SOUDERTON 3, NORTH PENN 1
(Submitted by Souderton girls’ soccer)
Souderton hosted North Penn on Thursday evening for the first conference game of the season for either side. Both teams started with high energy, and the game took off at a fast pace from the start. In the first half, few quality chances fell to either side. Souderton’s Averie Doughty had two decent opportunities in the first 20 minutes: one that she sent wide and another that she sent over the bar. Doughty tried to find space behind the North Penn defense, but their high line left her offsides seven times in the first half.
Souderton had a few more chances in the final 15 minutes of the half, but it was North Penn who ended the half on the front foot. Souderton’s Ella Kreigel was forced into making a goal-line clearance in the final three minutes of the half, as North Penn continued to push for a goal before the halftime whistle.
Souderton found a new gear as they started the second half and pushed for an early go-ahead goal. With 36 minutes left to play, Taylor Yoder found it as she snuck in on a ball that skipped over the outside-back. Yoder chased it down the sideline and fired a shot far post at a difficult angle that found the back of the net. The goal brought new life to the Indians. A minute later, Doughty worked to create space for herself in the center and sent a searching ball down the opposite sideline. This time it was Hannah Alderfer who got in behind the defense, as she used her speed to poke the second goal home through the keeper’s legs.
The pair of goals shifted momentum in Souderton’s favor in a game that had otherwise been a tough battle between conference opponents. With 30 minutes left to play Souderton earned a free kick in a dangerous area. Sarah Toche-Manley sent in a dangerous ball to the back post that Yoder poked goal-wards. The ball bounced around in the box until Avery Nogami was able to knock it home to put the Indians up 3-0.
In the face of adversity, North Penn continued to press in search of a comeback. With about 15 minutes left, a pair of long-distance chances curled just wide of Souderton’s net. A third long-distance shot nicked off the post a minute later, threatening Souderton’s comfortable lead. Souderton’s defense was able to hold strong, buoyed by the center-back pairing of Darby Kramer and Payton Carroll.
With a little more than a minute to play, North Penn earned themselves a free kick in a dangerous position just outside of Souderton’s penalty area. The kick was whipped in over the wall and into the corner of the net. The Knights were on the scoreboard, but there simply wasn’t enough time left to complete the comeback.
After a fairly even contest and a flurry of goals in the span of ten minutes, Souderton (3-0 1-0 SOL) was able to claim their first conference win of the season.
Souderton (3-0, 1-0 SOL) will travel to Central Bucks West Friday for a 5 p.m. contest. North Penn (1-2, 0-1) will be on the road at Lansdale Catholic for a non-league game Friday at 3:45 p.m.
NORTH PENN 0 0 – 0
SOUDERTON 0 3 – 3
Non-league
DOWNINGTOWN WEST 2, PENNSBURY 1
The visiting Whippets struck first with a goal in the 19th minute, but Eve Ciaccia (Kendall Palatine assist) found the net with the equalizer in the 27th minute. The two teams went into halftime deadlocked 1-1.
Madelyn Grecco connected on an unassisted goal in the 65th minute.
Pennsbury (2-1, 1-0 SOL) will host Bensalem on Tuesday.
DOWNINGTOWN WEST 1 1 – 2
PENNSBURY 1 0 – 1
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