Central Bucks East & Council Rock South were winners in PIAA 4A quarterfinal action Saturday and will meet in a state semifinal contest. Check out Andrew Robinson’s Kwik Goal recaps of both games.
No. 1-1 Central Bucks East 3, No. 11-2 Parkland 0
In naval warfare, “crossing the T” is a tactic that gives one side a significant advantage over the other during an engagement.
This fall, CB East has been doing a lot of its own crossing the T, namely crossing the “T” in Taylor Roumy’s name every time the senior has influenced a goal. Roumy has been playing at a high level all fall, but the Richmond-bound senior has certainly turned things up since the state tournament started.
Roumy bagged a brace for the second game in a row as the Patriots advanced to the PIAA Class 4A semifinals for the third year in a row.
“I definitely have more confidence with that, especially the past few games,” Roumy said. “It just builds. It gives me more confidence that I can attack and beat people because I just built that up throughout the games.”
Roumy extended her state playoff total to four goals while increasing her season total to 22 for the overall team lead. The senior also has double-digit assists this season and is on an impressive streak when it comes to putting her name in the scorebook.
Per Greg Oldfield of Backyard Pitches, Roumy has now either scored or assisted a goal in 17 of East’s last 18 matches. It’s a remarkable string of consistency, showing the team’s overall quality but also their ability to play together despite having several overwhelming individual talents.
“Honestly, I’m just trying to contribute to the team,” Roumy said. “I really want this to end the season well since it’s my senior year, so anything I can – if it’s assists, if it’s a goal, I’m doing anything I can. It’s not just about me, it’s about the whole team.”
Asked if he could analyze Roumy’s performance on Saturday, CB East coach Jake Nesteruk was succinct.
“Taylor’s horrible,” Nesteruk joked with Roumy standing to his right.
The forward feigned outrage as the Patriots’ coach continued, this time seriously.
“When you have got kids who can change the game in the blink of an eye, it just makes everything a whole lot easier,” Nesteruk said. “You’re able to find ways to get yourself out of games you may not be playing your best, or if frustration is setting in, then you’ve got a kid like T who out of nowhere just hits an unbelievable shot. She’s incredibly deserving.
“The attention that kids like Taylor and Mia (Forney) get, it’s really hard to play and create those goal scoring opportunities and sometimes it doesn’t come and there’s some frustrations there, but she’s an incredibly selfless kid and deserving of those moments she can shine and put her stamp on the game.”
Crossing the T on Saturday meant navigating some unfamiliar waters. The confines of Quakertown’s Alumni Memorial Field – at least from the soccer aspect – are quite narrow and it definitely took the Patriots a little while to figure out how to play within the tight width of the pitch.
For Roumy, a naturally left-footed winger who is at her best stretching the ball wide then going at defenders, it was for sure an adjustment. She tried a few things, even flip-flopping sides with senior Mia Forney to play on the right.
That helped unlock some things, including the first goal of the day late in the first half.
With the constraints of the lines forcing the Patriots to adapt, Nesteruk saw his players battle through some frustrations and find answers within a style they don’t always lean into but keep in their back pocket as an option.
“It’s one of those places that runs really tight, and you could see it in the first half, it just took a while for us to actually create anything of serious significance, but I don’t think it totally changed how we played,” Nesteruk said. “It forced us to kind of tap into our athleticism a little bit more than we’re probably used to and I’m really proud of that because I think it’s another side of us we often don’t show off, and as a result, you see a couple kids create some really good one-on-one opportunities, you see a couple kids strike a ball from distance, so I really liked the balance with which we played today.”
East’s first goal came off the result of a big-time hustle play. After a one-two between Taylor Roumy and her twin sister Ella, senior Mattie Williams drove the ball into the box and played a low cross that was knocked away by the Parkland defense.
Instead of giving up, Williams came in with a well-timed slide tackle that allowed Delaney Ralph to play the ball back to Taylor Roumy on the edge of the box. Roumy took two touches to her left, then hit a curler that bent just inside the post with 4:04 left in the first half.
“Her goal came at a really critical time,” Nesteruk said. “It let us settle into it a little bit, get into the second half and things started to really flow from there.”
Forney, who would play a key role later on in the third goal, rang the crossbar just before half, but the Patriots had to settle for a one-goal advantage.
“Going into that second half, our big focus was: can we win the ball higher up, can we put a little more focus on our recovery timing, can we win it back within five seconds or less,” Nesteruk said. “I think you see a big difference in how we defended higher up the second half compared to the first half. I thought through the center of the park, it was a really selfless day.”
Indeed, the East midfield was heavily involved and very good. Senior Kiera Sleicher wasn’t as much of an offensive threat as usual, instead playing more as a combiner in the middle while keeping a Parkland defender committed to following her.
Williams, who notched the assist on the third goal, was a service machine and brought a little edge to the middle in terms of winning the ball. Senior Ava Mignon swept things up in front of the back line and senior Mackenzie Peters was all over the field, nearly getting a goal of her own on a long-range shot that left the Parkland keeper essentially throwing the ball out of the net to keep it from going over the line.
Delaney Ralph also gave the team another good boost in the midfield, the sophomore scoring the finishing goal, and the five-deep group in the middle helped the Patriots figure out the game.
“When we went to the five in the middle, we got more stable,” Roumy said. “That’s when I could get my width and they could find me more often. I feel like we controlled the game better and got me or Mia the ball out wide or going through. We played stronger at the end of the first half and in the second half because we made that adjustment.”
CB East continued to pepper the Parkland goal early in the second half but were unable to put one away until Roumy crossed the T again with 28 minutes to go. Back on the left, the senior went to goal then ripped one from outside the box for an absolute snipe to the far post that doubled the lead.
Seven minutes later, a really strong sequence led to the Patriots putting the game away. Forney made a nice run then played a terrific ball to Williams who then slid a ball across goal with Ralph crashing in for the finish.
“Delaney did what a kid like her should be doing – times her run really well and just finishes it,” Nesteruk said. “She’s incredibly deserving of that moment. I’m really happy for her to come into this game and kind of seal that win for us in a much-needed moment.”
Scoring Summary
1st Half
CBE – Taylor Roumy 4:04
2nd Half
CBE – Taylor Roumy 27:47
CBE – Delaney Ralph (Mattie Williams) 20:37
East will face Council Rock South in the state semifinals on Tuesday at a site and time to be determined. The teams met back in the District 1 semis, a 1-0 win by East in overtime.
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 1 2 – 3
PARKLAND 0 0 – 0
Council Rock South 1, Nazareth Area 0 (OT)
Three of the Golden Hawks’ last four games have gone into overtime, the last two ending in similar manner with a free kick leading to the game-winning goal that propels them deeper into the state tournament.
At this time of year, it doesn’t matter how they happen, as long as the match ends in a win. Considering their opponent on Saturday had yet to lose a game this season and came in with 20 shutouts to their credit, the Hawks certainly felt exactly that way.
“We had watched some film on them and thought we matched up pretty well,” South coach Nick Heim said. “We wanted to make sure we answered the first whistle and applied pressure from the jump. I thought we did a really solid job of it.”
Much like the last round, CR South had a strong edge in several offensive areas. The Hawks had a 6-1 edge in corner kicks and a 13-3 advantage in shots on goal.
“The first half we generated some quality chances and just couldn’t seem to find one,” Heim said. “They had one quality chance on a counter that hit the top side of the crossbar, but besides that one blip, our defense really limited their chances. We were tied at half but there was still a sense of calm with the group, knowing if we kept plugging away we would find one.
“The second half we really controlled possession and generated numerous really good chances.”
Nazareth’s defense lived up to its billing and despite some serious threats, including shots by Anna Horn, Lyla Day, and Riley O’Halloran that were completely denied by the Eagles’ keeper, held firm.
Going into overtime, it didn’t take CR South long to generate yet another opportunity.
“Off the tap, G Conetta was able to attack their backs and we drew a foul in an eerily similar spot to where we ended OT the other night,” Heim said. “Kait Hickey sent in a great ball that Maddie Mohr hammered home with a header to end it. Really happy for Maddie and the rest of the girls to have that moment.”
Mohr, who partners with Hickey in the center of South’s back line, was happy to be the one putting the game away for her team. The defender felt the belief all day and it seemed fitting the ball found her in the right moment to make it reality.
“I felt like we dominated the majority of the game, just got unlucky with our finishes,” Mohr said. “The whole game we knew our chance was coming, and we had a great opportunity off of a free kick. They were a tough team as well, very physical and great off of counter-attacks.
“I am so glad we pulled through and get to continue our season. The team and I have worked so hard this season, and it is for sure paying off.”
That other game in the last four that went OT for CR South? That would be the District 1 Class 4A semifinal round where the Hawks played a fantastic match but were downed 1-0 against Central Bucks East.
It was a clash of two of the very best teams in the SOL, which also proved to be two of the very best teams in District 1 and now, two of the very best teams in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, only one of them will get to move on to the state final, as the two conference heavyweights get set for a titanic rematch in the final four on Tuesday night.
On the other side of the bracket, it’ll be Downingtown West against Downingtown East in a district quarterfinal rematch. No matter the outcome, it will mark the fourth straight year the PIAA Class 4A title match will be an all-District 1 matchup.
“We will see a familiar foe in the semis in CB East. A lot of respect for that program with three straight state semi appearances in a row and how they conduct themselves,” Heim said. “Really happy to see Suburban One still in it and District 1 being four-for-four to qualify for the semis. This type of local competition really makes a difference in the postseason.”
Scoring Summary
1st Half
No Scoring
2nd Half
No Scoring
OT
CRS – Maddie Mohr (Kait Hickey)
CR South Nick Heim: “Props to Nazareth: they were organized and their one center back is very good. Their two wide players are very dangerous on the counter, but I thought Kait Hickey, Lianna Shikhvarger, and Krissy Philip were great at limiting them.”
–Standouts: “Horn, Ruby Bross, and Brooke Pavlow really controlled the midfield in a physical battle and really drove us forward to consistently get after them. Maddie Hyams with the shutout.
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 0 0 1 – 1
NAZARETH 0 0 0 – 0
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