Check out the recaps for SOL field hockey teams in action Monday. Neshaminy/Bensalem photos provided courtesy of John Gleeson. Check back for a gallery of photos. CB West/Souderton photo provided by Marge Bullock (http://margebullock.com)
SOL Patriot Division
NESHAMINY 6, BENSALEM 0
Neshaminy celebrated Senior Day by clinching sole possession of its third consecutive division crown. With the win, the Redskins improved to 7-0.
“We didn’t mention that this game was for the league,” coach Jamie Pinto said. “I don’t honestly know what we told them at the end of the game, but by the look on some of their faces, I don’t think they realized it, which is fine though.
“I think my goal for the girls was just to try and play as many games as possible and to make it as normal as possible. We didn’t mention it last week, we didn’t mention it today. We don’t even talk about districts that much because of the uncertainty, and we’re just happy that they’re getting to play, especially the seniors.”
The Redskins lost some key players to graduation.
“We never like to say we’re rebuilding, we’re just kind of reloading and continuing how we played last year,” Pinto said. “Our girls did a nice job of stepping up.
“That being said, we did lose players to graduation, so we had holes to fill, but they did a good job of filling the holes. With the circumstances of this crazy year, they really did do a good job. It was a hard year.
“Thinking of it as a player, their preseason didn’t happen, the team bonding activities that we normally do – we didn’t get to do. They came into the season cold and unprepared because of what was going on. Every game they got better, and every practice we worked hard – we had tons of stuff to improve on with each game.”
Seven players contributed to a balanced attack in Monday’s win. Carena Barr (Kaelan Davies assist) scored just under five minutes into the game, and the Redskins added a pair of goals in the final four minutes of the quarter to go on top 3-0. Davies – who had a hand in all three first-quarter goals – scored both, the first with a Ciara Lambon assist and the second with an assist from Colette Schardt.
Emily Papeo turned a Megan Hollenbaugh pass into a goal early in the second quarter, sending the Redskins into halftime with a 3-0 lead. Lambon (Maddie Neiman assist) and Papeo (Hollenbaugh assist) each added a goal in the second half.
Neshaminy (7-0 SOL) will travel to Archbishop Carroll Tuesday for a non-league game. Bensalem (1-7, 0-7) will host Council Rock North on Thursday.
Bensalem 0-0-0-0 0
Neshaminy 3-1-1-1 6
SOL Colonial Division
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 2, NORTH PENN 1
The division champion Patriots put the finishing touches on a successful regular season with a hard fought win over the Knights.
“We’re playing well,” East coach Meghann Spratt said. “We were happy ending 9-1, and I said to the girls – ‘Keep your fingers crossed that we can keep playing games.’”
The Patriots wasted no time before getting on the scoreboard, drawing a corner after Phia Mannino carried the ball downfield. East capitalized as Grace Bethke scored with a Mannino assist. Six minutes later, the Knights evened the score on a goal by Eleni Kountroubis (Erin O’Donnell assist).
East took a lead it would not lose with 1:31 remaining in the half, and this one was a highlight reel goal by Mannino that was set up by Sophia Parker.
“Sophia Parker carried the ball down the right side and blasted a ball outside the circle – it was one of the hardest hit balls of the game,” Spratt said. “Phia Mannino on the post – I don’t even know how she reacted, but she put it in. It was really, really nice.”
The Patriots held on for the win, but the Knights did not go down quietly.
“They do not die – they fought till the end,” Spratt said. “North Penn did not stop, they did not give up.
“There were a couple of flurries. They drew a number of corners – they had five in the second half, but they weren’t finding the net. A lot of that is because (goalie) Emily Bullard had a great game today.”
Bullard was credited with nine saves in a stellar outing.
Spratt lauded the efforts of several players in the win.
“Sophia Parker played a beautiful game, controlling the midfield on the outside,” the Patriots’ coach said. “Phia played a strong midfield game as well, especially in the first half. She controlled and distributed really nicely. We just couldn’t capitalize on a couple of corners.”
The Knights held the edge in shots (13-11) and corners (7-6).
“Today’s game was a well-matched contest,” NP coach Shannon McCracken said. “I am so proud of the growth of our team since the last time we saw CB East and suffered a 4-0 loss at their field.
“From that game forward, our team has grown stronger and put in the hard work to get better each day. The end result of the game could have gone either way, and our team played with heart and hustle and fought to the final whistle.”
NP goalie Mallory Stowell was credited with nine saves. Megan Albert recorded a defensive save.
Central Bucks East (9-1 SOL) will await its seed in the District One 3A Tournament.
“Lori (Ierubino) are trying to find creative ways to fill this void,” Spratt said of the two-week gap until districts.
North Penn (5-4) will host Souderton on Thursday at 3 p.m.
Central Bucks East 1-1-0-0 2
North Penn 1-0-0-0 1
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 4, PENNRIDGE 0
The Titans celebrated their four seniors – Alyssa Endrick, Gwen DiPrinzio, Sophia Wasyliw and Braylee Webb – with a strong performance against the visiting Rams.
“I was really happy for our four seniors,” South coach Pat Toner said. “Our seniors worked so hard, and I’m glad they got to enjoy the season that they did, and they got to end the 10 games in our league with a win against a team that had beaten
them previously in the year. It was a nice team win. They played as a team. There was no drama on the team this year. They just did a really nice job of getting along with each other and working hard.”
The Titans scored a pair of goals late in the opening quarter. Erin Smith turned a Julia Cooper pass into a goal with 2:11 remaining. Less than a minute later Anna Shirley scored with a Bella Schute assist. Senior Braylee Webb scored her first of two goals in the second period, using an Erin Smith assist. She added her second in the fourth quarter, again with a Smith assist.
The Titans held an edge in shots (8-6) while the Rams had the advantage in corners (11-6).
“Julia and Sarah Cooper and Grace and Lily Haag along with senior keeper Gwen DiPrinzio secured the shutout,” Toner said. “The midfield of Alyssa Endrick, Anna Shirley and Sophia Wasyliw had an excellent game.
DiPrinzio was credited with six saves in the shutout win in goal.
Toner acknowledged that the regular season just completed was especially gratifying in light of the COVID 19 pandemic.
“I was surprised when they said we would have a season,” the Titans’ coach said. “I think the school district and our AD, Chas Cathers, did a really nice job of protecting the kids and making sure they wore masks. They were very strict about it, and I’m glad they did that. I think it was important. I think the kids did a good job staying safe as well. I’m glad to we got the season in – I didn’t think we were going to have one at all, so I’m glad for the seniors they got an opportunity to play.”
Central Bucks South closed out its league schedule with a 4-5-1 mark.
“Our league completely beat each other up,” Toner said. “The whole entire season we beat each other. There are a couple of games we would have liked to have won that we lost, but everyone was in that position this year. Our league is so strong, and every game was a fight. I’m glad we came away with a good win.”
Pennridge (3-7, 2-7 SOL) will travel to Central Bucks West on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. game.
Pennridge 0-0-0-0 0
Central Bucks South 2-1-0-1 4
SOUDERTON 3, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 0
The first half of games has not been particularly kind to the Indians, who had not scored a goal in the opening half for four straight contests. Josie Doughty – who had a pair of goals – brought an end to that trend in the opening quarter, and the Indians went on to defeat the Bucks, avenging a 1-0 loss to West earlier this season.
“That (scoring drought) was like something hanging around their neck,” Souderton coach Sue Casciato said. “We scored at the beginning of the game and then we didn’t score again until the fourth quarter. We did talk after the game – we get too comfortable when we have a lead.”
Doughty scored a goal that turned out to be the game-winner midway through the opening quarter, using an assist from Ang Borisow. That lead stood until Lauren Kenah scored three minutes into the fourth quarter. Doughty turned a Kenah pass into the game’s final goal.
Casciato acknowledged the strong play of a pair of seniors – Taylor Weaver and Autumn Hunter.
“Taylor is basically playing center back – we moved her from right back to center back, and Autumn is playing center mid,” the Indians’ coach said. “They both played really well.”
Kenah was once again an impact player.
“She always plays well,” Casciato said. “We moved her from center mid to the forward line. We really weren’t generating enough offense.
“Because she’s a great one-on-one player, we thought if we could move her up the line she only has to dodge three people instead of six. Ang Borisow is now playing center mid, and if we can get the ball up the field to Lauren, she has better opportunities than she had as mid.”
Souderton held an advantage in shots (12-5) while the Bucks – who celebrated the team’s seniors and Souderton’s seniors prior to the game - had the edge in corners (8-6).
“Souderton played very well and was able to take advantage of their offensive opportunities when they needed them this evening,” West coach Dave DeAngelis said. “Even though we were unable to finish our opportunities offensively, we are proud of our team’s overall gutsy performance.
“We were led by our center back (Claire Engebreth) who was in 'beast mode' throughout the entire match. We have our final match of the season coming up Wednesday vs. Pennridge at home and look forward to a strong finish.”
Souderton (5-3-1 SOL) will travel to North Penn for its division finale on Thursday. Central Bucks West (2-7) will host Pennridge on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Souderton 1-0-0-2 3
Central Bucks West 0-0-0-0 0
SOL Liberty Division
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 2, WISSAHICKON 1
The Colonials – the standard bearer in the American Conference - notched their 77th straight conference win en route to an undefeated record (10-0) and their program’s eighth consecutive division title.
“I know the seniors particularly coming into this game – they haven’t lost a league game in their whole career, and they expected this game to be tight and that it would be close,” PW coach Charise Halteman said. “I think they take a lot of pride in that. They’ve seen other senior other senior classes accomplish that feat, so it’s something they wanted to do again.
“They were very focused coming into the game. (Wissahickon) scored the first goal, which is not exactly how we would have wanted to start the game. They really didn’t hang their heads, they played a tough game, put a lot of pressure on Wissahickon and played the rest of the game to turn it in their favor.
“We came into this season – you wanted to set goals, but you wanted to be grateful for the opportunity to play. You didn’t know how the season was going to unfold and if you’d really get to play all of your games. I think we’re all just grateful we got to play all 10 games of our season so far. To be undefeated, that’s always a good feeling and gives the girls confidence moving forward.”
For the second time in as many outings against the Trojans, just one goal separated the two teams. The Colonials won the first meeting 3-2 in overtime.
“They’ve both been fun competitive games,” Halteman said. “I would say PW probably controlled the tempo of the game – we had more shots and more corners, and I thought we played the ball through the midfield well.
“But they have some strong players, some good hits up the field, some speed, so there was a lot of back and forth to the game as well. It was a tightly contested game.”
The Trojans took a 1-0 lead three minutes into the game on a goal by Ella Hummel, and that lead stood until the 13:19 mark of the second quarter when Alexa DeLucca scored off a scrum in front of the cage. The two teams went into halftime deadlocked 1-1.
Ava Borkowski scored a goal that turned out to be the game-winner with 29 seconds remaining in the third quarter, connecting on a tip in front of the cage during corner play with an assist for Carly McGee.
The Colonials, thanks to a strong team defense, limited the Trojans to just one corner. Sarah Trask anchored the defense in goal, recording four saves.
“Defenders Carly McGee, Darcy Miller, Haley McCourt, and Jules Tulio did a great job breaking down plays and playing with composure,” Halteman said. “Kaleigh Missimer controlled midfield play with the support of Molly Lynch and Hailey Copestick.
“The forward line of Alexa DeLucca, Regan Gehman, and Ava Borkowski put a lot of pressure on the Wissahickon defense with their breakaways and transitions."
Plymouth Whitemarsh does not have any games remaining on their regular season schedule, but that could change. Wissahickon (9-3, 8-3 SOL) will host Pennsbury in a non-league game Wednesday.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 0-1-1-0 2
Wissahickon 1-0-0-0 1
UPPER DUBLIN 1, HATBORO-HORSHAM 0
The Flying Cardinals held their annual Corners for Cancer Game, but this one was unique. Everything was virtual with the raffle (via Google Meet) to be held Wednesday. The Cardinals have already surpassed $9,000 and hope to reach their goal of $10,000.
As for the game, the Cardinals edged the visiting Hatters, thanks to a goal by Annabel Coplan (Jenn McCarry assist) during corner play in the second quarter.
The Cardinals closed out their regular season with a 6-4 record and are awaiting the results of the District One 3A power rankings, which will be official on Oct. 28.
Hatboro-Horsham 0-0-0-0 0
Upper Dublin 0-1-0-0 1
UD seniors, from left, Maisie Hanson, Ellie Eby, Jenn McCarry, Allie Rock, Mikayla DeMichele, Peyton Kullmann, Annabel Coplan, Sarah Brightcliffe and Dani Lucidi
ABINGTON 1, QUAKERTOWN 0
Camryn Stewart scored with an assist from Devan DeMaria on a direct corner shot with 4:53 remaining in regulation. That goal turned out to be the game-winner.
“It was a back and forth game played mainly between the 25s,” Abington coach Katie Small said. “Both teams had opportunities.
“The girls really had trouble finding their rhythm on the Quakertown turf. Quakertown’s best opportunity came late in the third quarter on a corner that was saved by defender Aly Campbell.
“At the start of the fourth quarter, I told the girls it was time to dig deep and find the goal. I’m so proud of the way they pulled this win out. We saw great play by Olivia Doughtery, DiMaria and Tara Hughes.”
Abington closed out conference play with a 4-5 record. Quakertown closed out its season with an 0-9-1 mark in conference play.
Abington 0-0-0-1 1
Quakertown 0-0-0-0 0
SOL Freedom Division
LOWER MORELAND 5, WILLIAM TENNENT 0
Senior Taryn Mayer put an exclamation point on a standout senior season, scoring four goals to lead the Lions to a win in their regular season finale. By halftime, Mayer had a hat trick and the Lions led 3-0. She added her fourth in the third period.
“Monday games have been a little tough for us and we didn’t come out as hot as I would have liked,” LM coach Shawn Mayer said. “Taryn Mayer and Liz Neeld had nice connections today. Senior Linda Tang anchored the defense.
“Tennent played a better game than the last outing we had at their field.”
Junior Meredith Lutter had a pair of assists, and sophomore Liz Neeld added a goal to close out the scoring.
Lower Moreland closed out its first season in the SOL with a 4-4 mark in league play (5-4 overall).
“A former coaching colleague said to me that coaching in the SOL would be hard. Then she added that Coaching with COVID would be hard,” Mayer said. “Coaching in the SOL with COVID has not been easy nor has it always been pretty, but I am happy with our outcome.
“Our returning athletes stepped up to the challenges placed before them, many dealing with new protocols, and our freshmen took it all in stride. They have made us proud during the 2020 season.”
William Tennent 0-0-0-0 0
Lower Moreland 1-1-2-1 5
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