Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ soccer teams in action Wednesday, CB West/Souderton photos courtesy of Tracy Valko, Tennent/Lower Moreland photos courtesy of Kadi Schenk. (Pennridge/CB South photos courtesy of Abbe Kiwak/Pennridge soccer, Hatboro-Horsham/UD photos courtesy of Jessica Cassel, Springfield Twp photos courtesy Jim Sweeney/Springfield Soccer)
SOL Liberty
Plymouth Whitemarsh 1, Wissahickon 0
TJ DeLucia wasn’t afraid to set a goal for his team at the start of preseason on August 14.
Last year, the Colonials had gotten back to the playoffs but had to go on the road. With a strong core returning and some underclassmen poised to fit in around them, the PW coach made it known this year’s playoff run should start at home.
Thanks to an effort emblematic of this team’s identity on Wednesday night, the Colonials have a great chance to do just that.
“It was one of goals going into the season, it was Coach DeLucia’s main goal for us to get a home playoff game,” PW keeper Caitlyn Dinh said. “We’re just super excited to finally achieve that.”
PW’s last home playoff game came in 2019, also the last time the program won a postseason game. There’s still some shuffling to do in the standings before the brackets drop this weekend, but at night’s end, the Colonials were slotted in at No. 16 in Class 4A and holding the final spot as a hosting team.
Adding some cushion to their hold required a heads-up play by a freshman, plenty of gritty defending and another elite effort from their keeper. Dinh, a senior captain, made five saves and was confidently aggressive, soaring off her line to pick off corner after corner from Wissahickon.
“The defenders did really well staying on their mark and staying goal-side and stepping up when needed,” Dinh said. “When they took a short corner, we were able to push up right away.
“I kind of picked up on the corners a little bit. The first corner was a good in-swinger toward my spot so I figured the next few would be similar, I kept reading them and they just happened to fall into my hands.”
The loss put the Trojans in some perilous footing heading into the final days of the season. At night’s end Wednesday, Wiss had slipped to the No. 28 and final playoff spot. After going winless in six fixtures to start the season, the Trojans are still hoping to get into the postseason mix.
Wiss generated six corner kicks, but between Dinh’s dominance in the air and a commitment from her defenders to get bodies to the ball in front of her, PW kept coming up with stop after stop. While the Trojans never seemed to get into a full rhythm in the attack, they still pushed Dinh to make a pair of remarkable saves on shots by Kendall Dries in the first half and Lila Marciniak in the second.
DeLucia had nothing but praise for the RIT-bound senior keeper’s showing under the lights.
“We’ve played on their Senior Night, it feels like, every year and in general they’ve just beaten us the past few years so what Caitlyn Dinh did was what we talked about, big time players step up in big time situations,” DeLucia said. “She’s been elite all year but tonight she was on a different level.
“She was absolutely elite, she’s a first team all-league goalkeeper and that’s the way it should go because she has just been excellent.”
PW was stout defending set pieces on Wednesday and all season, the Colonials have been pretty good scoring off them. Once again, that was the outline for the lone goal of the match which came from freshman Maddi Lazaroff, albeit in an unorthodox manner.
Lazaroff is a chance-creator with her powerful long throw – “Maddi Laz’s throws are insane, I’ve never seen it before, a decade in soccer at all levels and I’ve never seen a throw like hers,” Dinh chimed in – and her dead ball service. So it was her standing at the flag to deliver a corner with 23 minutes left in the first half.
A scramble led to the initial ball getting cleared out of the 18 but not much further. Just as Lazaroff got back onside, the ball caromed off a Wiss defender, fell at her feet and the freshman didn’t waste it with a chip over the keeper.
“I was just trying to get myself back onside and hopefully tap it in,” Lazaroff said. “We know each other really well, we communicate with each other where we want to play it. We try to know each other off the runs we’re about to make.”
The Colonials didn’t have the smoothest season, a terrific start leading to dreams of contending for a league title before a spate of injuries and a losing skid put them on the edge of falling into the “away” team side of the bracket. PW got back on the winning side Monday against Upper Dublin but it was a move made Sunday afternoon that was a big part of it.
“This group deserves to play at home, these nine seniors have been excellent. We practiced Sunday night at 6 p.m. in the middle of an Eagles game to get ready,” DeLucia said. “Did I necessarily want to practice in the middle of an Eagles game? No, but our nine seniors wanted to and that’s why they’re still fighting for something.
“Tonight was putting people all over the field because we have so many injuries and asking kids if they could just give me five minutes at a time. The trainer’s room was packed today, it’s that time of the season and I know we’re not the only ones dealing with that.”
DeLucia also lauded the work of his backs, starting with senior center back and captain Bri Reynolds, an Iona-bound lacrosse player who just kept winning challenges. That extended to Katie Lukens, Brooke Schoenleber and Meghan Wendler as well, just PW doing what PW has done all year.
“Our intensity hasn’t dropped since we started,” Lazaroff said. “We just keep working and we’re going to keep doing that.”
With her freshman teammate standing next to her, Dinh outlined the significance of a win that went a little bit beyond potentially tying up a home playoff game.
“We’ve had a long history of battles with Wissahickon,” Dinh said. “Maddie doesn’t know this, but as a senior, we’ve played many games with them and had lots of losses, maybe a tie in there, so we wanted to come here and show them who we are.”
PW (10-5-2, 9-5-2 SOL) visits Gwynedd Mercy Academy at 3:45 on Friday. Wissahickon (7-8-2, 7-7-2) travels to Garnet Valley at 3:45 on Friday.
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 1 0 – 1
WISSAHICKON 0 0 – 0
Goals; PW – Maddi Lazaroff
Abington 2, Quakertown 0
The Ghosts didn’t know they were getting some help as they battled the Panthers.
Abington entered the day in a tie for first at the top of the SOL Liberty title with Hatboro-Horsham and felt it needed all three points available to have a shot at any share of the division title. As it turned out, the Ghosts got the three points and thanks to a result a few miles up Susquehanna Road, they have the head of the table all to themselves.
“It didn’t look all that promising there for a bit,” Abington coach Rick Tompkins said. “The girls worked really hard, we have good senior leadership and even with injury, we’ve had people step up and just do a really good job.”
When Abington lost to the Hatters on Oct. 10, it gave Hatboro-Horsham a five-point lead in the standings. Both teams left the field knowing they had to win out the rest of the way.
Abington did, going 3-0-0 down the stretch. It also got two indirect assists from Quakertown and Upper Dublin, each side battling Hatboro-Horsham to a draw this week with the first bringing the Ghosts level on points and Wednesday’s results making Abington a back-to-back division winner.
“That’s more than you can expect, so I’m pleased with the performance,” Tompkins said. “Alicia Martino stepped into goal after Addy Hayden got hurt and she didn’t lose. The Wissahickon game was a scary one, I don’t know what happened to us in that one, but we got it back together today. The defense clamped down.”
Abington’s back four of Sara Kaeser, Madison Oldham, Peyton Farabaugh, Sydney Gallagher rebounded after allowing four goals on Monday.
“The two in the middle, Sara and Madison, you plug them in and know they’re going to give you a good effort every time out,” Tompkins said. “When Marissa Hellyer got hurt, it created a lot of problems for us, so we moved Jocelyn Pollock up from outside back to a defensive central midfield role and pushed Maddie Egan up to center mid and it seems to be clicking now.”
Offensively, the Ghosts’ production came from its dynamic twin duo of Piper and Harper McGinley. Harper was the facilitator, assisting both goals that came from Piper.
“They definitely looked for each other on both goals. Piper’s become a bit of a sniper,” Tompkins said. “In the beginning, if anything, I think she was too generous trying to push the ball around but now it’s like she’s saying ‘I have to finish these’ and doing a nice job of it.”
Tompkins also cited the efforts of senior captain Kara Slavin.
“She was all over the place, she does a lot of the stuff you don’t see,” Tompkins said. “Sometimes she scores, sometimes she defends. She’s a jack-of-all-trades for us.”
The Ghosts secured some silverware for the season on Wednesday. Now they’ll turn to the postseason and a home game to start things off next Tuesday.
“It’s more spread out this year,” Tompkins said. “Last year was more Maura Day and Carley Slavin that led everything but this year we’re getting contributions across the board and it’s more of a team effort.”
Abington (13-4-1, 13-2-1 SOL) will await its first round opponent in the District 1 4A playoffs. Quakertown (6-9-2, 5-8-2) faces Cheltenham at 3:30 on Thursday as it tries to secure a spot in the 4A playoffs.
ABINGTON – 2
QUAKERTOWN – 0
Goals: A – Piper McGinley 2
Hatboro-Horsham 0, Upper Dublin 0
The Cardinals will certainly be watching the scoreboard over the next two days.
Upper Dublin picked up a good result to conclude the regular season with a draw against the Hatters, but it still left them on the outside looking in at the postseason. At night’s end, UD sat No. 29 in the District 1 3A rankings, one spot out of the 28-team field.
No matter how it shakes out, UD coach John Topper was extremely proud of his team’s showing on Wednesday.
“Our back line of Abby O’Meara, Olivia Broome, Mads McManus and Ally Stenstrom were stellar in limiting Emma Levin’s looks at goal,” Topper said. “Meghan McMeel created numerous chances for us and nearly got the winner if it weren’t for a phenomenal save by the HH keeper.”
The Hatters (12-4-2, 12-2-2) finish 12-4-2 (12-2-2 SOL) and will await their final seeding and first round District 1 4A playoff foe. Upper Dublin (6-8-3, 5-8-3) concludes the regular season with a 6-8-3 (5-8-3 SOL) record.
UPPER DUBLIN 0 0 0 0 – 0
HATBORO-HORSHAM 0 0 0 0 – 0
SOL Patriot
Neshaminy 3, Bensalem 0
Neshaminy knew what it had to do this week.
“For us, the playoffs started Monday. You win or you go home,” Neshaminy coach Josh Van Reed said.
Even with a huge win over Council Rock North on Monday, the defending District 1 4A champions were still in perilous ground Wednesday morning. Neshaminy occupied the 28th and final playoff spot in the 4A table, making it a must-win against the Owls.
“Looking at the standings, the coaches laid out very clearly that we needed to win both of our games to make the playoffs. Neither game was going to be easy,” Van Reed said. “The win Monday against CR North was a big boost and then the focus turned to Bensalem.
“They have been playing great soccer all year and getting great results, so you have to come out from the beginning ready to jump on opportunities.”
Neshaminy got just the start it needed. An early corner kick led to a goal when freshman Anna Axenroth served in a ball that found its way to Abby Collins, the standout junior midfielder unloading a volley for the 1-0 lead.
The Redskins quickly turned the lead into a double advantage. Allie Ortman picked off a pass in the back then touched a pass through the defense toward Bri Garyah, the forward then tucking in her opportunity.
“As a team I think everyone is getting a better understanding of responsibilities and playing for each other,” Van Reed said. “It’s a good time to be putting our best soccer together.”
There was no discussion that the game was over, however. Bensalem, which celebrated its senior night, was likely out of the playoffs regardless of how Wednesday’s match finished, but that didn’t mean the Owls lacked motivation.
“At halftime we talked about putting the game out of reach, Bensalem has a lot of dangerous players and can quickly erase a lead if you let them,” Van Reed said.
Midway through the second half, Neshaminy got a chance to do just that.
“We were awarded a free kick from about 30 yards out. We have a couple girls that hit a pretty good ball from that distance and this time we asked Ava Hood to step up and strike a ball,” Van Reed said. “She normally hits a pretty hard line drive and this ball she hit had movement too. The keeper got a hand on it but couldn’t keep it out to give us our third goal and some breathing room.”
Bensalem threw everything it had at Neshaminy to try and get something going and find a way back into the game.
“The defense of Sierra Cofer, Carly Hock-Smith, Keira Siwinski and Ava Hood and our keeper Alexis Barnes all stepped up at times to make some big stops,” Van Reed said.
While his team came out with the result it needed and, at least for a night, vaulted up a few spots toward safety in the rankings, Van Reed did acknowledge the team that didn’t have that luxury on Wednesday.
“Hat’s off to Bob and Bensalem. They had a great year and played really good soccer. It’s unfortunate that we have the points system and the schedule we have to play, because they are a playoff caliber team,” Van Reed said. “Overall, I’m very pleased with the two wins this week against two very good teams heading into the playoffs.”
Neshaminy (10-7-1, 9-6-1 SOL) will now see where it lies in the final District 1 3A power rankings. Bensalem (7-10-1, 7-8-1) concludes the season with a 7-10-1 (7-8-1 SOL) record.
NESHAMINY 2 1 – 3
BENSALEM 0 0 – 0
Goals: N – Abby Collins, Bri Garyah, Ava Hood
Council Rock North 3, Pennsbury 1
The SOL Patriot title race got really interesting down the stretch, but CR North still held all the cards Wednesday night.
All the Indians had to do was win and a division title was theirs. All that stood in the way was a Pennsbury team celebrating its Senior Night and having proven capable of flipping the table if given the chance.
“We were really disappointed with how we played on Monday at Neshaminy and the reaction tonight from the team was really good,” North coach Gavin Flannigan said. “It was Pennsbury’s senior night, and we knew that would just add more energy to their game, but I thought we did an excellent job at times of playing our game.”
North struck first and struck early. Mia Cairone found some room out wide and fired a shot that led to a rebound and a Keagan Terry rebound finish. To the 
Falcons’ credit, they stormed right back and leveled the score in quick order.
“A few minutes before half we were able to take the lead when Sydney Linus played Mia, who cut inside her defender and shot low and hard to the near corner,” Flannigan said. “At halftime we talked about how we wanted to move the ball but also be wary of Pennsbury’s energy. I think we did a nice job of both in the second half.”
Cairone tallied a critical insurance goal early in the second half, zipping in a shot from the edge of the penalty box off a Sara Tyler assist.
“Overall, a really good team performance tonight, our whole group was very engaged, but I thought our best performers were Keagan Terry and Amber Yuan,” Flannigan said. “Keagan is only a freshman, but she has shown real maturity in her play, and tonight her decision making and movement really helped us in our attacking play.
“Amber is quiet but does her defensive job very well, and her positioning was excellent especially in the second half.”
The division crown ended up with CR North and while there were no shortages of twists and turns along the way, it was a title the group felt was quite well-earned.
“It was a close battle in the end between ourselves, CR South and Neshaminy but we are delighted to finish first,” Flannigan said. “With the crossover games we play and the competitive nature of our own division we are proud of the girls for coming through on top, it’s been a long season for us with a lot of injuries but we are getting healthy again at the right time and hope to go as far as we can in the playoffs.”
CR North (11-5-2, 9-5-2 SOL) will await its final ranking and first round District 1 4A playoff opponent. Pennsbury (3-14-1, 3-12-1) finishes the season with a 3-14-1 (3-12-1 SOL) record.
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 2 1 – 3
PENNSBURY 1 0 – 1
Goals: CRN – Mia Cairone 2, Kegan Terry
Council Rock South 5, Harry S Truman 0
The Golden Hawks used their regular season finale to tune up for the playoffs.
“Gianna Kirlin took a Kathryn O’Kane through ball and slotted it home to give us a 1-0 lead at half,” South coach Nick Heim said. “Fiona Reckner converted a free kick 40 seconds into the second half and O’Kane half volleyed one home two minutes later to open up the game.”
CR South scored four goals in the second half and each of its tallies on the day came from a different player.
“Gabby Bachmann took an Olivia Cei pass and hit a quick left footed shot to extend the lead to four,” Heim said. “Adi Rakszawski closed out the scoring when she picked up a loose ball, took a few dribbles, and hit a rocket to the far side.”
South had a chance at the SOL Patriot title, pending other results in the division but ultimately settled for the opportunity to play next week in the first round of the district playoffs.
“Overall, we got a lot of players minutes today and were able to continue working on things for the playoffs,” Heim said.
CR South (9-5-3, 8-5-3 SOL) now waits for its final playoff seeding and first round opponent. Harry S Truman finishes the season with an 0-16-0 (0-16-0 SOL) record.
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 1 4 – 5
HARRY S TRUMAN 0 0 –
SOL Colonial
Central Bucks East 2, North Penn 0
The Patriots just found a way.
“While we created a good amount of chances, we were just a bit flat in the first half, which was totally a credit to North Penn,” East coach Jake Nesteruk said. “They defended us really well in key areas and were a threat on the counter.”
East used the half to make a couple fixes and thanks to its freshmen, managed to find a couple of breakthrough efforts.
“Going into the second half, we made a few adjustments to where we thought we could get in behind them and credit to our girls, we put together a really strong second half,” Nesteruk said. “We just didn’t finish the ball and North Penn’s keeper was stellar again.”
Ava Mignon and Kiera Sleicher both found the back of the net for East.
“Madelyn Hill was excellent today, and I thought Kiera put together a massive second half,” Nesteruk said. “It’s a long season and there’s always games where you aren’t fully at 100 percent, but the best teams find a way to work through those. It’s a testament to our group’s trust in each other, our approach to the game, and resilience.”
North Penn (8-8-1, 7-7-1 SOL) hosts CB South at 3:30 on Thursday. CB East (13-2-2, 11-2-2) visits Pennridge at 3:30 on Friday.
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST – 2
NORTH PENN – 0
Goals: CBE – Ava Mignon, Kiera Sleicher
Central Bucks West 5, Souderton 0
The Bucks were buzzing on War Memorial Field as they close in on the postseason.
West, slated to host a first round District 1 4A game next Tuesday, rode a balanced offense to a win in its SOL finale. Setting the tone once again was one of their senior captains in the middle.
“Kate Weyer buried an absolute beauty to get it started in the first half,” Bucks coach Bree Benedict said.
Weyer’s tally was the only score of the first half. That didn’t last long into the second as Emery Sterling hustled after the ball to ping one in for a 2-0 lead.
“She was absolutely fantastic tonight,” Benedict said. “Her link up play was really special tonight.”
Reegan Moran and McKenzie Gausch rounded out the scoring, the duo combining for the remaining three goals.
“Reegan Moran had a great hustle goal off after McKenzie Gausch headed the ball down and she beat the keeper to score. Reegan added a second off her left foot,” Benedict said. “McKenzie Gausch really dictated our midfield today, her ability to go 1v1 is really great. She had our third goal.”
West’s back line got a boost with center back Janelle Blokker returning to action.
“Janelle Blokker was a boss tonight at center back,” Benedict said. “As a sophomore she is really stepping up and a great captain for our team. Her voice is huge.”
Benedict also gave props to Souderton freshman Lily Heron, a player she coached previously at the U12 level.
“Lily Heron was relentlessly chasing us all night. She created a ton, and has a bright future,” Benedict said. “She has a ton of potential. I’m impressed with her ability on the ball and her vision of the game.”
It was a tough season for Souderton, but Indians coach Ian Smith had praise for his team’s seven senior leaders.
“Leah Kirkpatrick, Leah Fowler, Nicole Schulingkamp, Autumn DiCandilo, Hailey Rohr, Avery Carroll, and manager Ava Mills have worked really hard over the past few years and while it doesn’t show up on the stat sheet every night they have shown up every day to make the program a better place for the players here,” Smith said. “We appreciate them and they will be sorely missed.”
CB West (11-4-1, 11-4-1 SOL) visits Villa Joseph Marie at 4pm on Thursday. Souderton (2-15, 1-15) concludes the season with a 2-15-0 (1-14-0 SOL) record.
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 1 4 – 5
SOUDERTON 0 0 – 0
Goals CBW – Reegan Moran 2, McKenzie Gausch, Emery Sterling, Kate Weyer
Pennridge 3, Central Bucks South 0
#Livtober is in full effect.
That hashtag on the Rams’ team Instagram page was an apt descriptor for how Wednesday’s match went. Liv Grenda added on to what’s been a fantastic senior season with a hat trick, nabbing all three goals before halftime.
Hailey Primwhere added an assist on the first and third goals from Grenda, who sits at five goals scored this week in two matches. In total, the Dayton-bound midfielder has 17 goals and six assists this season and Wednesday marked her second hat trick of the season.
Pennridge, the SOL Colonial champion, continued to hold the No. 1 spot in the District 1 4A rankings with one more game to play, although it is a big one.
The Titans are in the mix for a playoff spot after missing out last year, sitting No. 23 in the poll on Wednesday night.
CB South (8-8-1, 7-7-1 SOL) will visit North Penn at 3:30 on Thursday. Pennridge (16-0-1, 14-0-1) hosts CB East at 3:30 on Friday.
PENNRIDGE 3 0 – 3
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 0 0 – 0
Goals: P – Liv Grenda 3
SOL Freedom
Springfield Twp 5, Cheltenham 0
Kaleigh Evans has been one of the SOL’s best scorers the past four years.
On the night she and her classmates were honored on their Senior Night, Evans made it one to remember. The senior forward netted two goals, including the 50th of her
career as the Spartans finished the regular season in style.
Alana Decker and Kalei Noonan, who have flanked Evans as an extremely potent trio the last three years, each scored a goal. Maddie McDevitt rounded out the scoring, as all five goals came off the foot of a senior.
“They have had such a great season,” Spartans coach Marissa Conover said. “A lot of them have been playing since they were very young, so it’s special for them to have grown up playing together and have this moment.”
Springfield Twp, the District 1 champion in Class 2A in 2021, missed out on the postseason last year after jumping to Class 3A. That shouldn’t be the case this season, with the Spartans well in line to make the 10-team postseason bracket.
“The chemistry on the field is undeniable and that has been the most part,” Conover said. “I am proud of their physical achievements and a lot of the mindset shifts we worked on this season. I think they wanted to prove themselves this year, which has been fun to be a part of.”
Cheltenham competed with its usual high-energy effort.
“Springfield had a lot of energy as they celebrated senior night and we appreciate them recognizing our seniors as well. We played hard, created chances in the second half and our goalkeeper, Anyia Gladden, made some incredible saves throughout the game,” Panthers coach Leah Matusow said. “We look to finish on a high note as we play our last game tomorrow.”
Cheltenham (2-15, 0-15 SOL) travels to Quakertown at 3:30 on Thursday. Springfield Twp finishes 9-6-3 (7-6-3 SOL) and will await its place in the District 1 3A playoffs.
SPRINGFIELD TWP – 5
CHELTENHAM – 0
Goals: ST – Kaleigh Evans 2, Maddie McDevitt, Kalei Noona, Alana Decker
William Tennent 2, Lower Moreland 0
The Panthers wanted to flip the script as they prepare for the postseason.
“We went into this game looking for some retribution as historically we have come out of the game on the losing end,” Tennent coach Elis Jara said. “We knew the players
we had to watch on top and our defensive pairing of Theresa Ditri and Sami Roby did a great job of containing them. They took them off their game and did not allow them any time or space to execute.”
Tennent, the SOL Freedom champion, is well in line for a first round home playoff game. The Lions, on the other hand, came in on the outside of the District 1 3A playoff field and needed a win to have any chance of getting in.
Instead, William Tennent took the lead early, thanks to a long-range effort from Paige Marek in the first 15 minutes of play.
“Kaitlyn Frank had a strong game in the midfield as well. Freshman Leila Santos came off the bench for an injury and was a huge asset at left mid with her speed and composure on the ball,” Jara said. “Emily Ehresmann made some key saves off several restarts in dangerous areas of the field.”
Brielle Langford doubled up the lead in the second half off an assist from Maddie Hughes.
“Our defensive line was able to hold LM to only two corner kicks, which in the past has been one of our Achilles’ heels. The whole team has really stepped up in the last few games and has turned the momentum back in our favor going into the playoffs,” Jara said. “We challenged the girls to finish with a win and they certainly delivered that tonight.”
It was a tough outcome for the Lions, but Lower Moreland battled the entire 80 minutes under the lights.
“Senior defenders Amelia Brown, Abbie Wasserstrom and Destiny Boedeker really battled all night man-marking some really talented attackers,” LM coach Todd Hill said. “Senior goalkeeper Sandra Malave is such a strong presence in goal. She will be greatly missed next season.
“Senior attackers Valentina Sallecchia and Morgan Pennisi put lots of pressure on WT’s defense but in the end we could not put the ball in the net.”
Lower Moreland honored the six seniors pregame and there’s no denying the impact they left on the program after helping the Lions to SOL Freedom titles in 2021 and 2022.
“These six players represent Lower Moreland soccer in such profound ways. They will leave a significant hole that will be very difficult to fill,” Hill said. “I am really proud of the way that our team has grown this year. They worked really hard all season and stepped out of their comfort zone in many ways.
“It is an honor to be their coach.”
William Tennent (14-4, 12-4 SOL) will await its final seeding and first round matchup in the District 1 4A playoffs. Lower Moreland (8-8-2, 6-8-2 SOL) finishes the season with an 8-8-2 (6-8-2 SOL) record.
WILLIAM TENENNT 1 1 – 2
LOWER MORELAND 0 0 – 0
Goals: WT – Paige Marek, Brielle Langford.
Upper Moreland 3, New Hope-Solebury 0
Willow Taylor led another productive offensive outing and Gracie Costello had the locks on in the back as the Golden Bears went into the postseason on a good note.
“We had a clear game plan for the match and we were able to generate many offensive opportunities. We maintained possession of the ball and were able to move it through our system to find our offense,” UM coach Lisa Benvenuto said. “Gracie Costello has had back-to-back shutouts with the help of our defensive line. Gracie has been solid for us and continues to show growth and improvement. Tonight’s win was a great team effort.”
Taylor, the dynamic senior forward, assisted on the Bears’ opening goal then scored two in the second half as part of a big night. Kyra Favors, who scored the opener, and Brooke Lobban, who assisted on the third goal, were right there next to Taylor as usual.
“We had a lot of opportunities on goal and were able to get our first one off of strong combination play from Brooke Lobban, Willow Taylor and Kyra Favors. The combination play was able to give us the lead going into half,” Benvenuto said. “We then made a few adjustments and came out hard in the second half. Willow was able to win a defensive goal kick and beat the goalie for our second goal. Then 34 seconds later Willow crushed a shot from a great pass by Brooke Lobban.”
Upper Moreland also leaned on its depth across the field to close out the victory.
“Really strong play in our midfield from Maggie Brophy, Madeline Cox, Leah King, Mickie Soroka, Lizzie Walker, Johna Pryzchowicz and Keiley Hawk,” Benvenuto said. “Annalise Messina, Devin Bush, Molly Meakim, Megan Hamill, and Deana Swedberg gave us valuable minutes in maintaining our lead, keeping possession and containing NHS.”
Upper Moreland at 10-7-1 (8-7-1 SOL) will await its first round District 1 3A matchup. New Hope-Solebury (2-15, 2-14) hosts Collegium Charter at 3:30 on Friday.
UPPER MORELAND 1 2 – 3
NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 0 0 – 0
Goals: UM – Willow Taylor 2, Kyra Favors
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