Check out the results for SOL field hockey teams in action Thursday.
American Conference
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 1, WISSAHICKON 0
In a high stakes game that actually lived up to its billing, the Colonials took an early lead and then held on for the win in a classic American Conference battle.
“It’s easy for me to say this because we won, but it was a well-played, hard-fought high school game,” said PW coach Marianne Paparone, whose team now holds a one-game lead over the Trojans in the conference standings. “It was old school like we haven’t seen for a while.
“They were totally fired up the whole game – they were cheering loud, my kids were cheering loud. There was a crowd there, it was a nice day. There was a lot of energy, a lot of enthusiasm, and it was fun to see.”
The Colonials scored the game’s only goal when Frankie O’Brien turned a Paige Totten pass into a goal during corner play at the 26:29 mark of the opening half. That 1-0 lead held the rest of the way.
“They had a corner with time (running) out at the end of the game,” Paparone said. “It was definitely a nail biter, and it was definitely not comfortable.
“I thought (Wissahickon) played really well. Offensively, they do a really nice job in transition. They really put a lot of pressure on your defense, but I thought my defense played outstanding.
“They blocked a lot of shots, made a lot of tackles in transition, made good decisions. It was clearly our best defensive game of the year, just limiting their offensive opportunities. They did have 10 corners, but they didn’t get shots.
“We got a green card for the first time all year, so we had a little adversity, but the kids just hung tough. You could see the resolve in their play, which was really nice to see, and they kept their composure the whole time”
The win avenged a 4-0 loss at the hands of the Trojans in the initial meeting between the rival schools.
“We didn’t play the first time,” Paparone said. “It was early in the season, and a few of my kids lacked confidence. We just had to come together as a team.
“It’s been building, building, building, and we’re playing better each game, and they knew how important today’s game was. I think they were excited to show that wasn’t our real team.”
Paparone credited several players for their performances in the win.
“Grace Maguire, my sweeper, made really good decisions,” the PW coach said. “She has excellent hand-eye (coordination), and she did a lot of good tackles.
“My two side backs – Kolby Bechtel and Sami Mangine – played well. Sami is playing with a broken finger. She played the whole game. They did a good job slowing their transition down, made some good tackles, made good decisions. They played with so much more confidence than the last time. They both struggled the last time, not because they couldn’t do it but because they lacked confidence. I think they were a little overwhelmed by the situation. We have just come such a long way. Their confidence has really built up.
“I think Aurora (Mills) and Frankie (O’Brien) were key to keeping the kids going and keeping them centered. Aurora has been our hustle and energy leader all season, and Frankie’s kind of the vocal leader out there. They’re in the center of the field and make a big impact, and Grace is too.”
PW goalies Clair McCallister and Victoria Byrne were not forced to make a save in the shutout.
“That’s not to say they weren’t inside our 25 and inside the circle – they were,” Paparone said. “They got off three or four shots, but all of them were wide.
“At the beginning of the year, we gave up so many easy goals, and today to not let them have any strong chances was pretty huge.”
Plymouth Whitemarsh (9-2, 9-1 SOL) will host Upper Dublin on Monday, and Wissahickon (9-4, 8-2) will host Upper Merion.
Wissahickon 0-0 0
Plymouth Whitemarsh 1-0 1
UPPER MERION 1, NORRISTOWN 0
A goal by Mattie Barone with 3:26 remaining in regulation propelled the visiting Vikings to their first conference win. Rella Staley assisted on the game winner.
“It’s been a rough stretch,” coach Angie Yanocha said. “It’s been so many games since we’ve even scored a goal.
“I just kept saying, ‘I know you guys want this. You’re doing everything you possibly can. We just need to put the ball in the cage.’ They played together as a team, they were supporting one another, they were moving the ball really well.
“It’s always nice to play on a quality field, so for once you could see our skills come out a little better because we were on the turf. The offense played really well together – they were passing really well, they were making good cuts and moving the ball up the field.
“The midfield was just doing a really nice job of distributing. The defense was marking up in the circle, and Kate (Foy) did a great job in goal. This was her first varsity shutout, so that was exciting for her too. You would have thought we won a district game the way we celebrated, but for us this year and the way we’ve been struggling, that was a big deal.”
The win avenged a 2-0 loss to the Eagles in the initial meeting between the two teams.
“I can’t say we lacked any effort between games one and game two,” Yanocha said. “It was a very similar situation. Both teams were working hard, and it was back and forth the whole time. It was just a matter of who scored first.”
The Vikings’ coach lauded the efforts of several players in the win.
“They all played well,” Yanocha said. “My two midfielders – Alyssa Adinolfi and Tatum Thomas – both played particularly well.
“My right wing – Rella Staley – was playing really strong, doing a nice job carrying the ball on the right side and sending it in and giving us good scoring opportunities. They stood out, but it really was an overall team effort.”
Kate Foy earned the shutout in goal.
“Kate has been coming up with some amazing saves,” Yanocha said. “We didn’t get as much pressure as we’ve been getting, but she once again came up with some real quality saves and kept the shutout.
“Norristown had good scoring opportunities. We just kept churning. I told them, ‘You just have to believe.’ We’ve just been trying to continue to support one another, motivate one another and keep them believing in themselves. To go that many games without scoring is rough.”
Upper Merion (2-10, 1-8 SOL) will travel to Wissahickon on Monday, and Norristown (1-12, 1-9) will host Cheltenham.
Upper Merion 0-1 1
Norristown 0-0 0
UPPER MORELAND 5, UPPER DUBLIN 1
Jessica Flanagan scored a hat trick and also had an assist to lead the Golden Bears to the big win.
It was Flanagan scoring an unassisted goal at the 19:58 mark of the opening half, and two minutes later Noelle Woodman (Flanagan assist) connected to give the Bears an early 2-0 lead. Another Flanagan goal put the Bears on top 3-0 midway through the half, and that lead stood until halftime.
The Golden Bears’ lead grew to 5-0 after goals by Jenna Getz (Emily Jeinnings assist) and Flanagan (Getz assist) before the Cardinals broke up their shutout bid with an Annie Stohler goal with 1:10 remaining in the contest.
The Flying Cardinals held an advantage in shots (15-11) and corners (10-4), but that was negated by the efforts of UM goalies Allison Felicetti and Melissa Barber, who combined for 10 saves. UD’s Marlowe Gardener had four saves.
Upper Moreland (9-4, 7-3 SOL) will travel to Springfield on Monday. Upper Dublin (4-7, 4-6) will host Methacton on Saturday (3 p.m.) for the team’s seventh annual Corners for Cancer event.
Upper Moreland 3-2 5
Upper Dublin 0-1 1
SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP 4, CHELTENHAM 3
The Spartans scored a pair of second half goals and held on for the hard-fought win.
Mason DeLarso scored a pair of goals for the Spartans while Meredith Giordano and Marley Berger each contributed a goal and an assist. Haley Wilken had a pair of goals to lead the Lady Panthers, and Madison Gianelle added a single goal.
Springfield held a 13-11 edge in shots on goal and a 15-9 advantage in corners. Spartan goalie Isabelle Boles was credited with nine saves. Coach Linda Nixon acknowledged the strong defensive play of Brianna Buckley and Madison Baer that allowed the Spartans to hold on for the win.
Springfield (7-6, 5-4 SOL) will host Upper Moreland on Monday, and Cheltenham (4-8, 4-6) will host Saint Basill Academy on Friday in a non-league contest.
Springfield 2-2 4
Cheltenham 2-1 3
Continental Conference
PENNRIDGE 2, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 1 (OT)
Larissa Motts has quietly contributed to the turnaround of the Pennridge field hockey program. In Thursday’s crucial game against the Titans, the senior forward stole the spotlight when she found herself on a breakaway late in the seven-on-seven overtime.
Motts carried the ball down the middle of the field and – when she reached the top of the circle – used a pull move to the right to beat the charging goalie before putting the ball in the cage to propel the Lady Rams the emotional win.
“It was a relief,” Motts said. “It was so exciting.”
“I started getting chills,” junior captain Kellie Drugotch said. “I was so tired that I wanted to sit down, but I jogged with all my energy I had left and just hugged everyone.
“I was ecstatic. I’m still getting chills when I think about it. Pennridge has not beaten CB South in I don’t know how long. For the seniors’ last game against South, I think that was really special, and for Larissa to score that as a senior – that probably meant a lot to her.”
Motts, according to her coach, has stepped to the fore in recent outings.
“She’s been super quiet up until her senior year, and I feel like she’s become a really good on-field leader for us,” coach Becky Spahr said. “Just the energy and intensity – she’s gotten better and better for us.”
“Something clicked,” Motts said of her recent emergence. “I have always been shy and didn’t believe in myself.
“First of all, I was always the smallest one on the team, and I finally grew into myself and I got some more confidence. It’s overall confidence and being able to believe in myself – I finally found that.”
The Titans drew an early corner – and had four in the first half, but it was the Lady Rams generating the most dangerous opportunities. Pennridge capitalized on its first corner when freshman Sydney Borneman, on the left post, redirected a pass from teammate Meghan Griffin into the cage to put the Rams on top with 17:07 remaining in the first half.
CB South senior Lauren Zakrzewski set up the equalizer when she carried the ball down the right alley. Freshman Casey Reilly turned a Casey Dietzel pass into a goal with 6:22 remaining in regulation.
Moments later, CB South goalie Sarah Zeszotarski preserved the tie with back-to-back saves during a brilliant sequence, and the senior goalie came up with another clutch save when the Lady Rams drew a corner in the final minutes of the game, setting the stage for overtime.
The Titans were awarded an early corner in OT but didn’t manage a shot. Borneman missed just wide on a shot for the Rams, and Zeszotarski made a diving save of a point blank shot by freshman Caitlyn Amsden, keeping the Titans in it until Motts’ game winner.
“As always, she played phenomenal,” coach Lindsay Walbrandt said of her goalie.
Zeszotarski turned away 12 shots in a game that saw the Rams hold a 16-6 advantage in shots.
“She’s very, very good,” Spahr said. “I think she’s one of the best in our league. We had a lot of opportunities, and she shut us down a lot of the game.”
Although her team came away with a win, the second-year Rams’ coach is looking for her team to pick up its level of play.
“The intensity that our team needs to play with wasn’t here,” Spahr said. “That’s what we need to work on – bringing the same intensity we can bring to every single game.
“I think we’ve had it some games, lose it other games. I’m glad we won, but I wish it was a little less nerveracking.”
On the other side of the field, South coach Lindsay Walbrandt was pleased with her team’s effort.
“Despite what the scoreboard said, I’m still very proud of them.”
EXTRA SHOTS: Although both sides were tired after close to 70 minutes of end-to-end action, the Lady Rams say they were prepared. “My coach (Spahr) is a personal trainer, and she trains us in the offseason,” Drugotch said. “She says we’re going to do an 800, and we think we’re done, and she’ll say, ‘We’re going to do another 100 because this is overtime.’ We practice overtime in the offseason, and we run a lot. As tough as it is, I think we were prepared for it.”…Pennridge (5-6, 4-6 SOL) will travel to Souderton on Monday, and Central Bucks South (3-7-1, 3-5-1) will be on the road at Central Bucks East.
Central Bucks South 0-1-0 1
Pennridge 1-0-1 2
NORTH PENN 3, QUAKERTOWN 2
Emma Herb scored with 5:46 remaining in regulation to propel the Maidens to the come-from-behind win Thursday. Amber Blackshear assisted on the game winner. The win was the Maidens’ sixth one-goal win in conference play.
Earlier, it was the Panthers taking a 1-0 lead when Becky Gerhart connected for an unassisted goal with 10:47 remaining in the opening half, but Herb answered with a goal six minutes later to make it a 1-1 game at the intermission.
Taylor Scheetz (Emma McLaughlin assist) gave the Panthers a 2-1 lead when she scored seven minutes in the second half, but Abbie Roberts (Mikayla Barrow assist) knotted the score with 16:21 remaining. Herb gave the Maidens the late lead, but the final moments were not without drama. The Panthers were awarded a penalty stroke with three minutes remaining but could not convert.
Brynne Schoppe was credited with 10 saves in goal for the Maidens. While Quakertown’s Rylee Lawler had 11 saves. The Maidens had an advantage in shots (27-18) and corners (9-4).
North Penn (7-3, 7-5 SOL) will travel to Mount Saint Joseph on Saturday and then will be at Central Bucks West on Monday. Quakertown (4-10, 2-8) will be on the road at Hatboro-Horsham on Monday.
Quakertown 1-1 2
North Penn 1-2 3
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 4, HATBORO-HORSHAM 1
After battling to a 1-1 halftime tie, the Patriots scored three goals in the second half en route to the win.
Riley Donnelly – the catalyst with three goals and an assist – connected midway through the first half, using a Cailey Lever assist to put the Patriots on top 1-0, but five minutes later, Lizzy Theurer (Kelsey Hopkins assist) scored the tying goal.
“The first half of the game was pretty even with both teams back and forth,” East coach Michelle Finegan said. “The beginning of the game CB East dominated, and at the end of the first half, Hatboro was putting a lot of pressure on (our) defense).”
That 1-1 tie stood until Abbey Butler (Donnelly assist) scored midway through the second half. Donnelly tacked on an insurance goal with 12:46 remaining, using a Butler assist, and for good measure, Donnelly completed the hat trick with a goal in the closing minutes.
“In the second half, (we were) able to take the lead with plenty of hustle from junior forward Abbey Butler,” Finegan said. “Abbey was dynamic in the offensive end of the field and had a goal and an assist in the half.”
The Patriots edged the Hatters in corners (7-6), but the Hatters held a 9-8 advantage in shots. East goalie Sydney Richter and H-H goalie Liz Wilburn both turned away six shots. Theresa Haug came up with a defensive save for the Patriots.
Central Bucks East (11-2, 7-2 SOL) will host Central Bucks South on Monday, and Hatboro-Horsham (5-8, 4-6) will host Quakertown.
Hatboro-Horsham 1-0 1
Central Bucks East 1-3 4
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 7, SOUDERTON 1
The Bucks have shown a penchant for scoring a lot of goals in a hurry, and that was the case on Thursday. After battling the visiting Indians to a 1-1 tie, the Bucks exploded for six second-half goals.
In the first half, West’s Mikayla Darrow (Cadera Smith assist) and Souderton’s Liz O’Hara (Nina Disco assist) exchanged goals. Darrow scored eight minutes into the game, and the Indians knotted the score with 5:45 remaining on a corner.
Ryan Murray ignited the West second half onslaught with back-to-back goals early in the half – connecting with an Emily Halderson assist at the 29:09 mark and finding the cage with a Taylor Mason assist with 24:55 remaining to put the Bucks on top 3-1.
Midway through the half, Mason followed her teammate’s lead, scoring back-to-back goals of her own within a span of just over three minutes. Anna Hall assisted on the first and Murray on the second. Goals by Emily Halderson (Bryn Boylan assist) and Smith (Darrows assist) closed out the scoring.
Souderton goalie Megan Mehaffey turned away 16 shots. West held an advantage in shots (23-7) and corners (13-6).
Central Bucks West (11-0, 9-0) will host North Penn on Monday, and Souderton (3-7-1, 1-7-1) will host Pennridge.
Souderton 1-0 1
Central Bucks West 1-6 7
National Conference
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 8, HARRY S TRUMAN 0
Julianne Mangano had a hand in six goals while teammate Anna Lehman connected for the hat trick to lead the Indians to the shutout win. Mangano finished the game with one goal but assisted on five others.
Bridget Thompson, Kristen McNamara, Camielle Quigley and Hannah Stalker each scored single goals. Claire Jarema added an assist for the Indians.
Council Rock North (8-4, 6-3 SOL) will host Abington on Saturday (10 a.m.), and Truman (0-12-1, 0-9-1) will host Pennsbury on Monday.
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 5, ABINGTON 2
The visiting Golden Hawks opened up a 3-1 halftime lead on their way to the win. Shannon Lind put the Hawks on the scoreboard three-and-a-half minutes into the game, connecting on a corner shot with an assist from Caroline McGovern. Another corner four minutes later resulted in a goal by McGovern (Tori Wright assist).
The Ghosts answered with a corner goal of their own with Kaila Brown converting a pass from Sarah Boches into a goal. McGovern scored an unassisted goal to send the Hawks into the intermission with a two-goal lead.
In the second half, Jillian Rowland (Lind assist) and Wright (Paige Schmid assist) both scored to put the Hawks on top 5-1 before Samantha McGee (Brown assist) scored with 9:46 remaining for the 5-2 final.
Abington goalie Alyssa Herman had 13 saves.
Council Rock South (10-4, 9-1 SOL) will host William Tennent on Monday, and Abington (4-8, 2-7) will be on the road at Council Rock North on Saturday.
Council Rock South 3-2 5
Abington 1-1 2
NESHAMINY 6, WILLIAM TENNENT 0
The Redskins – with nine seniors on their roster – celebrated Senior Day with a shutout win. Junior Mia Sexton connected for the hat trick and also had an assist to lead the ‘Skins.
Senior Maria Palmieri (Marlena Koellner assist) put the Redskins on the scoreboard five minutes into the game. Emily Curran added back-to-back goals – the first with an assist from Lauren Duckenfield and the second with a Sexton helper – to send the Redskins into halftime with a 3-0 lead.
The second half belonged to Sexton, who reeled off three consecutive goals – two with assists from senior Christen Pennington and the second of the three with a Koellner assist.
Neshaminy (13-0, 10-0 SOL) will travel to Council Rock North on Monday, and William Tennent (2-9-1, 2-6-1) will travel to Council Rock South.
William Tennent 0-0 0
Neshaminy 3-3 6
PENNSBURY 7, BENSALEM 1
The Falcons raced to a 5-0 halftime lead on their way to the decisive win.
Kate Chesney opened the scoring with a goal at the 27:35 mark. That 1-0 lead held until Olivia Maura, Chesney and Nell Webber scored back-to-back-to-back goals in a six-minute span midway through the half. Webber’s second goal of the game with 1:22 remaining put the Falcons on top 5-0.
Bensalem got on the scoreboard nine minutes into the second half when Gabby Greco turned a Kara Bachman assist into a goal. Chesney (Maura assist) and Maya Geller each added single goals for 7-1 final.
Bensalem goalie Selena Lee turned away 17 shots, and Alyssa Dalrymple was credited with a defensive save for the Owls.
Pennsbury (9-4, 7-3 SOL) will host Central Bucks West on Saturday, and Bensalem (3-8, 1-8) will host Little Flower on Friday.
Pennsbury 5-2 7
Bensalem 0-1 1
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