Check out the results for SOL girls’ soccer teams in action Tuesday. Photos of the CR South/Truman game provided courtesy of Karen Discavage. Check back for a gallery of photos…CLICK HERE.
SOL NATIONAL CONFERENCE
BENSALEM 2, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 1
The Owls picked up a huge win on Tuesday, but it wasn't without a scare.
Despite a late goal from North, the Bensalem defense was able to hold up against a quality opponent and handed the Owls their first conference win of the season. Bensalem coach Lew Mladjen said it was a team effort in every part of the field.
"I was extremely happy with the entire defense, especially center backs Julia Janzer and Sam Crawford," Mladjen said. "Until late in the second half they were able to neutralize (North forward) Kayla Robinson through tight marking and trading responsibilities. (I’m) also very happy with the entire squad for challenging every 50/50 ball and setting the pace in the midfield."
The Indians hadn't conceded a goal in the 2016 season entering Tuesday's match, and while their defense still made it tough, Bensalem was finally able to solve the puzzle. Amanda Credido scored in the 23rd minute off a Sydney Miller assist while Taylor Haffner scored the winner on Lauren Antry's assist in the 63rd minute.
"In practice yesterday, we just focused on getting numbers forward, especially players out of the midfield making late runs," Mladjen said. "We just asked the girls to pressure balls in their defensive half and not let (CR North) turn upfield. Everyone just bought in today, and we took advantage of the few chances we had when they came."
Mladjen said the first goal was the result of good build up by his team while the second followed some build up but was "a bit more fortuitous."
Robinson scored in the 76th minute to put a late scare into the Owls, something Mladjen said comes with the territory when playing a team like North.
"The girls responded well," Mladjen said. "They could see the end of the game was right there and they dug deep to close out the final few minutes."
Goalkeeper Alayna McSeed was a big reason for that, making a few late "top notch" saves to hold the lead.
"We are very young so it's definitely a confidence builder going forward," Mladjen said. "We just need to play one game at a time and take the momentum from this game into the rest of the league schedule."
Bensalem (2-2-1, 1-2 SOL) will travel to Harry S Truman on Thursday, and Council Rock North (3-1, 2-1) will be on the road at Abington on Thursday.
CR NORTH 0 1 – 1
BENSALEM 1 1 – 2
Goals: CR – Kayla Robinson 76'; B – Amanda Credidio (Sydney Miller) 28', Taylor Haffner (Lauren Antry) 63'
NESHAMINY 3, ABINGTON 0
Two goals inside the opening six minutes lifted Neshaminy to a win at Heartbreak Ridge Tuesday night.
Brianna Tobin scored off a Kristin Curley assist just 1:24 into the game with Brooke Mullin providing a brace for the other scoring. Mullin netted her first just 5:04 into the game from Riley Nyhus and hit again at the 51:15 mark, again getting set up by Nyhus.
"Riley Nyhus did not stop working the whole game," Neshaminy coach Chelsea Lovelace said. "She won every 50/50 ball and played a lot of dangerous balls behind their defense.
"Brooke Mullin also played really well with two solid goals."
Abington keeper Ashley Hopper was credited with 15 saves.
Lovelace also noted the play of her defenders, Maggie Daeche, Nicole Palmer, Genna Obringer and Hannah Stonkus, in limiting Abington to just one shot on goal.
Neshaminy (4-0, 2-0 SOL) will be on the road at Pennsbury for a key conference battle Thursday, and Abington (0-3, 0-2) will host Council Rock North.
Abington 0 0 – 0
Neshaminy 2 1 – 3
Goals: N- Brianna Tobin (Kristin Curley) 1:24, Brooke Mullin (Riley Nyhus) 5:04, Mullin (Nyhus) 51:15. Saves: A- Ashley Hopper 15, N-Victoria Smith 1
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 10, HARRY S TRUMAN 0
Council Rock South (1-3, 1-1 SOL) will host North Penn on Friday in a non-league contest. Harry S Truman (0-4, 0-1) will host Bensalem on Thursday.
Goals: CRS- Caroline Doyle (Jesse Magee), Sara McDonald, Julie Rebh (Calie Deola), Maiya Barker (Julia Goldberg), Kasey Schlupp (Jesse Magee), Arielle Segal, Jordi Rubakh, Erin McStravock, Skylar Nowmos (Sierra Tarantino)
SOL AMERICAN
WISSAHICKON 3, UPPER DUBLIN 1
Maddie Elwell's second half brace was the difference in the latest chapter of this backyard rivalry.
The senior scored almost four full minutes into the second half for the eventual winner, then added a second on a Sam Comonitski assist with about 17 minutes to go.
"Wissahickon took control from the whistle, playing a patient possession game with constant pressure on the four UD backs," Wissahickon coach Shannon Creamer-Franke said. "The reward came at 15:47 with a slot ball delivered by Maddie Elwell to target Carly Amato then finally collected by Alexis Smith who fired it in hitting the back of the net hard to take the lead."
Upper Dublin tied the game when Sizzy Lawton was able to dribble her way into the box and finished around the Wissahickon goalkeeper.
"If she gets the ball there, Maggie’s going to put them away," UD coach John Topper said. "Our keeper, Devon Jones, did a great job but on those goals we kind of hung her out to dry. A thing we need to work on is our finishing in the box. We had opportunities and the team that scores more, wins."
Trojans goalkeeper Nicole Hastings had a key double-save in the second half to keep Wissahickon ahead 2-1.
"In the second half (Wissahickon) found control once again but this time played it close to the vest the entire 40 minutes," Creamer-Franke said. "Emily Vervlied, Rachel Coleman, and freshmen Lauren Elwell had a stellar game contributing between them seven shots on frame."
Wissahickon (3-1, 2-1 SOL) will host Hatboro-Horsham on Thursday, and Upper Dublin (1-2) will host Plymouth Whitemarsh on Wednesday.
Upper Dublin 1 0 – 1
Wissahickon 1 2 – 3
Goals: UD – Sizzy Lawton 31:36; W- Alexis Smith 15:47, Maddie Elwell 43:43, Maddie Elwell 63:36. Saves: UD – Devon Jones 10, W – Nicole Hastings 6
PLYMOUTH-WHITEMARSH 2, SPRINGFIELD 1
The Colonials took a 2-1 lead into the half and made it hold up as coach Ryan Zehren picked up his first SOL win on Tuesday.
Alyse Caffery scored for the second straight game while freshman Annika Shula found the back of the net for the first time. Haley Zygmunt was the hero in goal for P-W.
"At the end of the first half, she made three saves, all in the same play, to hold the score at 2-1," Zehren said.
Victoria Betterly was instrumental defensively after dropping from her starting midfield role to the back line.
"Our kids are working extremely hard. We push them to their absolute limits," Zehren said. "We got some unfortunate bounces to start the season but these girls 100% deserved the result from today."
After a slow start offensively in the first few games of the season, the Colonials are starting to not just generate chances, but put them away in the net.
"We are really preaching them to be ruthless with their finishes," Zehren said. "Our forwards are starting to realize that they need to work together to score goals."
Emily Giampietro scored for Springfield from about 30 yards out.
“I actually felt we dominated a lot of the game,” Springfield coach Suzette Wolf said. “We’re having a really hard time finishing, and it’s completely us.
“I have to say – in the first half, we were not playing our best. We had a tough game yesterday, and we eased into the game too slowly. They play a kick and run game, which we had a really hard time settling into.”
P-W (1-3, 1-2 SOL) faces Upper Dublin Wednesday afternoon, and Springfield (0-4, 0-2) will host Upper Moreland on Thursday.
Springfield 1 0 – 1
Plymouth-Whitemarsh 2 0 – 2
Goals: S- Emily Giampietro; PW- Alyse Caffery, Annika Shula
UPPER MORELAND 3, CHELTENHAM 0
The Golden Bears scored three times after the break to bounce back from a Monday loss to Merion Mercy.
Sydney Bachmayer opened the account on an assist from Sarah Veneziale, who then scored herself on a breakaway. Sam Cancel capped the effort with a direct free kick goal.
"We were able to control the ball through the middle and switched the attack," Upper Moreland coach Lisa Benvenuto said. "Maggie Finn played tremendously for (us) in the midfield. She was a part of every offensive opportunity."
Kim Benge made seven saves for her third shutout of the season.
"The Bears continued to work hard defensively with strong play from Maddy Gerlach and Sam Cancel,” Benvenuto said.
Upper Moreland (2-2-1, 2-1 SOL) faces Springfield on Thursday, and Cheltenham (0-2) will host Quakertown.
Upper Moreland 0 3 – 3
Cheltenham 0 0 – 0
Goals: UM – Sydney Bachmayer (Sarah Veneziale) 44:09, Sarah Veneziale 78:42, Sam Cancel 79:50
QUAKERTOWN 0, HATBORO-HORSHAM 0 (2 OT)
In their first meeting as SOL American rivals, the Panthers and Hatters battled to a scoreless draw.
"Haley Dulis headed a ball off the line in the second half," Quakertown coach Mike Koch said of a defensive play that preserved the shutout.
Quakertown (2-0-1 SOL) will be on the road at Cheltenham Thursday, and Hatboro-Horsham (2-1-1, 2-0-1) will travel to Wissahickon on Thursday.
Quakertown 0 0 0 0 – 0
Hatboro-Horsham 0 0 0 0 – 0
SOL CONTINENTAL
CB SOUTH 2, CB WEST 0
The Titans got a pair of late strikes to claim Tuesday’s duel between Central Bucks rivals.
Lindsay Scott's header broke a scoreless deadlock in the 75th minute of play, with Maddie Koch's rocket from distance in the final minute of play putting the finishing touch on the result. The key for the Titans was containing CB West's dangerous attacking players.
"The defensive unit of Margot Centofanti, Nicole Wills, Courtney Taylor and Krysta Redding played very strong team defense and neutralized West's dangerous striker, Mary Kate Vinkler," CB South coach Betsy Bullock said.
While South did find a winner, the Titans had left a couple of golden opportunities on the field leading up to that point.
"We actually had the better of play, especially in the second half. We missed two sitters in front of the goal, one off a corner and another off a deflected shot," Bullock said. "We definitely had more possession at the end of the half."
The Titans broke through when the ball, being pinged around in the box, made its way to Brooke Steigerwalt and she was able to put it up for Scott to nod home.
The win made it three straight victories for the Titans, all against quality competition. Bullock said it's a credit to South's team defense and the team's mentality.
"We're playing with intensity and discipline," Bullock said. "It's early in the season. We have quite a few difficult games still in front of us, especially in the SOL Continental."
Central Bucks South (3-1, 1-1 SOL) will be on the road at William Tennent on Thursday, and Central Bucks West (2-2, 0-2) will travel to Central Bucks East on Wednesday for a 5 p.m. contest.
CB West 0 0 – 00
CB South 0 2 – 2
Goals: CBS – Lindsay Scott (Brooke Steigerwalt) 75', Maddie Koch (Kylie Walsh) 79'
PENNRIDGE 1, CB EAST 0
Erin Stevenson converted a second half penalty kick to break a stalemate between two defensively sound teams.
The senior stepped up to the spot in the 65th minute and put it away to give her team the lead.
"She's been playing midfield for us. She's a very confident player and excels under pressure," Rams coach Audrey Anderson said.
CB East applied plenty of pressure, but the Pennridge defense was able to hold up, especially late in the game when the Patriots were chasing an equalizer.
Goalkeeper Mary Kate Levush was a big part of that effort.
"She was very confident coming off her line and being an extra defender,"
Anderson said. "She took a lot of pressure off our defenders."
Anderson said it was a great team effort and felt the difference was how her players handled the late pressure by staying composed, keeping positive and connecting passes.
The Rams (2-1, 1-1 SOL) head into another test at Souderton on Thursday.
"It's the Continental Conference, every game we can use to build off of and grow as a team to prepare for the next challenge," Anderson said. "Every game is a fight. There's nothing more exciting than watching games in our conference."
Central Bucks East (1-3, 1-2 SOL) will host Central Bucks West on Wednesday at 5 p.m.
CB East 0 0 – 0
Pennridge 0 1 -1
Goals: P – Erin Stevenson (PK) 65'
NORTH PENN 3, WILLIAM TENNENT 1
Three unanswered goals by North Penn were all the Knights needed to pick up a road conference win under the lights on Tuesday.
Anna Pedicone opened the scoring in the 12th minute while Alexi Henderson, aided by Emma Dickson, slipped a goal in with just eight seconds left in the first half. Marissa Werner capped the North Penn scoring with an assist from Julia Berry in the 62nd minute.
Ashley Rivera pulled one back for Tennent in the 73rd minute, but that was all the Panthers got.
"The back line of Kat Stevenson, Riley Houlihan, Casey Cavanaugh, Ava Lehrman, Jess Rall and Olivia Follis did a great job of holding off the potent William Tennent counters," North Penn coach Jim Dehner said. "As a team, it was a complete effort against a dangerous team. Emma Dickson, Alexis Henderson, Liv Jerome, Christie Guthridge, Isabelle Hughes and Olivia Urban were excellent at controlling the central midfield. This was the necessary effort that needs to be maintained for the remainder of the tough games ahead."
Hannah Lambert made seven saves in the win while Tennent's Rachel Knight had 10 saves.
North Penn (3-2, 2-1 SOL) will host Strath Haven in a non-league contest Wednesday, and William Tennent (3-2, 1-1) will host Centra Bucks South on Thursday.
North Penn 2 1 – 3
William Tennent 0 1 – 1
Goals: NP – Anna Pedicone 12', Alexi Henderson (Emma Dickson) 39', Julia Berry 62'; WT – Ashley Rivera 73'
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