Eight SOL teams were winners in Tuesday’s opening round of the District One 4A Tournament. Neshaminy/Ridley photos courtesy of John Gleeson. CB East/Spring-Ford photos courtesy of Tracy Valko, and Lower Moreland/Villa Joseph Marie photos courtesy of Karla Donohoe. All SOS photo galleries for GIRLS’ SOCCER can be viewed by clicking HERE. Check back for galleries of all three games. Wissahickon/Haverford photos courtesy of Josh Stelzer.
District 1 4A first round
No. 13 Wissahickon 2, No. 20 Haverford 1 (2 OT)
Wissahickon senior Margo Kasenchar is a bottomless well of catchphrases, prone to breaking one out at any time, even mid-quote as a teammate is answering a question.
She’s also a fearless leader at center back for the Trojans, and even with a team that’s been beset by injuries all year and closed the regular season with an 0-4-1 mark in its last five games, she knew Tuesday was a fresh slate. It took a second overtime, but the quip-spilling Kasenchar and her teammates will battle on for another round.
Kasenchar’s phrase of choice on Tuesday?
“Pedal to the metal,” the senior said. Several times.
“Our biggest mindset was to go out and have fun,” Kasenchar said. “It could have been our last game together and for us seniors, our last game for the school which would have been sad. Win or lose, we wanted to go out and have fun but also work really hard.”
Tuesday’s playoff win was the first for the program since 2016 when Maddie Elwell was a senior, so none of the current players had experienced a postseason victory. Senior Sage Stelzer, who netted the game winner in the second overtime, felt her team came out strong in the opening minutes.
Kylie Friedman capitalized on that strong start with a header goal off a corner eight minutes in for an early lead. As much of a lift as the goal was, it didn’t last long with the Fords coming back and leveling the score about seven minutes later.
“Once we had that lead, we got comfortable, sat back and played more defensive so they came back at us,” Stelzer said. “They had height and speed out wide, so they tried to attack and get crosses in from the side, so we had to adjust to that.”
Stelzer, a Pitt recruit, added the team talked a lot about following the ball, testing the keeper and just being a little tougher than the opponent. The senior said it was a competitive back-and-forth game, but for the Trojans’ key players, resolve is not something they lack.
“We were pegged as a team that was trying to work back from being down in the second half, so mentally, we have a level of toughness that honestly, I think a lot of teams can’t keep up with,” Kasenchar said. “We’ve been through a lot of adversity, so I think we lean on that.”
“We’ve come back in games losing 2-0 at halftime so we know how to find a way to come back,” Stelzer added. “We weren’t losing, it was tied, but we knew there was something in us to get that next goal, or that final goal to win the game.”
No sooner had Stelzer finished her thought than Kasenchar blurted it out.
“Pedal to the metal.”
Stelzer, along with coach Chris McDaniels and assistant Zach LoBasso standing off to the side, chalked it up to Margo being Margo.
It may have seemed a random thing to say, but that non-stop mentality is what helped the Trojans continue to push through regulation and the first of the two 15-minute overtimes. Even in the second overtime, Wiss kept going at the Fords and with about 5:40 left in the game, that aggression netted a winning strike.
“I was coming from behind, making a run on that middle left side,” Stelzer said. “Kylie had the ball in the middle, two girls on her and she played it to the left. I took a touch and shot it right over the goalie’s head and won it.
“It was awesome, this is the first playoff win for all of us.”
Wissahickon (11-6-1, 9-6-1 SOL) travels to face No. 4 Lower Merion in Thursday’s second round. The Trojans are the only team to have defeated the Aces this season, a 2-1 win on Sept. 1 and Stelzer cautioned she knows LM will be eager for some payback while coming off a first-round bye.
Tuesday, it was a new start and a new mentality that carried the Trojans. Thankfully their phrase master was there to summarize it.
“This whole season, work ethic has been kind of a struggle for us so to come out here and play a good, almost 110 minutes – pedal to the metal the whole time – it was pretty important for us,” Kasenchar said.
WISSAHICKON 1 0 0 1 – 2
HAVERFORD 1 0 0 0 – 1
Goals: W – Kylie Friedman, Sage Stelzer
No. 16 Upper Dublin 1, No. 17 WC Henderson 0
Alex Devers is getting things done.
The Flying Cardinals senior is in her final stretch playing high school soccer and is doing her all to carry UD on a postseason run. Her goal last week against Hatboro-Horsham helped earn a home match and when a foul in the box granted the Cardinals a penalty kick in the first half Tuesday, she was there to step up and take it.
“I love that she’s hitting her stride at the right time,” UD coach Chuck Gesing said. “She’s a big-time player with big-time talent. It’s so much fun watching her.”
Devers, who has committed to defending Division III national champion Christopher Newport, gave the Cardinals all the offense they would need with her 25th minute PK.
That was due to the fact that the Upper Dublin defense quieted a Warriors attack that featured a couple future Division I soccer players and a lot of speed.
“Despite multiple forays into UD’s half, Henderson was never able to penetrate the box,” Gesing said. “The back line of Emeline Bell, Abby O’Meara, Allie Stenstrom and Sophia Sirianni with timely help from Madison McManus kept Henderson at arm’s length and made the playoff clean sheet manageable for goalkeeper Jordyn Levine.”
Even with sophomore Erin Seabrook sidelined the last three weeks, the Cardinals defense held firm in her stead and built up some continuity. UD was 10 minutes away from three consecutive shutouts to end the regular season but getting one to open the playoffs made up for it.
“It starts with Emeline and Abby. Erin Seabrook was out for three weeks. In that time, they’ve developed a relationship where they read each other very well. When one presses the attacker, the other covers very well,” Gesing said. “Our outside backs Sirianni and Stenstrom did a great job staying connected and not getting split. It forced Henderson away from our goal. Factor in Alaina Sanders and Olivia Hoffman disrupting their passing game and it was a long night for Henderson with very few clean looks at goal.”
As for Devers, she wasn’t content with just one goal. The Warriors managed to do just enough to keep her from creating some insurance in the second half, but in the end, it didn’t even matter.
“UD almost had a second goal in the beginning of the second half from a Devers blast that sent the WC goalie full stretch across the goal for the save,” Gesing said. “With under ten left UD again almost cracked the game open on a free kick to Devers who found Lilli Kleiman behind the back line for the apparent goal, but it was ruled offside.”
The Cardinals (11-6-1, 9-6-1 SOL) face a challenge on Thursday as they travel to No. 1 seed Conestoga, the defending state champion. The Pioneers had a first round bye.
UPPER DUBLIN 1 0 – 1
WC HENDERSON 0 0 – 0
Goals: UD – Alex Devers
No. 5 Neshaminy 5, No 28 Ridley 2
Mercedez Paino showed up and showed out, netting a hat trick in the first 20 minutes in a dominant opening salvo for the Redskins to start the postseason.
Kylie Maxwell scored twice, once in each half, and Neshaminy withstood a brief surge by the visiting Raiders to advance comfortably. While they didn’t get a bye despite an unbeaten record, the ‘Skins showed why they see a long postseason run ahead with some fireworks in the offensive third.
“I was very happy with how we started and the possession of the ball today. Lots of quick combinations and opportunities,” Neshaminy coach Josh Van Reed said. “We talked a lot (Monday) about our potential to score goals and finishing when we have the opportunity. I was very happy to see the creativity and the execution.”
It didn’t even take 10 minutes for the execution to begin. Paino, a St. Francis (PA) recruit, hovered around the box waiting for a ball to be played in, then pounced on it.
“Mercedez scored from a cross put into the six-yard area. A lot of people were running near post to score and from Ridley to clear it out,” Van Reed said. “The ball popped out of the crowd, and Mercedez was quick to step to it, collect it and turn and shoot. A lot of good hard work and the reward.”
Hanging out in and around the penalty box is generally good for business when one is involved in the trade of scoring goals. So, there was Paino setting up shop again soon after and depositing another investment in her account.
“Angelina Daino touched a ball away from the defender and carried the ball endline to the post then cross deflected out towards the 18 and Mercedez was again there to put the ball in,” Van Reed said of the 2-0 lead.
Neshaminy hasn’t a monopoly on scorers either, so Paino was happy to cede the stage to Maxwell for the third goal, compliments of Paige 
Borkowski’s cross off the left side.
“The keeper knocked the ball down towards the 18 and Kylie came running in to bury the ball in the net,” Van Reed noted.
At this point, the ‘Skins were feeling it, and they got a chance to put some practice into play as Paino collected her third goal of the team’s crushing start offensively.
“The fourth goal was pretty, something that the girls have fun with during training and got the opportunity to do during the game. Kylie collected a ball up the right side of the field and looked up and saw Brynn Taylor at the PK spot checking in,” Van Reed said. “Mercedez was coming in behind her and yelled ‘dummy’ so that (Taylor) would let the ball go through her legs. Mercedez one timed the ball into the near side corner. The ball played, the dummy, the shot were all so well executed.”
To Ridley’s credit, the visitors scored the next two goals to turn a commanding lead into a potential for trouble with almost the entire second half to play.
Good teams are able to answer in those spots and Neshaminy did just that to stem the tide and regain control.
“It was all Kylie. She brought down the ball from a goal kick and started for the goal, passed two defenders and was not going to be stopped,” Van Reed said.
Although neither player appeared in the scoring column, Van Reed also cited the work of two other key offensive cogs on Tuesday.
“Carly Fox doing a lot of the work winning 50/50 balls today in the midfield and Angelina Daino up top holding and allowing everyone to play off of her today was something we have been working on at practice,” Van Reed said.
Neshaminy (17-0-2, 14-0-2 SOL) will host No. 21 Garnet Valley, a 2-1 winner over No. 12 Springfield Delco, on Thursday at 3 pm.
NESHAMINY 4 1 – 5
RIDLEY 1 1 – 2
Goals: N – Mercedez Paino 3, Kylie Maxwell 2
No. 15 Council Rock North 1, No. 18 Quakertown 0 (OT)
Facing a team like Quakertown, with the Panthers’ mix of size, stout defense, strong goalkeeping and set piece scoring, is a test in any scenario.
Drawing that type of team in the first round of the postseason is a different level and one the Indians had to dig deep to pass. It took overtime, but CR North was able to find the difference-making goal in a tight battle between SOL programs.
“For many of our girls this was their first playoff experience, and we weren’t sure how we were going to play in that atmosphere, but I was really impressed with some of our play at times tonight,” North coach Gavin Flannigan said. “Our group was focused on the tactics we discussed and then the halftime adjustments we made too.”
The Panthers racked up some quality results throughout the season and followed a senior class that contributed plenty not just this fall but in previous seasons. They stuck to their strengths and proved a difficult opponent to play against.
“It was a tough loss, our girls played their hearts out, but didn’t get the result. Overall, we had a really good season, I thought we played really well in the back half of the season,” Panthers coach Jon Gingrich said. “I was proud of my team’s success and the heart they showed throughout the season.”
The Indians, defending their home field, had to work hard for all their offensive opportunities despite playing in control and possessing the ball well for long stretches.
“Quakertown was very organized, they did a good job denying us opportunities and shutting down our final pass or cross,” Flannigan said. “We had a lot of the ball throughout the game and while some of our combinations were good, we were restricted to some longer shots and crosses in the first half, after halftime we made a couple of changes and were able to generate some better efforts but not quite enough.”
While the visitors’ chances were limited, Quakertown wasn’t pinned in its own end the entire game and nearly found a go-ahead goal in the second half only to be turned away by North’s own standout keeper.
“Danielle Eden came up with one really big save with about 20 minutes to go, and after that we really stepped up a level, but still couldn’t find a finish,” Flannigan said.
Finally, with the change from regulation to extra time, the hard-charging hosts caught the break they were looking for.
“Mia Cairone hit one over the bar and then a couple of minutes later Jayne Bogle forced a turnover that Mia was able to take advantage of, created a breakaway for herself and finished it,” Flannigan said. “I felt like we deserved to win and although it took a while it was worth it.”
There were plenty of contributors for CR North in the win.
“Credit to our girls for sticking to the plan tonight, everyone was solid for us, but I did think Maddie Poe and Kayla Raghunandanan created a spark for us in the second half that carried through for the rest of the group,” Flannigan said. “It lifted our energy as a team for the final 20 minutes and into overtime.”
CR North (12-4-3, 9-4-3 SOL) visits No. 2 Pennridge, which had a first-round bye, on Thursday. The teams met this fall with Pennridge taking a 2-1 win in a tight game. Quakertown (9-6-1 SOL) closed out its season with a 9-8-2 record.
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 0 0 1 – 1
QUAKERTOWN 0 0 0 – 0
Goals: CRN – Mia Cairone
No. 26 Central Bucks West 2, No. 7 Hatboro-Horsham 1
Things can change in a flash when the postseason comes around.
West coach Mike Moyer got a reminder of that Tuesday. As he was trying to make sure things were in order on his sideline as the final seconds counted down, he looked back up to see the host Hatters celebrating and his team’s one goal lead replaced with a tie game.
The Bucks didn’t have an easy road into the playoffs, so it figured their first game would have its own challenges as well, but West came through in overtime to keep its season going.
“They didn’t really have too many shots on goal in the run of play. We just went to a defensive formation. To be completely honest, I didn’t even see the goal – I was just getting the sideline in order because I just assumed we were going to win 1-0, and the next thing you know – I look up and we get scored on with 18 seconds left,” Moyer said. “So now my emotions are just – I’m ready to get on the bus and go home, and now I have to deal with golden goal in overtime. (Hatboro-Horsham) is juiced up, they’re ready to go. Honestly, this team is really resilient. Our leaders – Courtney (Moylan), Ava (Longo), Jules (Broskey) and Kate (Weyer) – rose to the occasion.”
Things started out well enough for West, which managed to avoid a rematch with any of its prior opponents in the first round. For several years, the Bucks and Hatters played during the regular season, but the change to the crossover schedule made it tough to keep that series going, so Tuesday was a sort of throwback matchup.
“We were happy going down to Horsham. We haven’t played them in a couple of years. They were one of the better teams in the Liberty Division,” Moyer said. “We started out really well. We controlled most of the first half and had a lot of chances.”
With about 15 minutes left in the first half, the Bucks turned one of those chances into a goal. As a team that’s struggled at times to score this season, it was a key moment for the visitors.
“Emily Sterling got one in the box, made a great move and a great shot,” Moyer said. “It all happened so quick from about 15 yards out to give us a 1-0 lead, and that’s how we went into halftime.
“The talk at halftime was to just control the midfield a little bit more, don’t give away anything dumb in the back and keep attacking their outside backs. We had a really good game from Mackenzie Gausch up top. She and Ashley Lott were tremendous on the wings for us tonight.”
Despite trailing for much of the game, the Hatters refused to fold and battled from end to end.
“CB West is a very good team. They hustle and never back down. They had a lot more size on us that at times seemed like they were beating us to everything,” HH coach Kelsey Daley said. “Second half we came out very strong and it was a midfield game for both teams. Both teams had some great chances, and overall, it was a great battle.”
One of Hatboro-Horsham’s strongest areas is its midfield, so it wasn’t a big surprise to see the Hatters able to hang with a physical and aerially adept Bucks group in the center of the field.
“My midfield didn’t have their best game tonight. I give Hatboro a lot of credit. They won a lot of the head balls in the middle of the field, and to do that against AC (Alexis Castro), it usually doesn’t happen that much,” Moyer said. “AC has been a stud for us in the middle, but tonight I don’t know what it was – somehow we just kind of stayed the course.”
Cait Carpenter is a senior for the Hatters who always plays with maximum effort so with less than a minute left in her career, she fittingly went all out one more time to try and save it. With 18 seconds left, Carpenter gave new life to Hatboro-Horsham in a stunning turn of events.
“Sarah Roesing took a shot that went high, and Cait Carpenter hustled her way to the ball and followed it into the net by heading the ball in,” Daley said. “It was such a crazy ending to the end of regulation. That exact goal showed that HH never gave up the entire game.”
While Hatboro-Horsham was fired up to send the game to overtime, the Bucks had to shake off the shellshock of having a win ripped out from under them. With the next goal winning the game, whichever team could capitalize first would go home happy.
“The emotional roller coaster ride I had for seven minutes from them scoring and then we had a five-minute break to cool off. I gave it to them at the end of regulation. In my six years here, I’ve never been that upset with how we closed the game out, but you know what – that’s soccer,” Moyer said. “Hatboro didn’t want their season to end, and they fought us to the end. It was a really good soccer game.”
Overtime could have gone as long as 30 minutes, but it didn’t take quite that long.
“Four minutes into the first overtime, Mackenzie (Gausch) gets in behind, puts a shot on goal, and the goalie fumbles it a little bit, and there’s Ashley Lott ready to poke it home to give us the 2-1 win,” Moyer said.
The loss ended a really strong season for the Hatters, who graduate a senior class that did a lot of unheralded work, played with toughness and helped the program build a strong foundation for the future.
“HH left it all on the field and had such a fun memorable season they should all keep their heads up high,” Daley said.
The Bucks (11-8, 8-8 SOL) will be road warriors again as they face another team coming off a big road win of its own when they meet No. 23 Downingtown West, a 1-0 winner over No. 10 Perk Valley, on Thursday.
“It was a really good team win tonight,” Moyer said. “We didn’t play our best in the midfield, and we’ve got to get better for the next game, but until that through ball with 18 seconds left, everybody on our team did what they had to do tonight to get a win, and at this point in the season, it’s win or go home. I was proud of everybody, especially my senior leadership. We did what we had to do. Anytime you have to get on a bus and go somewhere and play on their field, it’s tough. I just give my girls a lot of credit.”
Hatboro-Horsham (12-2-2 SOL) closed out another successful season with a 12-3-3 record.
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 1 0 1 – 2
HATBORO-HORSHAM 0 1 0 – 1
Goals: CBW – Emery Sterling, Ashley Lott; HH – Cait Carpenter
No. 14 Central Bucks East 3, No. 19 Spring-Ford 0
Every team has those certain players others look for to come through in big moments.
When someone else can step up in those spots instead, it’s only a benefit. East’s goals didn’t come from the usual names on Tuesday, but if anything, it’s a sign the Patriots were ready for the
moment.
“I thought it was such a positive night for our group. A real team performance through and through and it showed in the goals we scored and the chances we created,” East coach Jake Nesteruk said. “Spring-Ford was tactically organized and did some things we don’t typically see in the SOL, so it took us a bit to get our rhythm on the ball and in our press.”
Typically, it’s Elliot Forney and Cam Williams leading the offense for East. The seniors did on Tuesday, albeit in a different way by taking the focus of the Rams’ defense and finding their teammates at the right moments.
Nesteruk noted the opening 15 minutes was a back-and-forth period with both teams trying to figure each other out before East started to gain some control heading toward the break. Having offensive minded fullbacks is nothing new and Grace Craig is really good at getting forward for the Patriots.
“Any time you see an outside back get on the scoresheet from the run of play, it is a positive sign. Elliot played an early ball to feet to Grace from right to left, and Grace just drove inside for about 10 yards and struck a great ball to the near post,” Nesteruk said. “For those that know our group, she contributes so much offensively from her position, and It was just a good moment to get us going.”
Craig’s goal came with just a few minutes left in the opening half, giving the Patriots an important lead and a focal point for their halftime talk. Knowing the Rams would come out on fire trying to extend their season, Nesteruk felt his team only raised its level of play.
While the team’s top scoring threats didn’t put a ball in the net between them, they were in the margins giving plenty to the effort.
“Even though they didn’t show up on the score sheet, I thought Camryn, Elliot, and Sofia Mignon were just lights out. Cam just created
so much for us, and Elliot, Sof, and MK (Mikayla Gray) just put in a shift in the midfield,” Nesteruk said. “When you can keep the ball, press the game effectively in the attacking half, it just makes keeping the shutout much easier.”
As the second half played on, the Patriots shuffled some players in and out including sophomore Madelyn Hill who all but sealed the game up once she stepped on the pitch.
Hill bagged two goals in almost a blink, the first assisted by defender Sophie Schorn and the other from Williams, who tallied her 13th helper of the fall, turning a thin 1-0 lead to a comfortable 3-0 advantage for the final 10-plus minutes.
“To see her score two incredibly important goals, both two just scrappy finishes..and something we preach about incessantly…it is just huge for our team and for her,” Nesteruk said. “She’s been so deserving for a moment like this. Mads is one of those kids that shows up, works incredibly hard, stays humble, and just so overdue for this.”
Tuesday’s win was notable not only for extending the Patriots’ season, but because it was their first chance to host a playoff game under their stadium lights and share it with their boys’ team for a clean sweep of the first round.
East (13-6, 10-6 SOL) next travels to No. 3 Avon Grove, the Devils coming off a first round bye, in Thursday’s second round at 7 pm.
“A night like this, getting the chance to play a doubleheader with the boys…it was just a great night to be a part of and so proud of our kids for rising to the moment,” Nesteruk said. “Like everyone else, we are happy with this result but with a quick turnaround, our focus is on Avon Grove.”
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 1 2 – 3
SPRING-FORD 0 0 – 0
Goals: CBE – Madelyn Hill 2, Grace Craig
No. 6 Abington 2, No. 27 Plymouth Whitemarsh 1 (OT)
As Abington coach Rick Tompkins conversed with a few people on the field Tuesday night, one of them noted that while it had been a good win, it certainly wasn’t an easy one.
“It wasn’t easy because of that guy,” Tompkins said, pointing to PW coach TJ DeLucia as he exited the field.
Indeed, a matchup that on paper looked one-sided going in turned out to be anything but as the Colonials gave the Ghosts all they could handle in a first round all-SOL Liberty duel. Abington had swept PW by a 10-1 aggregate in the regular season, but in the playoffs, everything goes out the window.
“It’s the playoffs, everybody ups their game. They impressed us, for sure,” Abington forward Harper McGinley said. “But we never thought we were going to lose, honestly. We believed in ourselves the entire time.
“It wasn’t about to be our seniors’ last game.”
McGinley did what the coaches had been pleading for all game five minutes into the first overtime, threading a hard-hit and low cross that senior Lily Gray met at the far post for the golden goal. For Gray, who fell to the ground as she clipped the ball with her right foot and got mobbed by teammates, it was a rewarding moment.
“Harper had a really good cross and for me, it was just the right place, right time,” the forward said. “Anything that gets it there works. I saw it go in, I heard Carley (Slavin) start screaming and I just thought ‘yes, it went in and we won.’”
Getting one goal, much less two, provided quite a formidable task against a Colonials team that was committed to the cause. Plus, they have a really good goalkeeper who more than backed it up with another outstanding effort.
Caitlyn Dinh’s 14 saves certainly kept the Colonials around but she wasn’t alone with a defense led by the vocal Ella Clark, Brianna Reynolds and some tight marking by Marleigh Burton that got in between a lot of Abington shots, passes or attempts to turn with the ball.
“The playoffs are about survival and we were doing everything we could to survive,” Dinh said. “We went over things we’ve never done before. Everyone was locked in, we were ready to go, we went home (Monday night) dreaming and we came out and showed what our dreams could possibly be.”
Abington peppered Dinh early, firing off five shots and a pair of corner kicks in the first 17 minutes.
PW didn’t have a ton of runs forward but almost all of them were threatening. Senior Angelina Balcer had the first one midway through the first half and while she didn’t get a shot out of it, she did manage to clip the ball off a defender for a corner kick.
Caelin Kosvitch played in a tough ball that gave Abington trouble and an attempt to clear the ball instead led to it being headed into the top of the net. While there was some confusion when the ball came back into play and the officials didn’t make a signal, it was ruled a good goal and the Colonials had a lead on the road.
“They battled hard, you can’t say enough about their effort,” Tompkins said of PW. “They knew they were playing a team that got them twice, so they had to give everything they had and I think they did a good job of doing it.”
The Colonials got a goal line clear from a defender soon after on a corner kick and they were able to see the lead into the break and midway through the second half. Even with senior Kate Yocum sidelined, PW put a tremendous effort forth in its season finale.
Dinh, who leads a strong core of returning players including several freshmen who filled big roles, was understandably upset with the outcome but is already excited about the prospects for her senior year.
“I loved how we’ve all come together at the end. We’d forget the last loss and work on the next win, stayed positive and tried to work through it together,” Dinh said. “I believe in PW, I really do.”
With 22 minutes left, a foul just outside the box gave Abington a free kick in prime territory. Granted, it’s a good spot for most teams to begin with but when said team has a Maura Day, it’s even better.
Day, Abington’s standout senior midfielder, drilled the free kick into the upper 90 of the opposite post to level the score 1-1.
“Maura’s strike was ridiculous, nobody is stopping that,” Tompkins said of Day’s 26th goal this fall. “That’s a weapon we have that a lot of teams don’t.
“We give one up, but that’s soccer, it’s the way it goes and I’m glad they got a test.”
Abington continued to challenge the remainder of regulation but as Tompkins noted, the Ghosts kept playing a lot of balls into the air where Dinh was at her best. He kept stressing the importance of keeping the ball low and his players came through with 9:57 left in overtime.
“I just wanted to win,” McGinley said. “That was taking way too long so I was happy I could finish that cross and put it in.”
Abington (16-3, 14-2 SOL) hosts No. 11 Council Rock South on Thursday at 5pm in the opening match of a doubleheader. Plymouth Whitemarsh closed out its season with an 8-9-2 record, 6-8-2 SOL.
ABINGTON 0 1 1 – 2
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 1 0 0 – 1
Goals: A – Maura Day, Lily Gray; PW – Caelin Kosvitch
No. 11 Council Rock South 2, No. 22 Phoenixville 0
Golden Hawks coach Nick Heim used his time this weekend recovering from a knee surgery well by diving into his team’s first round foe.
With a good game plan and the opportunity to inaugurate their new field to the rigors of a postseason game, the Hawks came out ready to dispatch the visiting Phantoms.
“It was the first ever playoff game on the turf at South, and we told the girls to make it a memorable one,” Heim said.
Even with a plan, and a good number of players with some postseason experience, the first playoff game is still a tough one every year. Once they settled in, the Hawks took off, but they did have to weather a sometimes uneven start.
“We were able to get a pretty good scout on them and had a game plan of attack heading in,” Heim said. “I think the playoff nerves had us a little bit in the beginning of the game, as we just seemed to not connect that final pass to find a goal.”
Set pieces are a difference maker late in the season and on Tuesday, CR South had a staggering 20 opportunities at restarts. What would matter is what the Golden Hawks did with them and not how many they had.
“We wanted to make sure we made some count. With 2:32 to play in the first half, Zoe Brossman stepped up to a free kick and beat their keeper to make it 1-0,” Heim said. “Not letting down, we were able to dispossess them off the kick and 27 seconds later Ashley Yeager got on the end of a rebound in front to make it 2-0.”
Turning the game around in a hurry just before the half was a huge lift for South, which was able to dip into its well of reserves to help lock up the win. Given a solid lead to hold, the Hawks defense did its job extremely well, collecting a postseason clean sheet for their efforts.
“Our backs were tremendous today- Emily Davis, Kim Speiser, Fiona Reckner, Jenna Waterman, and Maggie Kane limited their offense to one shot on frame during the run of play,” Heim said. “Karissa Smedley was able to pick off a few more set pieces to see out the shutout.”
Smedley, who recently committed to Georgian Court to play basketball, was involved in her 10th shutout of the season.
Heim also singled out the play of one Golden Hawk who didn’t score a goal.
“Reghan Mudie was a workhorse in the midfield, and while she didn’t get on the scoresheet, her play in the midfield helped us get forward and limit their chances to get after our backline,” Heim said.
CR South (13-3-3, 11-3-2 SOL) will visit No. 6 Abington on Thursday in a scheduled 5 pm start.
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 2 0 – 2
PHOENIXVILLE 0 0 – 0
Goals: CRS – Zoe Brossman, Ashley Yeager
CLASS 3A
No. 9 Marple Newtown 2, No. 8 Upper Moreland 1 (OT)
There’s a reason many people don’t consider a nine seed over an eight seed to be an upset – the teams are supposed to be well-matched.
The visiting Tigers were able to find an overtime winner to end the Golden Bears’ season, but the contest was anything but one-sided. Sometimes, one team puts away one more opportunity and that’s what UM could chalk up on Tuesday.
“Tonight’s game was a really well-played game. It was exactly what an 8 vs. 9 match-up should be. We did a great job of possessing the ball and moving it through our system,” Bears coach Lisa Benvenuto said. “The girls knew coming into this match-up that in order to win we had to capitalize on our opportunities and keep solid pressure on Marple Newtown to lessen theirs.”
Marple-Newtown took a 1-0 lead midway through the first half and held it going into the break. It wasn’t the first time the Bears have trailed this season and they were pretty good at battling back when they did.
“We were down at the half 1-0, but that really didn’t rattle us. This group of girls does not lose their composure, nor do they lose sight of what our game plan is,” Benvenuto said. “At the half we spoke about a few things that we needed to do in order to get the equalizer.”
In the 65th minute, Kylie Wiest was fouled about 30 yards out to set up a free kick. Wiest has been a breakout player for UM this fall, and her work gave her teammates a chance to equalize, which they gladly took.
“Maggie Brophy was able to finish with a spectacular shot in the upper right corner. Following that goal, we continued to create chances and squander Marple-Newtown’s,” Benvenuto said. “With about 3:30 minutes to go, Kyra Favors ripped a shot, and (Tigers keeper) Mariana Castillo made a tremendous save.”
Sophia Foschi, who scored the first goal for M-N, doubled her total with the extra time winner seven minutes into the first overtime session.
“As a coaching staff, we are so proud of what our girls accomplished this season. We watched them grow as a team and individuals, and really connect on the field. Our girls have no reason to hang their heads, it was a well played game and they left everything on the field,” Benvenuto said. “Every member of our squad contributed to our success this season. Kudos to our seven seniors for their four years of contributions to this program. I can not stress enough how proud we are of our girls.”
MARPLE-NEWTOWN 1 0 1 – 2
UPPER MORELAND 0 1 0 – 1
Goals: UM – Maggie Brophy
No. 7 Villa Joseph Marie 3, No. 10 Lower Moreland 1
While this hasn’t been a vintage season for the Jems, there’s no denying the program out of the AACA knows how to win late in the season.
Lower Moreland learned what a lot of teams have over the years in that it generally takes something special to knock VJM off its game in late October. The Lions struck first but weren’t able to find enough offense once the Jems got going.
“Our girls played tough. We went up 1-0 in the first half when Demmi Fox took a tough shot from the right side and Nikki Sahl followed up the rebound and put the ball in the back of net,” LM coach Todd Hill said. “We had other opportunities throughout the night, but Villa’s attack proved to be too much for us.”
The Lions , who won a second straight SOL Freedom title, have a nice core of juniors set to return. Hill credited his goalkeeper and the team’s seniors for their efforts on Tuesday.
“Sandra Malave had some great saves to keep us in reach,” Hill said. “Our seniors Maddie Sahl, Sophia O’Brien, Demmi Fox, and Payton Lennon made us proud with their effort tonight and all year! They will be deeply missed.”
Lower Moreland closed out its season with a 9-10 record overall, 9-7 in the SOL.
VILLA JOSEPH MARIE – 3
LOWER MORELAND – 1
Goals; LM – Nikki Sahl
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