Check out the results for SOL girls’ lacrosse teams in action Friday. CR North/Pennsbury photos provided courtesy of John Gleeson. Check back for a gallery.
American Conference
ABINGTON 9, SOUDERTON 7
Early in the second half of Friday’s conference game at Souderton, the Ghosts found themselves staring at a 6-3 deficit, but falling behind clearly doesn’t faze this squad. Two days earlier, the Ghosts trailed defending American Conference champion Plymouth Whitemarsh by an identical 6-3 score at halftime. They rallied for an overtime win.
The Ghosts didn’t need overtime Friday, closing out the game with a 6-1 run that featured four goals by Sam McGee and several huge plays by Cathy Staerk.
“We were flat,” Abington coach Amanda Kammes said. “It’s been a long week. We played every other day since last Saturday, and every single one of our games (this week) has been a one or two-goal game. The result of that is we have some tired bodies.”
The Ghosts may have been tired, but they didn’t show it down the stretch after the Indians reeled off three straight goals to go on top by three at the 21:31 mark of the second half after a goal by Kate Marda. Her goal was preceded by a pair of goals from sophomore Riley McGowan – whose goal with 34 seconds remaining in the first half put the Indians on top 4-3 at the intermission.
McGowan’s goal on a rebound of a goalie save in the opening minute of the second half was followed by Marda’s goal, but then the Ghosts came alive.
Sam McGee – after coming up with the ball on the draw – scored on a free position, and it was a 6-5 game when McGee scored at the 16:06 mark on the heels of a check/takeaway on the defensive end by Cathy Staerk. Just over a minute later, McGowan connected on her fourth goal of a productive afternoon.
The Indians had an opportunity to add to that lead, but Abington goalie Claudia Grossi came up with a stop, and it was Lindsay Baer finding the net with a goal for the Ghosts that made it a 7-6 game. Souderton’s shot for the tie deflected to Grossi, and the Indians were stymied again.
“I think there’s a little bit of panic and rushed play, and it causes some turnovers sometimes,” Souderton coach Nancy Offner said. “We’re really trying to work on them calming down and keeping their composure.”
Another McGee goal knotted the scored, and the Ghosts took a lead they would not lose when Staerk – shortly after coming up with another takeaway after a check – scored with six-and-a-half minutes remaining.
“We came out here today, and Souderton wasn’t even out on the field,” Staerk said. “The mood was really bad.
“We had a really big win against (Plymouth Whitemarsh), and that hyped us up a lot, but I think we all came into this game thinking we had it in the bag, but we didn’t. I think them going ahead by three was more of a wake-up call than anything.”
McGee, who did not score in the first half, scored four goals in the final 20 of the contest.
“Just a smidge of energy really helped us there,” Kammes said. “That’s really what they needed.
“They just needed one person to spark our engine. They’re good about rallying around people. Once one person – whoever it might be that day – gets us going, we usually start rolling a little bit. When we’re firing on all cylinders, we’re a dangerous group. I can’t honestly say we’ve fired on all cylinders this year. Still looking for it.”
While the Ghosts may have caught teams by surprise last year, that isn’t the case this year.
“I think we’re still learning how to trust each other,” Abington defender Hecka Morris said. “At practice, we have to push each other harder, and we have to work harder every single time we practice because it will show in games.
“When we trust each other, we have confidence that we’re going to work for each other. Communication is a big part, and sometimes we forget. I think in the second half we really picked up our game.”
In addition to four goals, McGee also had three draw controls while Baer had three goals, one assist and one ground ball. Staerk (two caused turnovers, three draw controls) and Kaley Enhow each added a single goal. Jules Greco had an assist and one ground ball. Jordan Campbell, Becca Gable and Lauren Van Buren each added one caused turnover and one ground ball. Morris, Maddie Sjoholm and Timbers each had one ground ball while Anna Joseph had one caused turnover.
“I tell the kids this all the time – it’s going to take everybody this year,” Kammes said. “We have a much improved schedule from a year ago. I kind of loaded our schedule up, and that was purposeful so we’d be more prepared down the stretch, but that being said, if we’re going to survive to playoffs with the new rating system, it’s going to be important to have a new person step up to the plate. It’s going to take everybody.”
McGowan led the Indians with four goals and one assist. Contributing one goal each were Mardi, Carlie Doughty and Sarah Goodwin. Doughty and Megan Walbrandt each had an assist. Defensively, Julianna Borisow (two ground balls) and Kayla Moyer (two caused turnovers) led the way.
“Riley is a very good player and obviously has an incredible shot,” Offner said. “We’ve been lucky though – a lot of our attack have been able to score.
“Kate Mardi has been dead on with her shot this year. Maddie Knight has added a lot of shots, and we get a lot of power from Carlie Doughty and Sarah Goodwin, and obviously, you can’t beat Meg (Walbrandt’s) speed. Meg is a key part of our midfield play.
“Overall, I think they played really a very good game. They hung tough with an extremely good team.”
Abington goalie Claudia Grossi was credited with nine saves while her counterpart – Lauren Scott – had five saves for the Indians.
Abington (4-1, 2-0 SOL) will host North Penn on Wednesday at 7 p.m., and Souderton will travel to Lansdale Catholic for a non-league game on Saturday.
Abington 3-6 9
Souderton 4-3 7
HATBORO-HORSHAM 13, CHELTENHAM 1
For the Lady Panthers, Morgan Sloan turned away 10 shots in goal. Liza Becker accounted for the team's only goal.
National Conference
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 9, PENNSBURY 6
The Indians rebounded from a lopsided loss at Pennridge on Wednesday to earn their first conference win of the young season.
“The unspoken goal is we have to win the winnable games,” coach Krista Dayton-Ventresca said. “We had a reassessment meeting yesterday.
“The coaches talked for 10 minutes, and we left. We left it up to the seniors to have a little powwow, so they came in with a different level of intensity and a bit of a different attitude today. I think with a bit more of an appreciation for each other after they powwowed yesterday. I think that’s huge. The intangibles become really important.”
Five seniors – Anna Lehman, Megan Haggerty, Margaret D’Auria, Lauren D’Amelia and Gabby Shepherd – are in the starting lineup.
“On the field, they lead, and Claire (Jarema) is on the sidelines,” Dayton-Ventresca said. “I put a freshman (Sarah Everett) in there today to face guard number 10 (Lily Nolan). She’d never face guarded before – she barely played lacrosse before.”
And that’s where Jarema’s leadership came into play. The Bryant-bound senior, who is sidelined for the season, pulled Everett aside and gave her a crash course on face guarding before she stepped onto the field.
“Claire being there is really important,” Dayton-Ventresa said. “It’s been a really positive two days, and ultimately, that’s what I want for the girls.”
Lehman scored five goals and added two assists in another standout offensive effort, and Chloe Ondria had two goals. Haggerty added a goal and two assists, Eliana Shakt had one goal, and Anna Pizza chipped in an assist.
Nolan came up big for the Falcons, scoring four goals. Brooke Weaver added a goal and two assists, and Annie Price had one goal.
Rock North goalie Margaret D’Auria was credited with 13 saves in the win.
Council Rock North (2-4, 1-1 SOL) is off until Tuesday, April 18, when the Indians will be on the road at Springfield Township. Pennsbury (0-4, 0-2) will travel to Southern Lehigh for a non-league game on Saturday at 3 p.m.
Pennsbury 3-3 6
Council Rock North 6-3 9
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 13, UPPER MORELAND 4
Maggie Vetter had a hand in 10 of her team’s 13 goals in a glittering offensive performance in the Patriots’ SOL opener. The East senior scored six goals and assisted on four others. Riley Forman, Whitney Dietz and Brigitte Bishop added two goals each. Forman and Dietz also had an assist. Mel Burian added a single goal, and Sara Donnelly had an assist.
Lauren Maurer recorded 10 saves in a winning effort for the Patriots.
Central Bucks East (4-1, 1-0 SOL) will host Central Bucks South on Monday, and Upper Moreland (4-1, 0-1) will travel to Plymouth Whitemarsh on Monday.
Non-league
SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP 13, UPPER MERION 10
Lindsey Smith had another big game for the Spartans, finishing with four goals, one caused turnover, two ground balls and one draw control. Making Friday’s performance particularly significant was that the junior standout reached the 100-goal milestone.
“She did it in a win that we needed,” coach Maggie Canavan said. “Lindsey has been our go-to player since she was a freshman.
“She’s a natural leader, both by leading by example and by being the go-to player on the team. For her to get her 100th goal not only in a home game in our stadium in front of her family, friends and our entire team but also lead our team to a win it really needed, it was awesome. It really was awesome to watch.”
The Spartans opened up a 7-3 halftime lead over their former conference rival and never looked back.
“The key was getting the lead and keeping the lead,” Canavan said. “That’s kind of what we’ve had trouble with in the past.
“We’re showing ourselves that we can play with these teams, but we have one moment of weakness, and we can’t seem to get over that hump. Today we didn’t have to get over the hump because we kept the lead.”
Also delivering a huge performance for the Spartans was Ellie Hamilton with four goals, four assists, one caused turnover, two ground balls and three draw controls. Emily Walsh contributed three goals, three caused turnovers, four ground balls and one draw control in a standout performance at both ends of the field. Jameson Krewson added two goals and one ground ball. Sophia Perry had one caused turnover and four ground balls. Emily Giampietro had a team high five grounds balls. Hanna Grothusen added one ground ball.
Springfield goalie Emily Henry recorded seven saves in the win.
“This is my fourth year as head coach, so it’s the year where I’m the only coach they’ve had,” Canavan said. “We’ve been working so hard the past four year, and they’re having fun, they’re buying into what we’re doing, and they know the team that they are.
“They’re finally proving to themselves that – hey, we can compete with these good teams, and not only can we compete with them but we can win. As their coach, I’m so proud.”
Springfield (2-3, 0-1 SOL) will travel to Upper Dublin on Monday.
Upper Merion 3-7 10
Springfield Township 7-6 13
UPPER DUBLIN 11, PENNRIDGE 9
The Flying Cardinals were clinging to a 7-6 lead over their visitors at halftime. Not a whole lot changed in the second half as the two teams exchanged goals, but the Cardinals held on for the non-league win.
Caroline Wall’s four goals led the Cardinals, and Lindsey Schrieber had a big game with three goals, two draw controls, two ground balls and four caused turnovers. Jackie Rama continued to step up for the Cards with two goals, four assists and three draw controls. Adding single goals were Aly Breslin and Talia Nysch. Shannon Reape contributed two draw controls, four ground balls and two caused turnovers. Maddie Templeton had four ground balls, one caused turnover and one draw control while goalie Sarah Herchenroder had six saves.
For the Rams, Jen Rodzewich had a big game, scoring six goals and assisting on another. Grace Lougherty had two goals and one assist, and Maddie Dachowski had one goal and two assists.
Upper Dublin (4-2, 1-0 SOL) will host Springfield on Monday, and Pennridge (4-2, 1-0) will be on the road at Central Bucks West on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Pennridge 6-3 9
Upper Dublin 7-4 11
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 13, BISHOP SHANAHAN 5
The Bucks continued to steamroll their non-league opponents, blowing open a close game with an impressive 8-2 second half surge.
“(It was) an excellent team effort tonight,” coach Tara Schmucker said. “All around, each player made an impact and should be proud of their well-fought game and execution.”
Finley Ueland led a balanced offense with four goals and one assist. Bryn Boylan, Casey Reichwein, Dani Dundas and Maddie Maio each added a pair of goals. Boylan, Dundas and Maio also chipped in one assist. Liv Fitzgerald had a hand in four goals, scoring one and assisting on four others.
Lauren Devlin was credited with five saves in goal.
“Meghan Darcy had a solid defensive performance and had excellent 1v1 stops,” Schmucker said. “Finley Ueland had some great finishes, Casey Reichwein was stellar on the draw, Liz Fitzgerald had some pretty looks inside, Maddie Maio was a presence on both sides of he field, and I could keep going.
“It was fun to watch, and the unity was hopefully something they will carry on as we head into league play.”
Central Bucks West (6-0) will host Pennridge in its SOL opener on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Bishop Shanahan 3-2 5
Central Bucks West 5-8 13
NORTH PENN 14, LOWER MERION 5
An injury relegated Kaitlyn Phifer to cheering her team on from the sidelines in Wednesday’s one-goal loss to Central Bucks South, but she returned to the lineup with a vengeance on Friday, scoring six goals in an impressive offensive outing.
The Knights raced to a 10-1 halftime lead on their way to the no-doubt-about-it non-league win.
Bri O’Donnell added two goals and one assist, and Heather Shannon came up big with six draws to go along with two goals. Julia Keffer also added a pair of goals, and Victoria Brauenle had one goal and one assist. Kristin Varilla had one goal.
“It was a good win tonight, especially after our tough loss on Wednesday,” coach Heather Mellow said. “We came out ready to play in the first half.
“The defense played well together and did a nice job doubling the ball and letting few shots off. Heather Shannon did a great job getting us possession off the draw, and the offense played well, moving the ball and seeing the right scoring opportunities.”
North Penn (2-2, 1-1 SOL) will travel to Abington on Tuesday for a 7 p.m. contest.
Lower Merion 1-4 5
North Penn 10-4 14
METHACTON 16, PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 8
The visiting Warriors opened up a 7-4 halftime lead on their way to the non-league win.
“Methacton controlled the draw and capitalized on their offensive opportunities,” coach Ellen Reilly said. “PW worked hard and tried to fight through the adversity of having three key players out of the lineup.”
Ali Diamond led the shorthanded Colonials with three goals and two assists, and Vic Betterly added two goals and one assist. Lexi Petrakis also had a pair of goals while Sarah Putsch had one goal.
Plymouth Whitemarsh (0-5, 0-1 SOL) will host Upper Moreland on Monday.
Methacton 7-9 16
Plymouth Whitemarsh 4-4 8
Thursday, April 6
GWYNEDD MERCY 6, WISSAHICKON 5
In a tightly contested non-league match between the neighboring rivals, the Monarchs opened up a 4-2 halftime lead only to watch the Trojans rally to knot the score. The Monarchs scored the go-ahead goal with six minutes remaining.
“The Trojans worked hard, had an opportunity to tie the game but came up short,” coach Patty Kovacs said.
Emily Vervlied had a hat trick to lead the Trojans. Emily Purnell and Carolyn Wilde each had one goal. Assists came from Sam Intrieri and Kelly Dickson with one each.
Trojan goalie Kyra Myers had eight saves in goal.
Wissahickon (2-3, 1-0 SOL) will host Harriton on Saturday.
Gwynedd Mercy 4-2 6
Wissahickon 2-3 5
POTTSGROVE 11, QUAKERTOWN 8
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