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HOLLAND – Midway through the first half of Tuesday afternoon’s SOL contest against Pennsbury, Council Rock South goalie Taylor Hurwitz heaved the ball to breaking teammate Lea Britton at midfield.
The Golden Hawks’ junior midfielder caught the ball without breaking stride and found Sammy Hurley cutting to goal for a highlight reel score that put Rock South on top 6-0.
“That is one of our strengths for South,” Hurwitz said of a play that gives new meaning to the word transition. “That definitely helps out.”
By halftime, the Golden Hawks had a commanding 10-2 lead on their way to a 13-5 win over their neighboring rivals, and the defending Continental Conference champs are starting to find their stride after an 0-4 start this season.
“We’re about halfway through the season, and I think they’re still learning how to win,” Rock South coach Kara DiMarco said. “Today I told them to go out and play for the win – don’t play for our record, don’t play for our season, just play for today.
“I think with our success last year they keep looking forward to –‘What’s it going to be at the end? How will we do at the end?’ We’re trying to focus on today, getting it done today.”
The win was the third in the last six games for the Golden Hawks. All three of their most recent losses were by one goal – two were in overtime.
“We knew we had the potential be something,” Rock South junior Lea Britton said. “We have a solid nucleus from last year, starting with Taylor on defense all the way up to attack.
“It was just getting everyone together and helping the new players.”
Sarah Brotman led the Golden Hawks’ attack with four goals and one assist. Madi Hurwitz and Sammy Hurley each contributed the hat trick. Hurwitz also had a pair of assists. Britton, Sam Facciola and Paige Bishop each added a single goal with Britton contributing three assists and Bishop, one assist.
“I think the biggest thing was we were all very good individually, but we didn’t play as a team,” Taylor Hurwitz said. “Today we came together and played as a team, and I think the results back it up.
“We were finishing our shots, which is something we haven’t been doing in the past.”
The Golden Hawks converted 10 of 15 shots into goals in the first half.
“Our transition hasn’t been looking the greatest,” Britton said. “Once we got that down – this is the first game where we really felt comfortable.”
Taylor Hurwitz turned away 12 shots in a standout effort in goal, and the Golden Hawks’ defense was tenacious to the final whistle.
A play that effectively captured their effort came late in the game with the Hawks on top 13-4. Britton checked the ball away from a Falcon on attack, but the player regained possession. The junior midfielder refused to quit and took it away for good on the second try.
“When she makes a mistake, she fights like a dog to get it back,” DiMarco said of Britton. “She’s a fighter, and it means a lot for her – not just to play well but to play well for her team and do her part.”
On the other side of the field, the Falcons were pointing to a second half that saw them battle Rock South to a 3-3 tie as a building block for the remainder of the season.
“It has been a season of highs and lows, but we have had a lot of young players step up,” senior tri-captain Christie Quake said. “We’re really looking to finish the season strong. Hopefully, the next time we see this team we will finish and make plays.
“We know we can compete with them. We’re ready to take momentum from the second half and apply it to our next game, and hopefully we’ll come out on top.”
Madi Hurwitz, looking the part of veteran leader, set the tone for Rock South when she scored a come-around goal less than three minutes into the game. Four minutes later, Hurwitz, ignoring the pair of defenders draped on her, connected for a goal that gave the Hawks a quick 2-0 lead.
Then it was Bishop finding Brotman for the score and a 3-0 advantage, prompting Falcon coach Andrea Garberina to call a quick timeout.
Hurwitz found Britton for a goal out of the timeout, and when Brotman scored an unassisted goal, the Hawks led 5-0. Then came the length-of-the-field passing sequence that netted a Hurley goal before the Falcons finally got on the scoreboard, thanks to a Jennalise Taylor goal at the 9:24 mark.
Lauren Gerity followed with a score for the Falcons to make it a 7-2 game, but in the final 1:27, the Falcons scored three unanswered goals – one each from Brotman, Hurley and Facciola - to go into halftime with a 10-2 lead.
“I was very pleased,” DiMarco said. “We have been stuck indoors practicing like all the other teams, but their transition has improved. They’re making smart decisions.
“The first half looked so much cleaner and so much better than we have been playing.”
Garberina used the opening half as a teaching moment.
“I have a young team, and they’re very coachable,” the Falcons’ coach said. “We had to recognize what their strengths were, capitalize on our strengths and clean up our offensive play and transition as well.
“I told them at halftime, ‘Forget the first half. Come out of the second half telling me you gave 150 percent and win the second half.’ That was their goal.”
Jess Bulafka sandwiched a pair of goals around a Bishop score to make it an 11-4 game, but Hurley connected and then Hurwitz – this time taking on four Falcon defenders on a breakaway – scored to put the Hawks on top 13-4 before Taylor connected to close out the scoring.
“In the second half, we were able to read their plays more and settle down the ball,” Quake said. “It’s tough not to put your head down, but we have a team that never says die and we keep fighting to the end.”
The Golden Hawks upped their league mark to 3-1 (3-6 overall) while the Falcons are 1-2 in league play (3-4 overall).
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 13, PENNSBURY 5
Pennsbury 2 3-5
Council Rock South 10 3-13
Goals/Assists: Pennsbury – Jess Bulafka 2-0, Jenalise Taylor 2-0, Lauren Gerity 1-0. CR South – Sarah Brotman 4-1, Madi Hurwitz 3-2, Sammy Hurley 3-0, Lea Britton 1-3, Paige Bishop 1-1, Sam Facciola 1-0.
Shots: P-17, CRS-24
Saves: Becca Radzinski (P) 7, Taylor Hurwitz (CRS) 12.
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