Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ soccer teams in action Friday. (Wissahickon/Lower Merion photos provided courtesy of Josh Stelzer/Wiss soccer)
SOL Colonial
Souderton 1, Central Bucks West 0
Souderton seems to like playing on Friday.
The Indians are now 2-0 on Fridays this season and this week’s win was a huge one. After dropping their first two SOL games despite no shortage of effort, Souderton turned the tables and knocked off a Bucks team that was on a 2-0 run of its own to start the season.
“After a three-game week against some really tough conference opponents, I couldn’t be happier with the team’s performance,” Indians coach Ian Smith said. “Coming off of a 6-0 loss at home against Pennridge, we knew that we needed to respond positively, and the girls did absolutely everything that was asked of them today, and I was really proud of the game we played. Everyone on the team probably deserves a shout out today.”
This was no fluke win either, as Bucks coach Mike Moyer attested.
“They were super-disciplined in the back and their coach did an amazing job with their scheme,” Moyer said. “Their counter-press killed us, and their speed up top was giving our back line problems all game.”
West plays one of the most direct styles in the entire SOL, which can put a lot of pressure on a defense that isn’t ready for it. Thanks to the experience of their senior leaders on the back line, the Indians were definitely ready.
“We knew CB West was going to play direct, so we did our best to game plan around that. The back line today was incredibly organized, led by senior captains Maggie Fisher and Alexis Stefanowicz. All of our outside backs today were really strong today as well,” Smith said. “We had a good rotation of Abby Kolb, Natalie Rankin and Avery Carroll and we were able to keep fresh legs with no drop in quality. No matter who was on the field, we were organized and able to draw West offsides a handful of times throughout the match.”
The Bucks had an emotional comeback win over rival CB East on Monday, then played an uneven game at North Penn on Wednesday but still managed to eke out a win. While West has some experienced players back in the fold, their attack is largely based on players either new to the program or getting their first real crack at varsity.
In a league like the SOL Colonial, especially on the road where the Bucks have played all three games so far, every game presents its own test and challenge.
“This is one of the problems with a young team, they don’t realize every game is a battle. Souderton took it to us today,” Moyer said. “Their defense was spectacular today. They kept my forwards in check and we didn’t get many chances in the final third. Hopefully we will regroup and get ready for our first home game next week against CB South.”
Losing 8-0 in aggregate earlier in the week did little to take away from the efforts of Souderton keeper Abby Allen, who again was stellar on Friday.
“Despite the score lines from the other games this week, senior goalkeeper Abby Allen has had one of the best weeks of her career at Souderton,” Smith said. “The backline did a great job of forcing shots from tough angles, but Abby came up with a few massive one-on-one saves and was quick off her line throughout the match.”
Neither team scored in regulation but even as extra time dawned, the Indians felt like they were in control thanks to the play of their defensive unit.
“As the match went on, we grew into more possession and really took control of the match. We were happy to sit in and absorb some pressure and when our chance came in over time we took it,” Smith said. “Freshman Ashlee Rose took the ball in the center of the field in the final third and made a good run to the wing. She was able to combine well with Liv Beresovoy to create some space and eventually turned at the corner of the 18 to send a shot into the top of the far post to secure the win for us.
Coming off of two tough losses in the first week of the season, it shows the character of this team and we’re looking forward to building on it from here.”
CB West (2-1 SOL) hosts CB South for its first home game of the year on Wednesday. Souderton (2-2, 1-2) hosts Lansdale Catholic at 5 pm on Tuesday.
SOUDERTON 0 0 1 – 1
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 0 0 0 – 0
Goals: S – Ashlee Rose
Non-League
Abington 3, North Penn 1
After scoring 10 goals in two games, the Ghosts were shut out by Hatboro-Horsham on Wednesday only to turn around two days later to face the Knights.
The offense picked back up, with three goals coming from three scorers as Abington evened its record at 2-2.
“We controlled it early on,” Abington coach Rick Tompkins said. “I was pleased, it was a good bounce-back for us after playing Hatboro-Horsham. I was impressed with Hatboro when we played them.”
Sara Kaeser was an impact player for Abington without getting on the scoresheet.
“I put her in the middle in the back, she’s a strong girl and tall, so that solved some of our problems in the back,” Tompkins said. “She did a nice job. I could see her playing a lot back there – she came up for us last year and her first game was in the playoffs. Usually, she plays on the outside but once I put her in the middle, I never took her off.”
Piper McGinley opened the scoring, completing a turn-and-finish off an assist from Carley Slavin. Slavin then got her name in the book by using her head, driving in a corner kick from classmate Maura Day.
After carrying the 2-0 lead to the half, it was McGinley’s turn to rack up an assist.
“It was a really, really nice goal,” Tompkins said. “We went all the way up the field and Piper laid it off to Lila Ruch, she’s a sophomore and it was her first varsity goal.”
The Knights haven’t had much luck in the win column yet, but they’ve proven they’ll battle to the last whistle. On Friday, it was Maddie Murphy who put the effort in to give her side a lifeline.
“Within 30 seconds, we gave up the goal. It was a howitzer, there was nothing the keeper could do,” Tompkins said. “They went right down the middle of the defense, three or four different lunges later, the girl hit a cracker from pretty far out.”
It’s been a tough slate so far for Abington, but they’ve handled the stretch pretty well.
“I was pleased with my girls’ effort,” Tompkins said. “We go into Upper Dublin then Wissahickon next week. The schedule maker wasn’t kind to us early in the year, but I’m very glad we’re getting these games in.”
Abington (2-2, 1-1 SOL) will host Upper Dublin on Tuesday, and North Penn (0-3, 0-2) will be on the road at Souderton on Wednesday (6:30 p.m.).
ABINGTON 2 1 – 3
NORTH PENN 0 1 – 1
Goals: A – Piper McGinley, Carley Slavin, Lila Ruch; NP – Maddie Murphy
Upper Dublin 2, Methacton 1
The Cardinals needed this one, but that didn’t mean it was going to come easily.
After opening the season with back-to-back losses in SOL Liberty play, UD hosted a Methacton team that qualified for the District 1 playoffs last year and had plenty of quality in its side. Thanks to a brace from Meg McNeel, the second coming in a most dramatic fashion, the Cardinals finally took roost in the win column.
McNeel’s winner came with 38 seconds left, but the Warriors still got a final look that coach Chuck Gesing almost thought would be another gut punch.
“It was a very competitive game, I was ready to go to overtime,” Gesing said.
Instead, a team effort on a transition play in the final minute would end up the difference.
“The winning goal came from a cleared corner kick,” Gesing said. “We found Anna DiMartile in the midfield, who drove to the right and found Lilli Kleiman breaking down the wing. Lilli got behind the defender and crossed to a wide-open Meg McNeel for the winner.”
McNeel opened the scoring in the 22nd minute, dipping a shot over Methacton’s 6-foot-2 keeper Mairi Smith and netting what was then her second goal of the season.
While the Warriors struck back in the last two minutes of the first half, Upper Dublin’s defense was locked in all afternoon.
“Outstanding defensive efforts from Catherine Scullen and Alaina Sanders in the midfield,” Gesing said. “The back line of Emeline Bell, Erin Seabrook, Allie Stenstrom and Abby O’Meara held Methacton’s attack in check in the second half while anchored by Jordyn Levine.”
It really took all of that group together, especially with UD missing usual starters Regan Rubin and Olivia Hoffman.
“Our commitment to defense as a team was outstanding,” Gesing said. “Our back line really covered for one another well and won a ton of 50/50 balls. We were balanced in the midfield despite missing Regan and Olivia, which limited their attacks from deep.”
Even after all that, Methacton got the ball on the foot of one of its top players, Aubrey Beaugard, in the final 38 seconds.
“Jordyn fielded it cleanly,” Gesing said. “It felt good to get the win.”
Upper Dublin (1-2, 0-2 SOL) will travel to Abington on Wednesday
UPPER DUBLIN 1 1 – 2
METHACTON 1 0 – 1
Goals: UD – Meg McNeel 2
Wissahickon 2, Lower Merion 1
A couple changes have gone a long way for the Trojans.
After trailing 2-0 at halftime in each of their first two games this week, Wiss coach Chris McDaniels made a couple moves at the break on Wednesday. Since then, his team has outscored foes 6-2 and
picked up a pair of wins in the process.
“(Lower Merion) is very good, just like they were last year and I think the biggest difference today compared to our first two games is instead of one decent half, we put two decent halves together,” McDaniels said. “We put together a solid 80 minutes, I think our effort for the vast majority of that 80 minutes was good enough to keep us in the game and give us a chance to get a result.”
Last season, the Aces downed Wissahickon in the Trojans’ opener and brought back a wealth of talent from their league championship side.
Wissahickon kept the same starting lineup as it did on Wednesday but the twist was who started where. McDaniels flipped Sage Stelzer to a more centralized midfield role in front of the backline and put Lannah Werynski out on the flank, and it seemed to make eveything fit.
“Moving those kids around and putting them in spots where they could be more successful really helped us out, both kids are giving us more in their new capacity,” McDaniels said. “Our play has looked much better, I would say since that second half against Upper Dublin, we have been much better as a team.”
Wissahickon never trailed on Friday and even managed the elusive first-half goal. Kendall Dries was the beneficiary of a nice build-up and when the ball came her way about 20 yards from goal, she let loose with her left foot and powered a shot to the keeper’s right-hand side in the top of the goal.
The Trojans not only scored in the first half, they led at the half 1-0. During the intermission, McDaniels told his team to watch out for a motivated Lower Merion and the way they started the second 40 minutes would go a long way.
“We lasted about 80 seconds,” McDaniels said. “They got a corner kick, the ball dropped in a really good area, probably just outside where the keeper would have come out for it, their girl got a header on it, bounced once and another girl poked it in the back of the net. Credit to them being aggressive in the box and taking advantage of a chance on a nice ball in.”
The tie held for a bit, then Werynski again showed why the position swap has been a benefit, playing a key role in the go-ahead goal.
“She drove through two defenders, beat both of them and as opposed to shooting, laid the ball across about 10 yards out to a wide-open 
Emma Greenberg who had a nice finish in the bottom right corner,” McDaniels said. “We’re figuring it out, the injury bug has seemed to hit us early on, so it’s a little bit patchwork trying to figure out our best 11 and how do we line up in a way that gives us the most success.”
McDaniels lauded his players’ willingness to take the moves and roles the coaches have for them in stride. He pointed out senior captains Stelzer and Kylie Friedman as two who have been asked to sacrifice some of what they thrive at with their club teams and done so without complaint.
“In club, for instance, you learn to be the best right back you can be and you get to stay in that position,” McDaniels said. “In the high school scene, you’re looking at what you have, what they have and trying to create matchups so it’s more movement in that regard and these girls have handled it really well.”
After taking the lead with about 25 minutes left, the Trojans committed to maintaining it. Stelzer dropped almost into a pure back line role while center back Margo Kasenchar anchored the effort.
“We pursued in a way that made them play a little more direct than they wanted to, they’re good at moving the ball around and we made them play long,” McDaniels said. “Our defenders were really well-organized and handled a lot of those longer balls. They had some real pace on the wings and Margo always had us in the right place.
“Sage has been terrific, if I ask her to defend, she’s one of the best defenders out there and if I ask her to attack, she’s generally creating goals for herself or somebody else.”
Wissahickon (2-1, 1-1 SOL) will travel to Quakertown on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. contest.
WISSAHICKON 1 1 – 2
LOWER MERION 0 1 – 1
Goals: W – Kendall Dries, Emma Greenberg
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