Check out the results for SOL field hockey teams in action Wednesday. To view photos of the CB West/CB East game, please visit the Photo Gallery.
National Conference
PENNSBURY 3, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 1
Haley Toadvine scored a pair of goals and assisted on another to lead the Falcons to a win that vaulted Pennsbury back in the hunt in the National Conference.
“I think (the win) was much needed for the league but also much needed as a confidence booster coming off the 1-0 heartbreaker with Neshaminy,” Pennsbury coach Jamie Parell said. “We really had dominated that game and just unfortunately didn’t come out on top. The girls really needed this for a lot of different reasons.”
The Falcons and Golden Hawks both trail second place Neshaminy by just one game and conference-leading Council Rock North by two.
“I feel like it’s always a battle between all of us on any given day – which is good because I feel like we are very talented this year, but we just haven’t been able to put the ball in the back of the cage more than the other team,” Parell said. “That’s basically what it’s come down to.
“I really think we finally showed up to play, and we played as a team, and we played the entire game. I said – this is the type of play you need to have every game, both ways.”
The Falcons scored all the goals they would need during a 50-second stretch late in the first half. Marguerite Salamone put the Falcons on the scoreboard at the 8:55 mark, connecting on a corner with an assist from Toadvine, and the Falcons led 2-0 after Toadvine (Sarah Zazzu assist) scored with 8:05 remaining in the half.
Toadvine’s second goal three minutes into the second half – this one unassisted – made it a 3-0 game.
“I kept yelling, ‘Play with urgency. Play like it’s 0-0 the whole time,’ which we did,” the Falcons’ coach said. “It was like a buzz word I kept using at practice yesterday, and we actually applied what I was saying to the game.
“We were passing to one another and not just passing with no purpose. We were passing the ball to each other, passing it to space.”
The Golden Hawks broke up the Falcons’ shutout bid with a Caroline McGovern goal with eight minutes remaining in regulation.
“South played very, very flat,” Parell said. “I know they’re fully capable of way more than what they gave us today, but we just didn’t let up. We kept playing hard the whole time. It was really a team effort front to back today.”
Both teams are 4-2 in league play. The Falcons are 4-5 overall while the Golden Hawks are 5-4.
Pennsbury 2-1 3
Council Rock South 0-1 1
COUNCIL ROCK 6, ABINGTON 0
Anna Lehman connected for a hat trick, and Devon Mela added two goals. Theresa Delahanty scored a single goal, and Kristen McNamara recorded the first varsity point of her career with an assist.”
The Indians remain perfect with a 6-0 record in conference play and an 8-0 record overall. Abington is 1-4-1 in league play (2-5-1 overall).
WILLIAM TENNENT 1, BENSALEM 0
The Panthers won a thriller at Bensalem, converting a corner with no time left on the clock in regulation. Junior Kalisi Taufalele scored the game winner, using an assist from Kylie Weiss.
“It was quite a good game played by both (teams),” Tennent coach Kaitlyn Rauchut said. “I’m very proud of Kalisi Taufalele, who was able to seal the deal.”
The Panthers’ coach also lauded the play of goalie Trish McCoy.
“She made some outstanding saves,” Rauchut said.
The Panthers are 2-3-1 in league play (2-5-1 overall) while the Owls are 0-6 in the league (1-7 overall).
William Tennent 0-1 1
Bensalem 0-0 0
NESHAMINY 8, HARRY S TRUMAN 0
The Redskins had eight different goal scorers, connecting for four goals in the first half and duplicating that with four more in the second. The Redskins are alone in second place in the conference standings with a 5-1 record (6-2 overall) while the Tigers are 1-5 in league play (2-5 overall).
Harry S Truman 0-0 0
Neshaminy 4-4 8
American Conference
UPPER DUBLIN 2, WISSAHICKON 1
The Flying Cardinals rebounded from a 1-0 deficit to earn the hard-fought win.
“It was fun game to watch, a fun game to coach and a fun game to play,” Upper Dublin coach Heather Boyer said. “It was exciting.
“A lot of people may have written us off – we graduated a lot of girls with varsity experience. I don’t think many people expected us to be competitive, but the girls who have returned have been very, very focused and disciplined, and you saw it from our warm-up today. They’re all about business, and they want to learn. That kind of focus and hustle can make or break your season.”
The two teams battled to a 0-0 halftime tie.
“Wissahickon had some opportunities, and our defense came up big, and then we would turn the pressure on, and their defense shut us down,” Boyer said.
The Trojans broke the scoreless deadlock with a goal by Sam Scoma (Jessica Waite assist) at the 18:02 mark of the second half.
“I was getting ready to call a timeout just to give my girls a breather, a chance to catch their breath, get some water and get their mojo back,” Boyer said. “Sure enough, that’s when they scored their goal, so I called it anyway.
“I was like, ‘Look, you need to regroup, get yourself together, and go back out there and turn up the tempo again and answer back right now. There’s no quit here. Don’t let up.’”
It was Courtney Vincent scoring the equalizer at the 16:47 mark, using an assist from Isabella Bucci.
“They just refused to be denied,” Boyer said. “They went right back out, got a corner and executed it beautifully.
“It was a great insert from Naomi Lee up to Isabella Bucci at the top – who then shot on goal. Courtney Vincent tipped it in to finish it. It was really pretty.
“We struggled early on this season with corners, and we made some major adjustments last week. Since then, we’ve had two beautifully executed corners for goals.”
With 9:52 remaining in regulation, Sarah Blatt connected for the game winner during a flurry in front of the cage. Grace Schwabenland was credited with the assist, and that would be the extent of the scoring.
“To Wissahickon’s credit, they worked hard until the end,” Boyer said. “They called a timeout after our second goal and turned up the tempo on us.
“They were in our end the last few minutes of the game. Unlike Monday when we were kind of panicked at times, today they were a little more relaxed and managed the clock a little better and came up with the win.”
Boyer credited several players in the win.
“Marlee Siegel, who played last year as a freshman, had the best game of her life,” Boyer said of her sophomore midfielder. “She played amazing. She really did.
“She’s a left side midfielder, moving the ball out of the defensive transition and getting into the strong side of the field and converting it into that offensive set. She was really pivotal today.”
Boyer also acknowledged the play of freshman midfielder Maddie Templeton and junior sweeper Jillian Kenny.
“Maddie was just all over the place,” the Cardinals’ coach said. “She was one of the first midfielders to recover back in the defensive end and then one of the first ones into the offensive circle. She really played well beyond her years.
“Jillian Kenny played midfield for us last year, and she has really learned her position quickly. She’s really our steady-eddy back there. She’s confident, she’s cool, she’s collected, she’s not afraid to challenge girls on a breakaway, and she does a great job if there is a breakaway, getting back and breaking up the play. She really has done a great job at that sweeper position.”
Upper Dublin goalie Mikaylah Johnson was credited with 11 saves while her counterpart, Claire Tarzia, had 10 saves.
“Wissahickon is always a great rivalry because they’re right next door, so that’s always fun,” Boyer said. “They’re always well coached. I know they have some key players injured right now, but even the kids that have stepped in know what to do and where to be. It’s a good confidence booster for our girls. They’ve been working hard.”
The Flying Cardinals upped their record to 4-2 in conference play (4-3 overall) while the Trojans are 3-2-1 in the league (3-4-1 overall).
Wissahickon 0-1 1
Upper Dublin 0-2 2
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 2, CHELTENHAM 1
The Colonials led 1-0 at halftime but needed a goal by Frankie O’Brien with 18 seconds remaining in regulation to win it.
“Frankie O’Brien was determined to score,” PW coach Marianne Paparone said. “It was a rough day for us on the grass, but over the course of the season, games like this happen, and we are thankful to come away with the win.”
A goal by Paige Totten (Sophie Kolka assist) sent the Colonials into halftime with a 1-0 lead. The Lady Panthers rallied to knot the score, and they were once again sparked by the dangerous combination of Memi Holloman and Mads Gianelle with Holloman finding the cage with the equalizer, capitalizing on a Gianelle cross.
It looked as though the game was headed into overtime, but O’Brien had other ideas, giving the Colonials the dramatic win.
PW held an advantage in shots (15-6) and corners (15-6).
“Today was just one of those days,” Paparone said. “We did not play well; we were a step late, got called for too many fouls, were not ready off the ball and did not finish.”
The Colonials (7-2, 6-0 SOL) remain perfect atop the conference standings while the Lady Panthers are 1-5 in the league (2-6 overall).
Plymouth Whitemarsh 1-1 2
Cheltenham 0-1 1
SPRINGFIELD (MONTCO) 2, UPPER MERION 1
Tara Murphy spotted the Spartans a 2-0 halftime lead with a pair of unassisted goals in the opening half. The Vikings cut that lead in half when Rella Staley scored in the second half, using a Danielle Antonucci assist.
The Spartans evened their record at 3-3 in conference play (4-4 overall) while the Vikings are 2-4 in the league (3-5 overall).
Springfield 2-0 2
Upper Merion0-1 1
UPPER MORELAND 2, NORRISTOWN 1
The Golden Bears extended their winning streak to four games, thanks to a goal by Jenna Getz just over three minutes into the second half. It is the program’s first four-game winning streak since 2008 when the Golden Bears twice won four straight.
The two teams exchanged goals in the first half with Maura O’Leary scored an unassisted goal for the Golden Bears at the 10:28 mark and Norristown’s Tori Braxton answering with an unassisted goal at the 7:58 mark.
Getz turned an O’Leary pass into the game winner at the 26:32 mark of the second half. Neither team scored the rest of the way.
“Once again, Emily Jeinnings was strong in the midfield for Upper Moreland,” coach Karen Grossi said. “She played strong defense and did a nice job transitioning the ball to the attack.
“Noelle Woodman and Maura O’Leary had great cuts in the midfield and in the circle and were responsible for the majority of Upper Moreland’s shots on goal.”
Grossi commended the play of Norristown goalie Lauren Whitley.
“She wasn’t afraid to come out of the cage, and she made some nice saves,” the Golden Bears’ coach said. “Norristown’s center midfielder, Natalie Mitchell, did a nice job in the midfield and frequently brought the ball down the field.
“Norristown’s Jennifer Kennedy did a nice job anticipating the pass and taking away some scoring opportunities for UM.”
The Golden Bears, according to Grossi, came up empty on 11 corners, but the Eagles scored on their first of two.
Whitley was credited with 14 saves in a busy day in goal while UM goalie Allison Felicetti had one save.
The Golden Bears improved to 4-1-1 in the league (4-2-1 overall) while the Eagles are 0-6 in the league (0-8 overall).
Upper Moreland 1-1 2
Norristown 1-0 1
Continental Conference
NORTH PENN 3, SOUDERTON 1
The Maidens jumped out to a 2-0 lead and never looked back in Wednesday night’s battle of neighboring rivals.
Casey O’Donnell put the Maidens on the scoreboard four minutes into the game, using an assist from Amber Blackshear. An Amanda Laessig goal two minutes later – this one with an O’Donnell assist – made it a 2-0 game, and that lead stood until the intermission.
Souderton’s Keely Jennings scored an unassisted goal with 10 minutes remaining to make it a one-goal game, but Brianna O’Donnell answered with an unassisted goal for the Maidens for the 3-1 final.
The Maidens held a decided advantage in shots (20-5) and corners (14-4).
North Penn goalie Marissa Elizardo had four saves while Souderton’s Shelby Landes had 12 saves.
The Maidens are 4-2 in conference play (5-3 overall) while the Indians fell to 1-5 in the league (3-5 overall).
Souderton 0-1 1
North Penn 2-1 3
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 1, CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 0
The Bucks used a goal by Taylor Mason midway through the first half to earn their fourth one-goal win in as many games in the last week. The win upped the Bucks’ record to a perfect 6-0 in league play (9-0 overall).
“It’s a really good start to the season,” West senior Brianna DeAngelis said. “It brought us together, so we could work together as a team. Now we’re playing some of the really strong teams, and we’re still sticking through it.”
Is the Bucks’ goalie surprised by her team’s strong start after losing six key starters from last year’s squad?
“Everybody comes in thinking they’re going to be undefeated,” DeAngelis said with a laugh.
The Bucks have been finding ways to win the close ones after winning their first five games by a combined 34-3 margin.
“So many of these last four games that have been one-goal games – a tip here, a stop there, and you would have those blowouts again because we are there,” West coach Courtney Hughes said. “Even today, there was a lot of pressure around the goal cage from us.
“Sometimes the ball bounces your way and sometimes it doesn’t. I think that’s a little bit of the difference in the goal-scoring opportunities right now.”
Two of West’s one-goal wins came the day after emotional wins.
“We seem to have a little trouble that next day,” Hughes said. “It’s a lot of work, and it takes a lot of that explosiveness away to have those games right after games.”
The Patriots had their chances, most notably on their first corner just two minutes into the game, but in a wild sequence, DeAngelis came up with a save, a shot deflected off the post and another went out of bounds.
The Bucks scored the game’s lone goal at the 16:07 mark of the first half when Taylor Mason tipped Bryn Boylan’s hit from just outside the circle into the cage.
Both teams had four corners in the first half, but the Bucks had eight in the second half to four for the Patriots.
DeAngelis finished with five saves in goal while East’s Betty Wesney had eight.’
“Today it just came down to finishing,” said East coach Brittany Kocis, who was without standout center midfielder Maggie Stella (injury). “The girls knew they were in this game, but that’s what it comes down to – put more balls in the cage,”
The Patriots are 2-4 in league play (4-5 overall)
Central Bucks West 1-0 1
Central Bucks East 0-0 0
HATBORO-HORSHAM 2, PENNRIDGE 0
Syd Rausa scored just over six minutes into the game, using a Jaime DiQuattro assist, and with 11:27 remaining in the first half, Kelsy Hopkins (Casey Swezey assist) added an insurance goal. That 2-0 lead held until the final whistle.
The Lady Rams held a 7-5 edge in corners.
Coach Laura Swezey lauded the defensive efforts of Keeley Henry, Brenna Reilley, Kaitlyn Wallace, Jenna Cutilli and Emily Braunewell in the shutout. Braunewell was credited with three saves. Pennridge goalie Carley Wingate had 11 saves.
The Hatters are 3-3 in league play (5-3 overall) while the Rams are 0-6 (0-8 overall).
Hatboro-Horsham 2-0 2
Pennridge 0-0 0
Tuesday, Sept. 16
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 2, HATBORO-HORSHAM 1
The Bucks appear to have the corner of the market in thrillers, averting their third straight overtime game when Cadera Smith scored the game winner with 1.26 seconds remaining in regulation. She scored on what coach Courtney Hughes described as a “beautiful reverse chip shot from just inside the circle.”
The Bucks and Hatters exchanged goals in the first half. Sophomore Bryn Boylan gave the Bucks a 1-0 lead with a goal at the 18:35 mark. The Hatters tied it up with a Syd Rausa goal (Gabby Acker assist) with 12:03 remaining in the first half.
“It was back and forth for the remainder of the half with the West defense holding strong and goalie Bri DeAngelis stepping up and making several huge saves,” Hughes said.
The second half was more of the same until Smith scored the game winner as time was about to expire.
The Hatters had eight corners – five in the first half – while the Bucks had two corners, both in the second half. The Bucks, according to Hughes, played a man down for 15 minutes in the second half. She lauded her team for stepping up to put pressure on the Hatters.
Central Bucks West 1-1 2
Hatboro-Horsham 1-0 1
QUAKERTOWN 5, CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 1
Coach Alyssa Maltese picked up her first win after taking over the helm last Thursday, and the Panthers did it in impressive fashion, exploding for three second half goals to blow open a close game.
The Panthers opened up a 2-0 lead, thanks to an unassisted goal by Megan Thompson at the 22:52 mark and a goal by Olivia Jackson (Becky Gerhart assist) with 18:16 remaining in the half. East freshman Riley Donnelly scored with an assist from Abbey Butler to make it a 2-1 game at the intermission. Quakertown senior Hillary Scott delivered a defensive save on the half to keep the Panthers on top.
That 2-1 score stood until Hillary Scott scored an unassisted goal with 7:10 remaining, and then Gabby Dontonville connected on back-to-back unassisted goals in the final 5:08 for the 5-2 final.
It was quite a home debut for the new coaching staff and for a Panther squad playing its first game on the newly-installed turf field.
“We were able to generate a lot of attack from our midfield thanks to outstanding play by Emma McLaughlin and Becky Gerhart,” Maltese said. “Their individual skills on the ball are stellar and were the reason we had so many scoring opportunities. The team as a whole was aggressive and stepped up to pressure the ball well. They kept fighting for possession of the ball and for every goal.
“Our defense – anchored by Hillary Scott and senior captain Megan Thompson – stepped up to pressure East's attacking line very well. Each player also had a goal in the game (rebound off penalty corner). We were successful keeping them from attacking up the middle of the field. We certainly have a lot to work on, but this is a great group of girls eager to learn.”
The Panthers held an edge in shots (13-8) and corners (13-8). Quakertown goalie Rylee Lawler was credited with five saves while East’s Betty Wesney had eight saves.
Central Bucks East 1-0 1
Quakertown 2-3 5
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