SOL Field Hockey Wrap (9-26 & 9-27-11)

National Conference

COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 6, WILLIAM TENNENT 0
In a battle for supremacy in the National Conference, the Indians sprinted to a 4-0 halftime lead on their way to the big win over the previously undefeated Panthers.
Alex Kuzma (Hannah Plappert) broke a scoreless tie when she connected midway through the first half. Carly Everett scored back-to-back goals in a four-minute span - the first with a Michelle Hand assist – to put the Eagles on top 3-0. Gabby Tofig’s goal (Kara Magley assist) sent the Indians into the intermission with a four-goal edge. Tofig and Kuzma each added a second-half goal to close out the scoring. The Indians’ dominance is underscored by their 23-2 advantage in shots. Tennent goalie Michelle Acker turned away 12 shots while Molly Doyle was forced to make just two saves in the shutout.
To read PhillyBurbs.com field hockey beat writer Karen Sangillo’s complete game story, click on the following link: http://www.phillyburbs.com/my_town/newtown/cr-north-hands-tennent-its-first-loss/article_5a115187-a038-556a-be83-b7fa89022f4c.html

PENNSBURY 5, BENSALEM 1

COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 9, HARRY S. TRUMAN 0

Continental Conference

NORTH PENN 3, HATBORO-HORSHAM 2
The Maidens made it two wins in a row on grass, following Monday’s 1-0 win over Central Bucks East with a hard-fought win over the Hatters on Tuesday.

“Basically, for us back-to-back wins on grass is a pretty great achievement,” said Maiden coach Carrie Jankowski, whose team has a history of struggling on grass. “Neither game was particularly pretty for us, but we played hard. We fought, we wanted to win, and we came out with wins in both games mainly because we fought hard.
“Hatboro’s grass is gorgeous, but it still gives us a little bit of trouble because you can’t really use little stick skills. We wouldn’t have had any excuses though because both fields are in good shape.”

The Hatters got on the scoreboard early when Caroline Hagan scored at the 28:14 mark of the first half. Katrina Marger (Kelley Colbridge assist) connected for her first varsity goal to knot the score at the 21:58 mark. Senior Emilie Ikeda (Shannon Talbot assist) scored on a corner at the 7:01 mark to put the Maidens on top, but the Hatters knotted the score with 2:40 remaining.
Bobby Dougherty (Juliamae Marger assist) scored what turned out to be the game winner on a corner with 10:43 remaining in regulation.

“It was a tough game, but I just think my kids fought really hard,” Jankowski said. “(Goalie) Shannon Keen had some good saves today. Bobbie Dougherty fought hard – she played hurt most of the day.

“Shannon Talbot – our sophomore left mid – played awesome yesterday and today. Yesterday (in a 1-0 win over CB East) she was probably the reason we won the game. A lot of the game yesterday was played on the left side of our field, and she keeps fighting and keeps fighting and made some great passes.  Emilie Ikeda played well in both games, but Shannon Talbot was a standout in both games.”

American Conference
NORRISTOWN 4, UPPER MERION 2

Gina Pellechio scored a pair of goals to lead the Eagles to the 4-2 win over Upper Merion.  Sammi Kidd contributed a pair of assists. Rachel Barbish and Taylor Gehlhaus each added single goals while Amelia Schunder also had an assist.
The Vikings received single goals from Amanda McAteer and Tamarah Scheard.
“McAteer played really well for Upper Merion and had beautiful passes that we had to try to shut down in the second half,” Norristown coach Stacie Staufenberg said. Norristown goalkeeper Eliana Gilette turned away 15 shots in a solid outing.

UPPER DUBLIN 4, CHELTENHAM 2
The Lady Panthers opened up a quick 1-0 lead after a goal by Allison Hawkins on the rebound of a goalie save at the 28:02 mark of the first half. Six minutes later Upper Dublin’s Anna Lauer (Marie Wheatley assist) knotted the score, and that 1-1 tie stood until the halftime intermission. The Flying Cardinals took a 2-1 lead at the 26:08 mark of the second half, thanks to a goal by Kelly Cross. They all but sealed the win when Emily Hitchings and Sam Boyd scored back-to-back goals in a 40-second span with 10 minutes remaining in regulation. Gabby Szczepanek scored on a scoop shot over the goalie’s head for the Lady Panthers for the 4-2 final.
Cheltenham goalie Emily Hawkins kept the Lady Panthers in the game with a standout 21-save effort, all but negating Upper Dublin’s advantage in shots (26-4 and corners (19-0). Upper Dublin’s Dana Russell had four saves.
Upper Dublin improved to 6-1 in SOL play while the Lady Panthers fell to 1-7.

WISSAHICKON 4, PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 1
Emily Gallagher scored a pair of goals, including a goal at the 8:30 mark of the first half with an assist from Lauren Becker to send the Trojans into halftime with a 1-0 lead.
"In the beginning, we did not play well," Trojan coach Lauren Luft said. "I guess it was from the overtime (against Villa), and their warmup was not as intense as I would have liked. They weren't as loose and on the go and weren't on fire in the first 20 minutes. After that, they were getting looser and were able to perform as they should have from the get go."
The Colonials knotted the score when Molly Getzfreed scored at the 25:14 mark of the second half, but Taylor Myers scored what turned out to be the game winner with 23:47 remaining in regulation. Gallagher (Myers assist) and Becker added insurance goals to close out the scoring.
Luft lauded the efforts of her deep defenders - Ashley Laskowitz, Lizzie McKenna and Angela Virtu.
"They really know how to work together and be the eyes of the people in front of them," the Trojans' coach said. "They communicate and they talk well, and they definitely set the tone to get the team to step up and play to its potential."
The Trojans improved to 6-0 in league play while the Colonials fell to 4-3.

MONDAY, SEPT. 26

SOUDERTON 3, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 1
Sparked by a goal and a pair of assists from Alayna Brown, the Indians scored three first-half goals before the Bucks got on the scoreboard early in the second half. Taylor Yoder (Brown assist) put the Indians on the scoreboard at the 24:41 mark when she scored on a corner. At the 18:18 mark, Brown turned a crossing pass by Abbey Gabriel into a goal, and the Indians went on top 3-0 when – with just over two minutes remaining in the half – senior Courtney Bradshaw scored, using a Brown assist.
“Our girls played well,” coach Mary Ann Harris said. “The forwards played especially well, and they were supported by the defense.”
The Bucks got on the scoreboard at the 28:41 when Virginia Moore connected.

NORTH PENN 1, CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 0
Bobby Dougherty scored at the 26:56 mark of the first half, using Casey O’Donnell’s first varsity assist. That goal – the seventh of the season for Dougherty – stood the rest of the way as the Maidens held on for the win. Maiden goalie Shannon Keen was credited with seven saves in the shutout.

HATBORO-HORSHAM 6, QUAKERTOWN 0
Cortnee Daley exploded for four goals to lead the Hatters to the big win on Monday, scoring one in the first half and adding three more in the second half, including a penalty stroke. Robin Barbell contributed a goal and assist, and Rachel Rausa also scored a goal. Lauren Sarnese and Laura Cresta each contributed an assist. Coach Laura Swezey lauded the stellar performance of center back Jane Henry in the shutout.

PENNRIDGE 1, UPPER MORELAND 0
In a dramatic finish, Molly Hurley scored with six seconds remaining in regulation to propel the Rams to the dramatic win. The Rams held a decided advantage in shots (18-3) and corners (16-3).  Ram goalie Natasha Nagle was credited with three saves while Upper Moreland’s Saige Wenik had 18 saves.

WISSAHICKON 6, VILLA MARIA 5 (OT)
In the most exciting game of the day Monday, the Trojans eked on an overtime win in a non-league battle against the perennial district power. Emily Gallagher scored the game winner at the 9:49 mark of overtime.
"We didn't like the fact that they were able to catch up to us quickly," Trojan coach Lauren Luft said of the fact that Villa erased a two-goal advantage in the final minutes of the game. "The girls do not like overtime, but I think they're learning how to play smart with seven a side. It opens up a completely different game."
The Trojans received a pair of goals from Jackie Hibbs, the second with an assist from Emily Gallagher as well as a goal by Gallagher (Hibbs assist) to go into halftime with a 3-2 lead. They upped that lead to 4-2 after a goal by Lauren Becker (Gallagher assist). That's when things went crazy on both sides as the two teams combined to score four goals in the final 3:20 of regulation. Included in that onslaught was a goal by Wissahickon's Taylor Myers as the two teams combined to score 10 goals in regulation.
"They were unique shots," Luft said. "Some of them were up at the top, some of them were lifts, some of them were chip shots. Both teams definitely used their creativity when it came to scoring.
"Everything was happening so quickly. I just kept positive reinforcing them. It was really good to face a team like that because we know how to swing it in the back, and Villa knew how to handle that situation, so that gave us an opportunity to practice our strategy. We were forced to play smart."

UPPER MERION 3, ABINGTON 1
The Vikings received a pair of goals from Dominique Gambone (assisted by Mel Ryan and Amanda McAteer). McAteer also scored a goal. Viking goalie Ally Frymoyer recorded nine saves as the Vikings (2-6) earned the non-league win.

UPPER DUBLIN 4, CHRISTOPHER DOCK 3
Anna Lauer (Marie Wheatley assist) scored with 4:41 remaining in regulation to propel the Flying Cardinals to the non-league win. The Flying Cardinals actually trailed 2-0 in the first half, but goals by Jen Harchut (Kelly Cross assist) and Emily Hitchings) knotted the score. Hannah Bergey (Mattasyn Shisler assist) scored to put Dock on top with 6:44 remaining in the first half, but Wheatley connected to send the teams into halftime deadlocked 3-3.
The Flying Cardinals held a 13-8 advantage in shots and an 8-6 edge in corners. UD goalie Dana Russell had five saves.

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