Check out the recaps for SOL field hockey teams in action Thursday.
SOL Patriot/Colonial crossovers
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 3, NESHAMINY 2
Paige Keller was the ultimate facilitator in Thursday’s crossover contest, assisting on all three goals in the Patriots win over the SOL Patriot Division leading Redskins.
“It’s fantastic to get another win and to be 9-2,” East coach Emma Rosenthal said. “Looking at the (district) rankings, Neshaminy was one above us before the game, so we knew how important it was for our season, for our ranking and for our morale.”
As a result of Thursday’s win, the Patriots traded places with Neshaminy in the District 1 3A power rankings – East is 14th while Neshaminy is 15th.
“Tonight’s win was so important, and I am so proud of them for getting it done,” Rosenthal said. “Our defense did a really great job eliminating Neshaminy’s opportunities, and we were able to capitalize on the offensive end.”
East’s Sydney Lafferty (Keller assist) broke a scoreless tie when she found the cage midway through the second quarter.
“It was a beautiful Paige Keller drive all the way up the field to a cross in and a tip by Sydney Lafferty, which was just gorgeous,” Rosenthal said. “I tell the girls – ugly goals count just as much as pretty goals, but this was a really pretty goal.”
The Patriots took that 1-0 lead into halftime and then added a score four minutes into the second half on a goal by Morgan Volans with a Keller assist. The Redskins cut that lead in half, but Ava Firely turned a Keller assist into a goal with 1:30 remaining in the third quarter to send the Patriots into the fourth quarter with a 3-1 advantage.
“Paige Keller did a tremendous job in the midfield and found someone by the cage three times for three assists,” Rosenthal said.
The Redskins didn’t go down quietly, trimming that goal to one early in the fourth quarter, but the Patriots would not be denied.
“It was a one-goal game for a long time,” Rosenthal said. “It was down in our defensive end I would say for the majority of that fourth quarter.
“Our defense did a fantastic job. (Goalie) Audra Szymborski had 10 saves on the night and just really held it down back there.”
Comprising East’s tenacious defense were Avery McCann, Maddie Mandia, Anna Daly, Josie Lauro and Katie Szcypiorski.
“They really did a tremendous job, staying on their marks and cutting down the number of shots (Neshaminy) could take,” Rosenthal said.
Central Bucks East (9-2, 8-2 SOL) will be on the road at Council Rock North on Tuesday, and Neshaminy (8-4, 7-3) will travel to Central Bucks West on Tuesday.
Neshaminy 0-0-1-1 2
Central Bucks East 0-1-2-0 3
PENNRIDGE 2, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 1 (OT)
Lindsey Campione converted a penalty stroke just over four minutes into overtime, propelling the Rams to the hard-fought win.
It’s the second time in as many years, the Rams defeated the Golden Hawks 2-1 in OT. Campione assisted on the game-winner in last year’s victory.
“We always have a good game with them,” Pennridge coach Becky Spahr said.
The Rams were awarded a stroke when Leah Verespy – who was on a breakaway – was taken down from behind.
“Council Rock South was a very physically tough team, and we got a little overwhelmed with that in the middle of the game,” Spahr said. “We talked about composure, playing our style of hockey.
“We like to have in-and-out passes and moving with speed, and we got back into that. It gave us a lot of opportunities. Obviously, we weren’t able to score on them near the end of the game, but it was nice to finish it off in overtime.”
Late in the second quarter, the Rams took a 1-0 lead on a goal by Alyssa Gobrecht with an assist from Keira Horensky. The Golden Hawks knotted the score with 6:09 remaining in the third quarter on a goal by Paige Kuechler when the Rams were down a player as the result of a yellow card, and the stage was set for overtime.
“We had a lot of possession, lots of opportunities, but we were just unable to put the ball in the back of the net,” Spahr said. “Our midfield played well tonight – Ryleigh Lilly, Keira Horensky, Lindsey Campione, Liz Frisch and Lucy Obarowski. They played really well for us.
“Also, our center back, Maura Kulp, has had a really great season for us. She’s just so steady and composed and was really helping organize our team. She’s just a brick wall back there – she doesn’t let anything through.”
Although the Hawks lost an overtime heartbreaker, coach Kelly Mason had nothing but good things to say about her shorthanded squad.
“I have to give these girls a lot of credit for what they did today,” the Golden Hawks’ coach said. “Despite having five starters not playing due to injuries – three of which are captains, they came out with great intensity that I have been waiting to see all season.
“Senior Peyton Wright made game-changing saves in the net, and we had girls step into positions they never played before and held their own. Junior captain Maria Freeman, junior Elise Lindros and junior Kelly Longmore took on big roles in this game and did it well. Senior Paige Kuechler cut back to the ball and tied the game for us. It was a total team effort all the way around with the whole bench rallying behind them. To lose a game in OT on a stroke is a tough way to lose, but I will go to battle any day with the team that showed up today.”
Pennridge (5-6, 4-5 SOL) will host Bensalem on Tuesday, and Council Rock South (3-7, 3-6) will host Council Rock North on Monday.
Council Rock South 0-0-1-0-0 1
Pennridge 0-1-0-0-1 2
SOUDERTON 6, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 1
Sparked by the hat tricks of Julia Blair and Tatum Andrews, Souderton – for the first time in 11 games – reached the .500 mark.
While that might not sound like a big accomplishment for a Big Red squad that won three of the last four Colonial Division titles, it certainly qualified as a positive after an 0-5 start for this year’s relatively inexperienced squad.
“We’ve come a long way,” Souderton coach Sue Casciato said. “I think against Neshaminy (a 2-1 win) was the first game we played four solid quarters of team defense. Our passing is finally coming together. The energy is different.
“We’re back to .500 – when you start 0-5, there’s a lot of work to be done. We’re not done yet hopefully.”
Blair pointed to the team’s growth as a team as key.
“I think really we’ve just grown as a team together,” the junior midfielder said. “We’ve been playing some younger girls, and they’ve gained confidence. I think we’ve learned to support each other on the field better.”
Blair has been on something of a personal tear during Souderton’s successful run through the Patriot Division, scoring 10 goals in the last four games. For Andrews, it was her second hat trick in the team’s five-game winning streak.
Although the host Indians dominated play, the final score is a bit deceiving since Souderton – thanks to a Blair penalty stroke late in the first quarter – led by just a 1-0 score at halftime.
“They had one breakaway, and I said – even though we dominated the whole first half, it could have easily been 1-1,” Casciato said. “We had a lot of opportunities in the first half- we just couldn’t finish.”
With five minutes remaining in the third quarter, Blair connected on her second goal, and less than three minutes later, it was Tatum turning an Ashley Paturzo pass into a goal for a 3-0 lead heading into the final frame.
“When we got that second goal, I felt like we got a little more confident,” Casciato said. “Two or three goals were off corners, and we had two really nice passing sequences.”
Less than a minute into the final quarter, Blair completed her hat trick, connecting on her third goal. At the 8:22 mark, Andrews turned a pass from Gianna Radcliffe into a goal and a 5-0 lead. Rock North broke into the scoring column with 4:50 remaining when Julia Ondria scored on the rebound of a goalie save. Souderton answered with an Andrews goal on a perfectly executed corner with an assist from Patruzo.
“I think (the second half of the CB West game) was definitely a big moment for our team,” Blair said of the Indians 8-2 loss to the Bucks after trailing 6-0 at halftime. “We showed a lot more confidence on the field, and we were stepping to the ball aggressively.
“I think aggressiveness is one of the most key aspects of the game because when you’re aggressive – you’re confident, and when you’re stepping to that ball, you’re in charge of the game.”
Souderton (5-5-1, 5-3-1 SOL) will be on the road at Council Rock South on Tuesday, and Council Rock North (5-5, 3-5) will travel to Council Rock South on Monday.
Council Rock North 0-0-0-1 1
Souderton 1-0-2-3 6
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 7, PENNSBURY 0
Showing no ill effects from their first loss of the season, the visiting Bucks opened up a 3-0 halftime lead on their way to the decisive win. Sophomore Aide Ierubino’s two-goal, two-assist effort led a balanced West attack that saw six different players score goals.
“Our student-athletes could not wait to get back onto the pitch knowing that we did not finish as we should have last evening – credit CB South,” West coach David DeAngelis said in reference to his team’s 2-1 overtime loss to the Titans. “Their focus and unselfish play was on display this evening.
“Credit coach (Traci) Curtis and her staff – Pennsbury always competes and plays hard throughout the 60 minutes.”
Calista Boos converted a penalty stroke with 4:41 remaining in the first quarter to put the Bucks on top 1-0.
Five-and-a-half minutes into the second quarter, Nina Mayro scored an unassisted goal, and less than a minute later, Mimi Duffy found the cage, scoring on the rebound off the goalie pads with an Ierubino assist to send the Bucks into halftime with a three-goal lead.
In the third quarter, Kiersten Boos turned an Ierubino assist into a goal, capping good ball movement around the circle. Then it was Ierubino scoring with a Duffy assist that put the Bucks on top 5-0.
Ever Damsker (Mayro assist) scored on a corner shot, and Ierubino closed out the scoring with a score off the goalie’s pads.
“It was a full-game and total team effort,” DeAngelis said. “We were disciplined with our structure, very good transitions, ball movement and maintained space in the attacking end. It has been a busy week as we will compete again tomorrow.”
Central Bucks West (10-1, 9-1 SOL) will travel to Abington for a non-league game on Friday (5 pm) for the Bucks’ fourth game in five days. Pennsbury (3-8, 2-8) will travel to Central Bucks South on Tuesday.
(Article submitted by Pennsbury field hockey)
The Pennsbury Falcons have not won a game since Sept. 13, and tonight they fell short once again. They have scored three goals in the last six games and have had 30 goals scored against. The journey through this portion of the season, while very difficult, is where all of the most important learning takes place. Through each setback our team connection becomes stronger and the way in which we break down the games and self-reflect becomes more fine-tuned. It is easy to look at those stats and immediately think negatively, but there is a way to interpret that data differently.
Despite filling up the loss column, there are so many more valuable victories weaving their way through our hearts. In those same six games, the Falcons’ goalie has saved 75 shots, the defense has had eight strong defensive saves, they have faced over 60 penalty corners (stopping all but a handful), taken 25 shots on goal, and earned 20 penalty corner opportunities.
“We are working on shifting to a growth mindset – flipping the script and looking at the stats and game film for what we are doing well is a big step,” explains Traci Curtis. “There are so many small victories that are not recorded on paper – our girls have held really strong teams scoreless for extended periods, come out and caught teams off guard with smart, solid play, and are never giving up every step of the way.”
One of the winning moments came tonight as Pennsbury went into the second quarter of the game against a fast and furious CB West team down 1-0.
“Holding them to one goal is huge for us. They had six or seven penalty corners in a row in the first quarter and did not convert on any of them. Unfortunately, a stroke was called against us, and they scored their first goal on that opportunity,” said Curtis. “The goalie got a piece of it, but it got by her. We were so proud of our girls for staying patient, being smart, and taking their game to the next level against a team that would have intimidated us weeks ago.”
West scored off the pads six minutes into the second quarter going up 2-0 and then made it 3-0 a minute later sending the Falcons into halftime down by three. The Bucks bookended the third quarter with two more goals and finished the scoring by adding two more in the fourth.
“Our passing combinations and individual skills just keep getting better with each game, and to perform the way we did tonight proves that our girls are understanding how imperative it is to play with confidence,” Curtis said. “That growth mindset means not playing to stop the other team from scoring, but instead taking initiative to create offensive pushes so we can score!
“It sounds simple, but it is a huge piece to the puzzle. CB West is a force, and we are grateful for the chance to face competition like we have over the past two weeks. It will only make us better.”
Pennsbury’s senior goalie, Kayla Shaffer, put forth another RAISE THE BAR team honor performance. She made saves of all kinds tonight and only worked harder with each ball that hit the back of her cage. Junior Angelina Kenney also received the team honor because of her overall effort and determination to pick herself up after a slow start. Kenney got her stick on everything and played with pure strength and grit tonight. Senior captain Riley Henderson notched another amazing defensive save as she owned her role in a new space on the field.
Tonight, the Falcons partnered with the Pennsbury MiniTHON committee to raise money and awareness for families impacted by childhood cancer.
“The GOLD OUT focus is a valuable victory any way you look at it – we lost on the field but not in life,” said Curtis.
The orange and black will take their season on the road for a stint of away games next week against CB South, Neshaminy, and Hatboro-Horsham.
Central Bucks West 1-2-2-2 7
Pennsbury 0-0-0-0 0
NORHT PENN 8, BENSALEM 0
The visiting Knights opened up a 3-0 halftime lead on their way to the shutout win.
“It was a great team effort, and continued excellent passing and communication were the keys to victory,” NP coach Shannon McCracken said.
Maddie Brown scored just over five minutes into the game, a goal that stood as the game-winner. Back-to-back goals by Caleigh Sperling – the first with a Laura Albert assist and the second unassisted – gave the Knights a 3-0 lead after one quarter.
In the second quarter, Albert (Ashleigh Barwis assist) and Brown each scored a goal.
Erika Pickford connected on an unassisted goal in the third quarter, and the Knights added a pair in the fourth quarter – the first by Kennedy Weidamoyer and the second by Esther Park.
North Penn (8-2-1, 7-2-1 SOL) will host Harry S Truman on Tuesday, and Bensalem (2-8, 1-8) will be on the road at Pennridge on Tuesday.
North Penn 3-2-1-2 8
Bensalem 0-0-0-0 0
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 12, HARRY S TRUMAN 0
The visiting Titans held a 16-0 advantage in penalty corners, and that translated into a big win.
Tessa Walls had a huge offensive game for the Titans, scoring five goals. Ella Haag and Kaeli VanDerSluis both added two goals and an assist while Erin Kelly also had a pair of goals. Kate Porter contributed a goal and an assist while Avery Tyler and Carrie Williams both chipped in with an assist.
Central Bucks South (7-3, 7-3 SOL) will host Pennsbury on Tuesday at 7 p.m., and Harry S Truman (0-12, 0-10) will be on the road at North Penn on Tuesday.
SOL Liberty/Freedom crossovers
SPRINGFIELD TWP 1, ABINGTON 0
Overtime was inevitable.
Or at least so it seemed until the Spartans capitalized on a corner as time was about to expire in regulation to eke out the win. Emma Yoder connected on the dramatic game-winner with 17 seconds showing on the scoreboard clock, using an assist from Bella Navo.
“It was a very good game – both teams were intense for the entire game,” Springfield Twp coach Anita Stum said. “I’m so proud of how Springfield played today.”
The Spartans limited the Ghosts to just three shots and one penalty corner while they collected 10 corners and took eight shots.
Spartans’ goalie Grace Bell recorded two saves in the shutout win.
“Gabi Maletta, Ella Seslow, Bella Navo, Natalie Rittler and Emma Yoder were solid contributors, tackling back and just really stepping up to the plate,” Stum said. “Overall, it was a team effort.”
Springfield Twp (8-3-1, 6-3-1 SOL) will host Wissahickon on Tuesday, and Abington (4-5, 3-5) will host Central Bucks West on Friday in a non-league game at 5 p.m.
Springfield Twp 0-0-0-1 1
Abington 0-0-0-0 0
UPPER MORELAND 2, HATBORO-HORSHAM 1
The Golden Bears celebrated Senior Night by eking out a win over the visiting Hatters.
“Every senior played their heart out,” UM coach Pam Remmey said.
After a scoreless first half with UM knocking on the door, Hatboro scored a goal early in the third quarter, but the Bears battled back.
“Sophomore standout Ella Gould got the ball in the circle and sent it to Maggie Morrow who found the back of the cage to tie it up,” Remmey said. “Then in the fourth quarter, Morrow sent a pass to her bestie, Olivia Meakim, and Olivia air dribbled it up in the air and sent a perfect air dribble neatly and safely right over the goalie’s head.
“Maggie was so hyped for this game. I was glad she could put all of that positive energy into intense play on the field. We do air dribble contests in practice, and Olivia
Meakim, who hasn’t played field hockey for two years – wins them every time.”
“Junior Kelly Bates controlled the defense with many tackles to stop Hatboro from shooting.”
The UM coach went on to pay tribute to the team’s seniors.
“The biggest reason that I decided to switch from officiating field hockey to coaching is this senior class,” Remmey said. “They are six super kids – I knew Olivia, Maggie and Cambrie from lacrosse, who are all so coachable, and I knew that I wanted to be a part of this team.
“Cambrie could literally run the team without me, she is a natural leader and a coach on the field and our cornerstone in games. Ava is one of the most coachable and positive kids that I have ever coached over my 38 years. This whole group has been a pleasure to coach in my first year back, and I look forward to seeing what they can do in the second half of the season.”
Upper Moreland (5-5, 3-5 SOL) will be on the road at Plymouth Whitemarsh on Tuesday, and Hatboro-Horsham (1-8, 1-7) will host Plymouth Whitemarsh on Monday.
Upper Moreland 0-0-1-1 2
Hatboro-Horsham 0-0-1-0 1
NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 3, UPPER DUBLIN 0
Losing streaks have been all but non-existent for a Lions’ program that won two of the last three SOL Freedom titles, so if ever a win was welcome, it was Thursday’s road win over the Cardinals, bringing to a halt a three-game skid for the Lions.
“With these girls on the team, that was a new thing, but what I love and I appreciate about them is that even in the games that we lost – they battled the whole time,” NH-S coach Gwen Smith said. “We really did still fight, and we battled. We had our ups and downs where we battled harder, but for the most part, I am proud of that.
“Today they were focused on – ‘We really need to get this one.’ Even yesterday at practice, they were like – ‘We really want this win,’ and I said, ‘It starts here, it starts right now.’
“They really came in with that approach, and it was good. I have been making adjustments as the season’s been going on, and I felt like we actually made those adjustments today. The adjustments we made and some things I wanted them to clean up – I felt we did in this game.”
The Lions got on the scoreboard six minutes into the second quarter when Madie Thistlewaite converted a penalty stroke.
That 1-0 score until the fourth quarter when the Lions added a pair – the first by Ava Cozza four minutes into the quarter on a shot from the top of the circle with an assist from Olivia Conte. Midway through the quarter, Rylee Logston scored on the rebound off the goalie’s pads.
“The game was back and forth,” Smith said. “I think literally at halftime – they had four corners, we had four corners. It was completely back and forth. They had opportunities, we had opportunities.
“This game was probably our very first game that we played the whole entire time, fighting the whole entire time. In other games, we’d have a half that we did really well, but we always would dip down in a quarter. This one – they were determined. I was really proud of their determination and just really wanting to get this win.”
New Hope-Solebury (8-3, 7-3 SOL) will host Quakertown on Tuesday, and Upper Dublin (5-3-1, 4-3-1) will be on the road at Cheltenham on Monday.
New Hope-Solebury 0-1-0-2 3
Upper Dublin 0-0-0-0 0
WISSAHICKON 7, LOWER MORELAND 0
The Trojans took the suspense out of Thursday’s crossover game in a hurry, putting four goals on the board in the first quarter on their way to the win.
Carly Lehman scored two minutes into the contest, using a Kayla Mullin assist. Five minutes later Kayla Pack scored with a Faith Jampo assist, and then it was Kayla Mullin turning a Sam Farno pass into a goal. Just over a minute later, Pak connected on her second goal, this with an assist from Noelle Koop.
Mullin (Cait Connaghan assist) scored with time expired in the half, and the Trojans took a 5-0 lead into halftime.
In the third quarter, Mullin scored with a Jampo assist, and it was Mullin connecting for her fourth goal in the final quarter, this one with a Pak assist.
Lower Moreland goalie Meg Halpern was credited with 26 saves while Wissahickon’s Ava Fell was forced to make just one save in the shutout.
Wissahickon (9-1, 9-0 SOL) will travel to Quakertown on Friday for a Liberty Division showdown, and Lower Moreland (5-6, 4-6) will host Archbishop Wood in a non-league game on Monday.
Lower Moreland 0-0-0-0 0
Wissahickon 4-1-1-1 7
QUAKERTOWN 10, CHELTENHAM 1
Freshman Cassidy Landis erupted for four goals to lead the visiting Lady Panthers to the decisive win.
“The grass field is a big change for us as we are used to turf, but the team did some great work moving the ball and following shots to execute them into the cage,” Quakertown coach MacKenzie Moser said.
Landis, Paige Longacre and Leah Schwalm each had a first-quarter goal, and in the second quarter, Landis added a pair and Sunny Draper had one.
In the third quarter, Longacre connected on her second goal of the day, and it was Landis, Ella Schubert and Katie Shourds each connecting for a goal in the fourth quarter to close out the scoring.
Quakertown (10-1, 9-0 SOL) will host Wissahickon in a Liberty Division showdown on Friday , and Cheltenham (1-7, 0-7) is scheduled to host Plymouth Whitemarsh on Friday.
Quakertown 3-3-1-3 10
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 12, WILLIAM TENNENT 0
The Colonials won their fourth straight game to even their record at 5-5 after 10 games.
Sophomore Emily Dobrowolski led all scorers with four goals and one assist. Gracie Kerns and Sierra Tirendi each had three goals while Maddie Carr, Ava Matthias and Ava Ruggiero had one apiece.
Matthias, Ella Catania and Sammy Callan supported the scoring with one assist each.
Carly Spinner and Claire Carrington combined to earn the shutout in the cage.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (5-5, 5-3 SOL) is schedule to travel to Cheltenham on Friday, and William Tennent (1-11, 1-9) will host Abington on Tuesday.
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