Check out the results for SOL field hockey teams in action Monday. Photo of the CR South/Pennsbury game provided courtesy of Darryl Rule of J&D Photography.
SOL National Conference
NESHAMINY 2, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 0
The Redskins – number 13 in the latest district power rankings – have ensured themselves a spot in the postseason, but every game looms large in the season’s final weeks as teams fight for seeding position.
“Coming into the end of the season and playing every team in the league again, we know every game is important, and we need to come out and just play our game, and the last two games our girls have been doing that,” said Neshaminy coach Jamie Pinto, whose team notched a win over Pennsbury on Saturday. “They’ve been working together and working on things we’ve been working on all year.”
The Redskins scored a pair of first half goals, and neither team scored the rest of the way. Abby Heisler turned a Kayla Connelly pass into a goal with 10:58 remaining in the first half, and Elayna Curtin (Mia Sexton assist) scored to send the Redskins into halftime with a 2-0 lead. That was the extent of the scoring for both squads.
“We’ve been working on scoring and finishing,” Pinto said. “We knew they were going to come out strong, and we knew we needed to score early to try and set the tone.
“North played well. They never gave up. We didn’t score in the second half, which we wanted to do, but we couldn’t get the ball in the net.”
The Redskins held a 13-3 advantage in shots.
“We have been playing well and really working together as a team – our older girls are doing a great job of stepping up and leading the way on the field, but we have a nice mix of underclassmen,” Pinto said. “Peyton Ritchey, a freshman, has been working really hard at practice, and she’s really taking what we say and working on that. She’s so fast down the right side, and she’s just aggressive and doing everything we’ve been working on and distributing good balls across the cage.
“Jamie Pennington, another freshman, has really stepped up in a lot of games. She’s playing defense, and she’s very calm, and she’s a very smart defender back there.
“Sophie Shardt is another defender. This is her first year playing varsity, and she’s really improved and been playing really strong for us.”
Neshaminy goalie Jill Mitchell recorded three saves in the shutout, and Rock North’s Margaret D’Auria was credited with eight saves.
Neshaminy (10-4, 8-1 SOL) will travel to Central Bucks East for non-league game on Thursday, and Council Rock North (7-8, 6-4) will host Pennsbury on Friday for a key contest.
Council Rock North 0-0 0
Neshaminy 2-0 2
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 3, PENNSBURY 2
The Falcons took a 2-1 lead midway through the opening half and maintained that lead until the final nine minutes of regulation when the Golden Hawks scored a pair of goals to eke out the win and send the Falcons to a heartbreaking defeat.
“I am pleased that they were able to pull it out,” South coach Lisa Belz said.
All three first-half goals were scored in an explosive four-minute span. Maya Geller put the Falcons on the board in the ninth minute, but a minute later, Mikayla VanAken got that back for the Hawks only to watch Nell Webber score in the 12th minute to put the Falcons on top 2-1.
Tori Wright turned a Mikayla VanAken pass into a goal in the 21st minute to knot the score, and with two minutes remaining, VanAken – who led the Hawks with two goals and an assist – scored the game winner.
“We struggled as a team today,” Belz said. “We just had a hard time connecting.
“Pennsbury came out hard and strong. They’re always a good team, they’re well coached, and they have some feisty players.
“They got down there and scored in the first nine minutes, and we did answer back, but they answered right back. It kind of put us on our heels, and we just couldn’t get into a groove until the end of the game. Luckily, it wasn’t too late. I’m just hoping we don’t come out flat like that again.”
Rock South goalie Sabrina Masone and Pennsbury’s Michelle Deodati both were credited with five saves.
Council Rock South (13-2, 10-0 SOL) will host Bensalem on Thursday, and Pennsbury (6-7-1, 4-5) will host Quakertown in its annual Pink Game on Tuesday.
Council Rock South 1-2 3
Pennsbury 2-0 2
SOL Continental Conference
NORTH PENN 2, SOUDERTON 1
In a classic battle between the neighboring rivals, the Knights capitalized on a broken corner play in the closing seconds to earn the dramatic win. Amber Blackshear tracked down the insert pass that went out of the circle and hit a drive that teammate Bri O’Donnell – on the left post – redirected into the cage.
The goal came with 36.5 seconds remaining in regulation.
“I was running up to the ball, and I just hit it,” Blackshear said. “I was like, ‘Bri’s going to be on post.’ I knew she would get it.
“I just hit it in that direction, and she got it.”
“I saw was the ball coming to my stick,” O’Donnell said. “All I thought was, ‘Take a shot after you receive it.’ It was an awesome ball through the center.”
The Indians threw a scare into the Knights when – with 20.7 seconds remaining in the first half – Jess Gabriel found the cage with a drive from the top of the circle on a play set up by Nina Disco’s insert pass.
That 1-0 lead held until – with 9:03 remaining – Emily Crawford turned an interception just outside the circle into the tying goal on a strong individual effort.
“We usually like to come out and score first and score early so that we can keep the momentum,” Blackshear said. “Them scoring on us first did set us back a little, but we were determined not to lose.”
Knight goalie Brynne Schoppe delivered a clutch save of a Gabriel shot with six minutes remaining to preserve the tie, and the Knights avoided overtime when O’Donnell scored on the team’s 11th and final corner. The Knights held an 11-3 advantage in corners.
“That was a little bit difficult not to be able to capitalize on those opportunities,” North Penn coach Shannon McCracken said. “We had some difficulty getting a shot off.
“Their defense played really well, and they also packed a lot of their forwards and mids into the circle, so it was hard to find room to shoot.”
The game was a far cry from the initial meeting between the two squads – 5-1 North Penn win.
“I thought our defensive corners looked good today,” said Souderton coach Nicole Bauer, whose team scored on a corner for the first time. “That was a positive. We’ve been working hard on switching things up.”
North Penn (8-6, 7-3 SOL) will host Central Bucks South on Thursday night at 7 p.m., and Souderton (7-7-1, 4-5-1) will travel to Hatboro-Horsham for a non-league game Tuesday.
North Penn 0-2 2
Souderton 1-0 1
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 8, PENNRIDGE 0
The Bucks exploded out of the gate, opening up a 5-0 halftime lead on their way to the decisive win.
“(We) played a great game,” West coach Courtney Lepping said.
Seven different players contributed a goal as the Bucks spread the offensive wealth around. Cadera Smith led the way with two goals and an assist. Taylor Mason added a goal and an assist. Adding single goals were Ryan Murray, Dani Dundas, Bryn Boylan, Eva Altadonna and Bridget Naylor.
Laura Kubit and Peyton Fisher combined for the shutout.
Central Bucks West (11-3-1, 7-2-1 SOL) will host Souderton on Friday, and Pennridge (3-11, 1-9) will travel to Bensalem Tuesday for a non-league contest.
Pennridge 0-0 0
Central Bucks West 5-3 8
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 3, WILLIAM TENNENT 0
Lindsey Adriaansen scored a pair of first-half goals to lead the Patriots to the shutout win at Tennent that saw the Panthers celebrate their 10 graduating seniors and also recognize East's six seniors during a pregame ceremony.
Adriaasen turned a Cailey Lever assist into a goal at the 26:54 mark of the first half to put the Patriots on the scoreboard, and eight minutes later, she scored her second goal to send the Patriots into halftime with a 2-0 lead. Just over nine minutes into the second half, Abbey Butler scored with an assist from Emma Donnelly.
"Lindsey Adriaasen found the net twice in the first half with her quick stickwork in the offensive circle," coach Michelle Finegan said. "CB East dominated but was not able to score on all of their opportunities.
"Tennent's goalie had a great game."
The Patriots held a lopsided advantage in shots (39-0) and corners (17-0), but keeping the Panthers in the game was the 25-save effort of Tricia McCoy.
Central Bucks East (12-2, 10-1 SOL) will host Neshaminy on Thursday in a non-league game, and William Tennent (2-10, 0-9) will host Pennridge on Friday.
Central Bucks East 2-1 3
William Tennent 0-0 0
SOL American Conference
UPPER DUBLIN 2, SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP 0
The visiting Flying Cardinals scored a pair of second-half goals to earn the hard-fought win over the Spartans.
“It was a tough transition to grass today for us, but an important game to come out and win, especially after a tough loss to PW on Friday,” coach Heather Boyer said. “The girls started to make some halftime adjustments in the second half which paid off when we connected for the first goal.”
Molly Lunney put the Cardinals on the board at the 21:56 mark, using an assist from Jess Grodsky. With 1:01 remaining, Maddie Templeton tacked on a goal, using an Elizabeth Barber assist.
“Marlee Siegel had a terrific read on an offensive corner late in the 2nd half, and made the adjustment to pass the ball to Elizabeth Barber who then put a shot on goal that was deflected by Maddie Templeton to give us the extra insurance with just a minute to play,” Boyer said of her team’s final goal.
UD goalie Meghan Muth was credited with five saves in the shutout win.
“Meghan Muth is starting to demonstrate more confidence and poise in the position, which is important as we look to close out the season with a strong effort,” said Boyer. “Midfielder Shannon Reape communicated well on the field today to help spread out our transition and attack.”
Springfield goalies Emily Henry and Izzy Boles combined for seven saves.
Upper Dublin held a 7-5 edge in shots. Both teams had five corners.
Upper Dublin (10-4-1, 10-2 SOL) will host Hatboro-Horsham on Friday, and Springfield (4-10, 4-7) will be on the road at Quakertown on Thursday.
Upper Dublin 0-2 2
Springfield 0-0 0
UPPER MORELAND 4, QUAKERTOWN 0
The Golden Bears took a 1-0 lead halftime, and the second half belonged to Claudia Zanine, who connected for the hat trick.
“Claudia found ways to redirect the ball and score,” UM coach Karen Grossi said.
Madison Casey broke a scoreless tie, connecting on an unassisted goal with 4:56 remaining in the first half.
“Madison Casey was aggressive in the midfield,” Grossi said. “She did a nice job cutting to intercept passes and making strong, smart passes.”
Zanine found the cage with 21:17 remaining in the game, using a Madison Casey assist. Six minutes later, she scored using a Jess Flanagan assist, and Zanine’s unassisted goal midway through the half closed out the scoring.
“Jess Flanagan did an excellent job offensively, setting up numerous scoring opportunities,” Grossi said. “Usually she beats her opponents with her speed, today she did it with great dodges, frequently dodging three or four girls before sending the ball towards goal.”
The Golden Bears’ coach credited the performances of several other players.
“Midfielder Gabby Martino played her best game of the season,” Grossi said. “Emily Keene and Becca Miekley were strong defensively and were the main reason Quakertown didn't get any shots on goal.”
Quakertown coach Diane Molinaro credited the Golden Bears.
“Upper Moreland played stronger and stronger as the game progressed while Quakertown played with less intensity,” the Panthers’ coach said. “At the start of the game, (we) created some nice passing combinations and threats on goal but were unable to convert.
“Toward the end of the first half, Upper Moreland’s Madison Casey scored on a cross ball to the left forward, and the second half was more of the same as Upper Moreland started putting pressure on Quakertown’s midfield and defense.”
Quakertown goalie Amanda Tuley was credited with 11 saves while UM’s Allison Felicetti was not forced to make a save in the shutout.
Upper Moreland (6-8, 6-6 SOL) will travel to Wissahickon on Friday, and Quakertown (3-12, 2-10 SOL) will be on the road at Pennsbury Tuesday for a non-league game.
Quakertown 0-0 0
Upper Moreland 1-3 4
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 2, HATBORO-HORSHAM 0
Frankie O’Brien broke a scoreless tie 10 minutes into the second half, using a Sam Spera assist during corner play. That 1-0 lead held until Spera scored an unassisted goal with two seconds remaining.
“PW put a lot of offensive pressure on Hatboro-Horsham in the first half but was unable to convert,” PW coach Charise Halteman said. “The team played a solid game and worked hard to play simple possession field hockey.
Hatters’ coach Laura Swezey was pleased with her team’s performance despite the outcome.
“We played with intensity and poise,” the Hatters’ coach said. “From the first game, which was a 6-0 win for PW, to a 1-0 game going into the last seconds showed how much our team has progressed.
“It was a great team effort, and we are looking forward to the upcoming games.”
Hatter goalie Liz Wilburn was credited with 12 saves in goal.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (14-1-1, 12-0 SOL) will travel to Cheltenham on Friday, and Hatboro-Horsham (5-9, 5-7) will host Souderton in a non-league game Tuesday.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 0-2 2
Hatboro-Horsham 0-0 0
WISSAHICKON 8, CHELTENHAM 0
The Trojans celebrated Senior Night with a shutout win of the visiting Panthers.
“The team came out really wanting to make it a great last night game for our seniors,” coach Leah Angstadt said. “We have nine terrific seniors – Anna Blackney, Sarah Cammarota, Kyra Myers, Caroline Testa, Liz Testa, Rachel Walsh, Caroline Kelly, Jess Waite and Wumi Popoola, and they all played extremely well tonight.
“It was obvious they wanted the win for each other. They moved the ball better than ever, making the win a whole team effort. We were able to have seven different goal scorers, which really shows how the team played for each other tonight. Everyone contributed in their own way.”
The Trojans raced to a 5-0 halftime lead. Grace Ball ignited the Trojans with a goal using a Caroline Testa assist, and then it was Testa scoring with an Emily Purnell assist during corner play. Rachel Walsh’s unassisted goal from the top of the circle put the Trojans on top 3-0, and the Trojans closed out the half with goals from Caroline Testa (Julianna Sutow assist) and Jess Waite.
In the second half, Anna Blackney (Testa assist), Sarah Cammarota (Waite assist) and Sammi Pak each added a goal to close out the scoring.
Wissahickon (10-6, 8-4 SOL) will host Upper Moreland on Friday, and Cheltenham (0-13, 0-11) will host Plymouth Whitemarsh.
Cheltenham 0-0 0
Wissahickon 5-3 8
Non-league
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 6, HARRY S TRUMAN 0
Sophomore Megan Weeks collected the hat trick and teammate Casey Reilly added two goals and an assist to lead the Titans to the non-league win. Kasey Dietzel added a single goal on a breakaway, and Anna Gillard contributed an assist.
“Truman played hard and held (us) to two goals in the first half,” coach Pat Toner said. “Truman’s goalkeeper played well, and a corner defender had a great defensive save.
“(Our) defense played well, recording no shots on goal and giving up no corners for the second time this season.”
Central Bucks South (8-5-1, 5-5 SOL) will be on the road at North Penn on Thursday for a 7 p.m. contest, and Harry S Truman (2-10-1, 1-7-1) will be on the road at Neshaminy on Friday.
Harry S Truman 0-0 0
Central Bucks South 2-4 6
BENSALEM 2, ACADEMY PARK 0
Saturday, Oct. 8
NESHAMINY 2, PENNSBURY 0
The visiting Redskins used a pair of second-half goals to earn the win in a battle of archrivals.
“We knew Pennsbury was going to come to play and they did,” Neshaminy coach Jamie Pinto said. “We had to make some adjustments at halftime and go back to correcting basic mistakes. The girls came out in the second half much stronger and playing together as a team.”
Just over a minute into the second half, Elayna Curtin turned a Mia Sexton pass into a goal, and for good measure, Sexton tacked on an insurance goal with three minutes remaining.
“Forwards Mia Sexton, Elayna Curtin and Peyton Ritchey started to pick the team up by working well together and attacking, and goalie Jill Mitchell led the defense by making great saves all game,” Pinto said. “We have a big week next week, and this was the way we wanted to start it off.”
Pennsbury 0-0 0
Neshaminy 0-2 2
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 1, GREAT VALLEY 0
The Titans used an unassisted goal by sophomore Mel Dunton midway through the first half to earn an important non-league win Saturday.
“(We) played an excellent game against a tough Great Valley team,” coach Pat Toner said. “Both teams had nice passing combinations and strong defensive performances.
“Mel Dunton, in her first varsity start, scored the game winning goal at the 12:58 mark of the first half.”
Toner lauded the strong performance in goal of Francine Richick, who had four saves in the shutout. Molly Sullivan had a defensive save to preserve the win.
The Titans had a 6-3 advantage in penalty corners.
Central Bucks South 1-0 1
Great Valley 0-0 0
MOUNT ST. JOSEPH 2, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 1
Sarah Scott scored her first varsity goal for the Indians, who gave the Magic all they could handle in a non-league contest Saturday.
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