Check out the results for SOL girls’ soccer teams in action Wednesday.
By Dan Beck
National Conference
ABINGTON 3, HARRY S TRUMAN 0
There’s little stopping red-hot Abington these days. The Ghosts kept it rolling in their National Conference finale, shutting out Harry S. Truman.
Julia Guarini—one of the many playmakers on Abington’s roster—put the Ghosts up in the 37th minute. In the second half, Guarini struck again, scoring in the 44th minute to make it 2-0 Ghosts.
Tess Nelson added a late goal off a pass from Maddie Doyle in the 72nd minute to put the game away.
Abington (11-5-1, 8-5-1 SOL) will finish off the regular season Thursday against fellow upstart team Souderton. The Ghosts will likely host a first round playoff game next week. Harry S. Truman finishes off its 2015 with a 1-15-1 record and 0-12-1 in National Conference play.
Harry S. Truman 0-0 0
Abington 1-2 3
PENNSBURY 3, WILLIAM TENNENT 0
The National Conference champions closed out league play with a shutout win over visiting William Tennent.
Just before the half, Karina Raykova scored for the Falcons with an assist from Caroline Foley.
The second half belonged to Foley, who has been huge for Pennsbury since returning from injury. Foley scored in the 54th minute and again in the 62nd minute to lead the Falcons to the win.
Nany Santiago and Kayla Kunde combined for the shutout in goal. Kunde made a pair of big saves in the second half to keep Pennsbury in the lead.
It was senior night for Falcons, and coach Kaitlyn Battiste praised her senior class of Kunde, Santiago, Raykova, Abby Wick, Taylor Orsini, Taya McMillan, and Jadyn Peto.
Pennsbury (16-1, 13-1 SOL) will close out its regular season on Friday against Conestoga. William Tennent (9-7-2, 6-6-2 SOL), a bubble team for the district playoffs, will hope Wednesday wasn’t its last game.
William Tennent 0-0 0
Pennsbury 1-2 3
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 2, BENSALEM 0
In its first three games of the season, Council Rock North allowed eight goals. In its last 14 games, the Indians have surrendered just five total goals. The defense was on display again Wednesday as North beat Bensalem to close out National Conference play.
Kayla Robinson scored in the 27th minute to give the Indians the early lead with an assist from Tori Hill. Eight minutes later, Meredith Hill connected with Mia Scalamandre on a corner kick. That’s all the scoring North needed, holding strong in the second half to beat the Owls.
In goal, Jeri Belardo earned her fourth consecutive shutout.
“(Bensalem’s) record doesn’t indicate how good of a team they are,” Indians coach Wendell Beres said. “They’ve played a lot of close games. Anybody who can score three goals against Pennsbury is a pretty good team. I thought our kids played well. We preached a good start and got two goals before halftime, which is really the first time we’ve scored early in a game in a long time.”
North, which started the 2015 season off on a rough foot, has since gained traction and become of the area’s better teams. The Indians will finish the season in third place in the National Conference behind Pennsbury and Neshaminy. They were ranked 17th in the district power rankings released this week and will look forward to next week’s playoffs.
“You can’t be too unhappy with the way we’ve come around,” Beres said. “Everybody bought into the philosophy of the program from the first player down to the 19th player on the varsity roster, everybody is doing their part, and it was evident tonight when for the first time in a very long time, we were able to play everybody.”
Beres will look to his playmakers—Belardo, Tori Hill, Becca Margolis, Robinson and Scalamandre—as his team heads into the postseason. The Indians will be a dangerous team to watch out for in District One.
“Not only are they impact players and talented players, but they’re hard-working,” Beres said. “That mentality is contagious.”
CR North (10-4-3, 9-3-2 SOL) will play Mount St. Joseph on Friday to wrap up its regular season. Bensalem finishes off 2015 2-15-1 overall and 1-12-1 in league play.
Council Rock North 2-0 2
Bensalem 0-0 0
NESHAMINY 2, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 1
Neshaminy denied CR South a chance at an upset, holding on to defeat the Golden Hawks in the conference play finale for both teams.
After a scoreless first half, Neshaminy wasted no time getting to work, scoring 40 seconds in off a Maggie Daeche penalty kick. In the 60th minute, Brooke Mullin scored with an assist by Gabby Farrell.
Jesse Magee scored for South in the 74th minute, but it was just a case of too little, too late and Neshaminy took the win.
South entered the week outside the top 28 in the District One AAA power rankings. A win against either Pennsbury on Monday or Neshaminy on Wednesday would have helped them, but the Golden Hawks lost both by a single goal.
Neshaminy (12-4-1, 10-3-1 SOL) will prepare for the postseason, while CR South (6-8-1, 4-8-2 SOL) will hope for a little luck or its season will be over.
Council Rock South 0-1 1
Neshaminy 0-2 2
Continental Conference
SOUDERTON 1, CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 1 (2OT)
It took 17 games, but CB East finally has a blemish on its record. Souderton battled the Patriots to a 1-1 as the two teams closed out their Continental Conference season.
East took a 1-0 lead into the half after Delaney Kennedy scored off a feed from Hannah Zach in the 24th minute.
In the 47th minute, Souderton got the much-needed equalizer. The Indians won the ball on its own end of the field. Hannah Croll worked the ball up to Ellie Andrade, who found Tori Dowd for the goal.
“It was a nice well-worked team goal from one side of the field to the other,” Souderton coach Chris Felber said. “We won the ball and (had) three or four passes for the goal the on the opposite side.”
That was it for scoring, and for the first time in 2015, the Patriots didn’t win. It’s a result that certainly means a lot more for the Indians. Souderton entered the week at 20th in the District One AAA power rankings, but dropped an overtime game to North Penn on Monday. A draw with East should guarantee the Indians a spot in the 28-team playoff field.
“That’s a big result for us,” Felber said. “We’ve been playing well recently, but we haven’t always got the result. Monday I felt we were better and had more chances, but we couldn’t put it away. It’s a big tie.
“It wasn’t a pretty soccer game. We tried to play a good brand, but it wasn’t a pretty. It was very physical. It wasn’t a game for soccer players. In the end, we got the goal and we got the result we needed.”
After a hot start, the past few weeks have been a rocky ride for Souderton. In October, they have lost to Quakertown, CB West, and Pennridge in addition to Monday’s loss against North Penn. The Indians did, however, top CB South last Tuesday.
“We’ve had a little bit of a downward spiral,” Felber added. “We had a lot of people sick. A lot of injuries. We deserved a little bit of luck and we definitely got a little lucky tonight, and we certainly got it today.”
East coach Paul Eisold lauded the efforts of Bri Talbot and Paige Weiss after the game.
Souderton (9-6-2, 6-6-2 SOL) will close out the regular season on Thursday against Abington. CB East (16-0-1, 13-0-1 SOL) will meet Upper Dublin on Friday.
Souderton 0-1-0-0 1
Central Bucks East 1-0-0-0 1
NORTH PENN 2, HATBORO-HORSHAM 0
North Penn finished strong and strengthened its case for a postseason bid, beating Hatboro-Horsham.
Amelia Eshraghi scored in the 43rd minute to put the Maidens on top after a scoreless first half. In the 55th minute Marissa Werner added an insurance goal with an assist by Hannah Alexander.
Hannah Lambert made five saves for the Maidens. Miranda Royds was excellent in goal for the Hatters, stopping 11 shots.
“Liz Volz had a great game as a defender moving forward,” North Penn coach Jim Dehner said. “Other notable players were Kristin Wilkinson, Hannah Lambert, Tina Miller, Anna Pedicone and Tina Miller.”
North Penn will finish the season tied for fourth with CB West and Souderton in the Continental Conference. It’s the fifth straight win for the Maidens, which have crawled from the depths back into the playoff conversation. They entered the week ranked 29th, one spot out of the playoffs, but Monday’s win over Souderton should help them out.
North Penn (8-7-2, 6-6-2 SOL) finishes off its regular season Friday against Methacton. From there, it will leave its fate in the hands of the computers, hoping to live to fight another day next week in the playoffs. Hatboro-Horsham (1-16, 1-13 SOL) will look to next season after a rebuilding year under first-year head coach Ike Onyeador.
Hatboro-Horsham 0-0 0
North Penn 0-2 2
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 1, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 0
CB West almost got the result they needed on Monday. On Wednesday, the Bucks did get that result, beating CB South 1-0.
West’s Grace Power scored the game’s lone goal in the 38th minute with an assist from Lindsey Morgan. Gracie Connelly posted the shutout in goal for the Bucks.
“We will have to wait and see what Sunday’s selection brings,” West coach Chris Shank said. “Whatever they decide for our program, I can’t say enough about how these girls have kept their heads up and finished the season.”
Shank noted the strong play of Alexsa Peev, Lindsey Weiss, and goalkeeper Sophia Boggs for the Titans. Boggs made four saves in goal for South.
“We had the better of the play with 19 shots, but could not find the back of the net,” South coach Betsy Bullock said.
On Monday, CB East scored with 57 seconds left to top West, 1-0. It was a crucial game for the Bucks, which sit on the outside of the District One AAA playoff picture. Wednesday’s win over South is a nice resume builder for West, which will leave it in the hands of the rankings to determine their postseason fate. The Titans (14th in the latest power rankings) are safely in the playoffs, despite Wednesday’s loss.
CB West closes out its regular season at 7-7-2 and 6-6-2 in Continental play. CB South (10-5-2, 7-5-2) will finish the league season in third place in the Continental. The Titans will face a stiff test Thursday when they play reigning AA state champs, Villa Joseph Marie.
Central Bucks West 1-0 1
Central Bucks South 0-0 0
PENNRIDGE 5, QUAKERTOWN 1
Pennridge secured sole possession of second place in the Continental Conference with a win over Quakertown.
The Rams got things going early. Just 2:30 into the game, Jess Milligan scored off a corner kick by Dani Meehan. A minute later, Kennedy Peace found the back of the net with an assist by Megan Hirschbuhl.
In the 43rd minute, Pennridge kept it going with a goal from Caroline Thomson.
Quakertown got on the board in the 47th minute with a goal from Victoria Sturgess.
With 27:20 left in the game, Erin Stevenson scored an unassisted goal and three minutes later, Milligan scored her second goal, again coming off a corner from Carissa Manero.
Kaitlyn Moran and Mary Kate Levush split time in net for the Rams.
Pennridge closed out conference play with an 8-4-2 record while Quakertown was 3-10-1 (4-13-1 overall).
Quakertown 0-1 1
Pennridge 2-3 5
American Conference
UPPER DUBLIN 7, SPRINGFIELD 0
Upper Dublin already won the American Conference last week. But that was only a share of the title. With its win on Wednesday, the Flying Cardinals clinched sole possession of the American, blowing out visiting Springfield.
Erin Threlfall got the scoring train started, scoring early in the first half from 25-30 yards out with an assist from Lexi Schneider. In the 27th minute, Paige Lawton got a pass from Schneider and scored, and then in the 37th minute Schneider capped off a monster first half with a goal of her own, shot from outside the 18.
“She was masterful in the midfield and had one of her better performances of the season,” Upper Dublin coach John Topper said.
The Flying Cardinals kept up the intensity in the second half. Tori Hoffner scored in the 47th minute off a feed from Olivia Ness. Schneider scored again in the 68th minute as Upper Dublin increased its lead. Sizzy Lawton added a pair of goals back-to-back in the 78th and 79th minutes as the Flying Cardinals won 7-0 on their senior night.
Topper was thrilled with the win, especially being able to score seven goals against a tough Spartans squad. When the two teams first met, it took Upper Dublin until the 100th minute to break a scoreless tie.
“We knew this was not a team to take lightly,” Topper said. “They’ve got some good wins under their belt and some strong players. Our girls came out with a lot of poise tonight.”
The win gives Upper Dublin the American title—a big feat for the team, which last won it two years ago. The Flying Cardinals had a chance to clinch sole possession on Monday, but lost in overtime to Wissahickon, giving Upper Dublin its first league loss of the season.
“It’s a goal we set for ourselves every year (to win the league),” Topper said. “We knew the league was going to be competitive this year, especially with Wissahickon. Coming off a tough loss against them the other night, I was real proud of the way our girls bounced back.”
The Flying Cardinals have benefitted this season from having a host of different players step up at different times. Hoffner, the Lawtons, and Schneider have constantly provided a spark for UD.
“I think that’s been the key to our season. Depth is our strength and I think our girls have really proven that whether it’s how well our defense played or how many of our girls will step up to have two or three goals in a game,” Topper said.
Upper Dublin (15th in the latest power rankings) will likely find a seed somewhere in the middle of the pack in the playoffs. From there, anything can happen.
“We should have a competitive game in the first round and I’d like to see our girls carry on the momentum we built over the last little bit,” Topper said. “Our goal is to get one win and prepare for the next game.”
Upper Dublin (13-3-1, 12-1-1 SOL) will have one more big test before they end the regular season—a Friday game with unbeaten CB East. Springfield (8-7-1, 8-5-1 SOL) will get ready for the District One AA playoffs, which begin next week.
Springfield 0-0 0
Upper Dublin 3-4 7
WISSAHICKON 1, CHELTENHAM 0
Wissahickon closed out its league regular season strong, beating conference champions Upper Dublin on Monday and pulling out a win Wednesday against Cheltenham.
After an evenly played first half, the Trojans came alive in the second half.
With 11 minutes left to play and the game deadlocked at zero, Emily Vervlied found Maddie Elwell, who finished the eventual game-winning goal.
“Vervlied sent in an amazing diagonal ball to find Elwell out wide for a hard, upper 90 shot that was stopped only by the back of the net,” Wissahickon coach Shannon Franke said.
Keeper Keanna Haney made three saves in the shutout win.
It’s a necessary win for Wissahickon. The Trojans entered the week ranked 28th, and its wins this week should solidify its place in the 28-team playoff beginning next week.
Wissahickon (11-5-1, 11-2-1 SOL) will finish out its regular season on Friday against Christopher Dock, while Cheltenham (5-12, 4-10) wraps up its 2015 campaign.
Wissahickon 0-1 1
Cheltenham 0-0 0
Plymouth Whitemarsh at Norristown
Game rescheduled for Friday, October 23.
UPPER MERION 2, UPPER MORELAND 2 (OT) (Tuesday, Oct. 20)
The Golden Bears opened up a 2-0 halftime lead, thanks to goals by Christina Kane (Samantha Cancel assist) and Brianna Byard (Ashley Kleinert assist), but the Vikings staged a heroic late-game comeback to send the game into overtime.
Haley O’Malley was able to finish off a rebound with eight minutes remaining, and in the 75th minute, Anna Lendacky found the game of the net, setting the stage for a scoreless overtime.
“The senior players fought hard in double overtime with both teams having chances on net,” Upper Merion coach Laura Himler said. “I am proud to send our seniors off with a strong finish to the season.
Upper Merion closed out its season with a 2-9-3 record in conference pay (2-12-3 overall). Upper Moreland – in the hunt for a Class AA district berth – was 6-6-2 in league play (8-7-3 overall).
Upper Moreland 2-0-0-0 2
Upper Merion 0-2-0-0 2
About the Author
