Check out the recaps for SOL girls’ soccer teams in action Wednesday. CR North/Bensalem photos provided courtesy of John Gleeson.
SOL National Conference
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 1, BENSALEM 0
Paige Addis spotted the Indians an early lead, scoring on a rebound from an Abby Kollar shot. The Indians made that 1-0 lead stand the rest of the way against a pesky Owls’ squad.
“It was a scrappy game but a good win,” North coach Gavin Flannigan said. “We were missing a few girls today, but we got some great minutes from our younger players and relied on Becca (Margolis), Mia (Scalamandre), Meredith (Hill) and Brooke (Strobel).”
Goalkeeper Abby Schroeder recorded six saves in the shutout win.
Council Rock North (5-3-1, 3-2-1 SOL) will host St. Hubert in a non-league game on Saturday at 10 a.m., and Bensalem (2-4-1, 1-4) will host Central Bucks West on Monday in a non-league contest.
Council Rock North 1-0 1
Bensalem 0-0 0
WILLIAM TENNENT 1, STRATH HAVEN 0
It’s been a good week for the Panthers. Twenty-four hours after notching an impressive conference win over Central Bucks East, the Panthers handed the defending Central League Black Panthers a 1-0 loss.
Caroline Weir scored with a very nice assist from Gabby Sowers in the 15th minute. That goal turned out to be the game winner as the Panthers’ defense kept the Panthers at bay the rest of way.
William Tennent (6-2, 2-2 SOL) will host Pennridge on Tuesday.
Strath Haven 0-0 0
William Tennent 1-0 1
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 2, NORTH PENN 1
Paige Mikula scored a pair of goals to lead the visiting Golden Hawks to the hard fought win. A Mikula goal sent the Hawks into halftime with a 1-0 lead, but the Knights knotted the score 10 minutes into the second half on a goal by Grace Sacchetti. Mikula scored the game winner with an assist from Emily Helmich.
“(We) held off a very strong and organized North Penn attack to come away with a narrow road win,” South coach Nick Heim said.
Rock South goalie Emily Helmich recorded eight saves in the win. North Penn goalie Ashley Schmidt was credited with nine saves.
Council Rock South (6-0, 4-0 SOL) will travel to Archbishop Wood for a non-league game on Saturday at noon, and North Penn (2-4-1, 1-2-1) will host Central Bucks South on Tuesday.
Council Rock South 1-1 2
North Penn 0-1 1
SOUDERTON 7, LITTLE FLOWER 0
Seven different players contributed goals for the Indians in Wednesday’s non-league contest.
Cara McCausland turned a pass from Ali Trick into a goal, and then it was Tori Dowd scoring with a Sara Readlinger assist. Trick found the back of the net with a Dowd assist, and that was followed by Bre Derenzi and Erin O’Keefe scoring back-to-back unassisted goals. Maria Deavitz (Kristen Loh assist) and Loh (O’Keefe assist) each added a goal to close out the scoring.
Goalies Lindsey Padzirok and Emma Bieck combined for the clean sheet.
Souderton (5-2, 2-2 SOL) will be on the road at Boyertown Saturday for a non-league contest at 10 a.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 19
WISSAHICKON 7, CHELTENHAM 2
(Submitted article)The Tide Begins to Turn
By: Dwayne Klessel
Seasons are often about momentum. Momentum comes from hard work. Hard work + momentum = confidence.
Make no mistake about it, with so many key players from last season’s successful team not returning, Wissahickon came into the 2017 season facing many challenges. First off, the Trojans are a very young squad with a roster consisting of only three returning seniors, one of which is on IR for the season. Many of the key positions on the field are now held by very young players. So young, in fact, that on many nights more than half of the players on the field are sophomores and freshmen.
So it is understandable how such a young team will take some time to gel. Unfortunately, learning to play together as a team wasn’t the only challenge facing them. The schedule makers didn’t exactly do this team any favors either in the team’s opening six games. Wissahickon’s girls started off the season facing six very strong teams with a combined records of 29 wins, nine losses and a tie.
And yet the Trojans battled hard. None of this young team's loses were by more than three goals, and when facing three of the best teams in the area, Upper Dublin (currently 6-0-1), Lansdale Catholic (currently 5-1) and Plymouth-Whitemarsh (currently 5-2), the Trojans fell short by a single tally.
All these factors played no small part in Wissahickon’s frustrating 0-6 start.
Despite the girls’ frustration going into yesterday’s game versus Cheltenham, the team had been quietly showing some very positive signs recently. After failing to score in their first two games, the Trojans’ offense had quietly starts to come together, putting up 10 goals in their last four matches. Better, but still no wins to show for it.
And then came yesterday’s opponent, Cheltenham. Cheltenham was the first team the Trojans have faced in seven games without a winning record, and the girls realized this was their opportunity to seize.
The game itself was a bit of a microcosm of the season to date as Cheltenham took an early 1-0 lead on a corner kick. Corners have haunted these Trojans this year, and giving up another corner was exactly what this team didn’t need. A play like this could have been devastating, but the Trojans saw it as a serious wake-up call. Shortly after the goal, Alexis Smith, coming off a hat trick versus Lansdale Catholic, came flying down the sideline and fired a shot that rebounded directly to Carly Amato. Suddenly Amato, a sniper who had gone scoreless this season despite hitting posts and just missing on several occasions, was staring at a wide open frame. Unfortunately, bad luck continued as Amato fired the ball over the net. But the team continued to work and the Trojans began to dominate the ball and possession.
A minute after shooting over the net, Amato would find herself with another opportunity, alone in front of the net, only to be whistled down for an off sides. Shortly after that chance, Alex Paul appeared to score her first goal of the season for the Trojans, but the play was called off sides as well. The Trojans found themselves doing all the right things, but still being down 1-0. This was all feeling familiar. Working hard but little to show for it.
The team had a decision to make. Feel sorry for themselves or just keep pounding away until something would give. And just like that, something gave.
Carly Amato took a nice feed and found herself one on one with a defender. She made a move and used her speed to beat the defender cleanly to the outside. Now all that stood between Carly and the net was Cheltenham’s keeper who was charging at her. Amato showed great skill and patience as she sidestepped the keeper and found herself alone this time with nothing but the net in front of her. As she rolled the ball across the line for the first time this season, a weight could be felt lifting off of her and her teammates’, shoulders.
Next, the future of Wissahickon would be on display as four sophomores teamed up for one of the prettiest goals of the season. The play started with Grace Mullen and Anna Schools in the midfield executing a perfect give and go and once again feeding Carly Amato, who was flying down the wing. Carly fired the ball at the net and hit the crossbar, but this time Alex Paul would turn apparent bad luck into opportunity and fired the rebound into the net for the first varsity goal of her career. The Trojans would take the lead and not look back.
The floodgates opened. Alexis Smith netted two goals, and Carly Amato’s confidence flourished, getting two more to complete the hat trick. Finally, Anna Schools scored from far out (giving her three goals in the last three games) and the game would end with Wissahickon netting a 7-2 dominating victory.
Next week the Trojans will get a chance to continue their resurgence with games against Upper Moreland and Springfield. The there teams are currently tied in American Conference at 1-4.
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