Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ soccer teams in action in the District 1 Tournament. (CB South photos provided courtesy of Mike Tait/CB South soccer)
Class 4A
No. 16 Council Rock South 1 (5), No. 17 Springfield Delco 1 (4) (2 OT/Shootout)
Council Rock South coach Nick Heim certainly ran the full gauntlet of emotions on Tuesday.
The Golden Hawks found themselves matched up with Springfield Delco for a second straight season in the 16-17 matchup. While this year’s game was in Bucks County as opposed to last year’s battle in Delco, it managed to up the intensity.
“I thought we had great energy tonight and made the last home game for this senior class a memorable one,” Heim said.
Things didn’t start great for the hosts as Cougars standout sophomore Mia Gutowksi made the most of the one chance she got for a 1-0 halftime lead. Undaunted, the Golden Hawks rallied and scrapped their way to an equalizer.
After a couple stressful overtimes, the teams were forced to settle things from the spot, with CR South’s Kait Hickey netting the winning kick after some heroics from keeper Ella Mayberry in the previous round.
Scoring Summary
1st Half
SD – Mia Gutowski
2nd Half
CRS – Lylah Day (Kate Deal)
Overtime 1
No scoring
Overtime 2
No Scoring
CR South coach Nick Heim on the team’s standouts: “Gianna Kirlin was dynamic for us and our backs did a great job of getting us forward. Ella had the massive save in the shootout, but her dominant play on set pieces continued for us. I think the team would agree the player of the match was Brianna Howard. She was man-marking probably the best player we’ve seen all year for 100 of the 110 minutes and was smothering. Those around her like Kate Deal and Krissy Philip did a solid job of doubling to try to eliminate threats.”
Cougars catalyst strikes first: “We felt like we had a pretty good scout on them but their engine, Mia Gutowski is an absolute game-changer, so we were aware of her threat. We created a lot of opportunities in our offensive end early but couldn’t really get the cleanest look on frame. We had one miscue and Gutowski made us pay and we trailed 1-0 at the half.”
Hawks pull even: “We reiterated some points at half and came out looking dangerous. We probably had 20 shots on goal in the second half, but it wasn’t until a Kate Deal corner bounced around a bit and Lylah Day tucked one home to even the score. We continued to look dangerous, but it went to OT.”
Surviving OT: “In the first OT I thought we deviated from our game plan a bit and to probably my own fault, played a bit too defensive. The second OT looked much more dangerous, but it headed to penalties.”
Stressful shootout: “We exchanged some makes and Ella Mayberry came up with a big save for us to even the score. Kait Hickey buried our fifth shot, and their fifth shooter missed the frame to give us the win. Exciting, but nerve wracking for sure.”
Up next: CR South visits No. 1 Pennridge at 7 p.m. in Thursday’s second round.
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 0 1 0 0 – 1 (5)
SPRINGFIELD DELCO 1 0 0 0 – 1 (4)
No. 8 Neshaminy 3, No. 24 Boyertown 0
While Boyertown’s overall record for the season wasn’t eye-catching, Neshaminy wasn’t expecting a pushover in Tuesday’s first round.
As expected, the Bears proved tough to move out of the way, their physicality forcing Neshaminy to dig in. The hosts put one away early but it took until the second half for Neshaminy to finally open things up and move on to the next round.
Anna Axenroth seemed to be all over the field, the junior midfielder fittingly playing a role in two goals while senior Bri Garyah had a goal and an assist of her own.
Scoring Summary
1st Half
N – Anna Axenroth
2nd Half
N – Bri Garyah (Leah Kaczmarek)
N – Anna Axenroth (Bri Garyah)
Neshaminy coach Josh Van Reed on the win: “Tonight we had a good win against a well-coached and physical team. Boyertown was working very hard for every ball, and in the beginning of the game there was a bit of back and forth play for both teams.”
Axenroth puts hosts ahead: “We did get on the board early and that helped to put some pressure on them and take some pressure off us. Anna Axenroth scored from a corner that deflected off a body in front of the goal. but she hit the ball so hard with so many people inside there’s not much you can do. From there we created some chances, but their defense was pretty tight.”
Holding the line: “At half, 1-0 was good but we felt like we needed more. The beginning of the second half Boyertown was pressing high and creating more chances, but the defense held strong tonight. Alexis Barnes had three or four nice saves where it was necessary to come out or get down and hold the ball on some tough shots.”
Opening things up: “About 20 minutes into the second half, we got some breathing room. Cassidy Tweedie played a ball through to Leach Kaczmarek, who drove into the box and shot a ball the keeper had to knock down, which allowed Bri Garyah to follow up and finish to put us up 2-0. From there we really started to create more and more chances. The third goal was an amazing shot again from Anna when Bri dropped a ball back to her and she hit a ball that dipped, making it very difficult for the keeper to block. Front to back it was a good win, against a good and physical team.”
Up next: Neshaminy will host No. 9 Plymouth Whitemarsh at 6 p.m. in Thursday’s second round.
NESHAMINY 1 2 – 3
BOYERTOWN 0 0 – 0
No. 9 Plymouth Whitemarsh 4, No. 25 Phoenixville 0
Two years ago, Colonials coach TJ DeLucia remembered being one of many jumping in jubilation as PW won its first round district playoff game.
Tuesday night, there was a decidedly different manner about the Colonials’ numerous seniors and their coaches. Sure, they were plenty happy to be scoring goals and very happy to extend their season for at least one more game but to them, this was a job that needed to be done.
PW’s seniors won their second game in three years, the first ever class to do so, thanks to an early spark by a couple freshmen as the Colonials rolled into Thursday’s second round.
“This is the first senior class to have two playoff wins in our school’s history. I thought what the difference was that today was business and there was no big celebration,” DeLucia said. “It’s not that no one is not happy, but it was expected and we had a job to do. For PW to have a playoff win by four goals and we approached it like it was just the next game, that’s a testament to where the program has come and that’s to their credit and the whole team’s credit.”
Back in August, PW shook off a sluggish start and took down the same Phantoms team 2-0 for its first win of the season. Phoenixville had gone on to some history of its own, winning the PAC Frontier division title for the first time in nearly 10 years and brought a sizable senior class of its own back for a second round with the Colonials.
Freshman JJ Lafferty opened the scoring when she took a chance from distance on the left wing less than three minutes into the game, her strike taking a clean flight into the back of the net. Freshman Lori Flannery made it 2-0 when she took a pass from classmate Molly McEvoy to the endline, cut in and somehow found the angle to hit the far panel.
Senior Marleigh Burton had the play of the game in the last minute of the half. The winger took a ball on the left side, slid it through two defenders while following herself then in a matter of three well-weighted touches, was down the field and slotting the ball past the keeper for a 3-0 lead.
“I wanted another goal. I felt like 2-0 was still too close so once I got away, which I don’t get to do a lot, I knew I needed to score and I did,” Burton said. “I just had to make sure I didn’t hit it right at her and just stayed composed. I felt a defender on my back but I was just telling myself there was no rush.”
Flannery, who plays left back, netted the first goal of her career to open the game while senior Maddie McLaughlin, who plays opposite her at right back, iced the game with her first goal of the season near the midpoint of the second half. After a combo between senior Keira Whalen and Flannery led to Flannery whipping a ball across the box, it was McLaughlin making a late run to the far post and putting the free look home.
Scoring Summary
1st half
PW – JJ Lafferty
PW – Lori Flannery (Molly McEvoy)
PW – Marleigh Burton
2nd Half
PW – Maddie McLaughlin (Lori Flannery)
PW coach TJ DeLucia on the team’s mindset: “There was no question we were going to come out and do a job tonight. We weren’t going to over-celebrate it, it was time to get ready for the next game. That was so cool because I’ve been part of so many games where if we won a playoff game, it was the biggest deal in the world and tonight it was more ‘we do our job and we want to play again Thursday night and see if we can do that job again.’”
Burton’s goal: Marleigh’s always had elite speed as long as she’s been with us, she’s been a four year starter but the difference on that goal – she had to take three touches before she scored, so it was elite speed with ball control and the finish so that’s a testament to the work Marleigh’s put in individually to become a better player than what she was four years ago.
Freshmen impact: “JJ’s played every minute of the season and she’s just been outstanding so for a freshman to step into that environment and score a goal, then add in Flannery scores a goal and McEvoy plays all 80 minutes and was all over the field, you can’t take that for granted.”
PW senior captain Maddie McGuckien on the team’s mentality: “We stick to what we’re doing. We don’t drop off at any point, we don’t relax or give up any time or space, we’re going to finish the game out and push right back if they come after us.”
–On the Colonials’ connective play: “It’s just us talking, staying together and having each other’s backs. The level is always high at practice and that just helps us prepare for games. Our passing was really good tonight. We were very composed in the middle and they moved the ball well.”
PW senior captain Marleigh Burton on the senior class’s drive: “There’s nine of us that have been playing a lot and it’s our last time playing together. The desire we have I think is what’s been pushing us.”
–Utilizing depth: “We were able to play with our entire team tonight. It’s really cool that we have a team where we can get everyone out there and influencing the game.”
Up next: PW will visit No. 8 Neshaminy at 6 p.m. in Thursday’s second round.
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 3 1 – 4
PHOENIXVILLE 0 0 – 0
No. 7 Central Bucks South 6, No. 23 Haverford 3
There are no timeouts in soccer.
If a team isn’t on its game to start, like the Titans were Tuesday evening, there’s not much it can do other than figure it out on the field. While it may not have been a vintage Haverford team, at least in terms of record, the Fords usually find another level in the playoffs and didn’t let South’s slow start go to waste.
However, the Titans had come too far this season to let the start spoil their season, so they went and figured it out in a big way.
“Overall we fought hard to stay on top and worked as a team,” Titans coach Dana Cole said.
Charlotte Manley was a major catalyst for CB South, assisting the team’s first goal then putting her foot through a couple of efforts in the second half to open up some space on the scoreboard. Virginia Tech recruit Riley Karpinski also netted a brace, including a key goal on a tremendous finish that capped the Titans’ turnaround and gave them a halftime lead.
The list of contributors was long as CB South won its first round game for a second straight year.
Scoring summary
1st Half
CBS – Delaney Rowe (Charlotte Manley)
Haverford goal
Haverford goal
CBS – Maddie Rowe (Monika Daly)
CBS – Riley Karpinski (Alana Peev)
2nd Half
CBS – Charlotte Manley (Peyton Mumm)
CBS – Charlotte Manley (Monika Daly)
Haverford goal
CBS – Riley Karpinski (Charlotte Manley)
CB South coach Dana Cole on a busy first half: “The score at halftime was 3-2 but that’s after we worked out a few kinks and got our heads in check. We went up 1-0 with a Charlotte Manley cross and a Delaney Rowe shot. They then scored on a PK from a foul inside the box. They then tapped in a loose ball to go up 2-1. We took advantage of a Tessa Hughes corner kick with Monika Daly heading the cross to Maddie Rowe who put it in the back of the net to tie it up.
Alana Peev then hit a perfect long ball from the back directly to Riley Karpinski’s feet up top. Riley received the ball with a defender on her back, spun and beat her and went off alone with an amazing shot to finish and put us up 3-2.”
Titans take charge after halftime: “The second half we came out on our toes, and Charlotte had two goals to give us a more comfortable lead. One she fought hard to steal from a defender trying to clear it, she just took it away and buried it. Her second goal was a rocket of a shot after beating a defender on the outside. She then hit Riley for our sixth goal solidifying the game for us.”
Midfield makes it happen: “Our midfield made some major adjustments to get us back on track tonight. Monika Daly, Tessa Hughes and Maddie Roe kept the middle marked tight and distributed the ball well to create offense. Morgan Hughes, Ava Richardson, Charlotte Manley and Kelly Donnelly ran the outside lines and kept the ball moving.”
Defense brings it home: “Our defense held their own against some quick offensive players but fought until the end. Morgan Sowash had some key saves and played aggressively when we needed her to. Peyton Mumm, Brooke Carrigan, Delaney Rowe, Peyton Karpinski and Alana Peev rotated in and out to build from the back, maintain our lead and keep them out of our offensive zone.”
Up next: CB South will host No. 23 Pennsbury at 6;30 p.m. in Thursday’s second round.
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 3 3 – 6
HAVERFORD 2 1 – 3
No. 23 Pennsbury 3, No. 10 Downingtown East 2
There’s no short way to get from Fairless Hills to Downingtown.
Even at a non-peak hour, Google Maps estimated an hour drive on the “fastest” route. Add in the fact that around this time last year, the Falcons had made the same trip to the same field, albeit against the other Downingtown team, and had come away with a season–ending loss, there could have been a lot of distractions.
Jenna Peters didn’t see any of those distractions among her players, just a lot of locked-in faces.
“We couldn’t be prouder, this is a team with heart, grit, and resilience,” Peters said. “After falling in the first round of the 2024 playoffs on this same field to Downingtown West, this victory was truly bittersweet and well-earned.”
Pennsbury had to rally back not once, but twice to even get to extra time. As time started to run low in the second overtime and with no desire to spend any more time on that field than she needed to, Pennsbury senior Corinne Russo got on the end of a cross and sent her team on a long but very fun ride back home.
Scoring Summary
1st half
DE goal
P – Ashlyn McEwing
2nd Half
DE goal
P – Julia Hammer
OT
No Scoring
2OT
P – Corinne Russo (Jillian Patrick)
Pennsbury coach Jenna Peters on the first half: “Coming in as the underdogs, we knew we needed to start strong and bring the energy from the first whistle. We came out intense, creating forward momentum early, but fell behind after a well-placed cross that our keeper managed to get a hand on, only for Downingtown East to clean it up and take a 1–0 lead. The Falcons responded quickly. After earning a direct kick just outside the 18, senior captain Ashlyn McEwing buried it in the back right corner of the net, evening the score at 1–1.”
Rallying back again: “We went into halftime with a great mindset, ready to match Downingtown East’s pace and intensity. With 27 minutes left in the second half, they capitalized again with a strong one-time finish to go ahead 2–1. But our team didn’t fold. Freshman Julia Hammer answered right back, striking a beautiful volley from the top of the box to tie the game at 2–2.”
Dramatic ending: “The match headed into double overtime, a relentless back-and-forth battle that tested both teams’ heart and endurance. With just three and a half minutes remaining in the second overtime, senior Corrine Russo connected on a cross from freshman Jillian Patrick, finishing low into the right corner to seal the 3–2 win and send Pennsbury into the second round of playoffs for the first time in over five years.”
Falcons senior Corinne Russo: “I think from the start we were ready. There were points when we slowed down but we held our own, even when we got scored on, we bounced back. In overtime I was hungry for a goal. There was not much time left but I want to do it for my team and my seniors. The team did amazing and we could not have done it without each other.”
Up next: Pennsbury will travel to No. 7 Central Bucks South at 6:30 p.m. in Thursday’s second round.
PENNSBURY 1 1 0 1 – 3
DOWNINGTOWN EAST 1 1 0 0 – 2
No. 6 Council Rock North 2, No. 27 Upper Dublin 0
Sometimes in the postseason, it’s a waiting game.
While they were seemingly in control of the match for much of the first half, the Indians had nothing to show for it on the scoreboard. Once Claire Kelly stepped on to the pitch, that changed.
Kelly scored a goal and assisted another as CR North finally broke through late in the first half to back up a dominant effort.
CR North got plenty of contributions from all over its lineup, from the defense keeping Upper Dublin’s scoring threats in check to the midfield controlling possession and the attack backing up that effort.
Scoring Summary
1st Half
CRN – Claire Kelly (Darcy McCullough)
CRN – Isabella Lanza (Claire Kelly)
2nd Half
No scoring
CR North coach Gavin Flannigan on the win: “Really pleased with our overall performance tonight, it’s great to get a win and to keep a clean sheet. I thought we dominated a lot of the possession and dealt with UD threats pretty well overall.”
Growing into the game: “I feel like we started okay, we couldn’t quite connect the final pass or the right combination, but we had a good amount of the ball, we knew that Upper Dublin had some threatening attackers and we felt if we could control possession that would help negate them. We had some half chances and then after 28 minutes Darcy McCullough got to the end line and played a great low cross that was half cleared, and Claire Kelly came in and hit a first time shot into the side panel. It was a great hit and really helped us settle into the game with confidence after that. A few minutes later Claire’s corner found Isabella Lanza at the back post and she was able to score our second.”
Maintaining the lead: “At halftime we talked about continuing to possess and keep the ball, and I thought we did for the most part but UD came into the game more and they had some momentum for a period of time about halfway through. I think we rode that storm well and then the last 10-15 minutes was mainly us trying to add a third goal, I think we hit the crossbar and their keeper made some solid saves.:
Props: “Yesterday at practice we spoke about how the playoffs are different and that every player needs to be prepared at any given moment. Claire Kelly came into the game today and did that for us, and then in the second half we had an injury and Annie Mills stepped off the bench with no warm-up and gave us some solid minutes. The spine of our team played well today, Reese Ludwig was solid in goal, and I thought Kinsley Smith and Cierra Frank did a great job nullifying the UD threats.”
Upper Dublin coach Darius Gbunblee: “We had a good year, some ups and downs but we played some brilliant soccer at times. This is a tough district, so I was happy that we were able to make the playoffs. Council Rock North is a very good team; they do a great job moving the ball and keeping possession. Overall, I’m happy with how we played this year and looking forward to year two.”
Upper Dublin concludes its season with a 9-9-0 record
Up next: Council Rock North hosts No. 11 Conestoga in Thursday’s second round.
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 2 0 – 2
UPPER DUBLIN 0 0 – 0
No. 15 WC Henderson 1, No. 18 North Penn 0
The Knights gave the host Warriors all they could handle in a close first round game.
While North Penn had an early goal called back, it didn’t deter the effort for the full 80 minutes and it took a special goal from Henderson late in the second half to break the tie.
“They scored on a shot that a girl hit from about 30 out that floated into the upper 90 with ten minutes to go,” North Penn coach Mike Rio said. “It was a good back and forth game and we just couldn’t find the equalizer. Definitely proud of the fight we put up though, and the girls can definitely hold their heads high.”
Scoring Summary
1st Half
No scoring
2nd Half
WCH goal
North Penn coach Mike Rio on the match: “Really proud of the season we put together. We competed and got wins against some really strong teams and tonight put up a heck of a fight against a good Henderson squad. Hit a couple posts and the goalie saved a couple other chances, but I thought we did enough to deserve the win, it just didn’t fall our way tonight.”
The team’s mentality shows: “Throughout the season the girls have brought great energy and effort to every game. The girls play really hard for each other and enjoy coming to practice every day and playing together. We had a small senior group this year but the five of them – Izzy Rudnick, Sophia Zampirri, Quinn Rodoff, Morgan Rodoff and Emily Kralik – really created a welcoming and positive atmosphere through their entire four years on the team, and we will miss the way in which they brought positive energy and created a team that supports all players in all grades across both teams and not just the upper class and varsity. It’s never easy when you play your last game with the current version of the team, but this group has created some fantastic and unforgettable memories and have been to the playoffs in each of the past three seasons which is the first time it has happened for the girls team in the last 15 years, so they should really be proud of what they accomplished and the foundation they built for the team moving forward.”
Henderson will travel to No. 2 Central Bucks East at 6 p.m. on Thursday as the defending District 1 champion Patriots begin their 2025 postseason after a first round bye.
North Penn concludes its season with an 8-10-1 record.
WC HENDERSON 0 1 – 1
NORTH PENN 0 0 – 0
No. 14 Marple Newtown 2, No. 19 Abington 0
The Tigers hosted their first home playoff game in 14 years and they made sure it was a memorable night, closing down an Abington attack that had come into form in the latter half of the season.
Abington concludes its season with a 9-8-2 record.
No. 11 Conestoga 4, No. 22 Quakertown 0
The Panthers saw their season come to an end against a Pioneers team that has finished runner-up in the state each of the last two seasons.
Quakertown concludes its season with a 9-9-1 record.
No. 13 Garnet Valley 2, No. 20 Souderton 1 (2 Ots)
Souderton’s first postseason appearance since 2019 came to a heartbreaking end on the road.
Garnet Valley’s Taylor Bryan deflected a corner kick into the goal with just seven seconds left in the second overtime to extend the Jaguars season. It was a rough way to end a resurgent year for Big Red, which had increased its win total for the third straight fall.
Souderton concludes its season with a 10-9-0 record
Class 3A
No. 10 Mount St Joseph Academy 2, No. 7 Lower Moreland 1(OT)
The Lions lost an overtime heartbreaker in Tuesday’s opening round game of districts.
“We lost a tough battle with Mount St. Joseph in overtime tonight,” LM coach Todd Hill said. “Our girls really battled, and played a strong game.”
Lower Moreland coach Todd Hill on the game: “Our girls came out really sharp and put lots of pressure on early. Throughout the first half, there was a lot of back and forth, and we remained scoreless through halftime. During the second half, Mount put a lot of pressure on us, resulting in a goal about 13 minutes in. Our girls kept battling and were rewarded with a goal of our own with just six minutes remaining. Emma Leibert slid a ball to Quinn Rozanski who made a nice move in a crowded box to create a really well-placed shot that ended up in the corner of the net.
“Our girls continued to put pressure on for the remaining minutes of regulation but could not come up with a go-ahead goal. Unfortunately, Mount came up with a goal in overtime to end the game and our season.”
Props: “Shout out to freshman defender Ella Rossiter who played a really strong game today. She was really smart in her defensive approach and did some really good work in creating some threatening counterattacks.
“I also thought that offensive duos Shannon Mahon and Emma Leibert and defensive duos Agnes Kroll and Izzy O’Brien worked really well together today, creating lots of challenges for Mount all night long.
“I loved coaching this team this season! What a great group of girls who played lots of really good soccer all throughout the season.”
Lower Moreland closed out its season with a 9-9-1 record
MOUNT ST JOSEPH 0 1 1 – 2
LOWER MORELAND 0 1 0 – 1
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