Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ soccer teams in action Monday. Wissahickon/UD photos provided courtesy of Josh Stelzer/Wissahickon soccer. (UD senior photos courtesy of UD girls soccer)
SOL Liberty
Upper Dublin 3, Wissahickon 2
To be fair to Cardinals’ coach Chuck Gesing, it wasn’t exactly an easy question, but his expression still said a lot.
A few minutes after his team had outlasted its next-door rivals in another classic game between the programs, Gesing was asked to quantify the impact his eight seniors had made this fall. Just a year ago, the Cardinals had endured a difficult 1-7-1 season and two days before playing a game this season, had to pull together after a tornado ripped through their community.
Monday, under the lights on the campus of Gwynedd Mercy University, those eight – Rachel Adelman, Maddie Amoia, Katie English, Ava Costanzo, Grace McManus, Geena Sarnoski, Bliss Brenner and Berkley Harmon – got to revel in the biggest win of the season after going through so much.
“Without the attitude, the athleticism and the play of this senior class, we’d be in trouble,” Gesing said. “Our junior class is very talented, but the senior class pushes them in practice every day. At the end of the day, we’re on the same team. It’s not a class divide, and when you have that balance, it makes things a lot easier.
“There’s mutual respect and they just work together.”
All eight seniors started on Monday. McManus, who is injured, could not play but did get a ceremonial touch before exiting the field to a high-five from Gesing.
The seniors provided the foundation, giving the team a collective chip to make up for what they viewed as an unacceptable 2020 season and keeping everyone together after damage from the tornado put the team on the road for half the season and some players and their families out of their homes. Defensively, the team built an identity right away but offensively, it was a slow start.
Behind the seniors, the underclassmen have flourished and none more so than the juniors making up the core of the attack. Lili Kleiman and Regan Rubin, gifted a big collegiate surface to play on, took it to heart Monday as each recorded a goal and assist.
“We know our defense is super-strong and it allows us to take some risks,” Kleiman said. “It lets us play with more confidence up top.”
Wissahickon was seeking its first SOL conference title since 2012 and needed either a win or a tie to secure it outright. The Trojans, who drew with UD the first time around, looked on their way to a good start when the Cardinals were whistled for a handball in the box following a corner nine minutes in.
Kylie Friedman had her PK denied by Adelman and off the post, but it stayed in play, allowing the Wissahickon junior to punch home the rebound.
The Trojans held serve until just past the midpoint of the half when Rubin and Kleiman went lightning strike on a pair of goals in less than three minutes. Rubin struck first, playing a cross that glanced off a defender on a bounce and hitting a left-footed shot just inside the post to tie things up.
A few minutes later, she sprang the speedster Kleiman with a perfectly weighted long-ball. Kleiman did the rest, having her first shot hit off the post but recovering with a nice touch past the scrambling keeper for a good finish.
“We all have a lot of confidence in each other,” Rubin said. “We know we can give the ball to somebody else and every single time, they’re capable of putting it in the back of the net or playing up a super-nice assist. Everyone on this team is very, very talented.”
Five minutes into the second half, it was Kleiman again going toward goal but this time, she would be the facilitator instead of the finisher. The junior was able to catch up to a ball heading toward the corner, slipping a defender on the endline and sending a pinpoint ball to Costanzo in front of goal, with the senior ripping a one-time chance into the net for a 3-2 lead.
“They enjoyed space in our PW game and I encouraged them to keep running at people, so the width of this field definitely plays to that,” Gesing said. “They play for each other. They’ve been friends since they were little and that’s the great part, they may not be on club teams together now, but they grew up playing together and we sorted it out earlier in the year it can’t be one person.”
Wissahickon wasn’t going down without a fight and even without its two starting center backs due to injury, the Trojans didn’t allow another goal despite going to an attack-heavy formation. The approach paid off with 24 minutes left when Friedman played a perfect cross into the box that senior Margaret Wilde met with a stunning header into the net to slice the lead back to one.
Upper Dublin’s rock, its defense, would have to see out the result and the Cardinals got a lift from freshman Abby O’Meara, who played extended minutes at right back and often matched up with Wilde in the second half.
“Abby’s athleticism sometimes surprises people and her being a freshman, she might not know who everybody else is in the league, and maybe you don’t know you’re going up against a Pitt commit,” Gesing said. “She did a great job, and it was a matchup we liked and went with.”
Adelman, a four-year starter in goal, made eight saves and expertly handled a couple well-hit balls into the box that could have been trouble if they had hit the turf. Senior Bliss Brenner was solid as usual, as were Emeline Bell and Erin Seabrook at center back with Alaina Sanders at defensive mid.
Gesing lauded his team’s depth in Monday’s outcome.
“They changed their formation to get more pop up top, so we adjusted and shuffled players to get the matchup we wanted,” Gesing said. “Everyone who went in gave us something, even if it was five to 10 minutes of work, it was what we needed and we could shuffle a new player in.”
Two juniors may have carried the attack on Monday, but Rubin and Kleiman said their motivation was to get the win for their seniors. It’s been two seasons nobody could have predicted or prepared for, but it’s also only made UD stronger.
“It’s allowed us to have each other’s backs in things outside of soccer, which is more important than soccer sometimes,” Rubin said. “It’s carried into our relationships on the field and let us connect better.”
Upper Dublin still has a shot to win the conference title, although it would need some help and a win of its own on Thursday. However that plays out, the Cardinals aren’t letting it take away from all they’ve already done and all they’re looking to do in the postseason, something that felt so far away a year ago.
“We’re enjoying it a lot, being able to come out and win games, it always feels really good,” Kleiman said. “It’s brought up our confidence and giving us hope for the playoffs, we’re looking to go pretty deep.”
Upper Dublin (11-3-3, 11-2-2 SOL) hosts Hatboro-Horsham at 3:30 on Thursday. Wissahickon (13-3-1, 12-2-1) hosts Plymouth Whitemarsh at 7 on Thursday.
UPPER DUBLIN 2 1 – 3
WISSAHICKON 1 1 – 2
Goals: UD – Regan Rubin, Lili Kleiman, Ava Constanzo; W – Kylie Friedman, Margaret Wilde
Non-league
Central Bucks East 3, Villa Joseph Marie 2
The Patriots found themselves in an unfamiliar position, trailing the visiting Jems 2-0 at halftime. They responded with an inspired second half, scoring three unanswered goals – all with Elise Duffy assists – to eke out the non-league win over the perennial District One 3A power.
“Our first half we were far from our best,” East coach Jake Nesteruk said. “Coming into halftime, we knew we didn’t finish the ball as well as we usually do. We did a good job of creating chances but struggled to finish.
“I couldn’t be prouder of the girls in how they responded. Villa is a good team. Ours hit another gear, pressed well, and were very good in possession against a team that does such a good job of moving the ball. Total credit goes to the girls for changing the mentality. They totally owned it, and I thought it came backline up, especially from Meredith Black, Olivia Kallelis and Courtney Curry.”
Gwyn Krystkiewicz scored a single goal and Chloe Strawn added a brace.
“Gwyn just does so many little things well, and she was overdue for that goal,” Nesteruk said. “We live off of and praise rebound goals, so to see Gwyn get that goal got us going, it was a great moment.
“Chloe and Elise worked so well off each other today. Two excellently finished balls to take the lead. It just shows what kind of player Chloe is with her routinely showing up in moments when we need her the most. We’ll enjoy the win, but the focus is preparing for a tough one tomorrow night against West.”
Central Bucks East (14-2, 12-2 SOL) will be on the road at Central Bucks West Tuesday for a 7 p.m. contest.
Villa Joseph Marie 2 0 – 2
Central Bucks East 0 3 – 3
Upper Moreland 2, Interboro 0
It was a night to honor Upper Moreland’s 10 seniors, and the Golden Bears celebrated with a shutout win.
“With tonight being Senior Night, emotions were high, and our team wanted to get the W for our 10 seniors,” coach Lisa Benvenuto said. “Our girls played with a lot of raw emotion, and they were able to harness that in, in the second half and come up with some strong finishes.”
The two teams went into halftime locked in a scoreless tie. That changed in the 51st minute when Kyra Favors set up a goal by Abby Engart.
“Kyra Favors was able to find some space down the flank, she put a ball across the box and found Abby Engart who drilled it home,” Benvenuto said. “Abby has been a force for us this year. She is very unassuming when she steps out onto the field, she gets overlooked, and steps up. She has been tremendous in our last stretch of games. It was great having her be the spark on senior night.”
Five minutes later, Favors found the back of the net, using a Mallory Roedig assist.
“Mallory Roedig took a set piece and found Kyra Favors,” Benvenuto said. “Favors settled the ball, turned it to the outside, picked up an angle, saw the goalie and went opposite. Once again, she showed some great composure in front of the net.
“The girls really played for each other tonight. We started all 10 seniors and finished with them too. Great defensive play by Kylie Gaul, Olivia Hendrickson, and Sophia Hopf. Erin Hamill, Riley Mullen, and Emma Frasca put in strong minutes on our front line. Mallory Roedig, Abby Engart, Reva Naik, and Angelena Martino were solid for us in the midfield.”
UM goalie Natalie Walton recorded her third straight shutout.
“Natalie’s clearances were very consistent today, as well as her communication with her teammates,” Benvenuto said. “She was playing with confidence and kept a clean sheet for the match.
“It was a great night, and a great team win.”
Upper Moreland (9-6-1, 7-6-1 SOL) will host William Tennent on Tuesday.
Interboro 0 0 – 0
Upper Moreland 0 2 – 2
Plymouth Whitemarsh 4, MaST Charter 0
Sparked by the one-goal, three-assist effort of senior Fiona Gooneratne and a goal and assist from both senior Ella Clark and sophomore Caelin Kosvitch, the Colonials notched a non-league win that brought a welcome end to last week’s three-game losing streak.
“It was nice to see the team bounce back from a tough week last week,” coach TJ DeLucia said. “As can be seen from the scoresheet, the team was led by captains Fiona Gooneratne and Ella Clark along with sophomore Caelin Kosvitch. Those three have set the tone all year with their effort, and I’m thrilled they were all able to get on the scoresheet today.”
Clark (Gooneratne assist) put the Colonials on the scoreboard, and then it was Gooneratne connecting for a goal with a Kosvitch assist that sent PW into halftime with a 2-0 lead.
In the second half, Kosvitch (Gooneratne assist) and Liv Reilly (Clark assist) each scored a goal for the 4-0 final.
“Sophomore Meghan Wendler and senior Liberty Daddonna led the defensive effort and helped sophomore goalies Cailtyn Dinh and Chloe Markus keep a clean sheet in goal,” DeLucia said. “I have to note the effort from junior forward, Angelina Balcer. She missed the entire month of September and has worked her way back into game shape. She was desperate to get on the scoresheet today and was all over the field, creating opportunities for her teammates by winning corner kicks and putting shots on net.”
Plymouth Whitemarsh (7-9, 5-9 SOL) will host Abington on Tuesday.
MaST Charter 0 0 – 0
Plymouth Whitemarsh 2 2 – 4
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