Check out the recaps for SOL field hockey teams in action. New Hope-Solebury/Upper Dublin photos provided courtesy of Karla Donohoe. Check back for a gallery of photos. All SOS photo galleries for FIELD HOCKEY can be viewed by clicking HERE.
SOL Patriot/Colonial crossover
NESHAMINY 2, CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 1 (OT)
Kasey Rieger – in a strong individual effort – scored just over two minutes into overtime, propelling the Redskins to the dramatic win.
“She carried the ball down the right side of the field, cut into the center and was able to finish on her own,” “Neshaminy coach Jamie Pinto said of Rieger’s game-winner. “Coming into the crossover games – it’s a tough league, so any win we can get is great for us.
“Some of the teams we lost to last year, so we wanted to come out this year and make a statement and win those games we lost or make them closer than they were last year. I think we’ve been doing a good job of that. We’re just taking it one game at a time, especially for the crossovers.”
The Redskins took an early 1-0 lead when Cait Colyar scored with an assist from Rieger, but the Patriots connected for the equalizer with 30 seconds remaining in the first half when Aly McIsaac scored with an assist from Alli Troth. Neither team scored again until Rieger’s game-winner in OT.
“It was a physical and aggressive game, and I’m proud of my team for hanging tough,” East coach Emma Rosenthal said. “Audra Szymborski shined for the second day in a row with double-digit saves.”
Szymborski was credited with 15 saves in a contest that saw the Redskins hold a 14-1 advantage in penalty corners.
“We played hard today,” Pinto said. “East played well. When they had their opportunities, they took them and, at times, caught us off guard.
“The second half we really pressured. We did everything except shoot the ball. We did a really nice job of bringing the ball down the field, we were passing, we were going into the circle with speed, but we couldn’t get shots off as we would like.”
The Redskins’ coach credited the efforts of several players in the win.
“Avery McGinty and Olivia Roscoe did a good job of just stepping up and leading the team,” Pinto said. “Ava Arbakov worked hard, and she did a nice job hustling down the right side of the field, generating a lot of offense. In the first half, she was putting a lot of pressure on, and Kasey Rieger did a really nice job of carrying the ball down the field, getting into the circle and trying to generate offense.”
Neshaminy (10-2, 9-1 SOL) will host Central Bucks West on Monday, and Central Bucks East (4-6) will host Council Rock North on Monday.
Central Bucks East 0-1-0-0-0 1
Neshaminy 1-0-0-0-1 2
PENNRIDGE 2, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 1 (OT)
With less than two minutes remaining in overtime, Payton Muth scored her second goal of the game with a Lindsey Campione assist, propelling the visiting Rams to the win in Thursday’s OT thriller.
“It was a lot of broken up play in the circle, and Lindsey played the ball back to Payton, and she scored on a reverse chip into the top corner of the goal,” Pennridge coach Becky Spahr said of the highlight reel game-winner. “We’re playing really well, we’re staying with teams and playing full games, but we haven’t been able to finish it out and get the result we wanted.
“I think our team knows we can be down, and we’re good enough to get back in the game. We do not give up, we keep working at it. We know we can play well and play with good teams.”
The Rams’ win came on Rock South’s Senior Night.
“We’ve had some success lately,” Spahr said. “I felt like South dominated us in the first quarter, and we re-adjusted and I feel as though the girls really stepped up. The players just decided to work for each other. We were very individual in the first quarter. It was South’s Senior Night, so I felt they were emotional, charged up and ready to play, and it just took us a little bit to find our feet and start playing our own game, not just responding to what they were doing.
“Just to be able to beat a team that has already found a lot of success – it was nice for our kids to know they could win against good quality opponents.”
The visiting Rams trailed 1-0 heading into the final quarter after the Golden Hawks broke a scoreless tie with a goal by Kylee Hager midway through the third quarter, but Pennridge rallied to knot the score with nine minutes remaining in regulation when – on a broken corner play – Muth turned a Campione pass into the equalizer. The stage was set for overtime.
“We had a lot of chances,” Spahr said. “I honestly think we hit the post four times tonight, so I think we knew we were creating opportunities and just had to put the ball in the back of the cage. Lindsey Campione played phenomenal tonight. She played the entire 73 minutes of hockey.
“Maura Kulp, our center back, had a great game. Alyssa Gobretch and Liz Frisch were our defenders, and Maia Machado played really well. She’s so good and so consistent for us. They had a breakaway in overtime that she stopped.”
Machado was credited with nine saves in the winning effort.
With one more crossover game, the Rams are looking forward to their return to division play, hoping to reverse some of the close losses into wins.
“They have the mindset of ‘We get to play them again,’” Spahr said. “We’re getting better. I feel like we’re peaking at the end of the season which is cool and fun.
“All around I have such a good group of kids that are committed. They’re into it. They want to be successful. It’s been fun.”
The Rams held a 14-6 advantage in corners. Peyton Wright was credited with 13 saves in goal for the Golden Hawks.
“We are not new to overtime,” said Rock South coach Kelly Mason, whose team was playing its fifth OT game in 11 outings. “This game we played solid defense but didn’t generate enough offense to win the game.
“Peyton Wright made good saves for us in net. We had a chance to win the game in OT with a breakaway and didn’t capitalize on it. Pennridge had solid stick skills throughout the game, and it was a good shot they took over our goalie’s head.”
Pennridge (5-6-1, 4-5-1 SOL) will travel to Bensalem on Monday, and Council Rock South (6-5, 6-4) will travel to Souderton for a 7 p.m. contest.
Pennridge 0-0-0-1-1 2
Council Rock South 0-0-1-0-0 1
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 6, PENNSBURY 1
The Bucks dominated Thursday’s game statistically, holding a decided advantage in shots (27-2) and penalty corners (22-1), but they took just a 3-1 lead into the fourth quarter when they erupted for three goals.
“The outcome may not reflect Pennsbury’s competitiveness regarding our match this evening – on our Senior celebration,” West coach Dave DeAngelis said. “Pennsbury came out strong and was able to convert an opportunity to take an early lead.
“We continued to attack and pepper the Pennsbury cage. Pennsbury GK (Jordan Vradenburgh) is an exceptional goalkeeper and was stellar. We were able to get onto the board with 45-seconds remaining in the first quarter to equalize.”
The Bucks added a pair of goals in the second quarter.
“While the third quarter did not result in any goals for either program, we were able to continue to put pressure on Pennsbury’s defense that stood strong,” DeAngelis said. “The final scores for the Bucks occurred in the final quarter – as we continued to put pressure on Pennsbury’ s defense with our speed, fitness and ball movement.”
Freshman Aida Ierubino’s two goals led a balanced West attack. Adding one goal each were Nina Mayro, Mimi Duffy, Kendall Siegle and Faith Tomlinson. Calista Boos had a pair of assists, and Lily Cosner had one helper.
Angelina Kenney scored the Falcons’ lone goal, using an assist from Mia Popovich.
(Article & photo submitted by Pennsbury field hockey)
The only thing more amazing than the sunset that fell over CB West’s War Memorial Stadium before the 7pm senior night game was the performance by Pennsbury goalie, Jordan Vradenburgh. Hold that thought as we sidestep for a moment, and we will come back to it later. The final score of this game does not tell the story the way it should be told. Yes, the score lets us know who wins and losses, but it can be a sneaky foe, hiding the details that lie beneath the surface of those two numbers.
The events leading up to game time included an hour delay in leaving for West, a shortened JV game and warm-ups all around, senior athlete introductions for both teams (thanks to great hosting by the Bucks), a stunning sunset, and (due to technical difficulties) an a cappella performance of the National Anthem by all of the players. Yes, they broke out in song to make up for the music mishap and honored the flag together with a beautiful off-key compilation.
Despite the haphazard pre-game routine, the Falcons came out strong and were ready to compete. Still fueled by their win over (Central Bucks) East Friday, the orange and black got on the scoreboard first and led 1-0 with seven minutes left in the first quarter.
“We got ourselves into the circle and put pressure on, and the next thing we knew Angelina Kenney poked it over the line on an assist from Mia Popovich – it was scrappy and exactly what we needed to do,” said head coach Traci Curtis.
We held the lead until West connected with 46 seconds left in the first quarter to tie it up.
“Those six-plus minutes we had the lead were filled with great hockey on both sides,” reflected Curtis. “The energy was high, the pace super fast, and the intensity palpable. It was a great ‘win-the-moment moment for us, and for that period of time (in combination with our Friday win), we were able to experience what it means to truly BELIEVE.”
We knew that the Bucks would have an answer and answer they did. They scored two great goals within minutes of each other in the second quarter to go ahead 3-1 in a blink of an eye. The Falcons were not shaken and used the power generated from that belief to hold the Bucks to the two-goal lead going into the half.
“We reminded the girls at halftime how quickly that score could turn around with a focus on fine tuning a few things in the midfield and offensive red zone,” Curtis said.
CB West began to completely dominate offensively in the third quarter, spending a majority of the time knocking on our goalie’s door, but Pennsbury refused to let up and dug in hard defensively to keep the entire third quarter scoreless.
Curtis said, “It was great that they didn’t add to their lead, but at the same time, we were having a hard time getting any offensive advantages. It was not for lack of effort.
“Molly Murray handled right mid really well tonight, getting the ball where it needed to go, and offensively, McClure, Graebner, Popovich, and Borgman fought a good fight. We can’t say enough about our defensive unit – Gabby Darling, Reagan Ward, Riley Henderson, and Kaylin Flannery.”
Curtis went on to describe her backfield as “connected, gritty, smart, and hard working.”
“The fourth quarter was a struggle for us, Curtis admits. “Fatigue was a factor and CBW just kept getting faster as we were fading. They pulled away in the fourth scoring three more goals and put an exclamation point on their senior night victory.
“We did not have an answer to their energy surge and their level of play as they settled in and took control of the game, and it is something we need to improve – continuously adjusting and being able to match the level of play as it changes.”
Let’s now return to Jordan Vradenburgh in the goal for the Falcons. This is the part of the story the 6-1 final score does not reveal. Central Bucks West had 31 shots on goal, and Vradenburgh saved 25 of them. West also hammered us by earning 21 penalty corners, yet only scored on one of them.
“This speaks volumes about the caliber of play from our goalie and her unit back there,” Curtis said. “Jordan is a great leader, communicator, guide, encourager, and best of all, her performance backs it all up. She denied shot after shot, keeping her team alive and making the Bucks work hard for every goal scored. The fact that they only scored six goals is a testament to what Vradenburgh brings to this team. It was an overall great night in West’s stadium. This game will certainly help us as we prepare for our battle on Monday against CB South. We know what to work on and will continue to hone skills with each step we take. Congratulations to West on their senior night victory and many thanks for a great game!”
Central Bucks West (11-1, 9-1 SOL) will travel to Neshaminy on Monday, featuring a battle of District One 3A’s seventh and 13th ranked teams. Pennsbury (4-7, 2-7) will host Central Bucks South on Monday.
Pennsbury 1-0-0-0 1
Central Bucks West 1-2-0-3 6
SOUDERTON 6, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 0
Ava Jones continued her torrid offensive production, scoring three goals and assisting on two others to lead the visiting Indians to the convincing win.
The sophomore standout set the tone for a superb offensive outing, turning an Ange Borisow pass into a goal 23 seconds into the game. Ten minutes later, Borisow scored during corner play with an assist from Ava Shaw.
Two-and-a-half minutes into the second quarter, Hannah Cornes turned a Jones pass into a goal and a 3-0 Souderton lead. Then it was Caitlynn Asmann scoring with an assist from Jones. Another corner goal by the visitors with nine seconds remaining – the second by Jones in the half – gave Souderton a commanding 5-0 lead at halftime. Assisting on Jones’ goal were Tatum Andrews and Shaw.
Jones connected for the only goal of the second half in the fourth quarter, using an Andrews assist.
Souderton (11-0, 10-0 SOL) will travel to Methacton for a non-league contest on Saturday (4:30 p.m.). The game will feature two of District One 3A’s top teams. The Indians are ranked fourth in the latest power rankings while the Warriors are third. Council Rock North (4-8, 3-7) will travel to Central Bucks East on Monday.
Souderton 2-3-0-1 6
Council Rock North 0-0-0-0 0
NORTH PENN 12, BENSALEM 0
Laura Albert scored four goals and assisted on another, and Caleigh Sperling had a hand in four goals, scoring three goals and assisting on another, to lead the Knights to the decisive win in crossover play.
Grace McGeehan scored midway through the first quarter, using a Sperling assist, and the Knights were off and running. By the time the quarter was over, McGeehan had two goals and an assist, and Albert had a pair of goals.
In the second quarter, Albert added a pair of goals – the second with an assist from Ashleigh Barwis – to send the Knights into halftime with a 7-0 lead.
Catherine McGeehan and Annabelle Smink scored unassisted goals to open the third quarter, and Sperling closed out the frame with back-to-back goals in a two-and-a-half minute span. Kate Waldman turned an Albert pass into a goal to close out the scoring in the fourth quarter.
The Knights held an advantage in shots (22-0) and penalty corners (7-0).
North Penn (6-5, 6-4 SOL) will travel to Wissahickon for a non-league game on Friday, and Bensalem (2-8, 1-8) will host Pennridge on Monday.
Bensalem 0-0-0-0 0
North Penn 5-2-4-1 12
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 12, HARRY S TRUMAN 0
Rebecca Zakrzewski scored four goals and assisted on another while Megan Reilly and Marielle Mauri (2 assists) both added a hat trick to lead the Titans to the decisive win over the Tigers.
“Despite the lopsided score, Truman hustled the entire game and their goalie, Stacy Couillard, had quite a few spectacular saves,” South coach Pat Toner said. “We played without one of our starters who was injured at practice yesterday, and we had to change our lineup around a bit. I am proud of the way we made adjustments and worked together.
“Our forwards are doing a nice job of releasing quick shots, and Megan Reilly had a beautiful drive from the top of the circle. Rebecca Zakrzewski dominated the scoring, and she, along with Marielle Mauri and Bella Schute, set up several nice scoring plays. Congrats to both teams on a hard-fought game.”
Couillard recorded 28 saves in a contest that saw the Titans take 40 shots.
Zakrzewski and Marielle Mauri combined for both of the Titans’ first-quarter goals. Zakrzewski scored the first with a Mauri assist, and then it was Mauri finding the cage with a Zakrzewski assist.
The Titans exploded for five goals in the second quarter to go on top 7-0. Zakrzewski connected for a pair while Mauri, Reilly and Jameson McKnight each had a single goal. Bella Schute, Kaeli VanDerSluis and Cassidy Taylor each contributed an assist in the quarter.
Mauri scored the lone goal of the third quarter, and in the fourth quarter, Reilly added a pair of goals – the second with a Schute assist. Avery Tyler scored, using Schute’s third assist, and Zakrzewski closed out a standout effort with her fourth goal, this one with a Mauri assist.
Central Bucks South (5-5-1, 4-5-1 SOL) will travel to Pennsbury on Monday, and Harry S Truman (0-11, 0-10) will host North Penn on Monday.
Harry S Truman 0-0-0-0 0
Central Bucks South 2-5-1-4 12
SOL Liberty/Freedom
ABINGTON 1, SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP 0 (OT)
Erica Devlin scored the overtime game-winner in dramatic fashion, diving for a crossing pass from teammate Maeve Link and tapping the ball into the cage.
“Olivia Dougherty did a great job taking the ball away from one of their players and played it on the left side up to Maeve (Link) on the right said,” Abington coach Katie Small said. “Maeve was able to tap it past the defender, took it down and crossed the ball.
“We tell the girls – ‘Somebody just dive for the ball,’ and Erica laid her body out on the turf and tapped it in. It was very exciting. We didn’t want to go to overtime, but it happened.”
The game was dominated by the respective defenses with goalie Caitlin Murcur recording five saves to earn the shutout win for the Ghosts, who held a 9-5 advantage in shots and a 3-1 edge in corners.
“They had a couple of chances, and their chances were good,” Small said. “They had four shots on goal, and any one of them could have gone in, so that was definitely tense, but we were able to keep them out of our circle the majority of the game.
“Our defense did a really nice job, especially Olivia Dougherty, Maddie Slavin, Emma Brown and Grace Upham. Cam Stewart is just a stalwart in the middle of the field. The way she goes dictates the game a lot of times. If she’s on, everyone else knows ‘Okay, we’re up for this.’ I can’t say enough good things about Cam Stewart.”
Thursday’s win avenged last year’s 1-0 loss to the Spartans.
“Games with Springfield are always back and forth,” Small said. “My first year I believe we split, and the last couple of years, they’ve gotten the better of us, but it’s always 1-0 or 2-1.
“Especially on their home turf because our turf is so different than everybody else’s so when we play a tough team like Springfield, the home field is an advantage. We were slow to start.”
Abington (7-5, 6-4 SOL) will host William Tennent on Monday in the final crossover contest.
“We’re very excited especially going into the last five games all in our league,” Small said. “It’s going to be a rush to the finish to see if we make districts. Fingers crossed.”
Springfield Township (6-5-1, 6-3-1) will travel to Wissahickon on Monday for a 7 p.m. contest.
Abington 0-0-0-0-1 1
Springfield Township 0-0-0-0-0 0
HATBORO-HORSHAM 2, UPPER MORELAND 1
Angelina Park scored just over a minute into the second half, breaking a 1-1 tie with a goal that turned out to be the game-winner. The win was the second in as many games for the Hatters, who dropped their first nine games of the season.
“They have come a long way,” HH coach Marie Schmucker said. “Rome wasn’t built in a day, but much improvement noted.
“It takes a whole team to score and a whole team to defend. I really feel like they all contributed to the win today. Even though the kid scored the goal, Mia Fisher, the goalie, cleared a ball, and then it went down the field. They were all involved.”
The Hatters took a 1-0 lead four minutes into the game when junior forward Molly McKeown scored. The Golden Bears evened the score with 3:25 remaining in the second quarter, thanks to a goal by Jenna Piantieri with an assist from Claire Mahoney. That 1-1 score stood until Park’s game-winner.
“It was a team effort,” Schmucker said. “To take a line from baseball, we played small ball, controlling the ball and keeping possession.
“We got a lot of corners and kept the ball in their end most of the game. We had so many opportunities. We dominated the whole game, but then they were knocking on our door, so I called a timeout with three minutes left in the third quarter.”
The Hatters’ defense held, and the win was in the books.
Hatboro-Horsham (2-9, 2-8 SOL) will travel to Cheltenham on Monday, and Upper Moreland (4-8, 2-8) will host Plymouth Whitemarsh on Monday.
Upper Moreland 0-1-0-0 1
Hatboro-Horsham 1-0-1-0 2
NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 3, UPPER DUBLIN 0
The Lions scored single goals in the first, second and third quarters on the way to their 10th win in 11 games this season.
“It was a good team win,” Lions’ coach Gwen Smith said. “We had some really nice passing combinations. We did a nice job finding each other in our offensive circle to get some good goals.
“Upper Dublin is a good team. They were doing some really good things, and they had some good offensive drives. The game was back and forth, but our defense did a nice job, making sure we
got the ball out strong and wide. They did a good job stepping up at the right time. We just had some nice finishes today, and we were fortunate for that.”
Oliva Conte turned a Sophia Cozza pass into a goal with 4:40 remaining in the first quarter, giving the Lions an early 1-0 lead. Six minutes into the second quarter. Ava Cozza scored with an assist from Avery Mendola, and the Lions took that 2-0 lead into halftime.
Mendola converted a penalty stroke into a goal with 9:22 remaining in the third quarter, giving the Lions a 3-0 advantage.
“One of their defenders stopped the ball on the line, and we ended up getting a stroke, and Avery ended up putting in a real pretty stroke,” Smith said.
New Hope-Solebury’s 3-0 lead held until the final whistle.
“I have to say – Upper Dublin fought to the very, very end,” said Smith, whose team held a 9-3 advantage in penalty corners. “They kept pressing, they started getting some momentum in the fourth quarter, and our defense really stayed with them. They stayed dialed in. I thought they played really well as a defensive unit. My backs stepped up at the right times, getting the balls out. They did a good job staying composed, staying patient, just keeping their heads in the game the whole time.”
Comprising the Lions’ defensive unit were Maddie Thistlewaite, Olivia Conte, Lauren Trenti and Sophia Cozza.
“Avery Mendola and Ava Cozza did a nice job controlling the front,” Smith said.
New Hope-Solebury (10-1, 9-1 SOL) will travel to Pennington School for a non-league game Friday, and Upper Dublin (6-5-1, 5-4-1) will host Lower Moreland on Monday.
Upper Dublin 0-0-0-0 0
New Hope-Solebury 1-1-1-0 3
WISSAHICKON 6, LOWER MORELAND 0
Kendall Crowley connected for a hat trick, and Caroline Kirkpatrick assisted on four goals to lead the visiting Trojans to the shutout win.
Crowley opened the scoring with a goal three minutes into the contest and added another with 3:23 remaining – both with Ella Hummel assists – to spot the Trojans a 2-0 lead after one quarter.
In the second quarter, Kirkpatrick set up goals by Sophia Havrilla and Riley Ball to send the Trojans into halftime with a 4-0 lead. Ball connected for her second goal six minutes into the third quarter, again with a Kirkpatrick assist. Crowley completed her hat trick with a goal in the fourth quarter, also with a Kirpatrick assist.
“The 6-0 score did not reflect the hard work and determination of the Lady Lions,” LM coach Janet Lutter said. “We allowed two goals in each of the first two quarters but held Wissahickon to only one goal in quarters three and four. I was proud of the way they fought up until the final horn.”
LM goalie Sarah Rosala was credited with 22 saves in a standout effort, and Jessica Shein added three defensive saves while Maya Vaisman had one. The Trojans had 22 penalty corners.
“I was proud of how my defense was able to keep their scoring off those (corners) at a minimum,” Lutter said.
Wissahickon goalies Meredith Walsh and Ava Fell (1 save) combined for the shutout.
Wissahickon (11-0, 10-0 SOL) will host North Penn in a non-league game Thursday, and Lower Moreland (5-6, 4-6) will travel to Upper Dublin on Monday.
Wissahickon 2-2-1-1 6
Lower Moreland 0-0-0-0 0
QUAKERTOWN 14, CHELTENHAM 0
Eight players contributed goals as the host Panthers – who led 6-0 at halftime – rolled to their seventh straight win.
Senior Alex Bevan-Xenelis had a pair of goals – one in the second quarter and another in the third – with both coming on solid drives from the top of the circle. Junior Kiera Gallagher also had a pair of goals, both in the first quarter and both on hard shots on goal.
The remaining 10 goals were scored by sophomores and freshmen with sophomore Katelyn Landis leading the way with a hat trick – one in the first, third and fourth quarters.
“One of those goals was a hard, well-performed reverse chip,” Quakertown coach Mackenzie (Kramer) Moser said.
Sophomore Leah Schwalm added a first-quarter goal, and sophomore Ella Schubert added a goal in the third quarter, capitalizing on a ball crossed through the circle. Sophomore Annie Smith made the most of her playing time, scoring a pair of goals in the fourth quarter.
Freshman Emma Stalletti added a goal in both the second and third quarters, and freshman Casey Rosenberger also scored a single goal in the fourth quarter, sweeping the ball into the cage.
Quakertown (7-3-1, 7-2-1 SOL) will host New Hope-Solebury on Monday at 7 p.m. Cheltenham (0-10) will host Hatboro-Horsham on Monday.
Cheltenham 0-0-0-0 0
Quakertown 4-2-4-4 14
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