Link to Photo Gallery: http://sos.exposuremanager.com/g/091508_cb_south_vs_abington_dw
WARRINGTON – Central Bucks South looked like a well-oiled machine in Monday’s non-league contest against Abington.
Repeatedly, the Titans sent one shot after another on goal, and repeatedly, they were turned away. The Ghosts’ duo of Callie McGill and Sara Chapla turned away a combined 34 shots, but not even their heroic effort could keep the Titans from rolling to a 4-0 win.
The convincing win came on the heels of a big 4-2 win over Hatboro-Horsham after the Titans staggered out of the gate to a 1-2 start.
“Magically, they really turned it around,” Titans’ coach Meg Hutchinson said. “The Hatboro-Horsham game was a whole different ballgame. We were confident.
“You could see it in the pre-game warm-ups. In the game itself, they were going to the ball and dictating (the tempo of) play and doing all the things we know they’re capable of doing.”
While the Titans’ loss to Council Rock North in their season opener was disappointing, their 3-2 loss to Pennridge in a game that saw them hold a 25-5 advantage in shots was far more difficult to swallow.
Just ask senior co-captains Julia Goldsworthy and Sarah Hasson.
“It was almost embarrassing,” Hasson said.
“I think we came out underestimating Pennridge,” Goldsworthy said. “We weren’t expecting them to come out as strong as they did.”
Both Hasson and Goldsworthy agree with their coach on the precise moment their season took a decided turn for the better.
“The Hatboro-Horsham game was the big turnaround,” Hasson said. “We really stepped it up and played like a team.
“We were utilizing the whole team and all the players. We had a lot more shots, a lot more chances.”
Added Goldsworthy, “Now that we saw how good we could be, now that we turned it around and have been winning – I just think that was the turnaround game.”
There have been other keys to the turnaround.
Goldsworthy moved from sweeper to center back and has figured prominently in the Titans’ scoring, and both senior co-captains are now corner strikers. In the Titans’ win over Hatboro, three of the team’s four goals came on corners.
“We just have a lot of confidence in ourselves,” Hasson said. “Since the Hatboro game, we know if we keep getting it on the net and move around the goalie – we will eventually get it in.”
On Monday, the opportunities came early and often for the Titans in a game they owned from start to finish. In the first half alone, they took 25 shots. The Ghosts had none.
“I didn’t think we came out with intensity,” Abington coach Amanda Deering said. “My team does not like Mondays, and that definitely showed up today.”
The Ghosts’ were without center back Kim Begley (thumb injury), who is the team’s glue in the backfield.
“It was tough to play without her today,” Deering said. “As a coach, I was confident coming out to play, but my team didn’t come out with the mentality they could play with them.”
Take away the 21-save effort of McGill in the first half, and it would have been a blowout by halftime. Thanks in no small part to the effort of McGill, the Titans did not get on the scoreboard until 12:38 remained in the first half when Kiera Kinney (Gretchen Kempf assist) connected after a flurry in front of the cage.
Colleen Kempf scored of the left post, using an assist from Ally Bradley to make it a 2-0, and when Kenney slammed home her second goal (Kate Schneider assist), the Titans led 3-0 heading into the halftime intermission.
The Titans kept the pressure on in the second half and punched home their final goal when Goldsworthy, who earlier saw a shot go off the post, found teammate Casey Haegele for the score and the 4-0 final.
The Titans will face a test today when they take on cross-town rival Central Bucks West.
“We wanted to make sure – because the competition wasn’t as great - we stayed strong,” Hasson said. “That way tomorrow we wouldn’t come out slow and flat.”
“We tried girls in different positions, and we tried a couple of new corner plays,” Goldsworthy said. “They were successful here, and we want to see if we have any advantage tomorrow.”
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 4, ABINGTON 0
Abington 0 0-0
Central Bucks South 3 1-4
Goals/Assists: Kiera Kenney 2-0, Casey Haegle 1-0, Colleen Kempf 1-0, Gretchen kempf 0-1, Kate Schneider 0-1, Julia Goldsworth 0-1.
Shots: A-1, CBS-42
Corners: A-1, CBS-13.
Saves: Callie McGill (A) 21, Sara Chapla (A) 13, Lydia Keener (CBS) 1.
Link to Photo Gallery: http://sos.exposuremanager.com/g/091508_cb_south_vs_abington_dw
- Log in to post comments
0
