Check out the recaps for SOL field hockey teams in action Friday. Souderton/Pennsbury photos courtesy of Darryl Rule/J&D Photography. Neshaminy/Pennridge photos courtesy of John Gleeson. Check back for galleries: https://solsports.zenfolio.com/f435525856
SOL Patriot/Liberty crossover games
NESHAMINY 4, PENNRIDGE 0
The Redskins capped a successful week with their third win in as many crossover games, shutting out the visiting Rams on the heels of a come-from-behind win over North Penn two days earlier.
“We played well today— we were able to build on our momentum from our games this week and able to finish the week strong,” Neshaminy coach Jamie Pinto said.
The shutout was the second of the week for the ‘Skins, who notched a 1-0 win over Central Bucks South to open the three-game week.
“Our defense was consistent again, setting the tone with stepping up and their communication,” Pinto said. “Maddy Shtino, Alayna Roscoe, Morgan Shaltens and goalie Megan Gonzales have really been working well together, and Caitlyn Colyar did a nice job stepping up today.”
Ava Arbakov broke a scoreless tie with an unassisted goal with 4:37 remaining in the first half, sending the Redskins into halftime with a 1-0 lead.
Mia Sermarini turned an Arbakov pass into a goal just over five minutes into the second half to put the Redskins on top 2-0.
Neshaminy iced the win with a pair of goals in the fourth quarter. Claire Saloky scored with a Hannah Stanton assist four minutes into the quarter, and Kasey Rieger’s unassisted goal two minutes later put the finishing touches on the big win.
“As the game went on, our outside mids, Molly Courtney and Claire Saloky helped generate offense by doing a nice job of anticipating the pass and distributing the ball,” Pinto said. “Ava Arbakov started the scoring today and continued to dominate the center of the field.
“Hannah Stanton’s movement up top was great— she really did a nice job of cutting to the ball, and Kasey Rieger and Mia Sermarini worked hard to create shots and scoring opportunities. It was another team effort today— we will continue to work hard together and prepare for next week.”
Neshaminy (7-2, 6-1 SOL) will host Souderton on Tuesday, and Pennridge (3-6, 2-5) will be on the road at Council Rock North on Tuesday.
Pennridge 0-0-0-0 0
Neshaminy 0-1-1-2 4
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 1, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 0
Erin Kelly broke a scoreless tie four minutes into the third quarter. Kaeli VanDerSluis – who was coming off a one-goal, two-assist effort in the Titans’ 4-0 win over Council Rock North – contributed an assist on the game-winner.
It turned out to be the game’s only goal.
“Both teams were very flat today,” CB South coach Kelli Chioffe said. “We came out very slow and never picked up at all.
“It was a very frustrating game to watch. Every quarter we tried to turn them around and we couldn’t. I know (Rock South coach) Kelly Mason had the same feelings.”
On a day when both offenses struggled, Titans’ goalie Emma Kraft literally saved the day, recording 10 saves in the shutout win.”
“Emma did a really good job,” Chioffe said.
Rock South held a 6-2 advantage in corners and a 10-8 edge in shots.
Central Bucks South (4-3, 4-3 SOL) will host Bensalem on Tuesday, and Council Rock South (3-5, 3-4) will host North Penn on Tuesday.
Council Rock South 0-0-0-0 0
Central Bucks South 0-0-1-0 1
SOUDERTON 6, PENNSBURY 1
Julia Blair connected for a hat trick while sophomore Hannah Cornes played the role of facilitator, dishing out four assists in the visiting Indians’ crossover road win. For Cornes, it was her debut on the forward line this season, and she made it a memorable one, setting up four of her team’s six goals.
“It was nice to pick up a few wins this week. Pennsbury played us tough today,” Souderton coach Sue Casciato said. “Fortunately, we were able to finish on a number of our offensive corners.
“We were without three starters (two in concussion protocol), so a number of players really had to step up to ensure our success today.”
The Indians put a pair of goals on the scoreboard in the first quarter. Tatum Andrews scored with an assist from Cornes, and then it was Blair connecting on an unassisted goal.
The Falcons cut that lead in half with a goal by Mia Popvich four minutes into the second quarter, but Aubrie Weismantel scored with an assist from Blair to send the Indians into halftime with a 3-1 lead.
The Cornes to Blair connection delivered a pair of goals in the third quarter to give the Indians a 5-1 advantage, and Ashley Paturzo closed out the scoring with a goal in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, using a Cornes assist.
Souderton (3-5-1, 3-3-1 SOL) will travel to Neshaminy for a crossover game on Tuesday, and Pennsbury (3-6, 2-6) will be on the road at Central Bucks East Tuesday for a 5 p.m. contest.
(Article submitted by Pennsbury field hockey)
There was a pink hue that fell over the Pennsbury field hockey team today, and it had nothing to do with Barbie. The game against visiting Souderton marked the “PINK OUT” game as the Falcons honored people whose lives are impacted by breast cancer.
“The best part about games like this is that it allows us to recalibrate and gain perspective on what is
important,” explained head coach Traci Curtis. “We are in a tough spot right now, struggling to put together a complete game and walk away with a win. Being able to direct our focus into such a meaningful cause was a welcome distraction and a great way to get excited to play.”
Souderton found the back of the cage first, scoring on a deflection halfway through the first quarter. They connected again in the first with two minutes left on a beautifully placed penalty corner shot from the top of the circle.
The Falcons were not rattled being down 2-0 and used their determination to cut the lead 2-1 five minutes into the second quarter. Riley Askey got the ball into the circle with heads up playing and got a shot off for Mia Popovich to deflect and redirect past the keeper. The combination was successful and a much-needed spark. The remainder of the second quarter was a good battle. The orange and black (with a bit of pink) worked hard to hold the Indians to those two goals, but Souderton had other plans and lifted one past Pennsbury’s Shaffer with three minutes left before the half.
“It was not an option to let down with a 3-1 score against a very strong, talented Souderton team, said Curtis. “The coaches and I are really trying to find different ways to convince the girls to believe in themselves and their abilities.”
Unfortunately, it’s easier said than done. Souderton extended the lead to 4-1 a few minutes into the third quarter and snuck a fifth goal in with four seconds remaining in that same quarter. The final goal came in the fourth, making it 6-1 and despite continued efforts to find the back of the cage, Pennsbury just could not make it happen.
Some shining moments included the Falcons’ defense standing strong against 12 penalty corners, Riley Henderson multitasking in various positions, Ryan Burdette using new skills to win the 1-1 and keep possession, Mia Popovich fighting down the right side and scoring, Ayla Alon coming in and contributing on defense, and Riley Askey getting the assist on the goal.
“Our schedule does not allow for any lapses in focus as we prepare to face Central Bucks East and West next week,” Curtis said. “It is imperative that we pay attention to the pieces that need the most work and dig below the surface to pull the positive out of each moment. The only choice is to keep moving forward without being burdened by the past and take responsibility for every move we make.”
Souderton 2-1-2-1 6
Pennsbury 0-1-0-0 1
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 7, BENSALEM 0
For Central Bucks West, Friday’s 7-0 crossover victory over Bensalem kept the Bucks’ undefeated season rolling along. For Bensalem, the game provided more than a few positives to take away.
The Owls started the game strong, holding West off the scoreboard until late in the first quarter. But the Bucks offense finally broke through with less than five minutes remaining in the first quarter when Nina Mayro scored the first of her two goals. Aida Ierubino assisted on goals from Lily Cosner and Emily Taylor before the first quarter came to a close. Ierubino would add a third assist and also scored in the second quarter.
Ella Dougherty scored off a corner shot in the second quarter, then Ierubino and Mayro (Lauren Quinn assist) made it 6-0 at halftime.
Taylor’s second of the game (Ierubino assist) proved to be the only goal of the second half.
“We knew we were going to be in for a battle today,” said Bensalem coach Gary Kubik. “West beat us 13-0 last year, so to say I was excited about the first 10 minutes of this game would be an understatement. The first 10 minutes not only did we keep them off the scoreboard, but we even had a chance or two in their end. Combine that with a one-goal second half means we played a solid 40 minutes of field hockey today.
“Unfortunately, those other 20 minutes count too. That’s where the stick skill, especially in the attack circle, of West really came out.”
West outshot Bensalem 27-1 and had 14 corners to none for the Owls.
But the marks in the scorebook don’t tell the whole story. And Kubik had plenty of kudos to hand out following the game.
“I really want to shout out my entire team for this week’s play,” he said. “We were dealing with a lot of illness this week, missing some really important pieces of our team. And our JV players stepped right in and filled the vacancies that were left.
“Because of another illness, junior goaltender Brianna Swanson stepped in and played two tremendous games back-to-back. Our defense, even in a 7-0 defeat, played phenomenally against the powerful West offense. Defenders Maggie McLaughlin, Kaitlyn Higgins, and Casey Bush—filling in for another sick player—were solid under constant pressure. And as always, the middle of our field with Megan Klien and Giuliana Passquerella competed until the final whistle. It’s these little victories we’re going to take away this year and combine them for wins in the future.”
West moves to 8-0 on the season (7-0 Colonial Division) and will host Harry S Truman at 6 pm Tuesday. Bensalem stands at 2-7 (1-6 Patriot Division) and will visit Central Bucks South at 3:30 pm Tuesday.
Central Bucks West 3-3-0-1 7
Bensalem 0-0-0-0 0
NORTH PENN 10, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 3
North Penn started strong and never let up, overpowering Council Rock North to the tune of 10-3 in Friday’s crossover game.
“I was proud of the team’s energy and effort in practice on Thursday after Wednesday’s loss (to Neshaminy),” said North Penn coach Shannon McCracken. “It really made a difference in how we came out today to close the week. We are looking forward to continuing to grow in the second half of the season.”
Erika Pickford scored the first of her three goals barely three minutes into the game, converting a Laura Albert pass for the goal. Grace McGeehan made it 2-0 a minute later. Kylie Barwis and Caleigh Sperling each scored midway through the period before Sperling assisted on Pickford’s second of the game with 68 seconds left in the opening quarter.
Paige Shearer (Ashleigh Barwis assist) and Kylie Barwis scored in the second quarter to stake the Knights out to a 7-1 lead at halftime.
Albert added a pair of assists in the third quarter, setting up goals by Pickford and Cara Albano. Pickford capped off a four-point game when she assisted on Kennedy Weidamoyer’s tally midway through the fourth quarter.
“Fast restarts, possession passes, stops in the midfield, gritty play in the attacking circle, and team play was key,” McCracken said.
North Penn outshot Council Rock North 26-7 and had a 5-0 advantage in penalty corners.
Kiley Moister and Sarah Heath each split time in the cage to earn the win for the Knights.
For the Indians, Julie Ondria scored in the first quarter, and Charlotte Ondria (Madeline Mela assist) scored midway through the fourth quarter.
North Penn improves to 6-2-1 overall (5-2-1 Colonial Division) and will visit Council Rock South at 3:30 pm Tuesday. Council Rock North drops to 5-4 (3-3 Patriot Division) and will host Pennridge at 3:30 pm Tuesday.
North Penn 5-2-2-1 10
Council Rock North 1-0-0-2 3
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 10, HARRY S TRUMAN 0
Paige Keller scored once and added three assists to pace an offense that saw nine players score as Central Bucks East picked up a 10-0 win over Harry S Truman in Friday’s crossover game.
“It was great to close out the week with a complete team win,” said East coach Emma Rosenthal.
Sienna Valenti (Aly McIsaac assist) opened the scoring with 11:27 left in the first quarter. Keller scored with 3 minutes to go in the opening frame, and Ava Firely (Keller assist) made it 3-0 with 24 ticks left in the first period.
East added three more in the second quarter, with Keller assisting on goals from Riley Schmidt and Sophia Gerken before Firely scored her second of the game—and second in the final minute of a quarter—when she scored with 45 seconds left before halftime.
Brynn Bonargo, Emerson McFeely, and Liv Golden each scored in the third quarter, and Avery McCann scored the Patriots’ 10th goal midway through the fourth quarter.
Central Bucks East (7-2, 6-2 SOL) will host Pennsbury Tuesday at 5 p.m., and Harry S Truman will be on the road at Central Bucks West for a 6 p.m. game.
Central Bucks East 3-3-3-1 10
Harry S Truman 0-0-0-0 0
SOL Liberty/Freedom crossover games
ABINGTON 2, NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 1 (OT)
The Ghosts displayed a flare for the dramatic in Friday’s crossover win.
Sophomore forward Maeve Link scored with an assist from senior Skylar Beal with 2:04 remaining in overtime to propel the Ghosts to the dramatic win, but it took some late-game heroics to send the game into overtime.
Trailing 1-0, senior defensive back Grace Upham converted a corner into a goal with an assist from Olivia Dougherty to tie the game 1-1 with 5:49 remaining in regulation.
“We continued to attack and played a very evenly matched game between the 25-yard lines for the remainder of the game,” Abington coach Janine Larr said. “It was a great win today.
“The girls have been working hard in practice and incorporated what we have been working on into the game today and it paid off. It was a very evenly matched game that could of gone either way, and I am very proud of how the girls left everything on the field in OT to pull out a win.”
Junior goalie Caitlin Murcar stepped up and made several key saves, especially in OT. She notched the win with seven saves.
“Seniors Maggie Cardamone, Ava Kirkpatrick, and Grace Upham were stellar on the defensive end and helped keep a solid New Hope team from scoring on several occasions,” Larr said. “Senior midfielder Oliva Dougherty dominated the field on both the offensive and defensive end to help keep us in the game.
“Maura Calladonato was a spark on offense in helping get the ball into New Hope territory. Senior midfielder Katie Dougherty and sophomore midfielder Carly Hughes both were key in the win today on both the offensive and defensive end.”
Sophia Leonardi scored for the Lions with an assist from Rylee Longston.
Abington (3-4, 2-4 SOL) will travel to Lower Moreland on Tursday, and New Hope-Solebury (7-2, 6-2) will host Wissahickon on Tuesday.
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 4, LOWER MORELAND 0
Two days after scoring the overtime game-winner in the Colonials’ win over New Hope-Solebury, Emily Dobrowolski was back at it again. This time the sophomore attacking center mid opened the game with three straight goals, earning a hat trick before halftime.
Dobrowolski scored late in the opening quarter with a Gracie Kerns assist. Her unassisted goal with 6:12 remaining in the half was followed by her third goal of the game with 2:54 remaining, this one also with a Kerns assist to send the Colonials into halftime with a 3-0 lead.
With 9:13 remaining in regulation, Sierra Tirendi connected for PW’s fourth goal, assisted by Maddie Carr.
“It was a great team win, and many players earned their first varsity minutes,” PW coach Charise Halteman said.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (3-5, 3-3 SOL) will host Springfield Twp on Tuesday, and Lower Moreland (5-4, 4-4) will host Abington on Tuesday.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 1-2-0-1 4
Lower Moreland 0-0-0-0 0
SPRINGFIELD TWP 2, HATBORO-HORSHAM 0
The Spartans capitalized on a pair of penalty strokes to defeat the visiting Hatters in Friday’s crossover game.
Emma Yoder found the cage on a stroke midway through the first quarter, and that 1-0 score stood until early in the third quarter when Bella Navo also converted a penalty stroke for the 2-0 final.
The Spartans held a 12-5 advantage in penalty corners.
Springfield Twp (7-2-1, 5-2-1 SOL) will travel to Plymouth Whitemarsh on Tuesday, and Hatboro-Horsham (0-7, 0-6) will host William Tennent on Tuesday.
Hatboro-Horsham 0-0-0-0 0
Springfield Twp 1-0-1-0 2
QUAKERTOWN 10, WILLIAM TENNENT 0
Freshman Paige Longacre’s hat trick led the Panthers, who opened up a 2-0 lead after one quarter and extended that to 5-0 by halftime on their way to the big win.
“Today’s score reflected some well-executed corners,” Quakertown coach MacKenzie Moser.
Adding two goals each were Cassidy Landis and Kaitlin Calvello. Ella Schubert, Kiera Gallagher and Katelyn Landis each had one goal to round out the scoring.
Quakertown (8-1, 7-0 SOL) will host Upper Moreland on Tuesday (7 p.m.), and William Tennent (1-10, 1-8) will travel to Hatboro-Horsham on Tuesday.
William Tennent 0-0-0-0 0
Quakertown 2-3-3-2 10
WISSAHICKON 12, CHELTENHAM 0
Kayla Mullin had another big game for the Trojans, scoring three goals and assisting on two others to lead a potent Wissahickon attack.
It was Mullin scoring back-to-back goals to spot the Trojans a 2-0 lead four minutes into the game – the first with an Avery Mullin assist and the second with an Audrey Walsh helper. Mullin had the assist on a Kayla Pak goal that put the Trojans on top 3-0 after one quarter.
In the second quarter, the Trojans received single goals from Kayla Mullen (Noelle Koop assist), Pak (Kayla Mullin assist) and Avery Mullin (Cait Connaghan assist). Sam Farno closed out the half with back-to-back goals, using assists from Koop and Walsh.
Ava Rocco (Koop assist) scored the lone goal of the third quarter, and in the fourth quarter, the Trojans received goals from Alli Burton (Julia Wells assist) and Sophia Kim (Layla Keller assist).
Cheltenham goalie Finn Boyle was credited with 19 saves.
Wissahickon (7-1, 7-0 SOL) will travel to New Hope-Solebury on Tuesday, and Cheltenham (1-6, 0-6) will host Upper Dublin on Tuesday.
Cheltenham 0-0-0-0 0
Wissahickon 3-5-1-3 12
Thursday, Sept. 22
Non-league
UPPER MORELAND 1, BRISTOL 0
The Golden Bears scored a first-quarter goal, and that was the difference in the game. Ava Bailey scored an unassisted goal during a penalty corner that stood as the game-winner.
“Kelly Bates inserted and Olivia Meakim ripped a hard shot from the top of the circle that rebounded off the goalie pads, then Bailey scooped it up and lifted the ball into the net for the goal,” UM coach Pam Remmey said.
The UM coach lauded the efforts of several players in the shutout win.
“Eowyn Stainback was formidable on defense, not allowing Bristol to get in the Bears’ circle,” Remmey said. “Another tenacious defender was Izzy Duncan who showed determination throughout the game. On attack, captain Cambrie Richmond had another dominant game. While sophomore Ella Gould played relentlessly in the circle shooting multiple times to wear down the Bristol defense.
“Kaylee Curnell had an awesome game coming in at forward. Kaylee had several breakaways down the left side and crossed the ball to set up shots in the circle. Bethany Slagle at defensive back did a great job stopping Bristol’s attack. Overall, the Bears dominated in this non-league win.”
Upper Moreland (4-4, 2-4 SOL) is scheduled to travel to Upper Dublin on Saturday at 11 a.m.
Bristol 0-0-0-0 0
Upper Moreland 1-0-0-0 1
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