Check out the recaps of SOL girls’ soccer teams in action Friday. Pennsbury/CR South photos provided courtesy of Darryl Rule of J&D Photography. Check back for a gallery of phtos.
SOL Patriot
Council Rock South 0, Pennsbury 0
If the coaching staffs of the Golden Hawks and Falcons compared notes on scheduling, they’d have a lot of common ground.
Neither team has had it easy out of the gate, and their meeting on Friday was a grinder of a match despite the lack of goals on either side.
“Pennsbury is always a battle with us and we stressed that to the girls. We drew the short straw of opening up league play against Neshaminy, North, and Pennsbury so we knew it would be a test for us,” Hawks coach Nick Heim said.
Heim credited the Falcons for having the better of play over the first 20 minutes, and the Pennsbury coaches felt the product on the field was in top form even if it didn’t yield a ball in the goal.
“Really strong showing from the gals today. Probably our most complete game, (we) just weren’t able to find the back of the net,” Falcons co-head coach Kim Battiste said.
With the 100-minute match playing out as a see-saw of chances and momentum changes, both sides had plenty of standout performers.
CR South leaned heavy on its midfield and featured quite a few athletes in the center of the park to handle the Falcons’ threats.
“I felt Zoe Brossman and Reghan Mudie were great for us centrally, and Kathryn O’Kane has a spark there off the bench. We utilized a rotation in the midfield that put in some serious work on the flanks with Maddie Deal, Kate Millevoi, Skyler Scarborough and Kylee Bamberger,” Heim said. “Defensively, Emily Davis and Jenna Waterman were up to the task of defending (Pennsbury’s) always dangerous Taylor Mays, and Karissa Smedley was spectacular in goal, stopping two semi-breakaways and selling out on corner kicks to keep Pennsbury at bay. Really proud of the group’s effort in the third game of a tough stretch to open the season.”
Likewise, the Falcons had a robust effort from their defensive group with a few players doing whatever was needed to pick up a point in the table.
“Rylee Kauffman was outstanding today. A few injuries in the back had various defenders in supporting roles and she showed excellent leadership as a central back and allowed Emma Corso to do her job in goal,” Battiste said. “Pei Schlosberg and Emma Woods are two seniors who showed excellent leadership and work rate the entire 100 minutes. We had them playing in multiple positions so we wouldn’t have to take them off. (It was a) good team showing today from start to finish.”
Pennsbury (2-2-1, 1-1-1 SOL) will be on the road at Harry S Truman on Monday at 3:30. CR South (1-1-1) will visit Bensalem at 3:30 Monday.
PENNSBURY 0 0 0 0 – 0
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 0 0 0 0 – 0
Neshaminy 8, Harry S Truman 0
The Redskins continued their unbeaten start to the season and SOL Patriot play on Friday.
Harry S Truman will host Pennsbury on Monday at 3:30. Neshaminy will host CR North at 3:30 Monday.
NESHAMINY – 8
HARRY S TRUMAN – 0
Bensalem @ Council Rock North – ppd
CR North will travel to Neshaminy at 3:30 on Monday. Bensalem will host CR South on Monday at 3:30.
SOL Liberty
Abington 3, Hatboro-Horsham 0
It was the performance Rick Tompkins had been waiting for.
The veteran Abington coach had yet to see a complete game from his squad but there was no better time than Friday against a talented Hatters team that usually plays the Ghosts tight. Led by its midfield, Abington snapped the Hatters’ unbeaten start to the fall.
“We’ve been struggling to score, but Carley Slavin buried two and Maura Day had one, and when they’re on, we’re a different team,” Tompkins said. “We really controlled the midfield – Mei Mei Cheng, Slavin and Day must have won 100 balls, they were ridiculous.
“It was the first day where I thought ‘Okay, this is what I was hoping we would get.'”
Day and Slavin each scored on a long-range shot in the first half while Slavin added her second on a terrific goal after halftime.
“We have a girl, Lanae Wilson-Mattison, she’s an outside back who has struggled with back injuries but she can throw the ball a country mile,” Tompkins said. “She threw the ball in toward the near post and Slavin came in and headed it into the goal. It was a rocket, she really hit it well.”
Tompkins noted the Hatters also have a very strong midfield but felt his team’s ability to keep the ball and connect passes negated a lot of chances for the hosts simply by keeping the ball off their feet.
“My assistant coach asked how (Hatboro-Horsham) had beat Wissahickon, who really took it to us this week and I said ‘different day, different team’ and countered by asking where this had been from us all season,” Tompkins said. “We have to find some consistency. I sent the girls a message tonight basically saying, good win but you can’t rest on it.”
The Abington coach pointed to the play of freshman Madison Oldham and senior Caroline Hughes on the back line for their strong efforts in posting the shutout.
Abington (2-2, 2-1 SOL) hosts Plymouth Whitemarsh on Monday at 3:30. Hatboro-Horsham (2-1) will visit Quakertown at 7 pm on Monday.
ABINGTON 2 1 – 3
HATBORO-HORSHAM 0 0 – 0
Goals: A – Carley Slavin 2, Maura Day
Upper Dublin 2, Plymouth Whitemarsh 0
The Flying Cardinals had done everything they needed so far this season except score a goal.
That changed Friday and behind another shutout effort from the defense, it was all UD needed to pick up its first win of the fall. UD’s defense has allowed just one goal in four matches but the Cardinals offense had been held without a goal in 270 minutes of play prior to Friday.
“Everyone was very happy with the win. It felt good, but we knew it was coming,” UD coach Chuck Gesing said. “We know we are playing better than our record indicates. We are focused on just getting better and better every game.”
The lack of goals wasn’t coming from a lack of effort but Gesing did think his team was relying a little too much on its forwards to break the ice. Breaking down the Colonials, who got another stellar outing from sophomore keeper Caitlin Dinh, meant letting the midfield take some of the work.
“We’ve been stressing that it was going to be a team effort. It sounds cliche, I know, but we cannot rely on just our forwards to score,” Gesing said. “We limit ourselves if we do that, so a lot of it is getting the confidence to get in the box and regardless of whether you are a senior or a freshman, you are expected to be aggressive and take what the other team gives you.”
UD got on the scoreboard in the first half off a corner kick when junior Alaina Sanders, the Cardinals’ holding midfielder, struck the chance home 18 minutes into the match.
The second half goal was set up by an unexpected source and finished with a little tenacity to negate a great play by Dinh in goal.
“Sophomore Raleigh Wartman drew a penalty deep in the box for a PK. Raleigh was playing right mid for the first time today, she’s usually a right back and has played about 45 minutes total all year,” Gesing said. “Our attitude is that if you are on the field and you are tentative, you’ll be back on the bench quickly.”
Lily Kleinman stepped up to the spot and took the penalty kick, but Dinh denied her initial effort. The ball rebounded right back to Kleinman, who didn’t waste the second chance, grabbing the insurance goal and sending UD on to the win.
Emeline Bell, Erin Seabrook, Bliss Brenner and Maddie Amoia led the back line in front of keeper Rachel Adelman as the group posted its third shutout of the fall.
“Rachel was coming off an injury last year. It all starts with her, she’s got a fire to show everyone how good she is. I haven’t seen that confidence in her since she got hurt,” Gesing said. “Emeline Bell, our junior center back, is such a great positional defender and she’s been paired with freshman Erin Seabrook who’s one of the most naturally gifted athletes I’ve coached, plus a polished player.
“Alaina Sanders, our holding mid, often breaks up attacks before they even get started. Seniors Bliss Brenner and Maddie Amoia round out the back line. Bliss’ size and athleticism handle most forwards and Maddie has a motor that just won’t quit. Together, the six of them make scoring so difficult by defending time and space.”
Upper Dublin (1-1 SOL) will visit crosstown rival Wissahickon on Monday at 7. Plymouth Whitemarsh (0-3) will visit Abington at 3:30 on Monday.
UPPER DUBLIN 1 1 – 2
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 0 0 – 0
Goals: UD – Alaina Sanders, Lily Kleinman
Wissahickon @ Quakertown – postponed
The Trojans and Panthers had their game postponed on Friday.
Quakertown will host Hatboro-Horsham Monday night at 7. Wissahickon will host rival Upper Dublin on Monday, also at 7.
SOL Colonial
Central Bucks East 3, Central Bucks South 0
The Patriots continued their roll and finished a perfect 2-0 week while outscoring their opponents 8-0.
East has shut out three of its four opponents so far this season and again cashed in offensively with a big first half. The opening 40 minutes have been fruitful for East, with 10 of the team’s 12 goals on the year coming before intermission.
“East managed to create a number of chances by its defensive efforts to press the ball from its front line and created a number of good chances from wide positions,” East coach Jake Nesteruk said. “I thought our wide players especially Chloe Strawn, Gwyn Krystkiewicz, and Ashley Macomber had very good games and were able to take on their outside backs and create a number of chances.”
Macomber scored a goal with central mid Sofia Mignon adding a tally and the Patriots benefitting from a Titans own goal off Elliot Forney’s corner kick before halftime.
“I am proud of Elliot, Issie Reid, Sofia, and Soph Schorn for providing service so consistently,” Nesteruk said. “A big, big shout out to Morgan Kelly for managing a workload more than just soccer today. I am so unbelievably proud of her. Nothing but praise.”
East has won back-to-back games after falling to Pennridge in its SOL opener.
“From our frontline of Elise Duffy, Camryn Williams, and Jackie Valenti to our backline – another great performance from those girls and our keeper, today was a good day. Couldn’t ask for more,” Nesteruk said. “We will enjoy this one and on Saturday begin the steps to prepare for West.”
CB East (3-1, 2-1 SOL) will take on another sister school when it battles CB West on Monday. South (2-2, 1-2) hosts North Penn at 4pm Monday.
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 3 0 – 3
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 0 0 – 0
Goals: CBE – Sofia Mignon, Ashley Macomber
North Penn 0, Souderton 0 (2 OT)
A lack of goals did not mean there was a lack of intensity in Friday evening’s duel between the Indians and visiting Knights.
“The score line of the game was not indicative of the energy surrounding it. We battled against a strong conference opponent in front of an energetic crowd on a Friday night for our team’s staff appreciation night,” Souderton coach Ian Smith said. “I was proud of the team for the way that they dug in and fought to get a result against a well-organized North Penn team.”
It was a sentiment shared by the opposite bench as well.
“It was a battle. I love how we played, we controlled most of the game but just could not find a goal,” Knights co-head coach Mike Rio said. “Souderton came in ready to defend and try to counter and I give them credit for defending so well the entire game. We had some good chances and their goalie played a really strong game.”
Souderton keeper Abby Allen did emerge as the hero of the night for the hosts and a constant thorn in the side of the visitors.
“Out of all the performances tonight, Abby Allen stood out as our woman of the match for me, stepping in as starting goalkeeper for the first time this season,” Smith said. “Abby showed a lot of mental toughness with her ability to step in and step up, communicating with her back line and putting up more than 20 saves on the night to help the team grind out a result against a difficult conference opponent.”
Rio felt his entire team was energized and active the entire 100 minutes, maintaining and sharing possession while also putting a constant flow of attacking chances toward the Indians’ goal.
“Andie Salmon had a great game for us at outside mid,” Rio said. “She was all over the place, put in a few dangerous crosses and shots. Everyone worked really hard tonight.”
Despite being on the defensive for long stretches, Souderton had its share of standout performers as well.
“Kait DiCandilo (senior captain) stepped up and led in the back line, with good performances from the other defenders as well. Alexis Stefanowicz (junior) and Nicole Schulingkamp (sophomore) were able to provide stability in the midfield,” Smith said. “Avery Nogami (senior captain) led the offensive pressure for the front line, and we were able to keep fresh legs throughout the rest of the field with the rotation of substitutes we had in place.”
The Indians are still looking for their first win of the season, but Smith saw a sharp improvement Friday after falling to CB East earlier in the week.
“Throughout the start of our season our approach to each game has been our greatest weakness, and tonight it really felt like everyone addressed that,” Smith said. “All week we have been talking about taking ownership of our own play and meeting challenges head on, and it really felt like everyone responded in a positive manner to that during the game.”
Souderton (1-3-1, 0-2-1 SOL) travels to Pennridge for a 7pm start Monday. North Penn (1-2-1, 1-1-1) will be on the road at CB South for a 4pm start Monday.
NORTH PENN 0 0 0 0 – 0
SOUDERTON 0 0 0 0 – 0
Pennridge @ Central Bucks West – Postponed
Due to a shortage of officials, the Rams and Bucks had their match postponed to Oct. 1.
Pennridge hosts Souderton at 7pm on Monday. CB West will take on CB East at 3:45 on Monday.
SOL Freedom
Lower Moreland 4, Cheltenham 0
The Lions continued to build off Tuesday’s win with a quick opening and more solid contributions from their underclassmen.
“Loved how we came out from the jump with a fast start. It was 2-0 within in the first 10 minutes,” LM coach Mike Gould said.
Freshman Nikki Sahl had two goals, giving her four in the last three games and Brianna McFerran added the other for Lower Moreland, which got its final tally off an own goal.
Sahl, who scored the first two goals Friday, is one of four freshmen in the starting lineup for LM, and all four are growing into pivotal components for the team.
“Kenna Rozanski and Gabby Fogarty are undersized center mids that cover a ton of ground in the midfield and start our counters, and Payge Lennon is the younger sister of one of our captains, Payton Lennon,” Gould said. “Additionally, Brianna McFerran, who comes off the bench, has two goals in the past two games. They’ve all stepped up and contributed more than expected which probably has a lot to do with the fact I coach Nikki, Kenna, Payge and another freshman off the bench, Ruby Levin, in club.”
McFerran made it 3-0 in the first 15 minutes of play.
Gould also pointed to another underclassman, sophomore Amelia Brown, for her play this season.
“She is a returning all-league center back and has become a vocal leader for our young team which is needed more than ever,” Gould said. “Hearing her communication on the field and working our young players through what is needed of them has helped our team more than anything else.”
The Panthers firmed up after the opening volley and continued to work hard as they have all season.
“They came out strong, aggressive and scored two early goals. We played a much better second half, only giving up one goal and having our own opportunities, but continue to struggle finding the back of the net. Our team competes until the end and I’m proud of them for that,” Cheltenham coach Leah Matusow said.
Lower Moreland (3-2, 2-1 SOL) will host Springfield Twp at 3:30 Monday. Cheltenham (2-3, 0-3) travels to New Hope-Solebury for a 3:30pm start Monday.
LOWER MORELAND 3 1 – 4
CHELTENHAM 0 0 – 0
Goals: LM – Nikki Sahl 2, Brianna McFerran
Willliam Tennent 2, New Hope-Solebury 0
A quick start by the Panthers was enough to fend off the Lions on Friday.
“Paige Marek scored her first as a freshman seven minutes in, and Jackie Sowers scored a nice goal from Brielle Langford’s efforts 13 minutes into game,” Tennent coach Bill Hontz said. “Tori Dolt and Sarah Sanson had good defensive games. Kaitlin Frank has been controlling our midfield for the past couple of games and she really has shown great skills seeing the field.”
Lions coach Derek Antonini has seen his team battle all season and felt Friday was the Lions’ strongest effort.
“Our best match of the year but couldn’t finish. Madi Fasti, and Brooke McLaughlin had solid matches, and Meeghan Griffith as well for New Hope,” Antonini said. “We’re holding the ball well but just lacking the finish.”
Tennent (4-0, 3-0 SOL) hosts Upper Moreland at 3:30 Monday. New Hope-Solebury (0-4, 0-3) hosts Cheltenham at 3:30 Monday.
WILLIAM TENNENT 2 0 – 2
NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 0 0 – 0
Goals: WT – Paige Marek, Jackie Sowers
Upper Moreland 3, Springfield Twp 1
The Golden Bears leaned on some variety in their offense to break a halftime tie against a tough Spartans squad.
“Today’s win was a great team effort. We have worked on finishing and our balance for a few practices and we saw it pay off today. We knew that we wanted to score early and maintain possession of the ball. Emma Frasca was able to be the spark for our squad early on,” UM coach Lisa Benvenuto said. “She was able to high pressure Springfield’s defense, and by doing so won a 50/50 ball and put it in the back of the net. Springfield answered back about 14 minutes later with the equalizer. Springfield has some really quick players on their attack that can be very dangerous, and they play to their game plan.”
Frasca’s goal four minutes in and the Spartans’ relatively quick answer then led to a quiet 20 minutes before halftime. The break was where Upper Moreland settled in and set its plan for the next 40 minutes.
“We discussed a couple of things we wanted to improve upon, including our ball movement and attack. We had a few corners with great opportunities, but ended up finishing one in the 60th minute,” Benvenuto said. “Willow Taylor was a workhorse today, pressing high in the offensive third and running down the balls to the corner which created many opportunities for us.”
Taylor smashed home the winner off a corner service by Reva Naik in the 60th minute, and 10 minutes later, Frasca added an assist when Kyra Favors tacked on some insurance.
“Defensively Molly Meakim, Olivia Hendrickson, Annalise Messina and Sophia Hopf had strong showings. Molly Meakim has been so solid for us on the back line–she is controlling our defense, and playing really smart soccer,” Benvenuto said. “Mallory Roedig, Katie Slear, Brooke Lobban, Abby Engart and Riley Mullen all played well in the midfield. They communicated well and used each other in our system. It was really great to see the midfield click and work the ball the way they did.”
Springfield Twp (1-3, 1-2 SOL) will visit Lower Moreland on Monday at 3:30. Upper Moreland (3-0) travels to William Tennent for a 3:30 start on Monday.
UPPER MORELAND 1 2 – 3
SPRINGFIELD TWP 1 0 – 1
Goals: UM – Emma Frasca, Willow Taylor, Kyra Favors
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