Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ soccer teams in action. Pennridge/Bensalem photos provided courtesy of John Gleeson. Check back for a gallery of photos: https://solsports.zenfolio.com/f405978483
SOL Freedom/Liberty crossovers
Upper Dublin 3, Lower Moreland 2
It’s now five in a row for the Flying Cardinals, who again had to show their resolve on Wednesday night.
Celebrating their seniors with a win meant another gut-check test against an opponent that challenged and asked a lot of questions of the Cardinals.
UD coach John Topper wasn’t surprised his players were up for it again.
“There’s always things we can work on or do better, but we’re really dealing with adversity better than we did early in the season, Topper said. “A lot of that is that many of our players are getting valuable experience and we’re starting to get some good results.”
Meg McMeel kept her strong play of late going with UD’s first goal, scoring in the eighth minute. Freshman Bridget DiMartile scored in the 53rd minute and Rosie Sitman had the game-winner in the 73rd.
“Meg McMeel slotted one home with her left,” Topper said. “Bridget had a beautiful left-footed effort, Rosie Sitman had our winner on a shot off the crossbar that popped up in the air, Rosie followed it and had a header for the game-winner.”
Lions coach Todd Hill credited the Cardinals for capitalizing on their three best chances and making his defense work. The LM coach also had plenty of praise for his group, especially their response after going down 2-0.
“They just kept battling. Nikki Sahl had her best game of the year and got things going by sending a beautiful cross to the far side 18 where Ruby Levin struck a beautiful one touch into the back of the net,” Hill said. “But Ruby wasn’t finished. Nine minutes later she cleaned up a ball that was ping-ponging around the right sideline and hit another great shot from 20 yards out over the goalie’s head.
“We have been working on making sure our shots are on frame and Ruby executed that perfectly in her two attempts tonight.”
Topper similarly echoed that Lower Moreland’s comeback was sparked through the Lions’ own effort.
“A lot of credit to them, they really pressed us and at times, prevented us from doing what we wanted to do,” Topper said. “They’re a physical and aggressive team and at times, they outdueled us in those areas of the game.”
Lower Moreland, currently No. 13 in the Class 3A rankings, will need a strong finish to push for the playoffs. The Lions seem game for it, several players making some sacrifices to move positions in recent matches and seeing it start to pay off.
“Payge Lennon was a beast in the middle of the field. She was so dominant winning the ball out of the air,” Hill said. “Ruby, Payge and Nikki have each been asked to sacrifice for the team – and tonight was beautiful because they each thrived in their new roles.
“Lastly I want to highlight Abbie Wasserstrom’s performance. She is such a strong left back who makes attacking down the right so difficult for every team we face.”
The Cardinals had a couple of standouts on the back end as well.
“Kayla Peart played in goal for us in the first half and made a tremendous save early in the game to keep them off the scoreboard,” Topper said. “Sophia Sirianni had some tremendous efforts, really single-handedly stopped them from scoring on two separate occasions, she had a great night out there as the left back.”
After a 1-4-2 start, the Cardinals find themselves at No. 25 in the District 1 4A rankings and in the mix for a postseason appearance. They’ll have to earn some points against the SOL Liberty in their second trip through, but it’s also a different team than just a few weeks ago.
“I’m sure everyone has shored things up a little bit but we had some tight ones that didn’t go our way and I’m sure if we keep playing the way we’ve played the last couple weeks that we’ll see some better results,” Topper said.
Upper Dublin (6-4-2, 5-4-2 SOL) hosts Quakertown at 3:30 on Friday. Lower Moreland (5-7-1, 3-7-1) hosts Upper Moreland at 3:30 on Friday.
UPPER DUBLIN 1 2 – 3
LOWER MORELAND 0 2 – 2
Goals: UD – Meg McMeel, Bridget DiMartile, Rosie Stinsman; LM – Ruby Levin
Abington 4, William Tennent 1
With her older sister watching from the bench, Kara Slavin made sure her Senior Night ended the same way her sister’s had.
Carley Slavin was part of a highly accomplished senior class for Abington, and it’s something Kara and her classmates have tried to carry on. Wednesday was a good step, the Ghosts picking up a win over the SOL Freedom leading Panthers as they chase down another SOL Liberty title.
“We lost some big players, but taking on the roles they left – it was exciting to think about,” Slavin said.
Slavin scored twice, as did fellow senior Piper McGinley, as the Ghosts overcame an early defensive gaff to hand Tennent its third straight loss after a 10-0 start.
“We knew their goalie was good and they had a strong back line but we also knew if we kept shooting, they can’t stop everything,” McGinley said. “We had to keep shooting and that’s just what we did.”
A breakdown at the back allowed Tennent to poach a goal less than two minutes into the match. Abington came back soon after, but senior keeper Emily Ehresmann was able to control the ball on a few set pieces to help keep the Panthers in front.
That was until Slavin broke through the back line and finished a powerful run for the equalizer with 23:44 left in the first half.
McGinley, taking a pass from her twin sister Harper, followed with the go-ahead goal 9:15 before halftime.
“Once that first goal went in, I felt good,” Slavin said. “That’s when I knew we had it.”
Ehresmann made seven saves, including turning away a penalty kick 12 minutes into the second half that kept it a 2-1 game, but the Ghosts didn’t relent.
Finally, the two seniors would help put things away in the late stages of the game. A long throw-in by Olivia Capps found McGinley, who turned a pop-up header on target and in just the right spot to find the back of the net.
Slavin finished her night with a second goal with just less than 2:30 to play.
“We’ve been through a lot together,” McGinley said. “Our hard work and connection with each other on and off the field, we’re so close that it helps us on the field.”
Abington ( 8-4-1, 8-1-1 SOL) hosts Plymouth Whitemarsh at 3:30 on Friday. Tennent (10-3, 8-3 SOL) visits Springfield Twp at 3:30 on Friday.
ABINGTON 2 2 – 4
WILLIAM TENNENT 1 0 – 1
Goals: A – Piper McGinley 2, Kara Slavin 2; WT – Lia Jablonski
Hatboro-Horsham 4, Cheltenham 1
The Hatters closed out a perfect 6-0-0 mark in crossover play with an all-around effort on Wednesday.
“Total team effort today,” HH coach Kelsey Daley said.
Kitty Randa, Emma Levin, Sarah Boland and Ryleigh White all found the net for the Hatters while Madison Duggan, Tara Orloski and Leah Boland added assists.
Hatboro-Horsham led 3-0 at halftime but it did not discourage the Panthers from continuing to play hard.
“During halftime we talked about the things we needed to do better, and I thought we went out in the second half and executed those things,” Cheltenham coach Leah Matusow said. “We communicated better, were more aggressive offensively and did a good job playing team defense.”
The sides both scored in a second half that finished 1-1.
“We knew Hatboro would be a tough team and that we had to find ways to contain their runs and make them work for their shots. I thought we did that in the second half and only allowed one goal,” Matusow said. “Amaya Washington had another great game in goal and made some incredible saves. With injuries, we’ve had to move some players around and Ciara Rodriguez stepped up for us defensively and did a great job.”
Cheltenham also upped its possession and chances in the second half, eventually cashing in on a well-earned goal.
“We capitalized off a great corner kick from Tabitha Sterman, who put the ball in the box and Aniya Gladden put it in the back of the net, Matusow said. “We want to build on the positives from this game and take them into our next game (Thursday) night.”
Cheltenham (2-10, 0-10 SOL) travels to New Hope-Solebury at 7 on Thursday. Hatboro-Horsham (10-3, 10-1) visits Wissahickon at 3:30 on Friday.
HATBORO-HORSHAM 3 1 – 4
CHELTENHAM 0 1 – 1
Goals: HH – Kitty Randa, Emma Levin, Sarah Boland, Ryleigh White; C – Aniya Gladden
Upper Moreland 2, Plymouth Whitemarsh 1
An early deficit proved to only embolden the Golden Bears on Wednesday, as they rallied for an impressive win.
“Coming off of a tough one-goal loss to Upper Dublin Monday, we really zeroed in on our finishing, time management and field awareness in our practice session. PW’s record speaks for itself, they are having a really strong season,” UM coach Lisa Benvenuto said. “We knew that we would need to capitalize early and finish on our opportunities. We knew that we had to mark up tight on their set pieces and that they would look to use their speed up top.”
That’s exactly what the Colonials did just three minutes in as Olivia Budin converted an early chance to put PW on the front foot.
While Benvenuto felt her team bounced back well from the goal and continued to move the ball, the Bears still trailed 1-0 at halftime.
“We went over a couple of key ideas that we wanted to implement, and we tweaked some positioning that led to a quick second half goal,” Benvenuto said.
UM needed less than two minutes to bring the score level, thanks to some solid inter-linking play and proceeded to carry it into the go-ahead tally soon after.
“Leah King was able to chip a ball toward Willow Taylor. Willow ran onto the ball and headed it forward to Brooke Lobban who finished,” Benvenuto said. “Eight minutes later, Lobban was able to play through and get to the corner. She put the ball across the box, and Mickie Soroka was there to place it in the back of the net.”
Taylor, Lobban and Kyra Favors share the captains’ role for Upper Moreland this fall. All three are veterans and proven players, so it’s not surprising to see them leading the way as they did on Wednesday.
“They each have their own style of leadership, but on the field, there is no doubt that they are giving their all to help our team succeed. That determination and that attitude – that’s contagious,” Benvenuto said. “It provides our younger players with confidence and helps spark and burn the fire in the rest of our team. We played a solid 80 minutes from start to finish, and everyone can take ownership in that.”
Keeping a quality side like PW to one goal, especially after a strong start, takes a team effort and there were plenty of contributors for Upper Moreland.
“We had quality minutes today from Megan Hamill, Deanna Swedberg, Stephanie Jones, Nikki Cancel and Johna Pryzchowicz. Today’s effort says a lot about this team,” Benvenuto said. “These girls are resilient, they are able to move forward and learn from their past games and put the work in to become better as a team.”
PW (8-2-2, 7-2-2 SOL) visits Abington at 3:30 on Friday. UM (6-7, 4-7) visits Lower Moreland at 3:30 on Friday.
UPPER MORELAND 0 2 – 2
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 1 0 1-
Goals: UM – Brooke Lobban, Mickie Soroka; PW – Olivia Budin
Wissahickon 2, Springfield Twp 1
The battle between the Trojans and Spartans came down to a couple chances in the second half.
“The team was connecting more in the attacking end and creating chances,” Wiss coach Chris McDaniels said.
Wissahickon took the lead on a Lannah Werynski goal and held it at halftime. The Spartans came back with a tally by Kaleigh Evans in the second half to tie it 1-1.
“We honestly had a lot of good passes and plays, and I would say we held possession for a lot of the game and took a lot of shots throughout the whole game,” Springfield Twp coach Marissa Conover said.
Kendall Dries would then provide the game-winner, with the Wissahickon defense closing down any bids at a second comeback.
“On the defensive end, Lucy Greenstein, Gillian Blight and Ellie Stein were really organized and put in a lot of work to prevent chances for Springfield,” McDaniels said.
Wissahickon (4-6-2, 4-5-2 SOL) hosts Hatboro-Horsham at 3:30 on Friday. Springfield Twp (6-3-3, 5-3-3) hosts William Tennent at 3:30 on Friday.
WISSAHICKON 1 1 -2
SPRINGFIELD TWP 0 1 – 1
Goals: W – Lannah Werynski, Kendall Dries; ST – Kaleigh Evans
Quakertown 3, Hope-Solebury 1
A strong first half helped push the Panthers to a win as they closed out crossover play.
Junior Rachel McMonagle netted two goals, finding the net in the eighth and 32nd minutes while junior Taylor Kletzing scored in the 38th minute.
It was a solid day for Quakertown’s defensive group.
“Sophomore holding midfielder Faith Greenday was awesome all game, she was all over the field, controlling play, finding switches and putting great passes onto her teammates,” Quakertown coach John Gingrich said. “Our defense was also excellent. Sophomore center back Anna Greenday, junior center back Madison Taylor, outside backs sophomore Jewel Renshaw and senior Carlee Roesener played shutdown defense the whole game with great ball possession and quick switching of the field.”
New Hope-Solebury (1-10, 1-9 SOL) hosts Cheltenham at 7 on Thursday. Quakertown (3-7-1, 3-6-1) travels to Upper Dublin at 3:30 on Friday.
QUAKERTOWN -3
NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY – 1
Goals: Q – Rachel McMonagle 2, Taylor Kletzing
SOL Colonial/Patriot
Neshaminy 2, Central Bucks West 1 (OT)
Neshaminy wanted to show up for its seniors on Wednesday.
“Sierra Cofer, Madisyn Conrad, Gwen Dozier, Carly Hock-Smith and Angelina Daino have given a lot for the program,” coach Josh Van Reed said of his seniors.
A very physical game that extended into overtime saw both sides trade chances but also ended scoreless after the opening 40 minutes. For a young Neshaminy team, a goal has been chasing down a full-match effort.
“We’ve had some good halves, and West has been playing so well and getting some great results so going into the game it was about keeping the intensity and ball movement up,” Van Reed said. “We did a great job overall winning balls and getting into dangerous positions but not getting a goal.”
The Bucks stormed out of the halftime break, drawing a foul and spotting a free kick in a prime area to break the deadlock.
“We conceded a free kick outside the 18 and the player from West stepped up and hit a really nice free kick to put them up,” Van Reed said.
That player was senior captain Kate Weyer, the VCU recruit again showing up beyond just her putting a ball in the back of the net.
“As a coach, I couldn’t ask for a player with greater character and ability leading our team,” Bucks coach Bree Benedict said. “Looking forward to watching her step up and drive this team in the second half of our conference games.”
Van Reed just saw positive energy from his team and players sharing the idea of “we can get one back.”
A free kick of their own would give the host side an opening to put the score back on even terms.
“Ava Hood had been serving great balls all night long, we just hadn’t been able to get on the end of one,” Van Reed said. “This time another great ball gets served in and Abby Collins came running through the box, played the ball off her body and volleyed the ball in to tie the game.”
The match took a physical toll on the Bucks, who still continued to work hard for each other to the conclusion of play.
“Janelle Blokker, Cece Funseth, Kira Winn, and Ava Brunner defended bravely all night,” Benedict said. “Disappointed with the result, felt we did enough to win the game considering the number of injuries we took on throughout the game.”
As regulation ended and still wanting to grab the victory for the seniors, Neshaminy was determined to find a winning goal.
“Overtime came and we just told the girls to go get the ball in the box, be aggressive. With four minutes left in the first overtime we got a free kick from a similar spot on the left side, “Vane Reed said. “Again, Ava Hood served a great ball into a dangerous area and again Abby Collins came running through to find the ball, this time from her head to the near corner.”
The win vaulted Neshaminy into the last District 1 4A playoff spot at No. 28 in the rankings for the time being, although there is a lot of season yet to be played.
“It was a great effort from everybody today and a big team win for us,” Van Reed said. “The defense with Sierra, Carly, Kiera Siwinski and Ava Hood did great tonight holding up the attack and our keeper, Alexis Barnes, had to come up with some big stops early on in the game.”
CB West (9-2, 9-2 SOL) visits Central Bucks East in the annual Kick for Pink game at 7 on Friday. Neshaminy (5-6-1, 5-5-1) visits Pennsbury at 4 on Friday.
NESHAMINY 0 1 1 – 2
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 0 1 0 – 1
Goals; N – Abby Collins 2, CBW – Kate Weyer
Pennridge 6, Bensalem 0
Liv Grenda was back and so was the mask, at least for a little while.
Last year, the Pennridge midfielder suffered a broken nose in a league game that required her to play with a hard plastic facemask more often seen in the NBA, most
famously Rip Hamilton. Unfortunately for Grenda, another errant blow to the face last Friday left her with another broken nose and a reunion with her mask after sitting out Monday’s nonleague win over Quakertown.
It certainly didn’t seem to slow her down as the Dayton recruit buried a hat trick to lead the Rams to finish a 6-0-0 crossover record.
“Liv was great today, her first game back after breaking her nose on Friday and bringing back ‘the mask’,” Rams coach Audrey Anderson said. “She was very composed on the ball and confident on her finishing.”
Tori Angelo also netted a brace for Pennridge, the speedy senior scoring the game’s first goal off an assist from Hailey Primwhere. The Seton Hall recruit also added the team’s final goal.
Grenda would score the next three goals in a row, including a penalty kick that saw the end of the mask’s second stint. Anderson also praised the senior’s composure, especially in some of the game’s more intense moments, to go with her finishing.
“As she walked up to take the PK earned by Caitlyn Peace, Liv took her mask off, tossed it outside the box and buried her shot. It was a great moment for her,” Anderson said. “It was like Liv never missed a beat.”
Hailey Primwhere earned a second assist on Grenda’s third goal. Jessie Moylan also scored to round out Pennridge’s offensive production.
“Our captains Anna Croyle, Liv Grenda, and Sophie Craig showed great leadership today,” Anderson said.
Pennridge (12-0-1, 10-0-1 SOL) travels to North Penn at 3:30 on Friday. Bensalem (5-7, 5-6) hosts Council Rock South at 3:30 on Friday.
PENNRIDGE – 6
BENSALEM – 0
Goals; P – Liv Grenda 3, Tori Angelo 2, Jessie Moylan
Central Bucks South 4, Pennsbury 3 (OT)
A late rally by the Titans saw South capture the win and the three points, but only after a strong effort by the Falcons.
“It was an intense battle throughout the game. We started off on a strong note, displaying excellent ball movement and precision passes,” Pennsbury coach Jenna Peters said. “Sofia Gorski, a freshman, played a pivotal role by winning us a corner, which she delivered for Corinne Russo, a sophomore, to head into the net.”
CB South would tie the game up shortly after.
An injury to a key player for Pennsbury forced some adjustments, but the Falcons responded well.
“We had to make tactical adjustments due to an injury to our senior captain and center back, Paige Sweitzer. Despite this setback, we persevered and managed to secure a free kick opportunity,” Peters said. “Gianna Price, a senior, stepped up to take the free kick, and Nicole Mucciacciaro, a junior, skillfully capitalized on it.”
The game entered the half tied 2-2. Pennsbury would regain the lead again in the second half.
“We were creating opportunities and stopping theirs,” Peters said. “We earned another free kick and Brynn Kozlowski, a junior, took the free kick and Sofia Gorski was able to get on the end of it to put us up 3-2.”
South again came back to tie the game, leveling the score 3-3 in the last 10 minutes and forcing overtime.
“CB South came out with a hunger for victory, ultimately securing a 4-3 win,” Peters said. “It was a grueling battle, but we remain determined and will make necessary adjustments.”
The Titans received two goals from Kelly Donnelly and markers from Abbie Bass and Monika Daly.
Central Bucks South (6-4-1, 5-4-1 SOL) hosts Souderton at 3:15 on Friday. Pennsbury (2-10-1, 2-8-1) hosts Neshaminy at 4 on Friday.
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 2 1 1 – 4
PENNSBURY 2 1 0 – 3
Goals: CBS – Kelly Donnelly 2, Abbie Bass, Monika Daly; P – Corinne Russo, Sofia Gorski, Nicole Mucciacciaro
Council Rock South 2, Souderton 1
The Golden Hawks didn’t let some early struggles in front of goal slow them down on Wednesday.
“I thought we came out with good intensity and looked dangerous early, but just lacked the finishing touches around the goal,” CR South coach Nick Heim said.
South’s persistence paid off when junior Kathryn O’Kane found senior Lily Bross in close proximity to the goal for a finish and a 1-0 lead at the half.
“We opened up generating a lot of dangerous set pieces and finally Juliette Salvi gave us the 2-0 lead on a great free kick that beat the goalie high,” Heim said. “We were able to rotate in a good bit of players, but to Souderton’s credit, they kept working and found the back of the net with a minute left.”
While the goal was a jolt late, the Indians felt they waited too long to get into the game.
“Lily Heron eventually found Jules Purvy on a through ball towards the end of the second half. Jules did really well to ride the challenge from a few defenders and eventually poked it past the out rushing goalkeeper,” Souderton coach Ian Smith said. “Unfortunately, it was too late for us to make a real push and chase the game.”
With crossover play over, the Hawks return to the SOL Patriot sharing first place with rival CR North on 17 points.
“Overall we had a lot of good moments but some things to work on as we head into the second half of conference play,” Heim said.
Souderton (2-10, 1-10 SOL) visits Central Bucks South at 3:15 on Friday. CR South (6-4-2, 5-4-2) travels to Bensalem at 3:30 on Friday.
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 1 1 – 2
SOUDERTON 0 1 – 1
Goals: CRS – Lily Bross, Juliette Salvi; S – Jules Purvy
North Penn 6, Harry S Truman 0
The Knights’ third straight win also bumped them over the .500 mark at 6-5-1.
Maddy Murphy continued her run of sterling form, scoring twice and giving the junior four goals so far this week.
“Madison Hatfield had a really nice shot from distance. Izzy Ault added a PK and Izzy Kee and Katie Drolet also scored for us,” Knights coach Mike Rio said. “We were able to give some different players opportunities today, and I thought they did a nice job for us.”
North Penn went 4-1-1 across the crossover slate. Rio also wanted to cite the efforts of the Tigers on Wednesday.
“Truman really worked hard all over the field as well no matter what the score line was, so hats off to that group,” Rio said.
North Penn (7-5-1, 5-4-1 SOL) hosts Pennridge at 3:30 on Friday. Truman (0-11, 0-11) hosts Council Rock North at 3:30 on Friday.
NORTH PENN – 6
HARRY S TRUMAN – 0
Nonleague
Council Rock North 5, Villa Joseph Marie 2
CR North left Tuesday’s loss at Central Bucks East discouraged in the result but eager to get back on the field.
It took a little time to find things Wednesday, but once the Indians did, they were back on the right path against a strong program in the Jems.
“We were a little slow to start and VJM were better in the first 15 minutes, but once we settled down, I thought we grew into the game and started to create chances,” North coach Gavin Flannigan said. “Our combinations and passes were more consistent, and we were able to open up opportunities for Mia Cairone.”
Getting the supporting cast going around the Penn State committed junior was a huge lift for the North attack. Isabel Diaz parlayed an active effort on Tuesday into an opportunity that helped the Indians find the goal and pick up their energy.
“Isabel Diaz followed up a shot from Mia that was saved and got the rebound. That gave us more confidence to play with better composure and possession,” Flannigan said.
Cairone would take over from there, the forward scoring the next four goals for her team but doing so with plenty of support.
“After a long game last night, we went deeper into our roster, and our second goal was created by freshman Addison Martin, she had a great combination on the outside with Alexa Pikul and then managed to slip a through ball for Mia Cairone to score,” Flannigan said. “Our third goal came quickly after, Sydney Linus made a great run and combined with Nicole Muradov, then played a great ball for Mia in behind to score.”
North carried the 3-0 lead to halftime, the coaches stressing to bring that same kind of energy and effort back out after the break. Villa Joseph Marie’s record this year isn’t as imposing as it may look most years, but there’s no doubt the Jems have established a winning program.
To hammer that home, VJM pounced on North out of the half, scoring back-to-back markers to slice the Indians’ lead to one goal.
After absorbing the counter punch, CR North got the ball to its haymaker again, and Cairone came through with two more big blows.
“Credit to Reese Ludwig in goal for staying composed and dealing with some dangerous crosses and shots to keep our lead,” Flannigan said. “We settled down again and were able to add a fourth goal when Keagen Terry won a ball in midfield and released Mia for her hat trick.
“Soon after a ball in behind from Kinsley Smith found Mia again and she was able to add her fourth and final goal of the game.”
Between Wednesday’s warm weather and coming off a night game on Tuesday, the North staff used the bench as a way to lift the team and overall, Flannigan was pleased with the entire group’s efforts.
“VJM is always a tough game and they proved that throughout today, Becca Morein and Taylor Houtz caused us problems,” Flannigan said. “We were really happy with our effort and energy, especially from the bench.”
Cairone’s four-goal effort certainly stands out, but it didn’t overshadow contributions from all over the roster.
“Sydney Linus had one of her best games today, her decision making, defending and composure were excellent in the midfield and that allowed us to play the way we did at times,” Flannigan said. “Some of our younger players made a good impact too, particularly Addison Martin with an assist.”
Council Rock North (7-4-2, 5-4-2 SOL) travels to Harry S Truman at 3:30 on Friday.
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 3 2 – 5
VILLA JOSEPH MARIE 0 2 – 2
Goals; CRN – Mia Cairone 4, Isabel Diaz
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