Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ lacrosse teams in action Monday. CR North/Neshaminy photos provided courtesy of John Gleeson. Check back for a gallery of photos: https://solsports.zenfolio.com/f900124885
National Conference
Pennsbury 12, Central Bucks East 11 (OT)
Mia Popovich scored her third goal of the game with 2:08 remaining in overtime to lift Pennsbury to a thrilling 12-11 victory over Central Bucks East in Monday’s National Conference showdown.
While the Falcons – who took a 5-3 lead into halftime – led for much of the game, they couldn’t pull away, and the Patriots pulled even with less than three minutes left to force the extra frame.
“East came out strong, and they were hungry the whole game,” said Pennsbury coach Marguerite Piccolo. “They tied with 2:43 left in regulation.”
Sasha Dobos and Grace Holmes joined Popovich with three goals each. Lily Abraham scored one goal and dished out three assists, Rylie Borgman scored once and assisted on another, and Angelina Kenney added one goal.
“Pennsbury is a great team and have some very talented players,” said East coach Maggie Stella. “At the end of the game, they got the last draw, went down the field, and scored off a free position. They consistently held the lead, and I hope as my team grows and develops, they will remember this game, and continue to match its intensity.”
Paige Dougherty led the Patriots with four goals. Paige Keller scored a hat trick and had five draw controls and one caused turnover, Natalie Berndt netted two goals and also added three draw controls and 2 caused turnovers, Cece Hayes had a goal, two assists, and one caused turnover, and McKenna Lynch scored once.
Doughtery and Nicolette Sattefield each had three caused turnovers, Avery Stephenson had two draw controls and two caused turnovers, Kayla Matlack had one caused turnover and one draw control, and Megan Fahey and Bella DeHaven each registered one one caused turnover.
Abby DiAmico made 6 saves for the Patriots.
“It was a game you live for in sports, competitive and full of energy,” Stella said. “My team was on point tonight, connecting with passing, moving with efficiency, and working as a unit. I know the outcome was not what we had hoped for, but I am so proud to be their coach. Our defensive unit with Nicolette Satterfield, Bella DeHaven, Kayla Matlack, Avery Stephenson, Cece Hayes, and Abby DiAmico were a united front tonight. We have been working on our 1v1 defense and crashing hard, and tonight that hard work paid off.
“Our attack was patient and handling the pressure well. Amanda Ries, Emma Weisel, McKenna Lynch, Brooke Breen, Megan Fahey, and Cece Hayes were staying patient, moving the ball, and taking hard shots. In the midfield, Natalie Berndt, Paige Dougherty, Paige Keller, and Avery Stephenson were hustling for the ground balls off of the draw, showing a lot of grit and intensity.”
The Falcons improve to 6-1 in National Conference play, 9-5-1 overall. They will visit Bensalem at 3:30 pm Wednesday. East moves to 4-3, 7-6, and will host conference frontrunner Pennridge at 5 pm Wednesday.
Pennsbury 2-3-4-2-1 12
Central Bucks East 1-2-4-4-0 11
Pennridge 21, Central Bucks South 10
Ava Fantaskey scored the 100th goal of her varsity career as part of a five-goal effort, and a high-scoring Pennridge squad rolled to a 21-10 victory over Central Bucks South in Monday’s National Conference game.
“Ava is a fierce competitor and a true athlete,” said Rams’ coach Karen Feher. “She works harder than anyone on the field and truly loves the game of lacrosse. Her 100th goal was a full team effort and shows her incredible lacrosse talent.”
The night also included a celebration of the team’s five seniors – Fantaskey, Kate Unzicker, Kendall Posey, Jordan Feder and Caolin Carickhohoff.
Fantaskey also had five caused turnovers, scooped up three ground balls, and earned four draw controls to cap off her impressive milestone game.
Kate Unzicker also had a five-goal game for the Rams as well as one assist, one caused turnover, one ground ball, and three draw controls. Madigan Posey finished with four goals, two assists, and one caused turnover. Kendall Posey had two goals, one assist, one ground ball, and two draw controls, Jordan Feder and Cayla Wurz each chipped in with two goals, Taylor Burkett had four helpers and one ground ball, and Leah Verespy picked up three assists, two ground balls, and four draw controls.
The Rams also received strong efforts from Delaney Dodge (1 CTO), Aubrey Bailey (1 GB), Abigail Keller (1 CTO), and Makena Charles (2 CTO).
Pennridge remains unbeaten in National Conference play at 6-0 (10-3 overall), and will square off against Central Bucks East on the road at 5 pm Wednesday. Central Bucks South falls to 3-4, 5-9, and will host North Penn at 7 pm Wednesday.
Council Rock North 21, Neshaminy 3
(Submitted by Council Rock North girls’ lacrosse)
In a game where the field temperature may have touched 100 degrees at game time, Council Rock North beat Neshaminy 21-3.
Sophomore standout Olivia Esposito, whose remarkable performances left an indelible mark on the game, showcased her scoring prowess with three goals and two assists while also making significant contributions on defense with two ground balls and an impressive six draw controls. Meanwhile, Cat McBride’s four goals and two assists coupled with her relentless play in midfield, where she secured seven draw controls and a ground ball. Additionally, sophomore Gabby Mann bolstered the offensive attack with three goals of her own.
Senior captains Julie Ondrie and Charlotte Ondrie contributed significantly to their team’s success. Julie’s playmaking ability was on full display with two goals and three assists, while also making notable defensive contributions with two ground balls. Charlotte’s versatility shone through with two goals, three assists, and stellar defensive efforts, tallying three ground balls and two draw controls.
Senior captain Maddy Mela continued her commendable season with two goals, while senior captain Liza McBride dominated the draw control department, seizing an impressive 18 of 28 draw controls.
Freshman standout Ellie Carney highlighted her potential once again with two goals, an assist, and commendable performances on both ends of the field, securing two ground balls and two draw controls. Junior Lilly Brand added to the scoring frenzy with two goals. Completing the scoring for North was senior Taylor Deppi, who netted a well-timed goal of her own.
Defensively, Council Rock North’s performance was anchored by players such as Kiely Lyons and Addison Deppi, each securing two ground balls.
Lucy Carney allowed just three goals on 17 shots to earn the win in the cage.
North improves to 5-1 in National Conference play, 8-2 overall) and will have its annual showdown against Council Rock South at home at 6 pm Wednesday. Neshaminy falls to 0-6, 2-12, and will visit Central Bucks West on Wednesday.
Bensalem 14, Souderton 9
Lexi Ryan’s five-goal effort propelled the visiting Owls to a road win over the Indians. The two teams – both looking for their first conference win – were deadlocked at 6 at halftime, but the Owls owned the second half, outscoring their hosts 8-3.
In addition to Ryan, Carmen DeCaro had four goals and one assist in a five-point game, and Julia Iebig had a hat trick. Sarah O’Neil had a pair of goals, and Kaila DeWees contributed eight draw controls.
For the Indians, Avery Farina’s four-point game with three goals and one assist led the way. Anah Petrovich added two goals and an assist, and Caroline Kelcy had one goal, one assist and six draw controls. Adding one goal each were Ella Longacre, Abby Quinn and Carly Gavetti. Addie Yost contributed an assist and two drawl controls. Nicole Kleckner recorded six saves in goal.
Bensalem (6-6, 1-6 SOL) will host Pennsbury on Wednesday, and Souderton (5-9, 0-8) will travel to Hatboro-Horsham for a non-league game.
Bensalem 6-8 14
Souderton 6-3 9
Central Bucks West 11, North Penn 5
American Conference
Plymouth Whitemarsh 7, Springfield Twp 6
Maite Jayo scored what might have been the most important goal of her high school career.
With Plymouth Whitemarsh trailing host Springfield Twp 6-5 late in Monday’s American Conference showdown, Jayo netted her third goal of the game with about two minutes left in regulation to tie the score.
Less than two minutes later, the sophomore standout scored an even bigger goal.
“Springfield got the draw and our defense came up big on a turnover,” said PW coach Ellen Reilly. “We possessed the ball for the remainder of the game, getting a drive that led to an 8-meter for Maite. She put it in the net. On the ensuing draw we gained possession but lost it in transition with 6 seconds left. Springfield made an attempt but we held strong.”
As a result, the Colonials pulled out a remarkable 7-6 victory, dealing Springfield its first league loss of the season and reigniting the battle for the top spot in the conference.
“We were down 6-4 in the fourth quarter,” Reilly said. “We kept working and showed a lot of heart and toughness. They took it one goal at a time, they gritted it out.”
Dealing not only with a powerhouse Spartans team but also the first oppressively hot day of the spring, PW went deep into its bench and received key contributions from up and down the roster.
“I used 17 girls trying to give individuals a rest after they exerted and pushed themselves,” Reilly said. “This was a great team win. Several of my young players really stepped up. Under pressure they maintained composure and worked through things – freshmen Grace Kerns, Sophia Nagle, and Katie Guarino, and sophomores Maite and Kaiane Jayo, Liv Budin, Mia Baron, Keira Whelan, and our goalie Addi Stein.
“We were anchored by our upperclassmen on both ends of the field – Soph Gartland, Liv Reilly, Liv Eaton, and Meghan Wendler on offense and Katie Lukens, Kaylin Smyth, Gianna Clark, and Bri Reynolds on defense.”
In addition to Jayo’s four goals, Sophia Gartland scored a pair, Meghan Wendler added one goal, and Kaiane Jayo had one assist.
Stein made 8 saves to earn the win.
Her counterpart for the Spartans, Tess Talbot made 9 saves on the day. Amelia Price finished with two goals and one assist, Sam McDevitt had a goal and two assists, Frankie Rizzo and Fiona Rizzo each had a goal and an assist, Emma Yoder scored once, and Maddie McDevitt registered one assist.
“Their defense was really good and stopped our dodges from the top,” said Springfield coach Marissa Conover. “We had a lot of shots but not many translated into goals that we needed to be able to win a tight game, and PW edged us out in the end. We weren’t able to capitalize on our shots.
“We got a fantastic game from Amelia Price, and Adrianna Demers, and Julia Guicheteau stood out on defense.”
The Colonials improve to 5-3 in American Conference play, 9-3 overall and will look to build upon their huge win when they host Quakertown at 3:30 pm Wednesday. Springfield moves to 7-1, 9-4, and will aim to get back into the win column at 3:30 pm Wednesday at New Hope-Solebury.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 2-1-0-4 7
Springfield Twp 3-1-0-2 6
Upper Dublin 14, Lower Moreland 2
(Check back for a follow-up feature about UD coach Dee Cross and her milestone win)
Upper Dublin picked up a huge win on Monday for so many reasons.
Not only did the Cardinals roll to a 14-2 victory over Lower Moreland, they also moved back into a tie atop the American Conference standings at 7-1 (13-1 overall).
But there was even more meaning to the victory. The Cardinals celebrated Senior Night on Monday, earning a win to honor the team’s seven seniors – Ella Lyon, Paige Dinkel, Erin Darcy, Josie Ungaro, Olivia Vitella, Taylor Williams, and Mads McManus.
“This group of seniors have been tremendous all year,” said Cardinals’ coach Dee Cross. “They are leaders and have pushed the girls to get better every day. It was nice to celebrate them with their families and recognize their four years of dedication to this program and how hard they have worked. They will truly be missed next year.”
And while the Cardinals honored their seniors before the game, they also honored their coach once they secured the victory.
The Cardinals provided Cross with the 300th victory of her illustrious coaching career. Cross picked up 90 wins in her 13 years coaching Abington’s girls’ lacrosse team and is in her 16th season at the helm of the Cardinals’ program, where she’s racked up 210 more victories.
Paige Dinkel scored four goals to lead the Cardinals, who also received a four-point game from Bridget DiMartile (3 G, 1A). Anna DiMartile scored twice and had five draw controls, Ella Lyon had a goal and an assist while Lily Buckius, Mads McManus, Abby O’Meara, and Taylor Williams each chipped in with one goal, and Ava Shohen had one assist.
“We were able to jump out to an early lead,” said Cross, whose squad led 8-0 after one quarter. “The defense played as a unit and we were able to push transition to get some fast-break goals. It was a great night to celebrate the seniors.”
Erin Darcy made 4 saves to earn the victory for the Cardinals, who will visit Hatboro-Horsham at 7 pm Wednesday.
Lower Moreland (1-7, 7-7) will host William Tennent at 6 pm Wednesday.
Upper Dublin 8-3-2-1 14
Lower Moreland 0-1-0-1 2
Wissahickon 18, Abington 13
Alexa McCabe is the type of player whose efforts elevate those around her.
She’s also pretty adept at finding the back of the net.
The skills and attributes that make McCabe such a stellar player were on display in Monday’s American Conference game against Abington, where McCabe scored a game-high seven goals and added one assist and one ground ball to power Wissahickon to an 18-13 victory.
“Alexa McCabe played her heart out,” said Wissahickon coach Chuck Wurzbach. “The entire team loves her as a teammate and they feed off of her energy.
“We lost a tough game to Abington last year (in OT) and I know the team was looking forward to tonight. We took a 3-0 lead to start the game and from there the momentum seem to shift back and forth. In the fourth quarter, the team was able to make some key stops, survive the Abington re-defend, and extend the lead a bit. It was a complete team effort.”
Sam Farno scored four goals and had one draw control for the Trojans, Emma Greenberg provided three goals, two draw controls, one interception, and 1 caused turnover. Nora Ryan had a goal and three draw controls, Sophia Stehlik contributed one goal, one caused turnover, and two draw controls. Lila Marciniak had a goal and a caused turnover, and Maddie Radell added one goal.
Tatum Ruhren made four saves to earn the win in the cage for the Trojans.
Piper McGinley led Abington with a six-point effort on four goals, two assists, two caused turnovers, four ground balls, and two draw controls. Nora Luskin had a five-point game with three goals, two assists, and two ground balls.
The Ghosts also received strong efforts from Katie Pennekamp (2 goals, 1 CTO, 5 GB, 3 DC), Erin Ely (1 goal, 1 CTO), Addison Doyle (1 goal, 4 GB), Carly Hughes (1 goal, 2 assists, 3 CTO, 1 GB, 2 DC), Harper McGinley (1 goal, 2 assists, 2 GB, 6 DC), and Abby Ellner (1 assist, 1 GB). Jocelyn Pollock had two caused turnovers and 2 ground balls for Abington, while Olivia Capps recorded five draw controls.
Jadyn Bagby made 11 saves in goal for Abington.
Wissahickon improves to 7-2 in what has once again become a four-team battle for the top of the American Conference (11-3-1). The Trojans will travel to Cheltenham for a league game at 3:30 pm Wednesday. Abington falls to 5-3, 8-5, and will host Upper Moreland at 3:45 pm Wednesday.
Wissahickon 9-9 18
Abington 6-7 13
Quakertown 15, Cheltenham 4
The Panthers celebrated the team’s five seniors with a decisive Senior Night win.
“We celebrated five amazing players – Maria Wehmeyer, Ciara Mory, Keira Shaw, Addyson Davis, and Mackenzie Clayton,” Quakertown coach Taylor O’Brien said. “Each one of the seniors has grown tremendously over their last season and have all contributed in their own way.
“Maria Wehmeyer scored a goal and scooped up 5 ground balls. Keira Shaw came in clutch with 3 caused turnovers and 2 ground balls. Ciara Mory had 2 goals, 2 caused turnovers, and 6 ground balls. Addyson Davis and Kenzie Clayton are both anchors on the defensive end where they contributed efforts to hold Cheltenham to 4 goals.”
Also contributing were Molly Kowalski (1 goal, 4 gb), Kayla Glaeser (1 goal, 5 gb, 4 draw controls), Maddie Taylor (1 goal, 1 CTO, 1 gb, 3 draw controls), Casey Rosenberger (3 goals, 1 CTO, 1 gb, 3 draw controls), Katelyn Landis (1 goal, 1 CTO, 2 gb), Sunny Draper (5 goals, 3 gb, 3 draw controls), Cass Landis (1 assist) and Cass Lamont (6 saves).
Quakertown (4-11, 2-8 SOL) will travel to Plymouth Whitemarsh on Wednesday, and Cheltenham (3-10, 2-6) will host Wissahickon Wednesday.
Upper Moreland 13, Hatboro-Horsham 4
The Golden Bears celebrated Senior Night with a convincing win over the visiting Hatters.
“Tonight we celebrated our five seniors – Willow Taylor, Cambrie Richmond, Maggie Morrow, Olivia Meakim, and Molly Meakim,” UM coach Kim Frantz said. “All five had a part in at least one goal tonight which was very exciting. All 5 seniors have been starters this season and will be greatly missed next year, but they know their job is not done yet – we have a lot of work ahead of us.
“Molly and Olivia connected their cousin’s connection to start off the game with a goal scored by Molly from Olivia. Their connection on the field is really fun to see. Willow Taylor, our workhorse in the midfield had stats across the board which caused turnovers in the midfield and on defense and 2 goals and 3 assists. Maggie Morrow was able to connect on 2 goals and 1 assist. Cambrie Richmond, normally the heart of our defense, was also able to connect on a goal today.”
Annalise Messina led a balanced attack with three goals and three draw controls while Willow Taylor had two goals, three assists and three draw controls. Olivia Meakim had two goals and one assists while Molly Meakim handed our four assists and also had one goal. Maggie Morrow contributed two goals and one assist, and Keira Hess had one goal, two assists and four draw controls. Cambrie Richmond and Madeline Cox both had one goal, and contributing one draw control each were Leah King, Avery Adamski and Keiley Hawl.
UM goalie Addi Hurley recorded seven saves.
“Freshmen Keiley Hawk had an outstanding game today and did a great job causing turnovers in the midfield,” Frantz said. “Hatboro played with a lot of heart and was tough on defense. They played hard until the last second of the game.
“Our defense was strong and was able to really stay connected with each other to make Hatboro work hard for each goal.”
Upper Moreland (12-2, 7-1 SOL) will travel to Abington on Wednesday, and Hatboro-Horsham (3-10, 3-5) will host Upper Dublin on Wednesday.
New Hope-Solebury 19, William Tennent 1
Maddie Thistlewaite scored four goals in the first period as New Hope-Solebury jumped out to a 9-1 lead after one quarter and cruised to a 19-1 victory over William Tennent on Monday.
Hailey Castellano tallied four goals for the Lions. Mia Patino scored two goals and had two assists, while Rylee Logston and Jamie Gugger each added a pair.
New Hope-Solebury improves to 2-5 in American Conference play, 6-7 overall. The Lions will host Springfield Twp at 3:30 pm Wednesday. Tennent falls to 0-7, 0-9, and will visit Lower Moreland at 6 pm Wednesday.
New Hope-Solebury 9-7-1-2 19
William Tennent 1-0-0-1 1
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