CB West advanced to the PIAA 3A State Tournament semifinals with Saturday’s win over Easton.
#7-1 CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 3, #11-2 EASTON 1
And then there were four.
Central Bucks West, the seventh place team out of District 1, is one of four teams still alive in the PIAA 3A State Tournament. The Bucks joined that elite group with a come-from-behind win over the Red Rovers in a state quarterfinal game at Quakertown High School.
When it was over, emotions ran high in a jubilant celebration.
“It’s so surreal,” senior captain Calista Boos said. “My freshman year we won eight total games, and now we’re at (21) wins. It’s crazy.”
“It’s amazing,” junior captain Aida Ierubino said. “My freshman year, my sophomore year, we’ve gotten to the first round of states, but we never were able to get past that, so being in the final four – it’s amazing.”
The Bucks found themselves on the short end of a 1-0 score at halftime after the Red Rovers scored with 16 seconds remaining in the second quarter.
“We definitely started off pretty slow,” Boos said. “We were not in it, none of us were communicating.”
“Going into the game, we were very psyched up,” Ierubino said. “But it was kind of a letdown the first half. We weren’t playing how we know we can play. We knew we were the better team, and we just weren’t playing like it.”
Turns out there’s nothing quite like an inspired halftime talk from the coach to turn things around.
“Our coach gave us a pep talk,” Boos said. “She was like – ‘Only you guys can do this. You’ve got to come out with a better mindset.’ She hyped us up, and we were like, ‘Come on, guys, let’s go.’”
Coach Lori Ierubino gave her version of a halftime talk that might well have saved the Bucks’ season.
“My easygoing personality – I gave them some of my true thoughts,” the Bucks’ spirited coach said. “I just told them – ‘If you’re scared of losing – we’re losing right now, so it’s going the way you’re worried it’s going to go.’
“We weren’t playing our hockey. I told them,’ You can only control certain things,’ and the things that we do well like our receiving, our cutting back to the ball – we were just being a little hesitant and reactive instead of proactive. In the second half, they stepped up to the challenge and realized what was on the line. It sunk in without that fear associated with it, and they just played.”
And play they did.
The Bucks owned the second half, drawing back-to-back corners in the opening minutes of the third quarter. On their third corner of the frame, they capitalized when Ierubino turned a pass from Heidi Schoenleber into the equalizer with 7:31 remaining in the third quarter.
“Halftime coming around – that really was a momentum changer,” Aida Ierubino said. “At halftime, we erased everything that had happened in the first half, put it behind us. We came out like it was a new game, and it really turned in our favor.”
Just over four minutes later, on the Bucks’ fifth corner of the frame, Claire Demmer scored the go-ahead goal with an assist from Eve Damsker.
Twenty-nine seconds into the fourth quarter, Zola Morelli connected on an insurance goal with an assist from Lucy Smith for a 3-1 West lead.
Easton did not go down quietly, drawing back-to-back corners that saw junior goalie Kendra Pitts – on the first – deliver back-to-back saves on tough elevated shots. On the second, Pitts also came up with another huge save.
“She’s the best,” coach Ierubino said. “Her clears were nice and hard, so they didn’t get a second shot. She’s been awesome for us this year.”
For her part, Pitts – who was credited with nine saves – got even more determined after the Red Rovers scored in the closing seconds of the first half.
“It makes me more determined to keep my defense positive because the second they go negative – we’re done,” Pitts said. “That’s what we’ve felt in past years.
“My favorite thing about this year is they’re just so positive. Our corner team is constantly – ‘Let’s go, we’ve got this, we’ve got this.’ That hasn’t been the way it was in past years, so it’s just trying to keep it positive and saying, ‘We’ve got the next one.’”
Saturday’s win vaults the Bucks into Tuesday’s state semifinal game against Conestoga.
Scoring Summary
First quarter – No score
Second quarter
Arienna Deliso (E) from Aubre Krazer 0:16
Third quarter
Aida Ierubino (CBW) from Heidi Schoenleber 7:31
Claire Demmer (CBW) from Eve Damsker 3:07
Fourth quarter
Zola Morelli (CBW) from Lucy Smith 14:31
By the Numbers
Shots: CBW 9, Easton 10; Penalty corners: CBW 8, Easton 11.
Central Bucks West coach Lori Ierubino:
–On the Bucks’ strong second half: “I did move people around a little bit just so we were a little more attacking, and it worked. We did well on our corners. We drew corners, and we executed on them.
“Our defense played well. I think they sharpened up – just their decision making once they possessed the ball. I think our midfield was a little lacking connecting our offense (in the first half). We were doing a better job of being poised in the second half.”
–On the return of Calista Boos to the lineup after being sidelined with a broken wrist: “We were without her (and finished seventh in districts). Not to overstate Cal’s importance to our team, but we only have 15 girls, so if one’s out, that changes your whole structure and who plays where. It puts a strain on different things, so now she’s back. Even with my starting 11 or my go-to 13, I have flexibility. I can choose to be more offensive, more defensive. I like that about our structure.
“Timing in life – there’s a lot to be said for that. We’re a lot of sophomores and freshmen, so to give them that pace in the district games where they matter, but you have a little leeway because if you lose – you’re not necessarily out (of the tournament) right away.”
CB West senior captain Calista Boos:
–On returning to the lineup: “I was out about a third of the season, and to come back, I had a goal in the last game and an assist in one game. It feels good just to come back and really feel like I’m contributing something and feel needed.”
–On the Bucks’ strong second half: “We picked it up after halftime. We were like – ‘We have to have the high intensity. It’s our game. Only we can win this.’ They were up one, and we were like – ‘We know we can score.’ We came out and scored right away, and we just continued to keep the pace from there.”
–On this year’s team: “I think we’re the type of team that enjoys playing together, and that’s what helps us keep going. We pick each other up when we’re down, so it’s really nice to have a team you love to play with and that we can just always motivate each other.”
Central Bucks West junior captain Aida Ierubino:
–On this year’s team: “Everyone wants to be here. We all come together. We’re all friends on and off the field. It is really a great dynamic.”
Up next: Central Bucks West (21-4, 10-0 SOL) will face District 1 runner-up Conestoga in a PIAA 3A semifinal contest Tuesday at a time and place to be determined.
Three of the four remaining teams in Class 3A are from District 1. Tuesday’s other semifinal will pit District 11 champion Emmaus against District 1 champion Villa Maria Academy.
Easton 0-1-0-0 1
Central Bucks West 0-0-2-1 3
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