themselves staring at a 1-0 deficit after one quarter, and by halftime, that hole had gotten even deeper as the Warriors added a pair of goals.
With 19 seconds remaining in the third quarter, Riley Ball scored to put the Trojans on the scoreboard, using a Kayla Pak assist.
Wissahickon goalie Julianna Thomas was credited with seven saves.
Wissahickon (18-2, 16-0 SOL) will travel to #2 Souderton for a playback game on Tuesday.
Methacton 1-2-1-0 4
Wissahickon 0-0-1-0 1
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