Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ soccer teams in action Tuesday. Pennsbury/Neshaminy photos courtesy of Darryl Rule of J&D Photography. CB East/Souderton photos courtesy of Tracy Valko. Check back for galleries of both games. (Pennridge/North Penn photo courtesy of Althea Tomlinson/Pennridge soccer. Wissahickon/Abington photos courtesy of Josh Stelzer/Wissahickon soccer)
SOL Patriot
Neshaminy 4, Pennsbury 0
Neshaminy certainly didn’t get an easy draw to open the season but has come through with two convincing wins to show for it.
After giving up an early goal then rallying to top CR South last week, the Redskins made sure they didn’t need to do that again on Tuesday. The Redskins scored early and kept adding on while the defense kept the Falcons’ potent attack under wraps in the latest meeting between the storied rivals.
“Our goalie trainer Ken Armor said we have to have the toughest schedule in the northeast, there’s a ton of talent in the northeast, so we don’t want to be over-optimistic or confident and we keep putting the work in, but all the signs are there we could be a very good team,” Neshaminy coach Renny Papendick said. “The girls are having fun and it’s not always about winning. Right now, it’s a very positive program.”
The defense stood out in more than one way for Neshaminy on Tuesday. Alexis Ocasio continued to thrive as a set piece specialist, teeing up her team’s first two goals before converting the final tally from the penalty spot, all while man-marking Pennsbury standout forward Taylor Mays, her teammate in club soccer.
“The girls just worked really hard, playing Pennsbury at their field is always a tough game,” Papendick said. “We focused on a few things, wanted to get to the endline and get some set pieces going. We got a corner kick about 10 minutes in and put a beautiful ball in and Giselle Rowan was in the right spot at the right time.”
Around the half-hour mark of the first half, Neshaminy got another corner and Ocasio again served a ball in. This time, it was defender finding defender as senior Keira Bradley rose up and headed the ball in to double the lead.
The goal proved extra-valuable, not only doubling the team’s lead but also earning a batch of cupcakes from assistant Josh Van Reed, who makes them for every header goal the Redskins score.
“The energy from the bench was infectious, it was a really good start for us,” Papendick said. “We haven’t had a win like that at Pennsbury in a while, but the 4-0 score also wasn’t indicative of the game. They’re so well-coached and to me, it was more like a 2-1 game. They played well but we just played better.”
Carly Fox missed the first half but made up for it by scoring a goal early in the second to give Neshaminy a comfortable lead. Kylie Maxwell later drew a foul in the box, which gave Ocasio the chance to cap her day with a penalty kick goal.
Papendick lauded the play of his defense, anchored in the middle by seniors Bradley and Jordyn Fregia and Hannah Labadie in goal.
“She sometimes does get overlooked, but Hannah made some really big saves,” Papendick said. “It was 2-0, Taylor (Mays) broke in and it easily could have been 2-1 at half but Hannah made a key 1-on-1 save. It goes back to it being a full team effort.”
Neshaminy has two impressive wins in two games, but there’s still a lot of season left, including rematches with CR South and Pennsbury, so there’s no time to rest on those accomplishments.
“We met after the game and talked to some of the captains and we agreed we’re not there yet,” Papendick said. “We still have work to do and I don’t think we know how good we can be.”
Neshaminy (2-0 SOL) will host Harry S Truman at 3:30 on Friday. Pennsbury (2-2, 1-1 SOL) will host CR South at 3:30 on Friday.
NESHAMINY 2 2 – 4
PENNSBURY 0 0 – 0
Bensalem 5, Harry S Truman 0
The Owls had plenty of variety in their attack as they claimed their first SOL conference win of the season.
Bensalem got goals from Peyton Miller, Kara Girard, Farrah Watson, Erin Devlin, and Averi McCoy.
Defender Marissa Olsen was a standout for the Tigers, while backup goalkeeper Isabela Dias stood firm between the posts with 15 saves.
Bensalem (2-1, 1-1 SOL) will take a trip to Council Rock North for a 3:30 Friday start. Truman (0-3, 0-2) will visit Neshaminy at 3:30 on Friday.
BENSALEM – 5
HARRY S TRUMAN – 0
Goals: B – Peyton Miller, Kara Girard, Farrah Watson, Erin Devlin, Averi McCoy
SOL Colonial
Central Bucks West 4, Central Bucks South 2
A slow start doomed West in its SOL opener last week, so the Bucks reversed the script in Tuesday’s all-CB rivalry game.
“I’m really pleased with how young we are – I keep saying that, but these girls are learning every game. They understand now how tough our league is,” West coach Mike Moyer said. “I just really think that it’s going to be a dogfight for all of us in this league. Every game is going to be tough. If you’re not ready to play, you’re probably not going to get a good result.”
With Taylor Moyer running the show up top, there are always going to be chances for West. The all-state senior is getting plenty of help early in the season and eight minutes into Tuesday’s match, it paid off with a lead thanks to Alexis Castro’s forehead.
“We had a corner kick and Taylor hit a great ball and AC has just been awesome for us on restarts and she buried it with a header,” Mike Moyer said.
The early goal parlayed into a big first half for the Bucks, which would prove important as the Titans roared back after halftime. About 10 minutes after the opener, a long throw-in caused some chaos in the box and West capitalized.
“The ball bounced around in the box a little bit before our freshman midfielder, Eva Wierzbowski, tucked away a great shot from 12 yards out,” Moyer said.
Aside from Taylor Moyer, Shea Lubin has been off to a solid start offensively and the two combined for a 3-0 lead near the midpoint of the first half.
“We played a ball in to Taylor. She made a long run down the side, beat a couple people, brought the ball across and Shea Lubin was there and one-timed it in. It was a great goal,” Moyer said. “We started quickly. They got a goal right after that before halftime. It killed our momentum a little bit and gave them a lot of momentum. We went into half up 3-1.”
The Titans have their own share of young players seeing plenty of minutes and have shown plenty of fight and resolve early in the season. It didn’t surprise Moyer that the second half became a battle to get to the final whistle.
“I knew they were going to come out fast. This is the best South team that I’ve seen since I’ve been here. They played really well. They’re really disciplined, and they have a lot of girls that have a lot of speed. They gave us a lot off fits in the back,” Moyer said. “They came out and scored a goal two minutes into the second half to make it 3-2. Probably for the next 10 minutes, we were on our heels. They had the best of us, and then we kind of settled down.”
West restored a two-goal lead with a much-needed insurance goal with Taylor Moyer providing the finish after setting up two earlier scores.
“We kind of got a fast break, and Kaitlyn Dougherty, my right back, got a huge throw – kind of played Taylor down the sideline. Taylor again dribbled 40 yards and hit a rocket from the right part of the 18 that caught underneath the crossbar and went in,” Mike Moyer said. “It was a frozen rope. There’s no one that could have saved that, and it was what we needed because after we scored that fourth goal, we kind of settled in a little bit and were able to defend the rest of the game.”
Center back Courtney Moylan anchored the defense for CB West, providing a veteran presence while keeper Jules Broskey, a sophomore, also played an important role.
“I have to give props to my goalie – Jules Broskey. She has just been such an anchor back there,” Moyer said. “These last two games we were able to score at least three goals, and I just feel like if we can get to those three goals – I have all the faith in my defense and Jules to just keep the other team at one or two.”
Lubin and Riley Corona, who didn’t score a goal but registered plenty of chances, earned props for their tireless runs off the ball from their outside forward positions.
“We had a couple of point blank shots in the second half. We had a lot of chances, and we made it tough on ourselves,” Moyer said. “We have to learn how to put teams away. We’re getting there.”
West (3-1, 1-1 SOL) will host Pennridge at 3:30 on Friday. South (2-1, 1-1) will visit East in an all-CB matchup Friday at 4.
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 3 1 – 4
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 1 1 – 2
Goals: CBW – Alexis Castro, Eva Wierzboski, Shea Lubin, Taylor Moyer.
Central Bucks East 5, Souderton 0
The Patriots rebounded from their first loss of the fall with a solid offensive output.
“East was able to control the tempo and press the game early. Really strong performances from a number of girls going forward: Elise Duffy and Cam Williams continue to be a handful up top,” Patriots coach Jake Nesteruk said. “We got great service and combination play from Brooke Roomy, Elliot Forney, Issie Reid, and Morgan Kelly in the center of the park.”
Duffy, the team’s senior forward and top scorer, got things rolling with an early tally off an assist from Reid. East would tally four goals before the halftime break, half coming from Roumy who tagged the next two markers on assists from Elliot Forney and Chloe Strawn.
“After a really tough game against Pennridge, it was good to get going early and see us finish some really high quality chances in the final third,” Nesteruk said.
Defender Liv Kallelis picked up an assist on the final goal of the first half, setting up Ashley Macomber. Camryn Williams, assisted by Jackie Valenti, provided the only goal in the second half.
That was more than enough scoring for East’s back line in the team’s second shutout of the season.
“We got key performances from (keeper) Skylar Gash, Kelly Keen, Grace Heenan, and Chantal Van Dongeren,” Nesteruk said. “Nothing but respect for Ian (Smith) and Souderton for making adjustments and putting us under some pressure in the second half. Avery (Nogami) was tough to deal with, but I thought Meredith, Grace, Kelly, and Chantal did a great job of handling her side of the attack.”
Souderton (1-3, 0-2 SOL) will host North Penn for a 6:30 start Friday. CB East (2-1, 1-1) will host rival CB South at 4pm Friday.
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 4 1 – 5
SOUDERTON 0 0 – 0
Goals: CBE – Elise Duffy, Brooke Roumy (2), Ashley Macomber, Camryn Williams
Pennridge 2, North Penn 0
Emily Kriney is rolling and the Rams are following her lead.
The Pennridge senior co-captain scored for a third straight match and notched her second game-winner in three games as the Rams battled past the Knights. Kriney scored seven minutes into the contest, directing a cross by Leah Malone into the back of the net.
That score held at half, although the Knights threatened with a shot that rattled off the crossbar.
Malone tacked on the insurance goal midway through the second half. Liv Grenda worked through the defense and slipped a pass to the senior, who converted in front of goal.
Pennridge (4-0, 2-0 SOL) travels to CB West for a 3:30 start on Friday. North Penn (1-2, 1-1) will be on the road Friday evening for a 6:30 start at Souderton.
PENNRIDGE 1 1 – 2
NORTH PENN 0 0 – 0
Goals: P – Emily Kriney, Leah Malone
SOL Liberty
Wissahickon 3, Abington 2 (2 OT)
After coming up a goal short in their first two games, the Trojans got on the right side of things after a double-overtime battle with the Ghosts.
Wiss showed plenty of fight, coming back from two deficits to force the extra time, then breaking through late in the second overtime to get its first win. Trojans coach Chris McDaniels wasn’t surprised that it took more than regulation as the two teams have a history of close, hard-fought games.
“We really needed one and Abington came in today and really gave us all they had, so this was a big win for us, no doubt,” McDaniels said. “They’re really well coached and I feel like whatever (Abington coach Rick Tompkins) gets, he does a really good job of maximizing what they can do.”
One of Abington’s strengths is its midfield and that’s where both goals would come from.
“Wissahickon capitalized on a few Abington mistakes. Abington benefitted from a Wissahickon own goal on a free kick by Maura Day,” Tompkins said. “Piper McGinley’s follow up of a corner kick from Maura Day gave the Ghosts a lead in the second half.”
Abington grabbed a 1-0 lead when a Wissahickon defender mis-hit the ball trying to deflect Day’s free kick, leading to the own goal 15 minutes in. The Trojans withstood the next few minutes and started to recover just before the half.
“I think we moved the ball better up top and shared the ball better up top than we have,” McDaniels said. “Margaret Wilde scored to tie it with her right foot, it was a shot that beat the keeper low and hard to the near post, just a good finish.”
McDaniels said Abington was able to keep his team pinned back early in the second half and came out of it up 2-1 after McGinley’s goal.
“It was a nice set piece goal, their girl beat our girl to it and just stuck it where it needed to go,” McDaniels said.
Wiss pulled back even with about 10 minutes to go when Sage Stelzer put a ball on frame from deep that hung in the air and gave the keeper some trouble before finding its way into the back of the net. The Trojans thought they had a winner in the first overtime, but a hard shot by Wilde was blocked.
Halfway through the second overtime, a crisp passing sequence by Wissahickon led to the winning strike.
“Ava Schools laid it off to Lucy Greenstein and Lucy just hauled off and hit a bullet from 25-28 yards out,” McDaniels said. “The keeper didn’t have a chance, nobody was stopping it to be honest.”
While she didn’t score, Wissahickon center forward Kylie Friedman earned plaudits from her coach. Friedman served as a fulcrum for the Trojans offense, receiving passes and letting runs develop off her, all things the team has been working on this season.
“We have some talent up top, in the past it’s been just her up there scoring goals on the regular for us,” McDaniels said. “The girls are starting to realize if they bring each other into the game a bit more, it’s going to create chances for everyone.”
Abington (1-2, 1-1 SOL) will visit Hatboro-Horsham at 3:45 on Friday. Wissahickon (1-2, 1-1) will travel to Quakertown for a 3:30 start Friday.
WISSAHICKON 1 1 0 1 – 3
ABINGTON 1 1 0 0 – 2
Goals: W – Margaret Wilde, Sage Stelzer, Lucy Greenstein
Hatboro-Horsham 2, Plymouth Whitemarsh 0
The Hatters picked up a win in their first road match of the fall, but Colonials keeper Caitlin Dinh made it anything but simple.
“Emma Levin had an outstanding game today for HH. She had to have had seven unbelievable shots on net, only to have six of them saved by the PW keeper who put on a show today,” Hatters coach Kelsey Daley said. “PW’s keeper had an outstanding game for them.”
Colonials coach TJ DeLucia credited Dinh, only a sophomore, with 26 saves.
“Her season highlight tape could be created from today’s film alone,” DeLucia said.
Beating Dinh required a little bit of luck from the Hatters in the first half and a special effort from Levin in the second.
The Colonials attempted to clear the ball, but the ball didn’t get far and found the foot of Sabrina Ibrahim, who hit a looping cross right back into the box. Ibrahim’s ball found Caroline Shegogue, who was unmarked in front of goal and headed in her second tally of the season.
“She was in the right spot at the right time and was able to sneak it behind the goalie,” Daley said.
Levin sealed the contest with a rocket from long-range in the second half.
“When she gets the ball on her feet everything just calms down. She’s a very talented player and just so fun to watch and coach,” Daley said of Levin.
Hatboro-Horsham has yet to allow a goal this season, with keepers Martine Royds and Sam Hollish combining on their second shutout of the fall on Tuesday.
The Hatters (2-0 SOL) will host Abington at 3:45 Friday. PW (0-2) will host Upper Dublin in a 3:30 start on Friday.
HATBORO-HORSHAM 1 1 – 2
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 0 0 – 0
Goals: HH – Caroline Shegogue, Emma Levin
SOL Freedom
William Tennent 4, Springfield Twp 2
A quick start by the Spartans led to a fast answer by Tennent, but the defending SOL Freedom champion Panthers had to dig down at halftime.
Tennent scored three goals in the second half, but it was by no means a simple victory. Even with some key players battling dehydration and cramps on an unusually hot day, the Panthers kept fighting.
“It was a real battle the entire game from the starting whistle, Springfield scored out of the gates, but we stayed composed and were able to equalize a few minutes later,” Panthers coach Bill Hontz said. “I give Springfield a lot of credit for playing hard and definitely improving from last year.”
Kaleigh Evans gave the host Spartans a dream opening, scoring in the first three minutes of play for her fifth marker of the young season.
“(We) played a tough game against a talented Panthers squad,” Springfield coach Dan Malora said. “Tennent answered quickly and the teams kept up a solid tug-of-war for the remainder of the first half.”
Jackie Sowers had a big day, scoring the tying goal in the first half, then assisting both ends of Ari Grose’s brace in the second half. Sowers, who netted a hat trick on Monday, is emerging as a key contributor for the Panthers following her older sister Gabby’s path.
“She is becoming more confident in herself and no longer playing in her sister’s shadow,” Hontz said. “She is growing into the player I knew she could be.”
The Panthers had to turn to some first-time varsity players in the second half, but they provided just the lift the visitors needed.
“Kiersten Gottschall was a real spark in the back in the second half and we were able to capitalize on her throw-ins, getting the ball in and hitting Tori Jones coming into the middle for the second goal,” Hontz said. “Kaitlin Frank and Jules Colella helped secure the win with their solid play on defense and in the midfield.”
Jones netted the go-ahead goal in the 45th minute, with Sowers finding Grose in the 50th and 55th minutes to put the Panthers up three in a 10-minute span.
“Sydney Moss played the second half in goal and did a tremendous job stopping a few really good chances from Springfield that would have gotten them back in the game,” Hontz said.
The Spartans did end the match on a high note with a goal in the final minute.
“Kalei Noonan hit a well-placed corner kick that found traffic in front of the net that led to her first goal of the season,” Malora said.
Tennent (3-0, 2-0 SOL) will travel to New Hope-Solebury at 3:30 on Friday. Springfield Twp (1-2, 1-1)will visit Upper Moreland at 3:30 on Friday.
WILLIAM TENENT 1 3 – 4
SPRINGFIELD TWP 1 1 -2
Lower Moreland 3, New Hope-Solebury 0
It was all going to click at some point.
Lower Moreland, which does not have a senior on its roster, has played like a young and inexperienced team so far this season. But early in Tuesday’s match between the former BAL-turned SOL rivals, things came together.
“We have a press we run that I think has been a struggle for us to get results from mostly because of mental lapses some of our younger girls will have ball-watching,” LM coach Mike Gould said. “About 10 minutes in, we picked up on what the trigger was and everyone rotated to where we were supposed to, inviting the ball into the trap.”
The moment of clarity became a moment of reward as LM forced a turnover and cashed it in as a goal.
“Junior Demmi Fox jumped the pass toward the top of their box and laid it off to Morgan Pennisi, who finished on a one-timer,” Gould said. “It was really nice to see, considering some of our keys to the game were staying locked in and starting 1-0 early.”
Gould, who starts eight underclassmen with three juniors, knows there will be plenty of growing pains this fall but was very happy with his team’s effort on Tuesday.
“This is a game that’s traditionally been a battle in the league, so I am really happy with where we are mentally,” Gould, a Lower Moreland alumni, said. “One of the things we’ve talked about is how our underclassmen don’t have time to make mistakes being that we have no seniors.”
Pennisi, a sophomore, gave LM a lead but New Hope-Solebury battled hard and trailed just 1-0 at halftime. Freshmen Nikki Sahl and Brianna McFerran added insurance tallies for the Lions in the second half.
“Nikki Sahl was great for us holding the ball up and playing with her back to goal combining with Morgan,” Gould said. “Our midfield three were great – junior Peyton Lennon and freshmen Kenna Rozanski and Gabby Fogarty were dominant on the defensive side in the midfield.”
Getting the first win, especially with such a young team, is always a big step and Gould hoped it would be a stepping stone for his group.
“I think we still have a ton of room to grow but this win really gave our freshmen especially a ton of confidence,” Gould said. “I think this is a good opportunity for us to build.”
Lower Moreland (2-2, 1-1 SOL) will be on the road at Cheltenham for a 3:30 start Friday. New Hope-Solebury (0-3, 0-2) will host William Tennent for a 3:30 Friday game.
LOWER MORELAND 1 2 – 3
NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 0 0 – 0
Upper Moreland 2, Cheltenham 1
Like most teams at this point of the season, the Golden Bears are still a work in progress.
Fortunately for them on Tuesday, there was more good than bad and it was enough to scrape past an improved Cheltenham side that didn’t give anything away easily.
“We saw a lot of good things come out of today’s game as well as some things that we as a team and as individuals need to work on,” UM coach Lisa Benvenuto said. “Cheltenham was able to get on the scoreboard first, which put us into more of an attack mode.
“Cheltenham is a gritty team, and they work hard—if you give them opportunities, they will take advantage of them.”
Mimi Williamson put the Panthers up 1-0 midway through the first half, but the Bears would snap back almost right away thanks to a goal by Kyra Favors two and a half minutes later.
“Kyra Favors has been working hard for us on the front line, and today was no different. Abby Engart was able to win a 50/50 ball and slot a pass through to Favors,” Benvenuto said. “Kyra showed some really great composure in front of the net and put away our equalizer.”
The Panthers, playing for the second time in as many days, weren’t deterred by Tuesday’s high temperatures or a tough-minded opponent.
“Both teams came out strong and battled through the heat, it was a back and forth game and they scored in the final two minutes as we lost a heartbreaker,” Cheltenham coach Leah Matusow said. “Upper Moreland is well-coached and they play a great team game.”
UM pushed its attackers up the field in the second half, changing the pace of the match and helping the Bears gain control of the ball and possession. It was still a battle to the very end, but a late corner kick paid off for the hosts.
Favors had a shot off the corner, which was saved but Reva Naik was right there to slam home the rebound with two minutes to play.
“It was nice to see some things that we have worked on at practice show on the field today. On our defensive end there was strong play by Annalise Messina and Molly Meakim on our back line,” Benvenuto said. “With the conditions being hot and humid we relied on every girl on our team to contribute to today’s match.”
Cheltenham (2-2, 0-2) will host Lower Moreland at 3:30 on Friday. Upper Moreland (2-0) will play host to Springfield Twp at 3:30 Friday.
UPPER MORELAND 1 1 – 2
CHELTENHAM 1 0 – 1
Goals: UM – Kyra Favors, Reva Naik; C – Mimi Williamson
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