Check out the results for SOL girls’ soccer teams in action Thursday.
By Dan Beck
National Conference
PENNSBURY 3, NESHAMINY 0
Pennsbury was used to watching Neshaminy celebrate the league title on the Falcons’ turf. This time, Pennsbury got to celebrate on Neshaminy’s.
For the second straight season—and just the second time in school history—Pennsbury has won the National Conference. After an impressive 2015 that has included just one loss, the Falcons are league champs once more.
“They definitely valued every single game and they put a lot of effort into it. When they saw the opportunity to defend that title this season, they really owned that,” Pennbury coach Kaitlyn Battiste said.
And the Falcons clinched the title against none other than their rivals from Neshaminy. The Falcons scored three times in the second half to put it away and claim the trophy.
“Pennsbury and Neshaminy is a great rivalry,” Battiste said. “Within the last few years, both Pennsbury and Neshaminy have been at the top of the league. Neshaminy had a good run for a while. The girls saw it a lot in the last few years where they were clinching the title on our field. It’s a proud feeling to be able to experience it in an atmosphere like that.”
In the 43rd minute, Caroline Foley got the scoring going, taking a pass from Kelly Amador to give the Falcons the lead after a scoreless first half.
Amador then scored off a feed from Abby Wick in the 63rd minute. With five minutes left, Foley put the game—and the conference—out of reach, scoring to make it 3-0.
Foley missed a good deal of September with an injury and hadn’t returned to the Falcons’ lineup until Tuesday against Truman. She made her presence known today.
“She is a game-changer for us. She takes us to that next level,” Battiste said.
Fortunately for Pennsbury, when a player like Foley goes down they have a wealth of other playmakers ready to step in. Take your pick: Amador? Riley Rudd? Cara Thomas? They have all played an integral role in the success of the district’s third-ranked team.
“It’s the best problem that the coaching staff could have,” Battiste said. “On any given day, we don’t know who’s going to be that game-changer for us. They’re continuing to compete and push one another.”
The coach said she texts with her assistant coaches before each game, speculating which player will step up next.
Last week came Pennsbury’s only hiccup—a 1-0 loss to Council Rock North. But Battiste believes the game allowed her and the team to pinpoint a few issues that they hope they have rectified for the stretch run of the season and the postseason.
“Leading up to our games against North, we weren’t playing our best,” she said. “Sometimes it’s hard to see what improvements need to be made when you’re still winning. Sometimes that point doesn’t really hit home until you suffer that loss.”
A state title is certainly the goal for the Falcons, but, of course, in this area, anything is possible. A second consecutive league title is a good start. Pennsbury will enjoy it. For now.
“Once the playoffs start, it doesn’t mean anything,” Battiste said. “Any team can beat you on any given day.”
Pennsbury (13-1, 10-1 SOL) will travel to Council Rock South on Monday, and Neshaminy (9-3-1, 8-2-1 SOL) will be on the road at Truman (7 p.m.).
Pennsbury 0-3 3
Neshaminy 0-0 0
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 0, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 0 (2OT)
It’s a whole different story when North plays South. Just ask either of the team’s coaches. Thursday was a classic CR North-CR South battle, and it didn’t end with a winner. Instead, the Indians and Golden Hawks tied at zero.
While North leads South in the standings, it was South that was generating the chances in this one. The Hawks’ Emily Discavage led a nice offensive attack, but they were unable to put one through. North’s keeper Jeri Belardo made sure of that. The senior keeper made eight saves—coming up clutch on a few—to keep the game knotted up at zero.
“She’s been coming on very strong for us lately,” North coach Wendell Beres said. “Today she had three or four point-blank saves in a row and some of those are just reaction—you can’t teach those. She’s got that fire in her belly and she doesn’t want her senior year to end. We’re very lucky to have her on our team this year for sure.”
South’s attacking mentality worked in terms of getting looks at the net, the shots just weren’t falling.
“We decided to go with a different formation today, hoping to put some more pressure offensively,” South assistant coach Nick Heim said. “We were pretty successful at it. The defense of North is organized. We knew they weren’t going to give up many chances. They don’t give up a lot of goals. It was effective, we just couldn’t put on in the back of the net.”
So after 100 minutes of soccer, the two sides tied, leaving North with the bragging rights for now having won the first meeting between the rivals.
Beres said his team may be feeling the effects of a long season but credited the strong play of the girls to the south, who have struggled to get wins like they are used to.
“They came to play,” he said. “They’ve been playing very well lately and unfortunately for them, they haven’t been getting the results. I’m happy to get away with a point tonight and now we have got to focus on the next four.”
South sits in unfamiliar territory, out of the top 28 teams in the District One power rankings, but after a pair of ties to a couple tough teams, William Tennent on Tuesday and now North, Heim sees the girls coming around.
“I think the girls are playing with more confidence now than they were,” Heim said. “We hit a rough stretch in the beginning of the season. We had quite a few injuries.”
Discavage, the senior leader, has missed some time this year and so has Kasey Schlupp. In a tough conference, missing talented players for any stretch can really affect a team, as has been the case with South. In the top 28 or not, South will look to close out 2015 strong.
CR South (6-6-2, 4-6-2 SOL) will play Downingtown West on Saturday, while CR North (8-4-2, 7-3-2 SOL) will play a road game against Haverford.
Council Rock South 0-0-0-0 0
Council Rock North 0-0-0-0 0
HARRY S. TRUMAN 1, BENSALEM 1 (2OT)
Truman and Bensalem battled 100 minutes to a 1-1 tie.
The Tigers got up early. In the 22nd minute, Sam Ricciardi scored with an assist by Amanda McElhare. Before the end of the half, the Owls fought back. Amanda Felice scored off a feed from Myranda Walp.
Neither team could get another across and they wound up with a draw. Truman had a slight advantage in shots with 13 to Bensalem’s 11. Alyssa Bosler made 10 saves in net for Truman.
Truman (1-14-1, 0-11-1 SOL) will host Neshaminy at 7 p.m., and Bensalem (2-12-1, 1-10-1 SOL) will travel to William Tennent for a 7 p.m. game.
Harry S. Truman 1-0-0-0 1
Bensalem 1-0-0-0 1
ABINGTON 3, WILLIAM TENNENT 2
Abington, arguably the SOL’s most surprising team of the year, pulled out another one Thursday. The Ghosts won an OT thriller over William Tennent at home.
The Panthers got the first goal; Shannon McGuinn scored in the 30th minute to put Tennent on top.
Abingon responded in the 35th minute with a goal by Julia Guarini, assisted by Kailey Horton.
In the second half with just over 13 minutes left to play, the Ghosts took the lead off a goal from Isabella Bautista (Guarini on the assist). It looked like it was over, but Tennent’s Emily Wasserleben squeaked a goal past after a scrum in front off a corner with just four seconds remaining to send the game to overtime.
In OT, it was Guarini again. The senior found Sophia Carabba, who netted the golden goal, giving the Ghosts another big win. Abington, 13th in the latest District One power rankings, is constantly proving it belongs.
Abington (10-4-1, 7-4-1 SOL) will travel to Council Rock North on Monday for a 3:30 p.m. contest, and William Tennent (8-6-2, 5-5-2 SOL) will host Bensalem at 7 p.m.
William Tennent
Abington
Continental Conference
NORTH PENN 1, PENNRIDGE 0
North Penn has been on the losing end of a bunch of close games this year. So coach Jim Dehner was extremely happy to finally come out winners in a tight game, pulling off the upset against Pennridge.
Late in the game, in the 74th minute, Kristen Wilkinson made a nice cut back on a defender and crossed the ball to find Amelia Eshraghi for the game’s lone goal.
The last time the Maidens met the Rams, it ended in a scoreless tie and it probably looked like this one was headed there too, if not for the timely goal.
“At halftime we talked about how with the limited opportunities they provide you, you have to take advantage and we were lucky to get that one goal. They definitely are a great team,” Dehner said.
It was an all-or-nothing type of afternoon for Dehner’s squad.
“We’re going into these games knowing we have nothing to lose. We’re trying to claw our way back in [to the playoff race.]” Dehner said of his team, ranked 33rd in the latest power rankings—just outside the top 28, which would qualify them for the playoffs.
Hannah Lambert came up big in goal for the Maidens, stopping seven shots. She’s been a big piece to North Penn’s season this year.
“She’s come up big to save us in a lot of our games. Confidence-wise it feels good for our defense knowing there’s a steady goalkeeper back there,” Dehner said, also crediting the backline play of his defenders Cat Myers, Jani Johnston, Kat Stevenson and Liz Volz.
Lately it’s been all about playing a complete game. Dehner said they have lacked the ability to finish games, but in the last couple weeks, the Maidens have found ways to win.
While they are on the outside looking in of the playoffs for now, North Penn is hitting its stride at the right time, winning three straight against Quakertown, CB West and Pennridge. The Maidens will look forward to their last week of the season to make their last bid at the postseason.
“Who knows how it’s going to end? This maybe gets us a little bit closer,” Dehner said.
North Penn (6-7-2, 4-6-2 SOL) will travel to Souderton on Monday for a 6 p.m. contest, and Pennridge (8-4-2, 6-4-2 SOL) will play Cheltenham Friday.
Pennridge 0-0 0
North Penn 0-1 1
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 5, QUAKERTOWN 0
The newly crowned Continental Conference champions, CB East picked up yet another win, and the Patriots were led by, who else, but Emma Loving.
It was Erin Lutz who got the Patriots on top first. Two minutes in, Lutz scored after a corner taken by Paige Weiss.
Then Loving got going. In the third minute, Emily Horn passed to Loving for the goal. Carli Whiton then found Loving in the 31st minute to make it 3-0 heading into the locker rooms at the half.
Shortly into the second half, Loving completed the “natural hat trick,” scoring her third goal, with a helper from Isabel Hunter. Brooke Zarzycki added another Patriots goal in the 70th minute off an assist from Dana Weinstein.
In goal, senior Katie Dolf, freshman Kristen Obetz and Maddie Nesteruk split time to register the shutout.
CB East (14-0, 12-0 SOL), who wrapped up the Continental title on Tuesday, won’t be resting anytime soon. They battle with the number two team in District One (according to the recently released power rankings), West Chester Henderson on Saturday at 1 p.m. Quakertown (4-10-1, 3-8-1 SOL) will play Christopher Dock on Saturday at 6 p.m.
Quakertown 0-0 0
Central Bucks East 3-1 4
SOUDERTON 2, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 1
Souderton came out winners in a tight match with CB South, getting a goal in the 62nd minute to take down the Titans.
The Indians scored first after a goal from Allie Trick with an assist from Tori Dowd. It was 1-0 Souderton at the half.
South came out in the second half and got a goal five minutes in. Kylie Walsh finished off a pass from Kelly Senour to tie the game up at a goal apiece. South managed eight shots on goal in the second half, but couldn’t grab the lead.
After a defensive miscue, Souderton took advantage. In the 62nd minute, Taylor Moritz got the eventual game-winner with an assist from Cara McCausland.
Thursday’s win is huge for the Indians. Souderton, after its surprising and hot start, dropped its last three games to Pennridge, CB West and Quakertown. A win against the Titans, which are deadlocked for second in the Continental with Pennridge will help the Indians. They now sit just a point behind the two teams in the tight conference.
Souderton (9-5-1, 6-5-1 SOL) will host North Penn on Monday at 6:30 p.m., and CB South (8-4-2, 6-4-2 SOL) will travel to Quakertown for a 7 p.m. game.
Souderton 1-1 2
Central Bucks South 0-1 1
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 4, HATBORO-HORSHAM 0
CB West got back on track after a loss Wednesday to North Penn, beating Hatboro-Horsham 4-0 on the Bucks Senior Night.
In the 12th minute, Mary Kate Vinkler found Lindsey Morgan for a goal. Then Abby Mulhearn scored with an assist by Liv Kirchner in the 32nd minute. That was quickly followed by a 34th minute goal by Allie Walsh to make it 3-0 at the half.
Vinkler scored in the 56th minute to pad the lead, and the Bucks held on from there for the win.
Jenny Sutorious made three saves in net, and Grace Connelly had two to preserve the shutout for West. Coach Chris Shank praised the play of his seniors—Ellie Manca, Sav Scary, Maddie Billingsley, Sophia Alvarez, Lindsay Morgan and Abby Mulhearn—for a great game.
CB West (6-6-2, 5-5-2 SOL) will host Central Bucks East on Monday at 7 p.m., and Hatboro-Horsham (1-13, 1-11 SOL) will play Mount St. Joseph Academy on Saturday night.
Hatboro-Horsham 0-0 0
Central Bucks West 3-1 4
American Conference
UPPER MORELAND 3, CHELTENHAM 1
Upper Moreland used a monster second half to come back and top American Conference foe, Cheltenham.
The Panthers scored first, though, and it was the only scoring of the first half. In the 30th minute, Cheltenham’s Dana Shelton scored off a corner kick for the only scoring of a relatively evenly played first frame.
The Bears responded in the second half.
“[We] went into the second half determined to come back,” coach Lisa Benvenuto said.
Sam Cancel got the crucial final 40 minutes started for Upper Moreland. Just 2:23 into the half, Cancel scored on a perfectly placed corner to tie the game up. In the 61st minute, Sydney Bachmayer crossed the ball and found Brianna Byard for the goal, giving the Bears the lead. Maggie Finn added an insurance goal in the 73rd minute to put the game away.
Benvenuto praised the defensive play of Cancel, Elizabeth Magaha, and Hannah Long.
The win is big for the Bears, which were winless in its last five contests and just a point ahead of Cheltenham in the American standings.
Upper Moreland (6-7-2, 5-6-1 SOL) will play Merion Mercy on Friday for a nonleague game. Cheltenham (5-9, 4-8 SOL) will travel to Pennridge Friday for an inter-SOL battle.
Upper Moreland 0-3 3
Cheltenham 1-0 1
WISSAHICKON 9, NORRISTOWN 1
Wissahickon scored three times in the first three minutes in a lopsided win over host Norristown.
Talia Abrahams had a hat trick, Mady Foglia scored twice, and Maddie Elwell, Alexis Smith, Lieke Black, and Inken Senftleben added goals for the Trojans.
It was Elwell spotting the Trojans a 1-0 lead 67 seconds into the contest, and then Foglia scored back-to-back goals in a one-minute span to put the Trojans on top 3-0. By halftime, the Trojans led 9-0.
Keanna Haney and Nicole Hastings each made a save in net for Wissahickon in the win.
Wissahickon (9-4-1, 9-2-1 SOL) will host Upper Dublin on Monday at 3:30 p.m., and Norristown (1-12, 0-12 SOL) will host Upper Perkiomen Friday.
Wissahickon 9-0 9
Norristown 0-1 1
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 2, SPRINGFIELD 1
Plymouth Whitemarsh pulled out an important win against Springfield.
Lindsey Smith had the goal for the Spartans.
Springfield (8-6, 8-4 SOL) will host Upper Merion on Monday, and Plymouth Whitemarsh (6-6-2, 6-4-2 SOL) will host Cheltenham.
UPPER DUBLIN 2, UPPER MERION 0
Upper Dublin remained unbeaten in American Conference play, beating Upper Merion Thursday.
Becca Watson and Tori Hoffner scored for the Flying Cardinals. Upper Dublin is enjoying nice lead in the American Conference as they prepare to enter the final week of the regular season.
Upper Dublin (12-1-1, 11-0-1) will face Wissahickon again Monday, but first they will battle Phoenixville in a nonleague game on Friday. Upper Merion (2-12-1, 2-9-1 SOL) will travel to Springfield.
Upper Merion 0-0 0
Upper Dublin 1-1 2
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