Check out the recaps for SOL field hockey teams in action Monday. CR South/Truman photos provided courtesy of John Gleeson, and Wissahickon/Upper Dublin photos provided by Keith Clemens Photography. CLICK HERE to go directly to the FIELD HOCKEY galleries.
American Conference
QUAKERTOWN 3, HATBORO-HORSHAM 0
It was a night of firsts for the Panthers, who not only notched their first win of the young season but also scored their first goals of the year. It was also Kelly Driscoll’s first win at the helm.
“I’m very proud of these young ladies as they showed up to play and played hard for the entire game,” Driscoll said. “They had a lot of teamwork that paid off as they attacked as a team and defended as a team.
“This was a great confidence booster as well as motivation to keep working hard. I loved that they went out there and played their game and played hard every step of the game. They kept up their momentum.”
Sophomore Makenzie Adamson had the distinction of scoring the first goal of the game and the season to send the Panthers into halftime with a 1-0 lead. Senior Mackenzie Hadfield made it a 2-0 game with a direct shot from the top of the circle. Adamson tacked on her second goal of the game to close out the scoring, scoring on a shot from the top of the circle during corner play`.
“It was paramount for us to get on the scoreboard and secure our first win,” Driscoll said. “They needed this to see how it feels not only to play hard as a team but to have a win to show for it. I hope that this proves to them that they ‘we can!’ And it will change our trajectory for the season.”
The Panthers’ coach lauded the play of Adamson and Halle Frederick on the offensive side as well as captains Hadfield and Madison Haley for leading the team and holding the defense together.
“Kayla Hlywiak and Heather Schaffer were key in moving the ball through the midfield,” Driscoll said. “It was an overall team effort, and no one stole the show.”
Quakertown (1-3, 1-2 SOL) will host Cheltenham on Thursday at 7 p.m., and Hatboro-Horsham (0-4, 0-3) will host Wissahickon on Thursday at 3:30 p.m.
Hatboro-Horsham 0-0 0
Quakertown 1-2 3
WISSAHICKON 2, UPPER DUBLIN 1
The Trojans were opportunistic on offense and stingy on defense, and the result was a hard fought win in a contest that saw the Cardinals hold a 19-7 advantage in shots.
“They were very aggressive to the ball, and they were getting there before us,” Wissahickon coach Lucy Gil said. “They were really putting a lot of pressure on us, and my defense played amazing.”
Trojan goalie Meghan Reilly certainly did her share, turning away 15 shots.
“My goalie is pretty amazing,” Gil said. “I was so pleasantly surprised. She’s only a sophomore, so I didn’t really know anything about her, but she’s beyond amazing.
“(Upper Dublin) came out on fire, and they really, really pummeled us. I was glad that the defense kept it up.”
Also coming up big were the Trojans’ two sweepers – senior Caroline Burkart and sophomore Hannah Havrilla. Burkhart was credited with a pair of defensive saves in the first half to keep the Cardinals off the board.
“That’s why she was the player of the match – she cleaned up for Meghan a little bit,” Gil said of Burkhart. “Hannah is only a sophomore, but this kid is going to be great. She’s well on her way.
“My goalie and two sweepers – they kept us in the game, for sure.”
Despite the Cardinals’ pressure, it was the Trojans getting on the scoreboard when Emma Kane turned a Sammi Pak assist into a goal with just under five minutes remaining in the first half.
“It was off of a corner, but it wasn’t a great corner,” Gil said. “There was a scrum in the front, and it popped in.”
Pak found the cage on a penalty stroke with 1:18 remaining to send the Trojans into halftime with a 2-0 lead.
“We were putting it between the goalie’s pads, and she kind of fell, and it got underneath her,” Gil said. “I guess (the official) lost sight of it, and he had to call a stroke, but I thought Upper Dublin looked really good. They have a couple of kids who are really fast.”
The Cardinals cut the Trojans’ lead in half with 12:04 remaining in regulation when Emma Mead scored using a Maddie Templeton assist. That 2-1 score held until the final whistle.
“It was a tight game,” Gil said. “We were kind of sloppy at times, and I’m sure (UD coach) Heather (Boyer) would tell you they were not always picture perfect, but it was a good game, and it was a battle. It was not anybody’s game to just run over somebody else.”
UD goalies Sarah Herchenroder and Meghan Muth each had three saves.
Wissahickon (2-1 SOL) will travel to Hatboro-Horsham on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. game, and Upper Dublin (3-1, 2-1) will be on the road at Plymouth Whitemarsh on Wednesday.
Wissahickon 2-0 2
Upper Dublin 0-2 1
UPPER MORELAND 4, CHELTENHAM 3
The Golden Bears found themselves on the short end of a 3-1 halftime score, but sparked by three second-half goals from Jess Flanagan, they rallied for the come-from-behind win.
There were early signs that this would be a struggle for the Golden Bears when Sammy Boyd (Lucy Mackenzie assist) and Mackenzie scored back-to-back goals in a five-minute span midway through the first half to put the Panthers on top 2-0. Kladinne Belaong (Phoebe Longstreth assist) cut that lead in half, but less than a minute later, Maddie Ellis scored for the Panthers, using a Mackenzie assist, to send the Panthers into halftime with a two-goal lead.
“We came out very flat,” UM coach Karen Grossi said. “Cheltenham did the opposite.
“My girls were caught off guard by Cheltenham’s determination and nice drives, and they took the entire first half to adapt to the grass field – we always seem to struggle to adapt to play at Cheltenham, even when we played solely on grass.”
Flanagan went on her own personal tear in the second half, reeling off three goals in a 20-minute span. Her first at the 21:49 mark was assisted by Longstreth, and her second – which knotted the score – came with an assist from Claudia Zanine four minutes later. That tie stood until Flanagan found the cage with 1:45 remaining in regulation, benefiting from Longstreth’s third assist of a productive game.
“In the second half, my girls started communicating better and got better, more controlled touches on the ball,” Grossi said. “They started playing smarter – looking for the better pass, passing sooner, shooting around the goalkeeper, etc.
“They never got down on themselves even though they knew they weren’t playing to their potential. The Cheltenham goalkeeper (Mimi Bodejokoll) made a lot of nice saves, and their midfielders and defense did a good job of cutting to and intercepting our passes.”
Bodejokoll was credited with 11 saves. UM goalie Cassidy Murphy recorded two saves.
Upper Moreland (2-2, 2-1 SOL) will host Springfield Township on Wednesday, and Cheltenham (0-4, 0-3) will be on the road at Quakertown.
Upper Moreland 1-3 4
Cheltenham 3-0 3
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 5, SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP 0
The Colonials turned in a strong outing against the visiting Spartans, drawing 17 corners and taking 36 shots.
Junior Sam Spera scored her first and second goals of the season after scrambles in front of the net during corner play to send the Colonials into halftime with a 2-0 lead. Ava Borkowski added a pair of goals in the second half, and Kennedy Reardon scored the final goal of the game on a penalty stroke.
Katherine Houghton earned her third shutout of the season with three saves. Springfield goalie Emily Henry was credited with 15 saves.
Notes: According to Scott S.D. Weiss, sports announcer for CITV and CWPA, the Lady Colonials have scored at least one goal in 40 consecutive games and have now won 28 straight conference games. This was the third straight meeting PW shut out the Spartans. In four games, PW has 14 goals while its opponents have only one.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (4-0, 3-0 SOL) will host Upper Dublin on Wednesday, and Springfield Township will travel to Upper Moreland Wednesday.
Springfield Township 0-0 0
Plymouth Whitemarsh 2-3 5
Continental Conference
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 2, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 1 (OT)
The Bucks edged the Titans in an overtime thriller at War Memorial Field Monday night. The Titans had possession to open the 7v7 overtime but were thwarted in their offensive end, and the Bucks were on the counterattack.
It looked as though the Titans might counter, but Casey Reichwein was able to send a pass to Liv Fitzgerald, who found Taylor Mason. The Maryland-bound senior slammed it home for the game winner with 13:15 remaining in OT.
“Taylor received it and with a small aerial move was able to get around the defender and slammed the ball into the right corner for the win,” West coach Courtney Lepping said. “South is much improved and played a great game.”
It was a game of limited offensive opportunities for both sides with much of the play occurring between the 25s. The Bucks managed eight shots while South had five and also had a 4-2 advantage in corners.
“I am really proud of the improvement our team has made,” South coach Pat Toner said. “CB West is a strong, well-coached team, and this game could have gone either way.
“Although it was tough to lose in OT, it was a beautiful goal by a talented CB West player (Mason). I was really happy with the way our CB South girls left nothing on the field. They battled the entire game.”
The Titans got on the scoreboard first with 17:54 remaining in the first half when Kaitlyn Barnhart scored off a Casey Reilly breakaway. The Bucks answered with 10:10 remaining in the half when Caitlin Mulligan tipped in a Fitzgerald pass.
“Caitlin Mulligan had a fantastic game,” Lepping said. “The entire second half was back and forth with no team really able to establish much momentum.
“In the second half, Casey Reichwein and Dani Dundas were able to connect for a bunch of transfers, but West was unable to do anything with it offensively.”
Central Bucks West (4-1, 2-1 SOL) will host Central Bucks East on Wednesday at 7 p.m., and Central Bucks South (2-2, 2-1) will host William Tennent on Wednesday (7 p.m.).
Central Bucks South 1-0-0 1
Central Bucks West 1-0-1 2
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 6, PENNRIDGE 1
The Patriots rebounded from Saturday’s loss to Methacton in a battle of district powers to shut out the visiting Rams.
Riley Donnelly put the Patriots on the scoreboard five minutes into Monday’s contest, connecting during corner play with a Cailey Lever assist. That 1-0 score stood until midway through the half when freshman Phia Mannino scored on the rebound of a goalie save, and less than three minutes later, sophomore Emma Donnelly found the cage with an assist from Mannino, who once again took the rebound off the goalie’s pads and this time found Donnelly for the score. Lever tipped in a Riley Donnelly shot to send the Patriots into halftime with a 4-0 lead.
Lever scored her second goal of the game at the 27:20 mark of the second half, connecting from the top of the circle with a feed from Mackenzie Boyle. Donnelly’s second goal of the game put the Patriots on top 6-0 before the Rams got on the scoreboard when Caitlyn Amsden scored on a reverse sweep.
“Our team is young and inexperienced, but each game we are growing and getting better,” Pennridge coach Becky Spahr said. “Despite the score, I am proud of how the team fought today and worked as a unit.
“We played a ton of ‘D,’ which allowed our young team to practice individual and team defense.”
East coach Michele Finegan lauded the strong play of Pennridge goalie Mackenzie Bross, who recorded 26 saves.
“She made some outstanding saves,” the Patriots’ coach said. “We started to gel more on the field and connect with passes throughout the game.”
“Our goalkeeper, Mac Bross, is holding us together,” Spahr said. “Not only with her phenomenal play but also with her leadership and work ethic.
“As our team develops, we will find more success transitioning from defense to offense. East is a great team with a lot of skill. They work well as a team defensively and offensively.”
Central Bucks East (5-1, 3-0 SOL) will travel to Central Bucks West for an important conference battle at War Memorial Field on Wednesday (7 p.m.). Pennridge (0-2, 0-3) will host Souderton on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m.
Pennridge 0-1 2
Central Bucks East 4-2 6
NORTH PENN 8, WILLIAM TENNENT 0
Bri O’Donnell connected for the hat trick and also had an assist to lead the Knights to the shutout win over the visiting Panthers.
The senior forward turned a Julia Scanlon pass into a goal that put the Knights on the board just over a minute into the game. Twenty-three seconds later, O’Donnell (Emily Crawford assist) scored her second goal, and when Mikayla Barrow connected on an unassisted goal less than five minutes into the game, the Knights led 3-0. O’Donnell completed her hat trick at the 18:08 mark – less than 12 minutes into the game. Jillian Lampitoc (Kristin Varilla assist) found the cage for a goal, and Madison Stotler closed out the first-half scoring with a goal that put the Knights on top 5-0.
Barrow scored her second goal nine minutes into the second half, using assists from Kellie Pickford and O’Donnell. Crawford’s unassisted goal with 10 minutes remaining gave the Knights their final margin of victory.
North Penn controlled play from start to finish and held a decisive advantage in shots (28-0) and corners (19-0).
Anissa Gardizy was not forced to make a save in the shutout while Tennent’s Sophia Trozzi recorded 17 saves.
North Penn (2-3, 2-1 SOL) is off until Friday when the Knights will travel to Souderton. William Tennent (1-3, 0-2) will travel to Central Bucks South on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. game.
William Tennent 0-0 0
North Penn 6-2 8
National Conference
NESHAMINY 5, ABINGTON 0
Kayla Connelly and Abby Geisler each connected on a pair of goals to lead the Redskins to the impressive shutout.
“Today’s win was a total team effort,” coach Jamie Pinto said. “The girls have been working hard at practice, and it paid off today.
“Abby Geisler, Kayla Connelly and Jamie Pennington did a nice job of controlling the frontline, midfield and center of the field – all contributing strong play in the offensive end and finishing plays in the circle.”
Pennington connected for a goal that turned out to be the game winner, using an assist from Kelly Baradziej. Then it was Geisler (Peyton Ritchey assist) and Connelly (Pennington assist) following with back-to-back goals to send the Redskins into halftime with a 3-0 lead.
Connelly (Ritchey assist) and Geisler both added single goals in the second half for the 5-0 final.
“Neshaminy came out strong and ready to play,” Abington coach Katie Small said. “Abington was never able to respond.”
Neshaminy (3-1, 2-0 SOL) will host Pennsbury on Wednesday in a key conference battle, and Abington (3-2, 1-2) will travel to Council Rock North on Wednesday.
Neshaminy 3-2 5
Abington 0-0 0
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 9, HARRY S TRUMAN 0
The Golden Hawks raced out of the gate to a 5-0 lead halftime lead on their way to the decisive win.
Ashley Lackman turned a Mikayla VanAken pass into a goal 14 minutes into the contest, and the Hawks were off and running. Back-to-back goals by Shannon Lind in a three-minute span – the first with a Lauren Mitchell assist and the second with a VanAken pass – put the Golden Hawks on top 3-0 less than 20 minutes into the contest. Caitlyn Thornton (Mitchell assist) and Katelyn Cocco each added a goal to close out the half.
VanAken – who had a hand in three goals – found the cage 10 minutes into the second half, and three minutes later, it was Tori Wright connecting with an assist from Sarah Solomon. Lackman closed out the scoring with her second goal of the contest.
Rock South held an advantage in shots (20-2) and corners (8-2).
Council Rock South (3-2, 2-1 SOL) will host Spring-Ford in a non-league contest Tuesday, and Harry S Truman (0-3, 0-2) will host Bensalem on Wednesday.
Harry S Truman 0-0 0
Council Rock South 5-4 9
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 5, BENSALEM 0
Bridget Thompson contributed two goals and three assists to lead the Indians to the shutout win of the Owls. Celie Burke, Abbie Lustig and Hannah Basky each added a single goal while Sarah Scott and Anna McQuarrie both chipped in with an assist.
Council Rock North (2-2, 2-1 SOL) will host Abington on Wednesday, and Bensalem (1-4, 0-3) will be on the road at Harry S Truman.
Non-league
PENNSBURY 2, SOUDERTON 1 (OT)
(Submitted article)
A big week for the Pennsbury field hockey team started off with a big win, courtesy of a big performance by Kate Chesney.
The senior forward scored both of her team's goals, including the game-winner 2:47 into overtime, to lead the Falcons to a 2-1 non-league win at Souderton Monday.
The win was Pennsbury's third straight after a season-opening loss to Mount St. Joseph, that one also in overtime. This OT was pretty much the opposite of that one, as it was Pennsbury who withstood a run into the circle from Souderton and then countered.
The game-winning goal came courtesy of a perfectly played ball from Samie Hackman on a two-on-one that sprung Chesney for a breakaway. Chesney, who leads the Falcons with six goals on the season, ended it with her shot from the right side.
"It was a great team win," said Pennsbury coach Jamie Parell. "I thought a lot of our players played well and put us in position to win. And what can you say about Kate? She's just a great finisher."
Souderton scored first, midway through the first half, when Jenna Hunsicker tapped in a perfect cross from Jess Gabriel. The Falcons evened it when Chesney scored off a scramble in front with five minutes left before intermission.
Pennsbury had a 19-18 edge in shots, but that's a misleading stat. The Falcons outshot Souderton 15-5 in the first half and then held off the home team, who racked up a 13-2 advantage in the second half.
Pennsbury got defensive saves from Alexa Tannenbaum, Annie Price and Jamie Hude, and Michelle Deodati made six saves, including a big one with 1:09 left and Pennsbury two players down due to cards.
Jordan Michalak was sharp in goal for Souderton with eight saves.
The win was the start of a week that will see Pennsbury (3-1, 2-0 SOL) play two of its biggest SOL National rivals, both on the road, with games at Neshaminy Wednesday and Council Rock South Friday. The Falcons are 2-0 in the league.
Souderton (1-3, 0-2) will travel to Pennridge on Wednesday.
Pennsbury 1-0-1 2
Souderton 1-0-0 1
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