Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ soccer teams in action Thursday. CR North/Bensalem photos provided courtesy of John Gleeson. Check back for a gallery of photos. (CB South/CB East photos provided courtesy of Mike Tait/CB South soccer, Hatboro-Horsham/Abington photo courtesy of Jessica Cassel/Hatboro-Horsham soccer)
SOL Liberty
Hatboro-Horsham 1, Abington 0
When the Hatters and the Ghosts tangle, there’s a good chance it’s going to end as a one-goal game.
Last season, Abington took both meetings with the first – no surprise – coming as a one-goal game. It wasn’t something the Hatters forgot.
The teams’ first meeting of the season followed that trend to the letter, the Hatters using a well-played ball and a finish from senior standout Ryleigh White to get the one goal that provided the difference. Hatboro-Horsham had been in a high-scoring back-and-forth game with CB South earlier in the week, but Thursday’s SOL Liberty opener took on a decidedly defensive tone.
Scoring Summary
1st half
No scoring
2nd half
HH – Ryleigh White (Leah Nelson)
Hatters coach Chris Artman on the win: “Very happy with the girls’ effort today. We played hard against CB South earlier in the week but came up just short. We talked about having consistent effort every game. Our league games are all battles, but we came ready to play. Abington is tough to defend as they
have strong players up top and in the midfield. Nya Riggs presents a lot of problems for a defense, but our backs played really well. Senior Madison Duggan did a great job of containing her all game. Their central midfield is controlled by Addy Doyle. She is a strong physical player who distributes the ball well and can score from distance. Dakota Slye was a workhorse for us today in the midfield and I thought she did a great job of getting back behind the ball and not letting Addy get shots on goal.”
–Defensive first half: “First half was back and forth and a defensive battle. At halftime we talked about getting more runs in behind their backs and opening up the field. A little over midway through the second half Leah Nelson won the ball at midfield and played a great ball onto the foot of Ryleigh White who was making an angled run behind the center back. She got in on goal and beat their keeper to put us up 1-0.”
Abington coach Rick Tompkins on the game: “The Ghosts played well but lost to an opportunistic Hatters’ squad. Addy Doyle and Valerie Zapata were especially effective for Abington.”
Up next: Hatboro-Horsham (1-1, 1-0 SOL) will host Souderton in a non-league game Friday, and Abington (0-2, 0-1) will host Upper Dublin Wednesday.
HATBORO-HORSHAM 0 1 – 1
ABINGTON 0 0 – 0
Plymouth Whitemarsh 2, Quakertown 0
While the Colonials picked up a solid win earlier in the week, coach TJ DeLucia knew Thursday’s SOL opener would be a real test of where his team was.
Quakertown has started the fall well, and the two sides usually have pretty intense battles so if either could come out with a win, it was going to be hard-earned. PW’s got plenty of seniors this year including a true stalwart in midfielder and captain Maddie McGuckien, who stepped up to the penalty spot early on and put her team on the right foot.
The Colonials’ seniors put a mark on the game from all over the field, and the defense posted its second straight shutout, the group having allowed just one goal in 260 minutes of play so far.
Scoring Summary
1st Half
PW – Maddie McGuckien (PK) 10th
2nd Half
PW – Maddi Lazaroff (Harper Reilly) 65th
PW coach TJ DeLucia on the win: “Outstanding win today. I was speaking with Quakertown coach Jon Gingrich before the game and we both said, whatever happened in the first two games of the season – good or bad, we’ll find out a lot about our respective teams today. To go on the road to kick off league play at Quakertown and to come away with the 2-0 win, I couldn’t be more pleased. For as long as we’ve been in the league with Quakertown, every single game is a battle.”
–Early goal for PW: “The first half was back and forth, both teams had come to play. But, 10 minutes into the first half, senior captain Marleigh Burton attacked the endline and put a cross in to Mia Baron whose shot was blocked by a Quakertown hand in the box. Senior captain Maddie McGuckien stepped up and buried the PK, for her first goal of the season.”
–Senior standouts: “Maddie was outstanding all game. We know Quakertown was going to be physical and we relied on Maddie to match that, which she did. Credit to senior Mia Baron who put in an 80-minute shift up front and never stopped running. Judging by her energy on the bus ride home, she had another 80 minutes in her.”
–Gaining some insurance: “We remained solid into the second half when Maddi Lazaroff put the game away with our second goal. Mia Baron stepped up to take a corner, the ball was headed out of the box – Harper Reilly was there to win the second ball out of the air heading it over to Maddi Lazaroff who chipped the ball over the keeper’s head.”
–Defense steps up: “Olivia Bragg had a strong second half in net, coming off of her line to eliminate any danger. Harper Reilly, JJ Lafferty, Maddie McGuckien, and Kaiane Jayo were outstanding in defense. The team has a well-deserved three days off now to enjoy the long weekend before we have to re-focus our attention on an always dangerous Wissahickon team.”
Up next: Quakertown (2-1, 0-1 SOL) visits Hatboro-Horsham. Plymouth Whitemarsh (2-0, 1-0) visits Wissahickon on Wednesday.
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 1 1 – 2
QUAKERTOWN 0 0 – 0
Upper Dublin 4, Wissahickon 1
UD’s attack kicked it into gear this week.
After being shut out in their opener, the Cardinals have put up nine total goals in their last two, opening SOL Liberty play with a strong win over backyard rival Wissahickon. Peyton Ward continues to pull the strings, the midfielder scoring a goal and putting a foot into setting up two others for Upper Dublin.
The team’s outside play continued to shine, junior Bridget DiMartile scoring for the second straight game with Ava Shohen and Maeve Hogan also finding the back of the net as the defending SOL Liberty champions picked up where they left off last season in division play.
Scoring Summary
1st Half
UD – Ava Shohen (Peyton Ward) 15th
UD – Maeve Hogan (Emerson Smith) 30th
2nd Half
UD – Peyton Ward 55th
UD – Bridget Demartile (Peyton Ward) 57th
W – Gianna Brown 65th.
UD coach Darius Gbunblee on the win: “This was another game where we had a very good start. Games against Wissahickon are also tough because they are our biggest rivals. We came in knowing that our girls really wanted this one. Our performance today was highlighted by our wide players Bridget DiMartile, Maeve Hogan, and Ava Shohen. They were relentless down the flank for us.”
Up next: Upper Dublin (2-1, 1-0 SOL) hosts Gwynedd Mercy Academy on Friday. Wissahickon (0-3, 0-1) visits Methacton on Friday.
UPPER DUBLIN 2 2 – 4
WISSAHICKON 0 1 – 1
SOL Liberty
Council Rock North 5, Bensalem 3
Council Rock North started out on fire Thursday, but spent the late stages of the match trying to put out a fire.
CR North was on the front foot almost from the first minute and had what might have looked like a commanding three-goal lead at halftime, but the Owls weren’t going away. The Indians posted a fourth goal early in the second half, then spent the remainder of the match fending off a furious comeback effort from Bensalem.
Isabel Diaz scored twice, including just a shade more than a minute in and Sarina Igval added a pair for CR North, the duo emerging early on as two capable scorers.
Scoring Summary
1st Half
CRN – Isabel Diaz
CRN – Sarina Igval (Alexa Pikul)
CRN – Sarina Igval (Audrey Rogan)
2nd Half
CRN – Keagan Terry
Bensalem goal
Bensalem goal
Bensalem goal
CRN – Isabel Diaz
CR North coach Gavin Flannigan on the match: “A game of two halves today with Bensalem. I felt like we dominated the first half, we scored 70 seconds in with a goal from Isabel Diaz and then quickly added two more from Sarina Igval to make it 3-0 after 15 mins, with great assists from Alexa Pikul and Audrey Rogan.
At halftime we knew Bensalem would come out a little stronger and although we added a fourth goal quickly in the second from a great shot from Keagan Terry, Bensalem worked harder than us and created opportunities and goals to bring the game back to 4-3. Late in the game we were able to add a 5th goal from Isabel Diaz to finish the game off but it was certainly a rocky second half.”
–Lesson learned: “I think we learned today that no league game should be underestimated and that we need to ensure we continue to compete for the full 80 minutes. It was a good lesson for us and luckily we still managed to get the win. As we move into the rest of our league play I’m hopeful today was a good learning experience for our group.”
Up next: CR North (4-0, 1-0 SOL) hosts Neshaminy on Wednesday. Bensalem (2-1, 0-1) hosts Pennsbury on Wednesday.
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 3 2 – 5
BENSALEM 0 3 – 3
Neshaminy 2, Council Rock South 0
Neshaminy’s opening slate of games certainly wasn’t easy.
After going up against defending District 1 champion CB East on Tuesday and not being able to slow the Patriots’ potent attack, Neshaminy had to start division play against a Golden Hawks team coming off a big win of its own. With just one practice session between fixtures, Neshaminy brought plenty of fight on Thursday, locking things down defensively and breaking through to get on the winning side of the board for the first time this season.
Alexis Barnes made some key saves while her teammates in front of her handled an onslaught of pressure from the Hawks.
Scoring Summary
1st Half
No Scoring
2nd Half
N – Leah Kaczmarek (Emmy Rooney) 13:45
N – Natalie Weidle (Bri Garyah) 3:23
Neshaminy coach Josh van Reed on the win: “Starting league play with Rock South is always tough. You know you’re going to have to play all 80 minutes. Having only one practice since our last game to make some adjustments, I think the girls were eager to get their first win of the season. I think we started moving the ball real well right from the start and I was pleased with the way we defended today.”
–Cashing in on scoring chances: “The first half was a bit back and forth at times but I felt we were creating some great opportunities. Finally in the second half, our best chance came when Anna Axenroth played a ball down the left side, Emmy Rooney put a real nice ball across in the air with some pace that deflected off the defender and Leah Kaczmarek came running up to hit the volley in for the first goal.”
–Holding on and adding on: “The next 15 minutes saw Rock South turn up the pressure. I was really pleased with the midfield and defense’s ability to handle that today, along with our keeper Alexis Barnes who made some big saves when we needed her to. Near the end of regulation we were able to get some room on a counterattack and an insurance goal from Natalie Weidle who stepped up from the back when Bri Garyah passed the ball back to her. It was a well hit ball from 30 out. Everyone was clicking today, with Bri up top, Emmy and Leah outside all finding space, the midfield and defense slowing the attack and countering. Overall, it was a good team effort today.”
Up next: CR South (1-1, 0-1 SOL) visits Harry S Truman on Wednesday. Neshaminy (1-1, 1-0) hosts Conwell-Egan Catholic on Tuesday.
NESHAMINY 0 2 – 2
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 0 0 – 0
Pennsbury 4, Harry S Truman 0
The Falcons bounced back from their first loss of the season to start SOL play off on the right foot.
Sophomore Ashley Haubein led the way, scoring goals and assisting on another while classmate Abbie Ellis continued her helpful streak with an assist. Sophomore Sydney Becker and freshman Jill Patrick also scored, with Willa Corbitt and Kaelyn Shelton also adding assists.
Falcons coach Jenna Peters on the win: “It was a great team win because we were able to get a variety of players in. We created a lot of opportunities, but we need to continue to capitalize on those opportunities.”
Up next: Pennsbury (3-1, 1-0 SOL) visits Conwell-Egan Catholic on Friday. Harry S Truman (0-2, 0-1) hosts Council Rock South on Wednesday
SOL Colonial
Central Bucks East 2, Central Bucks South 1
Any match between any two of the three Central Bucks schools is bound to be extremely competitive and often come down to the final few minutes.
After spending much of their first meeting this season trading chances and scoring threats, that’s where things stood heading into the final minutes once again. A couple of well-taken goals by either side in the first half had created a 1-1 deadlock when East’s dynamic junior duo of Mia Forney and Kiera Sleicher did what they’ve done plenty of the last two years and combined for a clutch goal.
With less than two minutes on the board, Sleicher drew a foul, spotting the Patriots a free kick in prime position that they cashed in on to pick up a major early-season win.
While the Titans took their first loss of the young season, they kept their rivals on their toes all match.
Scoring Summary
1st half
CBE – Addie Langlois 35:30
CBS – Riley Karpinski 20:20
2nd half
CBE – Kiera Sleicher (Mia Forney) 1:34
CB East coach Jake Nesteruk on the game: “I don’t think this was anywhere near a good game from us, but clearly we did enough to get a result and I’m proud of our kids for seeing through some tough periods in this one and coming out with three points. That said, it’s one game, it’s early in the season, so we’ve got to be proud of the effort, take this as a positive step forward, but nothing more.”
–Credit to CB South: “Coming in, we knew South has a very good group, and for the most part defensively, thought we made the adjustments tactically we needed to make coming out of Neshaminy. Credit to South for giving us a really hard fought game, I thought they made some good adjustments to what we do well, and I think they created enough to win this one as well.”
–Scoring first: “There were parts of this game where we look like the team we can be and other parts where we were not close. In the first half I thought we had a pretty good rhythm to us, were intentional with the ball, and created a couple of good chances with sustained possession. That level of play leads into that first goal by Addie. That kid is a great soccer player and has a ton of potential, and we expect a lot out of her defensively and in the build. To see her on the scoresheet with a goal like that in this type of game was just a great moment.
“The goal followed a wide restart, the ball bounced out to the top of the 18, and Addie just hit it cleanly with good power.”
South pulls level: “South just timed their press correctly and took advantage of a mistake and (senior Virginia Tech recruit) Riley Karpinski did what she was does and leveled the game going into the half. Their goal came from Riley Karpinski’s pressure on our center back, she stripped the ball and hit a really good strike top left corner.”
–Second half: “I thought South was a bit more dangerous than us, we weren’t as good in possession as we needed to be and so we had to rely on a big save from Aralynn Patterson and a couple of really tight plays from our backline. As the half progressed, I think there were pockets where we dictated the game, but didn’t create anything dangerous enough. As full time edged nearer, the game started to get really stretched in both directions and fortunately, we had one good counter-attack that got Kiera on the ball in a dangerous position before being taken down outside the 18.”
–The winning goal: “Following a counter-attack, Kiera was brought down at the top of South’s box. Mia drove a ball hard and low to the right and Kiera stuck out a foot and redirected the ball enough to put it past the keeper.”
–East standouts: “I thought Mattie Williams had a very good game for us today despite not showing up on the score sheet. CeCe Hayes put in a strong shift in the center of the park and did a nice job on the ball, and I thought our outside backs, Paige Dougherty and Ella Roumy were very very good.”
Up next: CB South (1-1-1, 0-1 SOL) hosts North Penn on Wednesday. CB East (2-0, 1-0) hosts Pennridge on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 1 1 – 2
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 1 0 – 1
Central Bucks West 0, North Penn 0 (2 OT)
The Knights have played a lot of soccer this week, including two extra sessions on Thursday, but they did so without allowing a goal.
Of course, they also couldn’t score one on Friday, the Bucks showing plenty of grit to come away with a point on the road. Not every game is going to have a statistical standout or a big scoring play, but both sides were able to point out quite a few impact players that did plenty to make sure their team wasn’t the one getting beaten for a decisive goal.
Scoring Summary
1st half
No scoring
2nd half
No scoring
OT
No Scoring
North Penn coach Mike Rio on his team’s effort: “Really proud of the team in general. Playing four games in seven days to start the season was intense and ending with a back to back of Spring-Ford and West was no easy task. Coming through that stretch at 3-0-1 is awesome and the girls should feel great about it.”
–Back line comes up big: “Really just want to highlight the defense again – Alyssa Chartrand, Allison Schall, Sophia Zampirri and Jadyn Sperling, with Rachel Murphy posting another clean sheet in net. We haven’t been scored on in seven halves plus the two OTs today which is an amazing accomplishment and improvement for our team considering we recorded only three shutouts in total last season. And I know the defensive line and the goalie get the credit for shutouts but our team defending all over the field has been great and making it difficult for other teams to break us down.”
–Knights standouts: “Also shout out to Madi Morrow who has been all over the place for us, and has just been really energizing the team wherever we need her on the field. Maddie Gorman and Lani Bachmann also had a really strong game today in the middle of the field for us.”
CB West coach Bree Benedict on her team’s efforts: “Really a tough road game — we were thrust right back into the physicality of our conference. I was proud of my team for overcoming some tough mental hurdles and showing resilience. We created some great chances: Olivia Barrett had one off the crossbar in the second half, and Andy Friel found the back of the net late but it was called back for a handball.”
–Bucks standouts: “Maura Duffy was exceptional and led by example. Lauren Overbeck put in a great shift. Janelle Blokker stepped into a different role and played through injury, doing it well. Our goalkeepers Annabelle Witt and Avery Jones continue to be consistently solid for us to start the year. All in all, very proud of this group for being resilient and posting a shutout.”
Up next: CB West (0-1-1, 0-0-1 SOL) visits Lower Merion on Friday. North Penn (3-0-1, 0-0-1) visits CB South on Wednesday.
NORTH PENN 0 0 0 0 – 0
CB WEST 0 0 0 0 – 0
Pennridge 3, Souderton 1
Last year, the Rams found an unlikely goal-scoring connection between their outside backs Avery Runk and Natalie Walter.
It seemed fitting that those two would be responsible for finally getting the Rams on the scoreboard in 2025 and sparking the team’s first win of the season. Runk, a senior committed to Florida Atlantic, is an ace taking corner kicks while Walter, a junior, is fearless at crashing into the box and putting a head on the ball and toward goal.
Runk found Walter for a header off a corner, then sophomore Mikayla Loux added a brace for her first two varsity goals to add insurance before halftime. Senior goalkeeper Seretha DeMoss was on her game, the Marist recruit coming up big between the posts in the second half while keeping a potent Souderton attack from getting more than one back.
Scoring Summary
1st half
P – Natalie Walter (Avery Runk)
P – Mikayla Loux
P – Mikayla Loux
2nd Half
Souderton goal
Pennridge coach Lucas Kriner on the win: “Really pleased with tonight’s win. Nat’s opening goal on the end of Avery’s corner kick was a huge boost for us. Also happy for Mikayla Loux scoring two goals. Credit to Souderton for grabbing momentum at different stages of the game. Cece (senior keeper Seretha DeMoss) came up with some great stops, and our backs – Avery Runk, Harper Posey, Peyton Rabinowitz and Nat Walter = did a solid job when Souderton attacked. There are things to work on with our game plan execution, but, overall we’re happy to go into the holiday weekend on a high note.”
Up next: Pennridge (1-2, 1-0 SOL) hosts Wilson on Tuesday. Souderton (2-1, 0-1) visits Hatboro-Horsham on Friday.
PENNRIDGE 3 0 – 3
SOUDERTON 0 1 – 1
SOL Freedom
William Tennent 4, Upper Moreland 3 (OT)
Lia Jablonowski couldn’t have hit the ball much better.
The William Tennent junior, normally a defender for the Panthers, had been pulled up to the midfield with her team trailing and on the ropes in the second half of Thursday’s SOL opener. She sparked a wild rally scoring a quick goal to get the Panthers back into it, but certainly one-upped herself when she won it in overtime.
A pass back from a teammate found Jablonowski in a wide-open part of the pitch about 40 yards out from goal. Settling the ball off her right foot and taking a big stride into it, Jablonowski used that same foot to send a bomb over the keeper and into the back of the net to cap an improbable comeback from down 3-1.
The teams went to the half tied 1-1, then played a wild second half that saw four combined goals with the Golden Bears scoring twice in 11 minutes out of the break before the Panthers rallied back with two goals in the final 10 minutes to force the extra session.
Scoring Summary
1st half
UM – Keiley Hawk (Maggie Brophy) 6th
WT – Kaitlyn Dambria (Leila Santos) 7th
2nd Half
UM – Maggie Brophy 41st
UM – Keiley Hawk (Eva Gorrell) 51st
WT – Lia Jablonowski 70th
WT – Olivia Jakimoski (Leah Guzman) 74th
OT
WT – Lia Jablonowski 89th
William Tennent coach Elise Jara on the win: “Great come from behind win in overtime for the team today. We were playing catch up the entire game but the momentum really started to swing our way once we had our second goal.”
–Riding the ups and downs: “Upper Moreland scored within the first 10 minutes, this is an area of our game that we know we need to clean up. We tied the game on a goal by freshman Kaitlyn D’Ambra on an assist from junior Leila Santos in the 23rd minute. They struck twice early in the second half to go up by two. We needed players to step up and take control of the game and get something going in our favor.”
–Jablonowski sparks comeback: “Lia Jablonowski, who was having a strong game on defense, was moved to center mid. She was able to take the ball unassisted and score to get us within one. Four minutes later, in the 35th minute of the second half, junior Olivia Jakimoski was able to close the gap to tie the game on an assist by sophomore Leah Guzman. Lia Jablonowski scored the overtime winner after a foul at about 30 yards out. Juniors Mia Rahn and Margot Vant Hoenderdaal had a strong game on defense.”
UM assistant coach Sarah Venziale on the match: “UM had a tough loss in overtime today against Tennent, but our team put together a strong performance from start to finish. Keiley Hawk capitalized in the sixth minute with a great goal off an assist from Maggie Brophy, before Tennent quickly answered a minute later. Upper Moreland continued to play hard and create opportunities throughout the first half. Just after halftime, Maggie Brophy put UM back ahead in the 41st minute off a direct kick. Ten minutes later, Hawk added her second goal of the day, this time assisted by Eva Gorrell, giving us solid momentum going into the final stretch. Tennent battled back with two goals late in the second half to tie the game, ultimately forcing overtime where they were able to edge out the win.
–UM props: “Madeline Cox played a tremendous game, controlling possession and creating offensive opportunities, while Aubrey Scarpitti had another strong defensive performance. Though the result wasn’t what we hoped for, we are proud of the way the team competed and are looking forward to building on this effort as we face Christian Calvary Academy tomorrow.”
Up next: William Tennent (2-1, 1-0 SOL) Upper Moreland (3-1, 0-1) visits Calvary Christian Academy on Friday.
WILLIAM TENNENT 1 2 1 – 4
UPPER MORELAND 1 2 0 – 3
Lower Moreland 6, Cheltenham 2
The Lions opened SOL Freedom play with a win, but they were certainly tested by an improving Cheltenham team that didn’t go away despite falling behind in the first half.
Shannon Mahon had a solid outing for LM, scoring a goal and assisting two. A highlight for the Lions was the goal scored by Izzy O’Brien, who netted an Olimpico when she curled her corner kick untouched into the back of the net.
Scoring Summary
LM – Emma Leibert (Jordyn Fox)
LM – Izzy O’Brien
LM – Emma Leiber (Shannon Mahon)
LM – Shannon Mahon (Quinn Rozanski)
2nd Half
Cheltenham goal
Cheltenham goal
LM – Dara Chartock (Evie O’Brien)
LM – Quinn Rozanski (Shannon Mahon)
LM coach Todd Hill on the win: “Our girls committed to coming out and playing a disciplined brand of soccer today, as we began our league play. This commitment led to really strong build up play with some critical connections that lead to goals in the back of the net.”
–First half scoring: “Emma Leibert started things off by putting a ball in the back of the net, served to her by midfielder Jordyn Fox. Shortly afterwards, Izzy O’Brien took matters into her own hands by curling her own corner kick around the post for our second goal. Emma Leibert’s day was not over, as she took a ball served to her by attacker Shannon Mahon and netted her second goal of the afternoon. And to finish off the first half, Shannon Mahon scored a goal of her own as midfielder Quinn Rozanski set her up with a nice assist.”
–Second half play: “In the second half, Cheltenham came out with a renewed energy and put some pressure on our defense. They rallied with a couple goals of their own. However, Evie OBrien’s attack of the goal allowed her to lay off a nice assist as Dara Chartock netted her first goal of the season and some further relief for our team. We ended our day with Shannon Mahon and Quinn Rozanski connecting again, but this time the roles were reversed, Shannon sliding a ball across the box for Quinn to finish a great goal of her own. We still have a lot of work to do, but today was something we can build on moving forward.”
Up next: Lower Moreland (1-1, 1-0) visits St Hubert on Friday.
LOWER MORELAND 4 2 – 6
CHELTENHAM 0 2 – 2
Springfield Twp 11, New Hope-Solebury 1
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