Neshaminy stunned Parkland, the state’s top-ranked team, in an opening round game of the PIAA Class 4A Tournament Tuesday. Pennsbury and CR South saw their seasons come to an end. Pennsbury/Central Dauphin photos provided courtesy of Darryl Rule of J&D Photography.
#1-3 Neshaminy 2, #11-1 Parkland 1
On paper at least, the odds were stacked against Neshaminy.
The reward for finishing third in District I was a first-round matchup with Parkland – undefeated and ranked as the top team in the entire state – at a venue a stone's throw away from their school. That may seem intimidating, but only if you pay attention to it.
Neshaminy was only worried about itself.
"We didn't look too far into them being the 'top-ranked team in the state' or their record. We approached this game like we would any other game," Neshaminy coach Chelsea Lovelace said. "The girls knew that if we lost, we were done and I know they didn't want that for themselves, so they left everything on the field tonight and it showed."
With most of the eastern part of the state hit by bad weather Tuesday afternoon, Neshaminy had to contend with the elements and the Trojans. Lovelace said the game was played in a mix of rain and snow.
All state games are played on turf fields, so it created some challenging conditions.
"A wet surface helps pick up the speed of play but creates mistakes," Lovelace said. "We just had to make sure if we did make mistakes, we recovered and then on the flip side, capitalizing off of Parkland's mistakes, especially in the back."
Neshaminy scored twice in the first half, both coming off corner kicks.
"We don't usually get too many corners, but when we do, I feel like we have to take advantage of them. We always stress in training that we need to get something on the end of it, so I know the girls feel the same way," Lovelace said. "Kristin (Curley) and Nicole (Palmer) do a great job of finding the ball while it's in the air, not just on offense but defensively too."
Curley staked Neshaminy to a lead when she headed in a corner eight minutes in. Palmer, the team's defensive rock, scored the game-winner with six seconds left in the first half, also heading in a corner.
The common denominator on both goals was the service of Jackie Ziegler, who fought off the weather to send in two playable balls.
"She was very consistent with her services which helped our girls get in the right spot to receive the ball and find the back of the net," Lovelace said.
Palmer's goal, and the timing of it, couldn't have been much better.
"It was a good cushion to have a 2-0 lead heading into halftime. We knew that Parkland would come out hard the first 15 minutes," Lovelace said. "They did, getting the goal in the first 10 minutes of the half."
The Trojans cut the lead down to one nine minutes into the second half.
"The girls maintained a great focus and stayed calm on the ball," Lovelace said. "They didn't try to do anything we wouldn't normally do during the course of a game."
For all the talented attacking players in the state playoffs, games this time of the year are often won by defending. Parkland's Brooke Schutter, a 100-goal scorer for her career, was a threat that needed to be kept in check.
Neshaminy's defensive unit was up to the task on Tuesday, led by keeper Riley Spingler.
"Riley was a huge presence in the goal. She came out a bunch of times to handle the balls our back line couldn't get to, and it made things a lot easier on us," Lovelace said. "Our back four – Palmer, Hannah Stonkus, Genna Obringer and Alex Ziegler – were very organized and did a great job of stepping and covering and also making sure their forwards didn't have a lot of time on the ball or the ability to scan the field. They also did a great job of keeping the ball out of our end when we had the (one-goal) lead with 30 minutes left."
Spingler left the game in the second half briefly with an injury, but Victoria Smith was ready to step right in. Springler had five saves.
Neshaminy (17-6-1, 8-3-1 SOL) will face Governor Mifflin, the District 3 runner-up, on Saturday in the quarterfinals at a place and time to be decided. The Redskins lost in the first round of the state tournament last year and won their first state playoff game since winning the 3A state title in 2013.
"I think they are seeing a pattern of when they put in a full game of hard work, they get the results they want and deserve," Lovelace said. "Hard work goes a long way, so we want to make sure we always take the field ready to leave it all out there."
NESHAMINY 2 0 – 2
PARKLAND 0 1 – 1
Goals: N – Nicole Palmer, Kristin Curley
#3-3 Central Dauphin 3, #1-1 Pennsbury 1
The Falcons saw their fantastic season come to an end Tuesday. Central Dauphin scored three unanswered goals after Lizzy Kirk headed in a Kelsey Butler cross in the 18th minute.
"There are a lot of emotions that come flooding out when your season abruptly ends. I'm disappointed that this team won't have another opportunity to show what they've learned and how they've grown," Pennsbury coach Kaitlyn Battiste said. "I'm grateful to have been a part of this team's journey and to witness the legacy that these seniors have left behind and to share that with an amazing staff of coaches."
The loss doesn't diminish the luster of Pennsbury's season, which saw the Falcons win a share of their fourth straight SOL National title, then go on to win the District I 4A title.
"Mostly, I'm trying to stay hopeful that these seniors and the underclassmen remember to take advantage of the opportunities they are fortunate enough to encounter on the soccer field and in life," Battiste said. "I'm proud of their successes: earning four league championships and two district championships in four years. Whether they've been with the team four years or one, they're part of the legacy. But we can't stop there; we'll continue to work hard in order to capture that ultimate prize of a state championship."
Pennsbury closed out its successful season with a 19-2-2 record (10-1-1 SOL).
CENTRAL DAUPHIN 0 3 – 3
PENNSBURY 1 0 – 1
Goals: P – Lizzy Kirk
#1-5 Council Rock South 0, #3-1 Conestoga Valley 0 (CV advances 6-5 on PKs)
Few things in sports are more cruel than a team losing on penalty kicks after 110 minutes of hard-fought soccer.
Unfortunately for the Golden Hawks, they learned that lesson first-hand Tuesday after being knocked out of the state tournament by the District 3 champion.
"We played our game and generated quality chances," CR South coach Nick Heim said. "Anything can happen in penalties. It's a tough one to end on."
Heim, in his first season as the head coach, led CR South to a terrific season. The Hawks captured a share of the SOL National crown, then showed great resolve to win two games to claim the fifth and final state bid out of District I.
"I couldn't be more proud of this group. They allowed the staff to take an incredibly fun ride this year, and it is something the girls should be extremely proud of," Heim said. "They won the school's first conference title in seven seasons and lost in extra penalties to a district champ. I am lucky to have nine incredible seniors; not just incredible players, but incredible people."
Rock South proved it was no fluke team with wins over Pennsbury and Neshaminy during the regular season, and Heim credited all the team's accomplishments to the dedication of its players.
"Their impact on this program will last for many years. They bought into what we as a staff were trying to do and put program accomplishments above their own. They took the offseason more serious than any other group I've seen at CR South and were deserving every accolade they received," Heim said. "It was the most fun soccer season I've ever been a part of, as a player or coach."
Council Rock South (10-1-1 SOL) closed out the season with an 18-4-1 mark overall.
CONESTOGA VALLEY 0 0 0 0 – 0 (6)
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 0 0 0 0 – 0 (5)
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