Pennridge defeated District 11 champion Parkland 5-0 in Tuesday night’s PIAA 4A semifinal game. (Photos provided courtesy of Abbe Kiwak/Pennridge soccer)
(1-1) Pennridge 5, (11-1) Parkland 0
Liv Grenda’s most memorable goal, at least so far, of her high school career came against Parkland.
Tuesday night, she added another one to remember at the Trojans’ expense, and while it wasn’t quite as dramatic as the overtime banger she hit in 2020 to send the Rams to the state final, it was a milestone. The senior’s second half goal gave her 65 for her career and moved her into first all-time on the program’s career scoring list.
More importantly to Grenda, it gave her team control of the match and sent the Rams on their way to back-to-back state title game appearances and the third of her and her classmates’ careers.
“It’s crazy to say now but the one that’s probably my favorite and the one I think back to is against Parkland in 2020, the one in overtime that sent us to the state championship,” Grenda said. “It’s really cool to play them again in the semifinals, it feels like a full circle moment and then going back and getting to play Conestoga again, we think we can give them a better game.”
It seemed more like a matter of “when” than “if” for Grenda on Tuesday. The senior, who officially signed with Dayton last week, had three good looks saved in the first half and was a timely step or disrupted touch away from a few more looks before the record goal came.
About 10 minutes into the second half, Casey Malone threw the ball in to Grenda, who shook off the defender on her back and placed one to the back corner of the far post. Grenda passed Kate Mills, who had 64 career goals, to take over the scoring title.
“It’s crazy, with all the high expectations in this program, there’s always been a super-high standard so it’s amazing to break a record like that,” Grenda said. “I couldn’t have done it without my teammates. We won (a state title) in 2020, now we’re trying to do it again and I wouldn’t be here without them.”
Grenda, who has 24 goals this fall, credited her teammates for sharing a drive to better themselves this past offseason and their work to get back to the state final. She also cited her club coaches as well as Rams head coach Audrey Anderson and assistant Jason Lollar for continuing to push her to be a more complete player.
“They’ve pushed all of us to get to that next level mentally and physically,” Grenda said. “They’re so big on pushing yourself beyond that limit where some players, they aren’t able to get pushed to that level. They don’t let us take the easy way out which I’m so thankful for.
“Without that, I’m not sure I’d be able to get to that next gear and be able to push at the end of a game when it matters.”
There’s also the matter of missed time to consider. In 2020, the Rams played 17 total games due to COVID-19 changes to the schedule - less than the number of regular season games alone this fall. As a sophomore, an injury kept her out about half the regular season and all of the postseason and each of the last two years, the midfielder has missed a game after breaking her nose.
“It is incredible, not just in our league, but our district, goals don’t come too easily,” Anderson said. “It’s impressive the goals she’s scoring are meaningful goals and excited that it came from somebody in this class. It’s been a record that’s taken a while for somebody to break, she knew she was close but I’m hoping she’s got a couple more in her.”
Well before Grenda’s milestone goal hit the back of the net, Lindsey Balmer’s night was changing dramatically.
The senior figured she’d be doing more of the same as she’s done all postseason by making attacking runs down the right side while her classmate and one of her best friends in Tori Angelo did the same on the left. Instead, less than two minutes into the game, it all changed.
An early challenge left senior right back Meredith Blannett hobbling and with Parkland sophomore winger Eylana Kocher a heavily circled threat on the scouting report, the Rams had to adapt. Blannett subbed off, Caitlyn Peace subbed on and Balmer was suddenly playing right back.
“I knew what I had to do to help my team, I knew I could work hard in whatever position I had to play,” Balmer said. “I had to try and keep her in front of me because she’s fast.”
Part of what drew West Chester to recruit Balmer was her versatility. The senior, also a track athlete, is fast, strikes the ball well and can be a handful as an attacker but that holds true going the other way as well.
Kocher’s already a very, very good player and will be even better sooner rather than later but Balmer wanted to make sure she and her teammates got one more game.
“Lindsey had a great game against her, and I actually really enjoyed watching the matchup,” Anderson said. “I think they’re very similar as far as speed and tenacity and just watching Lindsey not be afraid to get forward and hold onto the ball when she was under that much pressure was great.”
It was Balmer’s tenacity that got Pennridge going on its first goal. The senior pressed the ball as soon as Kocher received it, taking it off the Parkland winger then using a slick move to turn away and curl a ball in toward Angelo in the center of the field.
Angelo brought the ball down, played it up to Gabriella Howley, then got it back, took a touch and slotted home the game’s opening tally.
“We’ve been working on it a lot in practice and from film, we knew we’d be able to go at them on the outside because we have a lot of speed,” Angelo said. “It’s something we had to put to use.”
Balmer and Angelo have been close friends for a decade now. They play a similar style, both of them having blistering speed and a subtle physicality to their game that gives Pennridge options off either flank when they get going.
Angelo, a Seton Hall signee, said she’d been struggling a bit in recent games in terms of hitting the ball where she wanted on frame. Things like that motivate her and on top of collecting a goal and putting Parkland’s backs under plenty of pressure, the senior indirectly scored the team’s second goal when a driven ball off her foot from the left side clipped a Trojans defender and went in for an own goal less than two minutes after her opener.
“I was struggling with hitting the ball right at the keeper, so I tried to stay calm and focused,” Angelo said. “Watching it go to the back of the net was a huge relief and weight off my shoulders, I knew the practice I’d been putting in had paid off and it helped my team too.”
Tuesday’s win sends the Rams to their third state title game in the last four seasons and fourth in the last six years overall.
Even after Grenda scored and the outcome felt more secure, the Rams didn’t let up. Grenda nearly got a second right away, missing wide of the goal then with 5:20 to play, it was her shot that led to a rebound which freshman Gabriella Howley was happy to punch home.
Jessie Moylan added the final tally, getting up for a corner kick header in the final minute off a well-hit ball by Balmer that gave the senior an assist to sit atop her overall strong showing. Balmer and Angelo have developed a unique celebration where one jumps into the other’s arms for a celebratory hug usually seen after goals but on Tuesday, they waited until the final horn to break it out.
“It felt good, especially because of the score,” Balmer said. “It wasn’t a lucky win, we definitely worked hard and trained well for this, so it felt good to be able to celebrate going back to a state championship game.”
Pennridge went through the District 1 tournament scoring 18 goals and allowing none in four games. After Tuesday, the Rams have scored 17 goals in three games and allowed none but that scoreless run almost came to an end.
No sooner had the own goal been dug out of the net, the Trojans were pushing forward. Kocher managed to slip by the Rams’ backline and was in on goal with only Seretha DeMoss between her and halving the lead.
Pennridge’s sophomore keeper hasn’t been overly busy this postseason, but she’s been ready and came up with a big stop on Kocher.
DeMoss added two denials on Kocher in the second half and got some help from her backs during a frantic sequence later in the half that included Addy Mills getting her body behind a shot for a block in front of an open goal.
“CeCe, with her one-v-one goalkeeping, it’s like she makes herself so big they just hit her, but that would have been a game-changer for sure,” Anderson said. “We wanted to make sure we didn’t give them a chance because every coach I’d talked to about (Parkland) said if you give them an opportunity, they’re going to bury it.”
Pennridge will face Conestoga for the PIAA 4A title at 4 p.m. Friday from Cumberland Valley’s Eagle View Middle School. The Rams downed the Pioneers 1-0 on Nov. 4 in the district title game but felt like a rematch was a strong possibility that night and expected Conestoga to be ready for them.
Breaking down her team’s huddle the last time on Tuesday, Anderson said she was grateful for three more days with this group.
“Knowing that, we won’t waste any time we have left together,” Angelo said. “Nobody hates going to practice, nobody thinks it’s a chore or anything, it’s something we want to do. We’re not excited for it to be over, but we’re excited to get to this last game and try to go out on top.”
PENNRIDGE 2 3 – 5
PARKLAND 0 0 – 0
Goals; P- Tori Angelo, own goal, Liv Grenda, Gabriella Howley, Jessie Moylan
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