Check out the results for SOL field hockey teams in action. To view photos of the Pennsbury/Neshaminy and North Penn/Pennridge games, please visit the Photo Gallery.
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 2, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 1
It was another classic battle between the neighboring rivals, and Thursday’s win by the Indians – who were coming off a 1-0 loss to Neshaminy two days early – created a three-way tie at the top of the conference standings. Rock North, Rock South and Neshaminy all have one loss after one go round in conference play.
“This was very important,” Rock North coach Heather Whalin said. “Losing against Neshaminy when we pretty much dominated the game but weren’t able to put a goal in the cage – definitely, the girls were ready for today’s game.”
That being said, the Indians weren’t prepared to play without senior captain Kate Keller, who injured her eye in gym class the preceding day and did not receive clearance to play.
“We found out five minutes before the game, and we had to make quick adjustments,” Whalin said.
It was the Golden Hawks breaking a scoreless tie with seven minutes remaining on a goal by Kristen Meihofer. With 3:48 showing on the clock, the Indians were awarded a penalty stroke after the Golden Hawks were whistled for raising their sticks to stop an aerial shot by Madison Gouza. Undeterred, Gouza converted the penalty stroke into the equalizer.
The final seconds were not without their share of drama as the Golden Hawks were awarded a corner as time expired.
“We were able to get the ball out of the circle,” Whalin said.
It was Gouza scoring the game winner in overtime, connecting on an unassisted goal to propel the Indians to the big win.
The Indians’ coach lauded the performances of numerous players in the win.
“Julianne Mangano is a freshman, and she usually plays right mid, but today she had to play defensive mid because of Kate being out, and she did a phenomenal job,” Whalin said. “I was very, very proud of her.
“Theresa Delahanty, Amrit Ahluwalia and Rachel Pomerantz all stepped up. Rachel is usually our defensive mid, but she had to play right back today, and that’s a whole different position to try and play. Devon Mela is usually our right forward, and she played defensive mid for a while and then moved to right mid, so we were all out of position, but they all stepped up today.”
The Indians (8-2 overall) and Golden Hawks (7-2) boast identical 6-1 records in league play.
“We played a strong game,” Whalin said. “South looked fantastic.”
Rock North will host William Tennent on Tuesday while Rock South will host Abington.
Council Rock North 0-1-1 2
Council Rock South 0-1-0 1
NESHAMINY 2, PENNSBURY 0
Neshaminy used stingy defense and a balanced attack to defeat host Pennsbury 2-0 Thursday in an important SOL National Conference matchup. Neshaminy had the better of play all afternoon, registering five shots on goal while Pennsbury could not get off a single shot.
Corners proved to be the difference in the game with Neshaminy drawing ten corners to Pennsbury's two. Both of Neshaminy's goals came on corner plays.
Junior forward, Abby Alexis, controlled play on the right side of the field and fed the ball into the circle, causing problems for Pennsbury's defense all afternoon.
Neshaminy scored the only goal it would need at the 19:37 mark of the first half when sophomore Marlena Koellner (Abby Alexis assist) found the back of the cage on Neshaminy's first corner of the game.
Sophomore Christen Pennington added an insurance goal on a feed from fellow sophomore Maria Palmieri to make it 2-0 at the 15:31 mark of the second half.
Neshaminy coach Caitlin Koczynski felt the difference in the game was her team’s use of the entire field as well as their improved corners.
"We spread the ball out and utilized the entire width of the field," she said. "We've also been working a lot on our corners, so I was glad to see that's how we scored both of our goals."
Neshaminy finishes the first half of league play with a 6-1 record, losing only to Council Rock South.
Asked about Neshaminy's dominating performance today, sophomore Christen Pennington, who is recently back from an injury, said, "We controlled the game today and maintained possession."
Added Abby Alexis, "We are getting more used to each other and playing as a team."
And Marlena Koellner noted, "We are more confident, but not cocky. We are passing much better."
Neshaminy was able to possess the ball for much of the first half, making it difficult for Pennsbury to cross the 50-yard line. Pennsbury made some adjustments at halftime, and the second half was more balanced. Still, Pennsbury was unable to get off a shot on goal.
Pennsbury coach Jamie Parell attributed the loss to several factors.
"We were 100 percent flat today,” the Falcons’ coach said. “We had no shots on goal, and we couldn't seem to maintain any momentum today. The girls told me that they felt like 10 individual players out there. So, we need to fix it. We played so well against Abington in our last game, but it just wasn't there today. Despite the loss, I am always proud of their effort. They're a good group."
The win coupled with CR North's 2-1 overtime win against CR South creates a three-way tie for first in the SOL National Division heading into the second half of the season.
Neshaminy 1-1 2
Pennsbury 0-0 0
ABINGTON 4, BENSALEM 0
Lizzy Petermichl connected for the hat trick to lead the Ghosts to the win. Grace Troyer assisted on Petermichl’s first goal with 9:07 remaining in the first half, and then Petermichl scored an unassisted goal to put the Ghosts on top 2-0 heading into halftime.
Petermichl opened the second half with a goal in the opening minute, and Rebecca Markham closed out the scoring at the 21:44 mark, using a Florencia Bassi assist.
Bensalem keeper Stevi Butler was credited with eight saves while Abington’s Alyssa Herman earned her first shutout with four saves.
Abington (4-7 overall, 2-5) will travel to Council Rock South on Tuesday while the Owls (0-9, 0-7) will travel to Pennsbury
Abington 2-2 4
Bensalem 0-0 0
WILLIAM TENNENT 2, HARRY S TRUMAN 0
The Panthers received a goal from Jenn D’Angelo (Taylor Skiba assist) just two minutes into the game, and teammate Sam Huttick scored an unassisted goal midway through the half. That 2-0 lead held the rest of the way for the Panthers, who held a 28-0 advantage in shots. Truman goalie Maria Dea was credited with 19 saves in a busy day in goal.
The Tigers (3-6 overall, 1-6 SOL) will travel to Chichester on Friday while the Panthers (3-4-1 3-3-1) will travel to Central Bucks East on Monday.
Harry S Truman 0-0 0
William Tennent 2-0 2
HARRY S TRUMAN 2, BENSALEM 0 (Wed., Sept. 25)
The Tigers used a pair of second half goals from Mikaela Pacheco and Essense Wheeler to earn their first conference win of the season on Wednesday.
“It was so important – that’s all we talked about all yesterday and the day before,” coach Kayla Kowalick said of earning the win. “We needed it.
“Yesterday at practice the only thing we worked on was scoring – just little scoring drills to get them ready and set the tone for today.”
Pacheco broke a scoreless halftime tie just over three minutes into the second half, using an assist from Kelsey Hackbart. Wheeler added an insurance goal eight minutes later with an assist from Lacey Cook.
“Lacey Cook stepped up today,” Kowalick said of her center back. “She was swinging the ball to the right, which we have some trouble with.
“Lauren Kiley, my right back, was able to step up when the ball got across the 50 and sent it right back up.”
The Tigers held a 10-6 edge in shots on goal.
“We finally made that connection that we were missing,” Kowalick said. “I kept telling them, ‘We’re so close. Once we make that connection, we’ll do big things.’
“It was the passing – we finally were looking up the field, and we completed great passes. We weren’t just hitting the ball to get rid of it. We looked up, checked who was where and made passes.
“It was the little things they had to connect with, and finally, it paid off.”
Kowalick acknowledged the strong play of her defense in the win, especially noting the play of freshman Stephanie Wolf, who is coming back from an injury.
“They all played well,” she said. “They all wanted it today.
“Stephanie was phenomenal. She’s been hurt, and she’s not at 100 percent, but she has picked up the game just like that. She tried her wide dodge today, and it worked. It’s just the little things.
“Jewell Cook, who plays sweeper, also played really well. She and Wolf have saved a lot of goals this season – not today but against other teams. (Goalie) Maria Dea is doing a phenomenal job too.”
Dea turned away two shots in the shutout while Bensalem keeper Stevi Butler was credited with five saves.
Bensalem 0-0 0
Harry S Truman 0-2 2
Continental Conference
PENNRIDGE 1, NORTH PENN 0
The Lady Rams continued their strong showing in conference play, eking out a win over the Maidens to up their record to 5-2. They are alone in third place in the conference standings behind only Central Bucks South and Central Bucks West.
“It feels good,” coach Brieann Wolfe said. “The key is having them all on the same page and having them play to their potential.
“I’m really proud of them. I just want them to keep it up and finish strong.”
Melissa Herd scored the game’s only goal on a reverse sweep at the 12:04 mark in the first half. The Lady Rams’ defense made that goal stand the rest of the way.
“We just dominated on defense,” Wolfe said. “My goalie (Natasha Nagel) did a fantastic job keeping it to be a shutout.
“Madison Reiss also had a really good game.”
Nagel was credited with 10 saves, and her counterpart, Chessa Kownurko, had 13 saves. The Rams held a 13-4 advantage in corners.
“We had a lot of corners, but we didn’t finish them,” Wolfe said.
The Rams (7-2 overall) will travel to Cheltenham for a non-league game Friday while the Maidens (4-6, 2-5 SOL) will host Souderton on Tuesday.
Pennridge 1-0 1
North Penn 0-0 0
QUAKERTOWN 3, SOUDERTON 0
There’s no place like home for the Panthers, who continued their winning ways at home with a shutout of the visiting Indians under the lights on Thursday night.
“There’s something about our grass,” senior Sara Reigh said. “We play on it every day, we know how it bounces, so home field advantage.
“We love playing night games. Having the jayvee play first gets us pumped up and ready to go.”
It was Reigh who set the tone when – in what had been an evenly-matched game to that point – she carried the ball down the right alley and into the circle where she fired a shot toward the opposite post that missed just wide.
Moments later, Reigh turned an assist from sophomore Emma McLaughlin into a goal.
“It happens all the time – misses by a couple of inches of the cage,” Reigh said. “We just needed to refocus and get it back. It happened, and we got a goal.”
Just over a minute later, sophomore Hillary Scott – also using a McLaughlin assist – found the back of the cage for a goal that put the Lady Panthers on top 2-0. That lead held until halftime.
McLaughlin put the finishing touches on a big night when she scored with 5:07 remaining for the 3-0 final.
The night was an emotional one for the Panthers, who honored the memory of sisters Kimberly and Jamie Reitnauer, who tragically lost their lives last spring. Kimberly would have been a senior this year.
The players, who wore pink armbands, released pink and white balloons during a brief ceremony after the jayvee game. They also contributed over $500 to the Reitnauer Memorial Scholarship Fund. Funds were raised through the sale of memorial bracelets and donations. In addition, all proceeds from the snack stand at Thursday’s game were contributed to the fund. The field hockey team will be the first of many groups to contribute to the scholarship fund in Kimberly’s memory.
“It meant a lot to the girls to attempt to do something that they felt would be honorable to Kim,” coach Mel Lepko said. “She was that kid that everybody loved. She wanted the best for everybody around her. Every one of these seniors knew her and had a relationship, and for them, it was something that helped to bring them together, and the team supported them.”
The Panthers improved to 3-4 in league play (6-5 overall) while the Indians fell to 0-7 in the league (1-8 overall). Souderton will travel to North Penn on Tuesday while the Panthers will travel to Central Bucks West.
Souderton 0-0 0
Quakertown 2-1 3
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 2, CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 0
The Titans closed out their first go-round in conference play with a perfect 7-0 mark, thanks to Thursday’s win over the Patriots.
“The team moved the ball well around them today,” South co-coach Jeff Harding said.
The Titans (9-0 overall, 7-0 SOL) will travel to Great Valley on Saturday while the Patriots (2-8, 1-6) will host William Tennent on Monday.
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 1, HATBORO-HORSHAM 0 (Wed., Sept. 25)
The Bucks (9-1 overall, 6-1 SOL) solidified their hold on second place in the conference standings, thanks to Wednesday’s win over the Hatters. Cadera Smith scored the game’s only goal in the second half, using a Kim Hitchcock assist.
The Bucks will host Quakertown on Tuesday while the Hatters (6-3, 4-3) will travel to Pennsbury on Friday for a non-league contest.
Hatboro-Horsham 0-0 0
Central Bucks West 0-1 1
American Conference
UPPER MERION 2, UPPER DUBLIN 0
The Vikings stunned the Flying Cardinals in American Conference play on Friday, earning the big win.
“Today we came ready to play,” coach Angie Yanocha said. “We had a good game against Cheltenham Tuesday that ended in a tie, so we were hungry for this win.
“Teamwork is what really won the game for us. We finally clicked. Every single player on the field contributed positively, and we definitely played our best game of the season so far. I’m very proud of the girls.”
Upper Dublin held a 13-6 advantage in corners, but the Vikings, according to Yanocha, did a good job of preventing the Flying Cardinals from getting off good shots.
“The defense did the majority of the work in the circle, thus our goalkeeper only had to make a few saves,” Yanocha said. “Krysta Zadroga and Laura Persofsky really played great defense today, especially in the second half, making several key stops in the midfield.
“The midfield – including Jackie Schauble, Anna Derby and Kaitlyn Lutz – generated a lot of offense for our forwards and gave us a lot of opportunities to get the ball within our offensive 25 and in the scoring circle.”
Freshman Alyssa Adinolfi put the Vikings on the scoreboard when she connected on her first goal of the season less than three minutes into the game. The goal, according to Yanocha, came off a beautiful pass from the right side of the field by right wing Danielle Antonucci. The Vikings took that 1-0 lead into halftime.
“We were excited that we started the game off with a goal so quickly in the first half that we made it our goal to score in the first five minutes of the second half,” Yanocha said. “We did just that.”
At the 28:11 mark, the Vikings converted a corner into a goal. Mia DiBella inserted the ball to the top, and Krysta Zadroga fired a shot into the cage. That 2-0 lead held until the final whistle.
“This win surely gives us a boost in our confidence as we begin the second half of our league games on Tuesday against Norristown,” said Yanocha, whose team fell to the Eagles 3-1 in the initial meeting.
The Vikings are 2-4-1 in league play (2-8-1 overall) while the Flying Cardinals fell to 4-3 in the league (4-5 overall). The Vikings will host Norristown on Tuesday while Upper Dublin will host Methacton on Saturday.
Upper Dublin 0-0 0
Upper Merion1-1 2
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 5, SPRINGFIELD (MONTCO) 0
The Colonials received a goal by Courtney Konowal to go into halftime with a 1-0 lead. They scored a pair of insurance goals in the first seven minutes of the second half and then added two more with three minutes remaining.
Courtney Konowal also connected for the game’s final goal while her twin sister Rachel had the three goals in between. Allison Spinelli had a pair of assists, and Rita Lynn Trainer had one assist.
Tori Byrne earned the shutout in goal with seven saves.
The Colonials (10-1 overall, 7-0 SOL) will host Upper Moreland on Tuesday while the Spartans (4-5, 3-4) will host Cheltenham.
Springfield 0-0 0
Plymouth Whitemarsh 1-4 5
WISSAHICKON 1, UPPER MORELAND 0
Stacie Rocco (Angela Virtu assist) scored the game’s only goal with 6:15 remaining in the second half to propel the Trojans to the win.
Upper Moreland goalie Bridget Meade was credited with five saves while Shayna Chernak had three saves in the shutout.
The Trojans (6-3 overall, 6-1 SOL) will travel to Upper Dublin on Tuesday while the Golden Bears (0-9, 0-7) will travel to Plymouth Whitemarsh.
Wissahickon 0-1 1
Upper Moreland 0-0 0
NORRISTOWN 7, CHELTENHAM 4
Vanessa Fosco scored four goals and assisted on a pair to lead the Eagles to the win. It was Emma Hagel (Fosco assist) putting the Eagles on the scoreboard just over three minutes into the game, and then Fosco scored back-to-back goals, the first with a Caitriona Fox assist and the second with an assist from Natalie Mitchell. The Eagles took that 3-0 lead into halftime.
Danielle Mortorella (Fosco assist) scored six minutes into the second half, and a minute later, Cheltenham answered with a goal by Shilo Dorley (Amy Hawhn assist). Back-to-back goals by Fosco put the Eagles on top 6-1, and that lead grew to 7-1 when Mitchell scored (Keifonna Ferguson assist) before the Lady Panthers closed it out with goals from Hawhn (Mads Gionelle assist), Sabrina Colbridge and Dorley.
The Eagles held a 38-13 advantage in shots and an 11-7 edge in corners. Cheltenham goalie Emily Hawkins was credited with 24 saves while Norristown’s Sierrah Slaughter and Lauren Whitley each had four saves.
The Eagles (4-5 overall, 4-3 SOL) will host Marple Newtown on Monday while the Lady Panthers (1-7-1, 1-5-1) will host Pennridge Friday.
Cheltenham 0-4 4
Norristown 3-4 7
- Log in to post comments
