Check the results for SOL girls’ lacrosse teams in action Thursday. Photos of the CB West/CB South game are provided courtesy of Lisa Henderson, and photos of the CR South/North Penn game are courtesy of Diana Leferovich…CLICK HERE. Check back for a gallery of both games.
American Conference
UPPER MERION 16, HATBORO-HORSHAM 4
The Vikings seized control from the outset of Friday’s game, and as wins go, they don't get much better than this one.
"My team played outstanding," UM coach Angie Yanocha said. "It was probably the best I've ever seen an Upper Merion team play, and I've been coaching for 10 years.
"It was just a day – we came out, we played strong, we played as a team, and every single kid on the field contributed."
The visiting Hatters didn’t get on the board with their first goal until the 15:32 mark of the opening half, and by that time, the Vikings had opened up a 5-0 lead. Upper Merion took an 8-3 advantage into halftime.
“It was a total team effort up and down the field,” Yanocha said. “(We) remained composed, focused and in control throughout the entire game.
"We took them out of their game, and you could tell."
In the second half, the Hatters lost senior standout Syd Rausa to a seconod yellow card.
"I told them – I was so proud of them, and that situation is tough when the other team is losing their composure because it's easy to do the same," Yanocha said. "This ranks right up there as one of my proudest moments as a coach because they just played so well. It's great to see all those things come together.
"For an official to come up to us after the game and compliment us and say we played with such integrity and maintained our composure – that's a huge compliment to our schoo and our program."
Quinn O’Malley scored three goals and also had three caused turnovers, and Lizzy Goernemann had an interception that she converted into the seventh goal of the game. Haley O’Malley also had an interception. Draw control was dominated by freshman midfielder Molly Weygand with eight, and she also led the team in ground balls with four.
"We were really good with the ground balls," Yanocha said. "At one point, the draw controls were about even, but once I put Molly Weygand on the draw, she just ran away with it.
"Quinn O'Malley had a huge game – she had the caused turnovers, a couple of assists, but it was really just a team effort. My goalkeeper came up with big saves when needed. We had an interception we converted into a goal. It was a lot of capitalizing on their mistakes and also putting pressure. We had really good pressure in our defensive end. There were only a couple of times early on where we left them go down and score right away. I said, 'We can't let that happen, we have to slow the ball, we have to double team,' and once we got in that defensive groove, there wasn't much getting through."
Jordan Cabahug-Almonte faced nine shots and had five saves in a winning effort in goal.
Rausa scored all four of the Hatters' goals.
"That was a huge (loss) for them, but by that point, I felt we already had taken control of the game," Yanocha said. "I can't say there was a moment in that game where I didn't feel like we were in the driver's seat, and that's been a challenge for us all season.
"That was my fear – were we going to lose that intensity, and we just never did. They've been hungry for coming up with one of these games against what has been notably a better team. I know Hatboro is down this year, and they're not the team they were last year or the year before, but when you look at programs – this a big win for us."
Contributing goals for the Vikings were Haley O’Malley (four goals, two assists), Francesca Lindelow (four goals), Riley O’Malley (three goals, one assist), Anna Davis (two goals, one assist), Quinn O’Malley (one goal, three assists), Allison Shuster (one goal) and Lizzy Goernemann (one goal).
Upper Merion (5-6, 3-2 SOL) will travel to Pottstown on Tuesday for a non-league game.
"Our record right now doesn't show how good we are," Yanocha said. "We have the talent – it's just about it all clicking and coming together, and it all came together. I couldn't have been more proud and happier."
Hatboro-Horsham (2-7, 2-2) will host Plymouth-Whitemarsh on Tuesday
Hatboro-Horsham 3-1 4
Upper Merion 8-8 16
WISSAHICKON 9, UPPER DUBLIN 6
The Trojans, according to coach Patty Kovacs, played hard, fought for the ground balls and earned multiple draw controls to earn a win over the Flying Cardinals.
After drawing a pair of yellow cards early, the Trojans found themselves trailing by two goals, but they battled back to take a 6-3 lead into halftime. They went on to win by that three-goal margin.
“Upper Dublin is a strong, talented team, and we knew we would have to work hard playing against them,” Kovacs said. “Double teaming and midfield transitions worked well for us today.”
Emily Vervlied contributed three goals, one assist, five ground balls, six draw controls and four takeaways to lead the Trojans. Shannon Stagliano and Mary Matthews added two goals each with Stagliano also contributing a pair of assists and one ground ball. Matthews had two ground balls and one takeaway. Sam Intieri and Carolyn Wilde both netted one goal. Intieri also had four ground balls and one draw control while Wilde had two ground balls, one takeaway and two draw controls. Claire Tarzia and Christina Tsiobikas added one assist each. Tarzia also had two takeaways.
On defense, Kelly Dickson was credited with three ground balls, and Marie Dickson claimed two ground balls. Megan DeGroat added two ground balls, one takeaway and two draw controls. Talia Abrahams added one ground ball.
Kyra Myers recorded five saves in goal.
Paige Lawton scored twice for the Cardinals. Caroline Wall and Jess Grodsky each notched a goal and an assist. Hannah Reape and Lindsey Schreiber each scored once. Wall led the Cardinals with four ground balls while Schreiber had three ground balls, one caused turnover and one draw control. Grodsky and Reape each had one ground ball.
Sarah Herchenroder recorded seven saves and picked up one ground ball.
Wissahickon (4-1 American, 5-4 overall) takes on Pennsbury on Saturday. Upper Dublin (2-2, 4-5) hosts Upper Moreland on Tuesday.
Upper Dublin 3-3 6
Wissahickon 6-3 9
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 15, SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP 1
Monica Dresnin finished with four goals and five assists to lead the Colonials. Ali Diamond added three goals and one assist, while Sophie Kolkka delivered three goals.
Victoria Bitterly registered two goals and an assist for Plymouth-Whitemarsh, which led 9-0 at halftime. Lilly Hanson scored twice and Maddie Barman scored once.
“We had an overall good game,” said head coach Ellen Reilly. “Defensively we
pressured and created positive turnovers. Offensively, we executed nicely having six girls score.”
Sam Ward, Sarah Tenaglio, Kennedy Reardon and Cara Golden played well for the Colonials, according to the coach.
Allison Yoder scored the lone goal for the Spartans. Meg Chandler added an assist and three ground balls. Emily Walsh contributed four ground balls and two draw controls, while Margrethe Leis made four saves.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (6-3, 4-0 SOL) takes on Hatboro-Horsham on Tuesday. Springfield Township (2-5, 0-4) will travel to Upper Dublin next Thursday.
Springfield Township 0-1 1
Plymouth-Whitemarsh 9-6 15
UPPER MORELAND 15, CHELTENHAM 7
Syd Bachmayer delivered a game-high six goals and four assists for the Golden Bears. Delaney Smith contributed five goals and four assists.
Allison Felicetti added two goals, while Kait Kelly and Jess Flanagan each added one goal.
Upper Morland’s defense, led by Mel Wittick, Cait Corr, Nicole Caliguiri and Madison Pisut, held the host Lady Panthers to three goals in the first half.
Cheyanne Grumm notched four saves in goal for Upper Moreland.
Upper Moreland (5-3, 2-2 SOL) will take on Council Rock North on Friday, and Cheltenham (4-5, 0-4) will travel to William Penn Charter on Monday.
National Conference
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 9, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 8
It was gut check time for the Titans.
With 13:11 remaining in the first half of Thursday’s showdown, senior co-captain Sarah Poli went down, grabbing her knee. Although she walked off the field unassisted, she was relegated to watching the remainder of the game from the sidelines, an ice pack taped to her knee. Poli had gotten off to a fast start – scoring two goals to propel the Titans to an early 4-0 lead.
Things only got worse when senior Tori Wigand, battling a stomach bug, joined Poli on the sidelines, also finished for the night.
“There was a lot of activity on our sidelines, lots of distractions,” South coach Janique Craig said.
The Titans rose above those distractions, turning in a gutsy performance and fighting off a resilient West squad in a battle of two of the conference’s unbeaten squads.
“I’m just so happy,” Craig said. “Everybody stepped up.”
On the other side of the field, West coach Tara Schmucker needed just two words to sum up the difference in the game.
“Draw controls,” she said.
While the Bucks won just six, the Titans controlled the draw with Kasey Dietzel (five) and Courtney Dietzel (four) accounting for nine draw controls.
“Kasey Dietzel did phenomenal on the draw and so did Courtney Dietzel – they really came up with the ball,” said Craig. “Kasey didn’t take the draw at all last year.
“We have that height with Kasey, and Courtney is quick off the line. The draw control was the key.”
A pair of goals by both Poli and Kasey Dietzel spotted the Titans a 4-0 lead, but the Bucks – with Poli and Wigand on the sidelines – used goals by Maddie Maio, Bryn Boylan (Finley Ueland assist), Dani Dundas and Ueland to knot the score with 1:55 remaining.
Back-to-back goals in the final 51 seconds by Molly Sullivan (Krysta Reading assist) and Anna Green (Kasey Dietzel assist) – filling in for Poli and Wigand – sent the Titans into halftime with a 6-4 lead.
“I have to give CB South credit – they showed up and (we) did not,” West coach Tara Schmucker said. “When you only get a third of the draw controls (six), mostly due to not moving through the ball and going after it first, it is difficult to get points on the board.
“We had moments, but we made silly mistakes and could not capitalize. In games like this, you need to execute and make each possession count. Our inexperience showed tonight.”
A goal by Maio trimmed South’s lead to one, but Courtney Taylor found the net for the Titans, and then it was Courtney Dietzel connecting on back-to-back goals to put the Titans on top 9-5 with just under 11 minutes remaining.
The Bucks didn’t go down quietly, and goals by Ueland and Dundas made it a 9-7 game with 5:11 remaining. That score stood until Ueland scored her third goal of the night with 43 seconds remaining to make it a 9-8 game. West came up with the ball after the ensuing draw but a shot for the tie missed wide, and the Titans escaped with the important win.
“It felt like a lifetime,” Courtney Dietzel said of the game’s final minutes. “I kept looking at the clock. You can’t turn it over on them because they are so good and so quick in transition
“They can get three goals in 30 seconds, I have no doubt. Finley Ueland did such a good job of getting her hands free, and you let an attacker like that get her hands free, and she just ripped it.”
Poli, Kasey Deitzel and Courtney Dietzel each had two goals. Kasey and Courtney Dietzel both had one assist. Sullivan, Taylor and Green, who also had an assist, each added a single goal.
“(The key was) keeping the intensity up and talking – we knew Sarah and Tori were a big loss, but we didn’t let that hold us back,” Kasey Dietzel said. “We just kept on encouraging each other, no negative comments.
“West is a great team, so we knew coming into this we had to be intense and give it our all. This is always a big game for us, and knowing we came out with a win – I was just so proud of the whole entire team.”
Ueland led the Bucks with a hat trick while Dundas and Maio had two each. Boylan added one goal. Ueland had two assists and Maio, one helper.
“We’ve been practicing our defense this whole week,” said Courtney Taylor, who was assigned the task of containing Boylan. “We knew Bryn (Boylan) was a huge threat and so was Finley (Ueland).
“We knew we had to get in front and talk a lot. We just kept talking, making sure we’re in help.”
Schmucker lauded the play of her defense as well.
“Meghan Darcy, Maddie Maio and Lucy Varner particularly had great defensive games,” the West coach said. “I am proud of how we came back toward the end and didn’t give up until the last second. We just need to make better decisions in those key situations and come together as a team.”
As a result of the win, the Titans are one of just two teams without a loss in conference play, and the win over West was especially sweet.
“The first two years we lost (to West), and last year we had an amazing comeback,” Courtney Dietzel said of the Titans' 14-10 win. “I remember every game so clearly. I could tell you honestly exactly what happened in every game.
“This is what we look forward to every season. It’s the biggest game. We’ve been talking about it and getting ourselves psyched but taking it one game at a time.”
Central Bucks South (7-1, 5-0 SOL) will host New Hope-Solebury in a non-league game on Monday, and Central Bucks West (6-3, 4-1) will travel to Methacton on Saturday for a non-league contest.
Central Bucks South 6-3 9
Central Bucks West 4-4 8
NORTH PENN 15, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 3
Bri O'Donnell led the Maidens with 5 goals and one assist. Chloe Novak finished with four goals and three assists, while Jenn DeLongis delivered four goals.
The Maidens, who led 4-2 at halftime, outscored the Golden Hawks 11-1 in the second half.
“We picked up our level of play the second half, spurred on by Chloe Novak scoring three goals in a row within the first three minutes,” North Penn head coach Heather Mellow said. “This lifted the rest of the team, and (they) followed her lead offensively.”
Sam Tossona delivered a goal and assist for North Penn, which led 4-2 at halftime. Kristen Varilla registered one goal, while Victoria Brauenle and Emily Suzuki contributed three and one assists, respectively.
“We got off to a very slow start,” Mellow said. “South came out ready to play and fight for the ball. They won many draws in the first half and did a nice job of keeping possession and taking time off the clock. Our shot selection was very poor the first half.”
Michelle Dyck made 14 saves for North Penn.
“Michelle Dyck once again did a great job for us in the cage,” Mellow said. Emily Keller, Neena Culleton and Hannah Inchausti each scored once for the Golden Hawks. Mary Kate Simpson, Emily Keller posted one assist. Chloe Wszolek recorded eight saves.
North Penn (6-4, 3-2 SOL) will face Pennridge on Tuesday, and C.R. South (2-6, 1-4) will travel to Archbishop Wood.
North Penn 4-11 15
Council Rock South 2-1 3
SOUDERTON 13, CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 10
Krista Schneider finished with four goals and an assist, and Leah Goodwin contributed three goals and four assists to lead the Indians to victory.
Carlie Doughty notched three goals for Souderton. Sarah Goodwin registered one goal, two assists and eight draw controls. Megan Walbrandt and Riley McGowan each had one goal and one assist.
On defense, Sophia Lynch posted three ground balls and two caused turnovers. Hannah Schmidt and Lauren Scott each recorded seven saves for the Indians, who led 10-4 at halftime.
Souderton (5-4, 5-0 SOL) takes on Gwynedd Mercy Academy on Friday, and the Patriots (4-5, 2-4) will face Spring-Ford on Monday.
Souderton 10-3 13
Central Bucks East 4-6 10
PENNRIDGE 10, PENNSBURY 9
Grace Loughery scored a team-high four goals and forced four turnovers to lead the Rams to a win in Thursday’s nail biter. Jen Rodzewich added three goals, two assists, won three draw controls and caused five turnovers.
Maddie Dachowski added three goals, one assist, two draw controls and caused one turnover. Casey Hefner contributed two draw controls and three caused turnovers.
Kate Ziegler and Miya Wagner each registered one draw control, while Hannah Cressman caused three turnovers
“After our third game in a row, I was very proud of the girls to fight till the end and come out with a win,” Pennridge head coach Karen Schnurr said. “Each day this team is learning and growing stronger. They worked together to push for the win in the last minute.”
The Rams (7-5, 3-3 SOL) take on North Penn on Tuesday, and Pennsbury (0-7, 0-5) faces Wissahickon on Saturday.
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 16, NESHAMINY 4
Devon Mela and Anna Lehman each posted three goals and three assists to pace the Indians. Megan Haggerty and Claire Jarema both also had a hat trick in a win that was a complete team effort.
Sabrina Green, Jacklyn Walstrum, Emily Booth and Anna Pizza also scored for the Council Rock North. Jacklyn Walstrum added an assist.
Margaret D’Auria registered nine saves in a winning effort in goal for the Indians.
Abby Geister and Elena Donato each scored twice for the Redskins.
Council Rock North (4-2, 4-1 SOL) travels to Upper Moreland for a non-league contest on Friday, and Neshaminy (1-6, 1-3) will be on the road at Pennsbury on Tuesday.
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