Check out the preview of all 11 girls’ soccer teams in the District One 4A Tournament that begins Tuesday.
The District One 4A girls' soccer title currently resides in Neshaminy, and the SOL is looking to make it five years in a row with a champion.
Neshaminy (2013), Pennsbury (2014), Central Bucks East (2015) and Neshaminy again (2016) have represented the league as champions of the largest classification the last four seasons. Last season, three of the five District One teams to make the state tournament were from the SOL.
Once again, SOL teams populate the bracket, with 11 of the 24 teams in AAAA coming from the Continental, National and American conferences. Just like last year, when Pennsbury earned the top spot, an SOL team is the No. 1 overall seed.
Pennridge, last year's district runner-up, is on the top line of the bracket despite doing it with a practically brand new starting lineup and unit of reserves. Joining the Rams as teams with first-round byes are Central Bucks South, Pennsbury, Council Rock South and Souderton.
No. 1 Pennridge (First round bye)
It's almost an entirely new group of Rams, but Pennridge didn't miss a step this fall, repeating as SOL Continental champions and earning the top overall seed for the district tournament. Pennridge enters on a six-match winning streak and is unbeaten in its last seven. The Rams swept two matches with Souderton this season, drew CB South and won once and drew once with CB East.
Pennridge is a solid group across the board with a handful of players who played key roles on last year's district runner-up side.
- 13-2-2 overall
- 8-2-2 SOL Continental conference champion
- Regular season wins over No. 7 Souderton (1-0 Sept. 14, 1-0 Oct. 10), draw with No. 8 CB South (0-0 Sept. 8), win over No. 11 CB East (2-1 Sept. 12), draw with No. 11 CB East (0-0 Oct. 6), win over No. 17 Quakertown (5-0 Sept. 29), win over No. 18 William Tennent (5-1 Oct. 16)
- Junior keeper Mary Kate Levush and senior center back Courtney Supp anchor a stout defense that has allowed just six goals all season. Levush and Supp were both starters on last year's playoff run.
- Junior forward Abby Groff has emerged as the team's leading scorer with freshman Lindsey DeHaven a strong complement.
- The midfield is anchored by senior Caroline Thomson and juniors Ashley Groeber and Nicolette Harrison. When the Rams connect passes in the middle, they're a much more fluid team.
- Will face winner of No. 17 Quakertown and No. 16 West Chester Henderson on Thursday.
No. 17 Quakertown at No. 16 West Chester Henderson
Quakertown PanthersThe Panthers didn't repeat as SOL American champions but still put together a solid season, thanks to a versatile and relentless squad. Quakertown was again tough defensively in front of excellent keeper Morgan Small and has a dynamic attack well-versed in combining off each other.
- 13-5-0 overall
- 11-3-0 SOL American, runner-up
- Wins over No. 23 Plymouth Whitemarsh (3-1 Sept. 28, 1-0 Oct. 18)
- Keeper Morgan Small plays much bigger than her height, coming up with at least one highlight seemingly every match. When she's totally locked in, she can keep the Panthers in any match.
- Haley Pursel and Ashley Gluck have formed a potent 1-2 punch offensively, often assisting each other's scores.
- Katie Moyer, Kyra Handel and Haley Hangey are solid contributors in the midfield. Becah Fox, Melina Jagiello and Sam Barkholz anchor the defensive unit.
West Chester Henderson Warriors
Henderson captured its second straight Ches-Mont National title despite a decent amount of turnover from last season. A strong finish to the season allowed the Warriors to nab the number 16 seed and the final home game of the first round.
- 10-3-0 Ches-Mont National
- Seniors Shannon Earley, Julia Wood and Dayla Jackson, along with sophomore Kate Gordon lead Henderson's attack
- Sara Lieffrig, also a senior, is an excellent goalkeeper and one of the team's captains.
No. 8 Central Bucks South (First round bye)
The Titans earned a first-round bye for the second straight season as they try for a third consecutive appearance in the state tournament. South finished third in the highly-competitive Continental Conference and enters the postseason with a battle-tested core of seniors. A strong defensive side with some quality attackers and midfielders, the Titans are a very well-rounded squad.
- 11-4-3 overall
- 7-3-2 SOL Continental, third place
- Wins over No. 1 Pennridge (1-0 Oct. 4), No. 11 Central Bucks East (1-0 Oct. 18), No. 18 William Tennent (2-1 Sept. 18, 1-0 Oct. 10), draws with No. 11 Central Bucks East (1-1 Sept. 28), District I AAA No. 1 Villa Joseph Marie (1-1 Sept. 11)
- Senior Aleksa Peev established herself as one of the top attackers in all of Suburban One with a stellar season. Strong, fast and clinical, she's a handful for any defense she goes up against.
- South's defense is anchored by Margot Centofanti, Morgan Hilton and Mackenzie Edwards, who have played firm in front of first-year starting keeper Maddie McShane.
- Mackenzie Ehresman, Brooke Steigerwalt, Chelsea Nicholls and Grace Tecce form the core of a midfield unit that can both keep possession and take advantage of opportunities to score goals.
- Faces winner of No. 9 Spring-Ford and No. 24 Harriton on Thursday.
No. 21 Strath Haven at No. 12 Neshaminy
NeshaminyFew teams enter the playoffs on a bigger upswing than Neshaminy, winners of seven out of eight matches in October. The defending district champions are playing tremendous team soccer, relying on all 11 starters and a handful of reserves to top teams as a unit. Most of the players who helped Neshaminy surge up the rankings the last few weeks were key cogs on last year's title team.
- 12-5-1 overall
- 8-3-1 SOL National, third place
- Wins over No. 6 Council Rock South (1-0 Oct. 18), No. 8 Central Bucks South (2-1 Sept. 25), PCL No. 4 Archbishop Wood (3-0 Oct. 14)
- Goalkeeper Riley Spingler backs up a tough defense headed by Nicole Palmer, Genna Obringer and Hannah Stonkus.
- Service specialist Jackie Ziegler leads a midfield unit capable of spreading the ball around, setting up chances and chipping in goals when needed. Michaela Boyd, Brianna Tobin, Emily Tantala and Gina Sexton also see plenty of time in midfield.
- Brooke Mullin and Kristin Curely provide the punch up top, and both can beat defenses in more than one way.
- Winner faces No. 5 Conestoga on Thursday.
Strath Haven Panthers
The Central League side is very reliant on underclassmen, but they're very talented underclassmen. Strath Haven lost a talisman player in Lizzie King but gained a well-structured group that's probably played above some expectations.
- 11-7-0 overall
- 7-4-0 Central League
- Senior Liz DeCarlo is both a talented defender and an expert set-piece taker. Her corner kicks led to a number of goals this season. She's also the leader of a rebuilt but improved back line.
- Ellie Malek and Maggie Forbes, two freshman, control the central midfield.
- Sophomore Naomi Dickey is among the crop of underclassmen playing main attacking roles for the Panthers.
No. 18 William Tennent at No. 15 Haverford
William Tennent PanthersAfter a two-year absence, the Panthers are back in the postseason. Led by an experienced senior core and spliced with some talented underclassmen, Tennent earned some impressive results during the season. Playing an SOL Continental schedule should have this team ready for anything it might face in the playoffs.
- 10-7-0 overall
- 5-7-0 SOL Continental, fifth place
- Wins over No. 1 Pennridge (3-2 Sept. 26), No. 21 Strath Haven (1-0 Sept. 20), No. 11 Central Bucks East (2-1 Sept. 19)
- Seniors Brianna Broccardi (defense), Nikki Reh (midfield) and Ashley Rivera (forward) are holdovers from Tennent's last playoff team and the leaders for the team.
- Juniors Jessica Jara and Emily Vickalitis split time in goal during the season.
- Junior Jenna Rodebaugh, sophomores Olivia Miller, Danielle Scott and Liz Layer and freshman Carolie Weir and Gabrielle Sowers have all been pivotal players for the Panthers.
Haverford Fords
The Fords had a solid season playing in the Central League, losing just 1-0 to league champion Conestoga and picking up a couple of wins over some other postseason qualifiers.
- 11-4-3 overall
- 7-3-1 Central League
- Wins over No. 23 Plymouth Whitemarsh (3-1 Sept. 1), No. 20 Lower Merion (3-0 Sept. 7), draw with No. 16 West Chester Henderson (3-3 Sept. 15), win vs No. 21 Strath Haven (1-0 Oct. 5)
No. 7 Souderton Indians (First round bye)
The Indians have improved their win total every year for the last four seasons and this year, accomplished their preseason goal of sitting out the first round. Still a defensively sound team, Souderton's offense proved it could be just as much of a defining aspect. With a core group of seniors who have been there for every step of the rebuild, their goal is to get at least their first postseason win.
- 14-4-0 overall
- 8-4-0 SOL Continental, second place
- Wins over No. 8 CB South (4-3 Sept. 7, 2-1 Oct. 2), No. 18 William Tennent (5-1 Sept. 28, 1-0 Oct. 18), No. 15 Haverford (3-0 Oct. 20)
- Seniors Cara McCausland and Tori Dowd along with junior Allie Trick form an extremely dangerous front line, mixing speed and technical skill to create and finish goal-scoring opportunities.
- The midfield is led by seniors Bre DiRenzi, Hannah Croll and Taylor Moritz and junior Sara Readinger controls the flow of the game from her center midfield spot.
- Junior Lindsey Pazdziorko had a solid season in goal as part of a new-look defensive unit. Campbell Power provided plenty of dangerous service from the left side while Kailee Harwick, Hannah Kramer and Aliea Kramer.
- Souderton proved its depth by winning four matches in the final week of the regular season, with two going overtime.
- Faces winner of No. 10 Upper Dublin and No. 23 Plymouth Whitemarsh on Thursday
No. 23 Plymouth Whitemarsh at No. 10 Upper Dublin
Upper Dublin Flying CardinalsThe Cardinals put together a perfect SOL American season and have just one loss on the year as they just missed out on a first-round bye. Coach John Topper and his group were more than happy to settle for a home game, where their defense has been excellent. Midfielder Tina Haig has been one of the top players in the entire SOL and will look to impose herself on the postseason. UD has been a technically sound side all season and stepped out of the conference to prepare itself.
- 15-1-2 overall
- 14-0-0 SOL American, conference champion
- Wins over No. 23 Plymouth Whitemarsh (5-0 Sept. 14, 2-0 Oct. 10), No. 17 Quakertown (2-1 Sept. 8, 2-1 Oct. 4), draw with No. 5 Conestoga (0-0 Sept. 1), draw with No. 11 Central Bucks East (1-1 Oct. 20)
- Veteran defense led by senior keeper Devon Jones, senior Erin O'Brien, juniors Sascha Keitz and Katie King and sophomore Laura Pendleton has allowed just 11 goals all season.
- Midfield led by standout junior Tina Haig, who has been a scoring machine all season. Aidan Hopkins and Lexi Moss provide defense and possession in center midfield with seniors Tori Hoffner and Lindsey Schreiber give speed and service on flanks.
- Junior Emily Booth has grown more confident at striker, with Molly Pappalardo providing size and hustle off bench. Caroline Wall, Kaitlyn Brown and Karolina Bocul are key reserves as well.
Plymouth Whitemarsh Colonials
It was a few tense days of waiting, but the Colonials snared a postseason bid in coach Ryan Zehren's second season. A tough, hard-working and athletic group, PW drew a foe it knows very well in Upper Dublin. While the Cardinals won both regular season meetings, anything can happen in the playoffs. Both teams know each other well, so a close game should be expected.
- 12-6-0 overall record
- 9-5-0 SOL American
- Win over No. 20 Lower Merion (2-1 Sept. 23)
- Target forward Alyse Caffrey is the focal point for the offense, a consistent scorer who also found her assisting foot as the season went on.
- Three-sport athletes Ali Diamond, Victoria Betterly and Haley Zygmunt embody the team's relentless and determined style.
- Sarah Putsch, Catie Branscome, Ani Shula and Emily Rosenberger have played well in the midfield for PW. Ava Schreiber and Bella McNew help anchor the young but tough-minded defense.
- Freshman keeper Devon Skiles made some crucial saves in big matches late in the season
No. 3 Pennsbury Falcons (First round bye)
For the fourth year in a row, the Falcons enter the postseason on the heels of an SOL National title. They know was well as anyone however, that regular season accomplishments count for nothing once the first whistle blows in a postseason game. Still, this is a veteran group led by some very talented seniors who want to make states in their last playoff run.
- 15-1-2 overall
- 10-1-1 SOL National, co-champion
- Senior goalkeeper Kerry Phillips and central defender Hope Drewes anchor the back end, with the defense conceding just seven goals all season.
- Outside midfielders Jenna Peters and Dani Cady excel at challenging defenders and winning corner kicks or putting in crosses for finishes. Senior Lizzy Kirk is a pace-setting center midfielder.
- Junior Christina Cataldo-Smith and sophomores Evie Ciaccia and Gabby Zalot have shown poise and composure in front of goal, scoring a number of game-winning or critical goals.
- Will face the winner of No. 14 Downingtown East and No. 19 Great Valley on Thursday.
No. 6 Council Rock South Golden Hawks (First-round bye)
A dream regular season handed the Golden Hawks a first-round bye and a share of the SOL National title. Now the team's nine seniors will look to keep the vibe rolling as they chase a district title and one of the five state playoff spots available. South is strong in each third of the field and is thoroughly tested as the postseason begins.
- 15-2-1 overall
- 10-1-1 SOL National, co-champion
- Wins over No. 3 Pennsbury (2-0 Sept. 19), No. 12 Neshaminy (2-0 Sept. 27), AAA No. 1 Villa Joseph Marie (2-0 Oct. 13), draw with No. 3 Pennsbury (0-0 Oct. 12)
- Kiera Flanagan and Julie Rebh pace South's attacking unit. Rebh in particular has had a great season but she and Flanagan often set each other up for scores.
- Sammy Jones leads a dynamic and versatile midfield unit with Paige Mikula always finding herself around the ball. Emma Jones, Jordi Rubkah and Sierra Tarantino have also been involved in plenty of action all over the field.
- Grace O'Kane, Callie Deola, Emily Kavash and Carley Hickey are a stout back line playing front of a strong keeper in Emily Helmich.
- Face winner of No. 22 Downingtown West at No. 11 Central Bucks East on Thursday.
No. 22 Downingtown West at No. 11 Central Bucks East
Central Bucks East Patriots
East has struggled at times scoring this season, but their pressure and defensive intensity make sure they're in every match. The Patriots don't often concede goals and almost never give up more than one. This is a tested group that knows what it takes to advance in the postseason.
- 8-5-5 overall
- 5-4-3 SOL Continental
- Draw with No. 3 Pennsbury (0-0 Sept. 1), Wins over No. 7 Souderton (3-0 Sept. 8, 1-0 Oct. 4), draw with No. 1 Pennridge (0-0 Oct. 6), draw with No. 8 Central Bucks South (1-1 Sept. 28), Win over No. 16 West Chester-Henderson (2-0 Sept. 9), draw with No. 10 Upper Dublin (1-1 Oct. 20), win over No. 18 William Tennent (1-0 Oct. 12)
- Kristen Obetz has played fantastic in goal for East, posting 10 shutouts and never allowing more than two goals in a single match.
- Marissa Plack, Ashley Balderson, Katie Bloom and Brooke Zarzycki make up a tough back line that works well with Obetz.
- Julie Beedle and Delany Kennedy have been excellent in applying East's trademark pressure, defending opposing players and creating scoring chances. Kennedy has also scored some crucial goals this season.
- Kate Schlotter and Ali Hamilton are dangerous up top. Izzy Hunter is a hard-working midfielder, as is converted back Ali Lapoli.
Downingtown West Whippets
- 8-5-0 Ches-Mont National
- Win over No. 6 Council Rock South (1-0 Oct. 10)
- Lily Kuciapinski, Nacera Gomaa and Sammie Sipes make up the core of Downingtown West's attacking group.
- Kayla Detruex and Manali Zoe have both seen plenty of time in goal for the Whippets.
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