Check out all the results for SOL field hockey teams in action on Friday. To view photos of the Council Rock North/Wissahickon game, please visit the Photo Gallery.
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 4, WISSAHICKON 3 (OT)
Sophomore Devon Mela brought an end to the suspense of a brief but action-packed overtime when she connected less than two minutes into OT on a breakaway.
In that brief span, the Indians had drawn a corner – but came up empty, and Rock North goalie Julia Singer had stonewalled Melanie Fry on a breakaway just moments before Mela scored the game winner.
“This was huge,” senior Madison Gouza said. “Devon Mela did a great job, and I think we all gave it our all. We dug deep.
“In the end, this is even better than a win (in regulation) because we know we’re strong enough to win in overtime.”
Mela’s goal brought to an end a dramatic contest that saw the Indians open up a 3-1 lead only to watch the Trojans rally to knot the score.
“It reminds me of two years ago when we played them,” Rock North coach Heather Whalin said. “We had the 3-1 lead and gave it up at the end but won in overtime.
“This is huge. We are so young this year. We’re starting two freshmen, three sophomores and we only have two seniors. Some have never played in a varsity game, so for us to get a win against a turf-dominating team with good coaching and a very good goalie and some obviously star players – it was something we needed.
“To go into overtime and come out on top - we needed a tough game. Unfortunately, we haven’t had any tough preseason games, so it was good when we got scored on first to come back from that.”
While Mela scored the game winner, it was Gouza who put the Indians in a position to win, connecting for the hat trick with all three goals coming on corner play with assists from Amrit Ahluwalia.
“Last year we had Alex Kuzma, and she took all our corners,” Whalin said. “Madison has had to step up this year, and she has gone beyond our expectations. She knew she had to step up because we’re so young.”
“It’s a difficult task to take on, but I’m open to the challenge,” Gouza said. “I think we’re really strong as a team, so that helps me out because it’s an overall team effort.”
The Indians led 2-1 at halftime with Stacie Rocco (Fry assist) accounting for the Trojans’ goal. They upped that lead to 3-1 when Gouza connected on a corner shot early in the second half only to watch Rocco score a reverse stick goal (Angela Virtu assist) to make it a one-goal game. With just over five minutes remaining, the Trojans were awarded a penalty stroke after a shot went off the foot of an Indian defender on the goal line. Virtu hit paydirt, knotting the score and setting the stage for overtime.
“As a team, we all really wanted to win this,” Gouza said. “We’re a very young team, and I love them – they’re like my family. We’re all really good friends, and it makes it even more enjoyable to play with them.”
For Trojan coach Lucy Gil, who returned last year after leaving the area for a year, the loss was her first to Rock North in nine years at the helm.
“I thought we played really well in the first 10 minutes of the game, but I think we let down after we scored a goal, and they were able to come back,” she said. “We’re trying a new system, and we’re trying to put all the pieces in.
“I have very, very young defenders. Other than Angela (Virtu) in the center, the entire back line is made up of sophomores and one junior. We’re training them in a new system, and I thought a lot of times our defense did break down, but when we get it, it’s going to be great.”
Gil was pleased with some of the things she saw.
“I thought it was a pretty good showing for us,” she said. “We are a pretty young team. We have three seniors that are playing.
“It may take us a while to get back to true form, but I think we’re going to get it.”
The Indians held an advantage in shots (14-9) and corners (11-5). Singer was credited with six saves while Wissahickon’s Claire Tarzia had 11 saves.
Wissahickon 1-2-0 3
Council Rock North 2-1-1 4
NORTH PENN 3, METHACTON 0
The Maidens turned the tables on a Warrior squad that had handed North Penn a 6-2 defeat in last year’s season opener, exploding for three second half goals to earn the big win.
“This was a great start for us,” coach Shannon McCracken said. “Methacton is a good, competitive team. They have some great players, and they’re coached by Sarah (Quintois) and Mary Ann (Harris).
“The girls were really excited after the game. We made some goals this year, and this was a good start for us.”
According to McCracken, the momentum in Friday’s opener turned when Maiden goalie Chessa Kownurko delivered a huge second half save.
“She made a great stick save on the right corner, and that kind of shifted the momentum,” the Maidens’ coach said. “They had some great players on their team, and they had some really good scoring opportunities.
“Our defense played well. Chessa had a great game, and that save she had shifted the momentum because we came out a little flat in the second half.”
The Maidens responded to Kownurko’s save by scoring three goals in a four-minute span to seize control of the game. Shannon Talbot got the ball rolling, turning a Jenn DeLongis pass into a goal with 17 minutes remaining in regulation. Three minutes later, it was Emma Herb (Kara Imes assist) connecting, and a minute later, Imes turned a Talbot pass into a goal.
“The girls had some nerves,” McCracken said. “They have high expectations, and there were some nerves in the first half.
“Once we got that first goal, it was like ‘Take a deep breath. Here we go.’ We played really well. We had 17 shots in the first half but didn’t put a goal in. My halftime talk was – perseverance, just keep shooting.”
McCracken lauded the standout performances of several players.
“Shannon Talbot played excellent,” she said. “Our freshman right midfielder, Amber Blackshear, played great in her first varsity game.
“Casey O’Donnell played well on the forward line. Methacton has that really great forward, Alexa Hoover, and Frankie Tossano marked her and did a great job, shut her down.”
Kownurko was credited with 11 saves while her counterpart, Sammi Steele, had 16. The Maidens held a 23-10 advantage in shots while the Warriors had a 6-5 edge in corners.
Methacton 0-0 0
North Penn 0-3 3
PENNRIDGE 8, UPPER MERION 0
Sparked by three goals and three assists from Kari Moyer, the Rams scored early and often, opening up a 7-0 halftime lead on their way to the big win. Addison Marshall added two goals and one assist, and Kirsten Moyer also had a pair of goals. Ben VanPelt had a goal and an assist, and Victoria Arnold closed out the scoring with a single goal.
“The defense and midfield did a great job of feeding the offense, and as a whole, the team played very well,” said first-year coach Brieann Wolfe. “Madison Reiss and Katie Dubyk had great defensive games, feeding our unstoppable midfield of Melissa Herd, Addison Marshall and Brad VanPelt.
“Kari Moyer had an outstanding day.”
Upper Merion0-0 0
Pennridge 7-1 8
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 5, WILLIAM TENNENT 3
Kim Hitchcock sparked an inspired West offense, connecting for the hat trick to lead the Bucks to the opening day win. West jumped out to a 3-0 halftime lead and extended that to 5-0 before the Panthers scored three goals in an explosive three-minute span that began with six minutes remaining.
“It was good to show them they have to play the whole 60 minutes,” West coach Courtney Hughes said. “It’s not the worst thing that could happen in the first game. It was an eye opener.”
Junior Elena Romesburg got things started for the Bucks by connecting on a shot from the top of the circle, and then it was Hitchcock scoring on a corner to put the Bucks on top 2-0. The Bucks extended that lead to 3-0 when Hitchcock redirected a Christian DeAngelis pass into the cage. The second half began with goals by Erick Fiorelli and Hitchcock, giving the Bucks a 5-0 lead that looked secure until the Panthers staged a late surge.
Hughes credited rookies Bryn Boylan and Christian DeAngelis for turning in impressive debut performances in the midfield. Emily Halderson and Caitlin Lowry played strong defensively according to their coach.
The Bucks held a 23-11 advantage in shots. West goalie Bre DeAngelis was credited with eight saves in goal.
Central Bucks West 3-2 5
William Tennent 0-3-3
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 3, CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 1
Everything changed in a heartbeat.
One minute the Patriots were lined up to take a corner that could have potentially tied the game and the next senior Kristen Meihofer found herself on a breakaway with teammate Mollie Sheehy.
“Kristin (Donohue) did a great job flying out and cutting the corner off,” Meihofer said. “I’ve always been the outlet person, and that’s one of the first times it’s followed through for a breakaway.”
Meihofer admits she felt more than a little pressure as she raced downfield, and after drawing the goalie, she passed the ball to Sheehy on her left for a goal that all but sealed the Patriots’ fate.
“I saw Mollie out of the corner of my eyes, and I tried to drag right little bit and then I passed to Mollie,” she said. “I’m praying that she scores it. It definitely changed the momentum.”
The goal turned a 2-1 lead into a 3-1 advantage that held until the final whistle.
The two teams exchanged goals in the first half with Meihofer scoring with an assist from Sheehy to put the Golden Hawks on the scoreboard.
“Those two work incredibly well together, and they have the speed,” coach Tina Reinprecht said of Meihofer and Sheehy.
East’s goal was scored by Katelyn Stout with an assist from Maggie Stella. Rock South scored the go-ahead goal less than two minutes into the second half on a goal by Katie Bagdon (Caroline McGovern assist). That 2-1 lead stood until Sheehy connected for an insurance goal with 13:51 remaining.
“This (win) was very important,” Meihofer said. “We have high expectations this year. We had a lot of pressure and we were nervous coming in, especially the first half. You could see we were a little jittery.
“In the second half, we stepped it up, and getting this win means a lot because we have more momentum going into our next games.”
The Golden Hawks certainly had all the momentum in the second half of Friday’s win, and that made all the difference.
“We didn’t change much,” Meihofer said. “We picked up our intensity. I saw a lot more people had heart. We stepped to the ball more, and we capitalized more on our opportunities.”
“I think if you looked at our stats, they were even for both halves,” Reinprecht added. “It was just a commitment to being aggressive in the circle. You just have to get a tip or touch and get the ball in.
“I saw a lot of good things and then some areas that are easy to fix, but it’s going to take a lot of work to fix them.”
While Reinprecht is new to the program, assistant coach Colette Paprocki is not, and she offered her perspective after Friday’s opener.
“I definitely think we still have a lot of things to work on, but we were pleased with the outcome today,” she said. “They stepped it up in the second half and changed things and took things into their own hands to get the outcome they needed.
“They know and we know there are things they have to work on in order to have the season we’re hoping for.”
Council Rock South 1-2 3
Central Bucks East 1-0 1
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 2, QUAKERTOWN 1
What a difference a year makes.
Last year, the Panthers laid a 7-1 beating on the Colonials in the season opener for both squads. On Friday, it was a different story entirely as the Colonials eked out the hard-fought win.
“We talked about the fact that they had blown us out last year, and we tried to use that to our advantage that Quakertown might not be expecting much from us,” said coach Marianne Paparone, who has taken over the helm again this season. “In our first scrimmage, we did not play well, and I think they were still of that mindset of being defeated.
“I said, ‘You just have to compete, and the more you compete, good things will happen.’ We have some leadership and kids that will go hard and go hard, and other kids feed off them. Our goalie (Victoria Byrne) did a good job today, and they’re starting to jell a little bit more. We have some key kids that pulled the other kids up to them. They just competed today, which is what you always want to see.”
The Colonials received a pair of goals from Aurora Mills, one with an assist from Rachel Konowal and the other with a Courtney Konowal assist.
“I told the kids, ‘You scored the nicest goal I might see all year,’” Paparone said. “It was a rocket shot from Courtney Konowal on a two-on-one breakaway. Courtney takes a shot from the top right circle, and Aurora Mills, a sophomore, makes a bee line to the ball and makes a beautiful touch into the goal.
“We just held our ground at the end. We were down inside our defensive 25 the last five minutes straight. I said, ‘You worked too hard to give this one up at the end.’
“They have done everything I’ve asked them to do. With a little bit of success, they’ll start to feel better about themselves. I have a lot of kids that played in the offseason, and they bring that with them to the table.”
Paparone credited her seniors for providing leadership for a squad that started four sophomores and a freshman on Friday.
“Rachel and Courtney Konowal do a good job with that,” the PW coach said. “Allison Spinelli did a good job today. She has gotten so much better since two years when I coached. The Konowals have gotten so much better, and our sweeper – Sierra Spencer – is just so composed, so mature, so hard working, and the kids feed off of her as well.”
Emma McLaughlin accounted for Quakertown’s only goal.
“They have some pretty good skill players,” Paparone said of the Panthers.
Quakertown 0-1 1
Plymouth Whitemarsh 1-1 2
ABINGTON 5, CHELTENHAM 1
The Lady Panthers took a 1-0 lead into halftime only to watch the Ghosts respond with five unanswered goals in the second half. It was an impressive offensive performance for a Ghost squad that struggled to find the cage last season.
“It was awesome,” coach Amanda Deering said. “The girls played more composed in the second half and did more team play and combinations with each other to work the ball up to the offensive end.
“As a coaching staff, we’ve been focusing on the girls using each other and making quicker passes rather than one girl trying to dribble through three people. In the second half, they upped their team play and were able to finish.”
Sam McGee (Heather Trainor assist) scored the equalizer just 2:42 into the second half, and less than two minutes later, McGee returned the favor, assisting Trainor on the go-ahead goal. The Ghosts added three more goals – two from Trainor with assists from Jackie Farides and Jess Moretti and another from McGee, this one with a Lizzy Petermichl assist.
“As soon as we scored those first two goals, I was able to take a big deep breath,” Deering said. “These girls have been working hard in practice and have been working as a cohesive unit.
“That was the problem in the first half as well as last year – they were not trusting each other with the pass, and they had a tough time finishing on the cage and being aggressive on top of the goalkeeper.
“In the second half, that’s where I saw a change in my team. They were getting the rebounds and using each other as they needed to.”
Tia Barnhardt notched her first win in goal for the Ghosts, picking up 11 saves.
“Maeve Hughes was huge for us on defense,” Deering said of her sweeper. “After their first goal until the end of the game, she took control of the defensive end. Not only defensively was she taking control, but she was a huge help transitioning us to offense.
“That’s her job as a sweeper – to organize the defense and to transition offensively, and she absolutely took control of that.”
Deering also credited the performance of Petermichl as an offensive threat.
“She didn’t come up with all the goals or assists, but her offensive play throughout the game from start to finish really helped our team,” the Ghosts’ coach said. “She carried the ball from the midfield into the circle.”
Emily Hawkins was superb in goal for the Panthers, turning away 26 shots – 16 in a busy second half.
“Their goalkeeper did an outstanding job stopping shots,” Deering said.
Abington 0-5 5
Cheltenham 1-0 1
MOUNT ST JOSEPH 2, PENNSBURY 1
Haley Toadvine scored the Falcons' only goal, using an assist from Sarah Zazzu. Millie Stefanowicz scored a pair for the Mount.
SPRING-FORD 2, NESHAMINY 1
The Rams opened up a 2-0 halftime lead on their way to the win. Amanda Blum scored the Redskins’ only goal, using an assist from Josafinne McIlvaine.
Spring-Ford 2-0 2
Neshaminy 0-1 1
UPPER PERKIOMEN 5, SOUDERTON 0
NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 2, UPPER MORELAND 0
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