Check out the recaps for SOL field hockey teams in action Tuesday.
SOL Patriot Division
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 5, PENNSBURY 1
Playing on a grass field in the pouring rain might not have resulted in the cleanest of hockey games, but the Golden Hawks overcame the elements and an early Falcon lead to earn the win.
“It was our first away game, so that’s always a challenge,” South coach Lisa Belz said. “(Rock South) started in our hybrid setting today, so some of them were in school and half of them were virtual.
“We had to get screened, get on the bus. They’re really adjusting well to everything.”
The Falcons took a 1-0 lead late in the opening quarter on a goal by Kayli Williams.
“The first quarter was back and forth,” Belz said. “Pennsbury had some really good breakaways.
“At the end of the first period, we talked about making sure that we keep sending the ball into the circle and making sure we’re down and ready, and because it was so wet, just making sure we got down to the fundamentals – no reverse stick. Just stay low. No swinging – I didn’t want them hitting the ball. I said, ‘Just keep pushing it because it’s dangerous. We don’t need to be doing anything wild.’”
The Golden Hawks evened the score in the opening minute of the second quarter when Cailey Hiscox connected on an unassisted goal. They took a lead they would not lose with just under five minutes remaining in the half when Rianna Shields turned an Amanda Green pass into a goal. Ava Haurin’s goal with 11.1 seconds remaining sent the Golden Hawks into halftime with a 3-1 advantage. Brigid Morgan was credited with the assist.
Shields scored her second goal of the game with 5:31 remaining in the third period, and Jenna Gannon’s goal with a Kylee Hager assist early in the fourth period closed out the scoring.
“We were able to collect ourselves at the end of the first period, and we played hard the rest of the game,” Belz said. “I had a lot of subs in and out, and overall, we adjusted to the situation and we played well. I’m really happy with the outcome.”
The Golden Hawks’ coach credited the play of several players whose names didn’t show up in the box score.
“Kerry Kaufman and Emilia Elko were really holding the middle and sending the ball forward,” Belz said. “The whole offensive corner team really did a good job today, following directions to keep sending it in and not worrying about anything fancy.
“They were down and ready. We had a bunch of different people scoring, and mainly on the corners is when we were scoring.”
The Golden Hawks held an advantage in corners (18-5) and shots (13-6). Karlie McCloskey was credited with five saves in goal for the Golden Hawks.
Council Rock South (2-2, 2-1 SOL) will travel to Bensalem on Thursday, and Pennsbury (1-2) will host Council Rock North on Monday.
Council Rock South 0-3-1-1 5
Pennsbury 1-0-0-0 1
Falcons Start Strong but Golden Hawks Rally
(Article submitted by Pennsbury field hockey)
The first few raindrops began to fall right before game time and then the drops intensified and turned into a downpour that lasted until the final buzzer. The Pennsbury Falcons season theme is #NOEXCUSES, so the pre-game talk focused on just that – pay no mind to the weather. PHS came out of the starting gates confident, strong, and ready and was able to score first on the heads up playing from forwards Meg McClure and Kayli Williams. After a beautiful passing sequence through the midfield, McClure assisted Williams and the Falcons went up 1-0 in the first quarter. It was some of the best hockey the coaches had seen since their start. If the first 15 minutes could have been bottled and saved forever, the Pennsbury coaching staff would have done it for sure.
Unfortunately, that first quarter playing was not long lasting. The foundational lesson learned is that there is a huge difference between choosing a season theme and actually implementing it and applying it to a real life situation. Once Council Rock South tied the game 1-1 in the second quarter and then went up 2-1 and then 3-1, Pennsbury allowed the changing score and the falling rain to take over their mindset.
South handled the mental game just as strongly as they did the physical game of hockey. They made adjustments better and fixed what they needed, getting stronger with each quarter, while Pennsbury deflated and allowed old habits to come to the surface. The final score was 5-1 with CR South capitalizing on corners, acclimating to the grass, and staying focused on keeping possession.
Some of the bright spots for the Falcons were players Olivia Graebner (sophomore) who held the center mid position and junior Sophia Curtis, especially on defensive corner play. Pennsbury will continue to move forward taking lessons away from every contest. The Falcons will prepare for their next game when they host Council Rock North on Monday.
SOL Liberty
ABINGTON 2, HATBORO-HORSHAM 1
The Ghosts notched their first win of the season, rallying from a 1-0 halftime deficit to earn the victory.
“We came into today’s game 0-2 and trying to figure out how to put the ball in the net,” said Abington coach Katie Small, whose team had scored just one goal in two games. “It was a slow start with rain and (playing on) grass. It took a while to get our footing on the wet grass, and it was a back and forth game the first half.”
Hatboro-Horsham scored on a corner with under five minutes to play in the second quarter and took that one-goal lead into halftime.
In the second half, the Ghosts connected on a pair of corners, knotting the score in the third quarter when freshman Maura Calladonato turned a pass from sophomore Camryn Stewart into a goal. Abington scored the game-winner it in the fourth quarter when Stewart connected, using an assist from junior Devan DiMaria.
“In the second half, we controlled the ball a bit more,” Small said. “Abington is a young team this year and just figuring out the field together.
“Today we saw great play from sophomore Camryn Stewart (1g,1a), sophomore Tara Hughes, junior Devan DiMaria and senior Aly Campbell. All three players are team leaders on the field and really stepped up today.
“Abington’s offense was catapulted by two freshmen – Olivia Dougherty and Maura Calladonato. Both girls really came to play and stepped it up. It was good to see the future of Abington field hockey is bright. Abington is hoping to use this win to propel them into the last two-and-a-half weeks of this condensed season.”
Abington (1-2) will host Plymouth Whitemarsh on Thursday, and Hatboro-Horsham (0-3) will be on the road at Quakertown for a 7 p.m. contest on Thursday.
Abington 0-0-1-1 2
Hatboro-Horsham 0-1-0-0 1
WISSAHICKON 6, QUAKERTOWN 0
Aidan Drabick was back at it again for the Trojans.
The senior standout scored four goals and controlled the middle of the field.
It was Drabick breaking a scoreless tie with just over two minutes remaining in the opening quarter, using a Sophia Havrilla assist. Thirty seconds later, Drabick found the cage again – this time unassisted.
In the second quarter, Brynne Miller turned a Julia Schools pass into a goal, and that 3-0 score held until the fourth quarter when the Trojans erupted for three more goals. Kendall Crowley scored with a Miller assist, and then it was Havrilla setting up Drabick, who completed her hat trick with the score. Drabick’s fourth goal was unassisted.
Quakertown goalie Kylie Lerch was credited with 14 saves while Wissahickon’s Alli Wood recorded three saves in the shutout.
Wissahickon (4-0, 3-0 SOL) will travel to Upper Dublin on Thursday, and Quakertown (0-4) will host Hatboro-Horsham on Thursday at 7 p.m.
Wissahickon 2-1-0-3 6
Quakertown 0-0-0-0 0
SOL Freedom
SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP 8, UPPER MORELAND 0
Sparked by Ella Marino’s hat trick, the Spartans continued to roll, opening up a 4-0 lead after one quarter on their way to the convincing win.
Anya Wojeck put the Spartans on the board just over five minutes into the game, and then Marino went to work, scoring a pair of goals sandwiched around a Molly McGoldrick goal in the final 5:36 of the quarter. The second was assisted by Kate Keown.
In the second quarter, Annie Coll found the cage, and the Spartans led 5-0 at halftime, a score that stood until the fourth quarter when they tacked on three more goals.
Marino scored to complete her hat trick, assisted by Keown, and then it was Keown connecting on a goal of her own. Wojeck closed out the scoring with her second goal.
The Spartans were awarded 22 penalty corners.
UM goalie Emma Hurley was credited with 17 saves in a busy afternoon. Maddy Trzaska and Meredith Marsteller both were credited with a defensive save for UM.
Springfield (3-0) will travel to Lower Moreland on Wednesday, and Upper Moreland (0-3, 0-2 SOL) will travel to William Tennent on Friday.
Springfield Township 4-1-0-3 8
Upper Moreland 0-0-0-0 0
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