Check out all the results for SOL field hockey teams in action on Thursday. To view photos of the Abington/Neshaminy game, please visit the Photo Gallery.
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 1, WISSAHICKON 0
Surreal. Amazing. Awesome. Unreal.
Take your pick.
The Colonials used all of those words to describe what it felt like when the final horn sounded on their huge win over the defending champion Trojans, a win that gave PW sole possession of the SOL American Conference crown.
“It’s amazing,” senior Monica Mellon said. “It’s probably the best feeling in the world.
“I imagined it the whole day – running on the field screaming because we won.
“It was so surreal. I never imagined I would be able to say my field hockey team was 17-1, especially coming from last year.”
“I’m just overwhelmed,” senior Courtney Konowal said. “In the beginning of the season, we didn’t really expect much.”
The title certainly was cause for celebration for a Colonial squad that closed out the regular season with a perfect 14-0 mark in league play (17-1 overall) after staggering to a 7-10 record last year.
It’s hardly a coincidence the coach Marianne Paparone returned to the sidelines this season after a year’s absence.
“I intended to be retired two years ago,” she said. “The only reason I came back was because it was such a good bunch of kids and talented too.
“I hoped we would have a good season, and I wanted them to have a good season, but I had no idea it would be this successful. It seemed like it just happened. We won a game, then we won another game. The kids were very good at taking a one-game-at-a-time approach.
“At the beginning of the season, I said, ‘I don’t think there’s anybody on that schedule that you can’t be competitive with.’ I have a good mix of strong talent plus good role players.”
It turned out to be a winning combination for the Colonials, and this year’s success, according to senior Rachel Konowal, didn’t just happen.
“We knew we had a lot of work to do with Miss Paparone coming back and everybody getting adjusted to her again,” the senior captain said. “We had to figure out, as seniors, how to keep the team chemistry moving and keep united.”
And what would have constituted a successful season this year?
“If we made it to playoffs and had a winning record,” Rachel Konowal said. “Every year we try to make it to playoffs, and last year we didn’t make it, so if we made it this year, that would be a step up.”
The Colonials did much better than that, and instead of settling for a tie with the Trojans, who came into Thursday’s game with just one conference loss, they played to win from the outset.
“I think everyone on the team gained a lot of confidence,” Rachel Konowal said. “Every game we gained a lot of team confidence.”
Neither team scored in the first half, although the Colonials drew seven corners while the Trojans had none. At the 28:33 mark of the second half, Aurora Mills turned a drive by Allison Spinelli into a goal that stood until the final whistle.
The Trojans turned up the pressure, but their best chance to get on the scoreboard on a breakaway by Melanie Fry – who got by the goalie - was thwarted by sophomore Grace McGuire just before the goal line.
The Colonials held a 13-1 edge in corners and an equally lopsided advantage in shots.
“They’re still scary,” Paparone said of the Trojans. “I felt like we had more chances, but Grace McGuire made the play of the day with that save. She has really come on strong.
“We start three sophomores and a freshman, so we have a nice mix. My goalie (Tori Byrne) is only a sophomore, but she’s non-affected, and the defense has really come together.”
One thing the Colonials do lack is depth – Paparone has just one sub, but it hasn’t seemed to matter.
“They they know they have to play 60 minutes,” she said. “They’ve had great team chemistry all year. I told them at the beginning of the season that I think that’s almost more important than talent.
“It’s a nice mix. Between the Konowels (twins Courtney and Rachel) and Allison Spinelli, they’re probably three of the most talented kids I have ever coached at the same time, plus they have a tremendous work ethic.
“Sometimes you have those kids who are talented, but they’re a little selfish or they don’t work that hard. Not these kids. They’re the first ones in line, they’re the hardest working, they’re super competitive. It’s been really nice.”
Paparone went on to tip her hat to the team’s five seniors – the Konowals, Mellon, Sierra Spencer and Morgan Nagy.
“They’re all just good kids, and I wanted to have them a good year, and it worked out,” the Colonials’ coach said.
On Thursday, those ‘good kids’ put the finishing touches on a magical regular season with a win over their archrivals.
“That’s what I live for,” Courtney Konowal said. “That’s why I love it so much. Field hockey is different from every other sport. You have to really work hard. It’s not a skill that comes naturally.
“When we beat a team like this and the way we played, it’s incredible.”
The win was the Colonials’ second of the season over the Trojans. In the initial go round, the Trojans extended the Colonials to overtime in an evenly played game.
“Honestly, we had Senior Night last night, and I think they were tired,” Wissahickon coach Lucy Gil said. “My kids looked tired.
“I have kids that can run all the way up and down the field, up and down the field, and I kept saying, ‘Move, move, move,’ and they didn’t move
“I know we’ve all played three or four games a week because of the rain dates, and this was an especially difficult week for us.”
The Trojans closed out the regular season with a 12-2 mark in league play (12-6 overall).
Wissahickon 0-0 0
Plymouth Whitemarsh 0-1 1
NESHAMINY 4, ABINGTON 0
The Redskins used first half goals from Abby Alexis and Maria Palmieri, both with Christen Pennington assists, to go into halftime with a 2-0 lead. Josafinne McIlvaine connected on a pair of second half goals to close out the scoring, the first with an Abby Alexis assist and the second with an assist from Sarah Wells.
The Redskins (12-5-1) closed out the regular season with an 11-2-1 mark in league play, good enough for second place in the conference standings. The Ghosts are 4-9 in league play (16-11 overall) with a home game against William Tennent Friday to close out the season.
Abington 0-0 0
Neshaminy 2-2 4
HATBORO-HORSHAM 4, NORTH PENN 2
The Hatters came up with a big win over the Maidens to claim third place in the very competitive Continental Conference. Syd Rausa spotted the Hatters an early lead when she scored an unassisted goal 10 minutes into Thursday’s game. Amanda Laessig (Casey O’Donnell assist) connected seven minutes later, sending the two teams into halftime deadlocked 1-1.
In the second half, the Hatters put the pressure on, and their midfield transition - led by Casey Swezey, Kelsy Hopskins, and Carlie Baldus - helped keep the ball in the Hatters' offensive zone and created scoring opportunities, which included third hand assists. The defense of Jane Henry, Keeley Henry, Jenna Cutilli, Brenna Reilly and Emily Braunewell kept the Maidens off the scoreboard until the last two minues of the game with great defensive saves in a half that saw the Maidens draw just two corners.
In the second half, another Rausa goal - this one with a Colby Eldridge assist - two minutes in gave the Hatters a lead they would not lose. A goal by Gabby Acker (Jenna Cutilli assist) midway through the half put the Hatters on top 3-1, and when Eldridge scored an unassisted goal with eight minutes remaining, the Hatters stretched their lead to three before Laessig scored an unassisted goal in the closing minutes for the 4-2 final.
With the win, the Hatters (11-5, 9-5 SOL) claimed sole possession of third place in the Continental Conference standings. The Maidens finished the league season in fifth place with a 7-7 record (10-8 overall).
North Penn 1-1 2
Hatboro-Horsham 1-3 4
WILLIAM TENNENT 4, NORRISTOWN 3
Rachael Mueller (Sam Huttick assist) gave the Panthers an early 1-0 lead, but Norristown’s Emma Hagel answered with back-to-back goals, the first with an assist from Keifonna Ferguson, to send the Eagles into halftime with a 2-1 lead.
Jenn D’Angelo (Huttick assist) scored the equalizer less than a minute into the second half, but Norristown’s Vanessa Fosco answered with a goal to knot the score. D’Angelo, who finished with the hat trick, scored back-to-back goals within a one-minute span to give the Panthers a lead they would not lose. Kendal Brash and Huttick contributed assists.
Both teams had 19 shots on goal. The Eagles had a 12-4 edge in corners. Norristown keepers Sierrah Slaughter (six saves) and Lauren Whitley (eight saves) combined to turn away 14 shots. Their Panther counterpart was credited with 12 saves.
William Tennent 1-3 4
Norristown 2-2 4
HARRY S TRUMAN 2, BRISTOL 1
Mikaela Pacheco scored a pair of goals to lead the Tigers to the non-league win. Her first goal was unassisted and came at the 26:27 mark. Her second, with an assist from Anne Estrella came with 6:52 remaining. Bristol’s Sabrina Sabinitini broke up Truman’s shutout bid with goal in the closing minutes.
Truman goalie Maria Dea had two saves while Bristol’s Jeannette Wise had five saves. The Tigers held a 7-3 advantage in shots.
NAZARETH 3, BENSALEM 2
The Owls received a pair of second half goals by Allison Hornickle (Alex Afanessiev assist) and Kara Bachman, but it wasn’t enough in Thursday’s non-league game. Bensalem keeper Stevi Butler was credited with six saves.
PENNRIDGE 3, CHRISTOPHER DOCK 1
The Rams showed no ill effects from their disappointing loss to North Penn one day earlier, rebounding for the non-league win.
Ben Van Pelt spotted the Rams a 1-0 lead at the 27:30 mark of the opening half. In a second half that was played in a steady rain, the Rams used goals from Kari Moyer and Kirsten Moyer to seal the win.
Coach Brieann Wolfe credited the standout defensive performance of Katherine Walsh.
NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 2, SPRINGFIELD (MONTCO) 1
The Lions used goals by Kerry Leonardi and Cameron Costella to go on top 2-1 in the first half. That score stood the rest of the way. Katherine McVeagh accounted for Springfield’s lone goal.
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