It was another exciting day of SOL action. A pair of teams saw their perfect league records fall by the wayside, and two teams – Cheltenham and Pennridge – picked up their first wins of the league season.
American Conference
WISSAHICKON 4, UPPER DUBLIN 1
Lauren Luft admits she doesn’t know a whole lot about her American Conference opponents.
“I am the type of coach who likes to play our game,” the Trojans’ first-year coach said. “When the playoffs come, I’ll look back at these teams and say, ‘Okay, we have to mark this number,’ ‘We have to make sure we take this player out of their game,’ or ‘We have to use the big ball.’
“When playoffs come, it will matter, but right now we’re taking it game by game and going on from there. The girls are able to adjust quickly, so it doesn’t really affect them.”
The Trojans showed their ability to adjust on the fly in the day’s marquee contest pitting the American Conference’s lone undefeated squads. The host Cardinals took a 1-0 lead on a goal by Kelly Cross (Jen Harchut assist) at the 17:57 mark of the opening half. Four minutes later, junior Jackie Hibbs (Gretchen Guaglianone assist) scored the equalizer, sending the two teams into halftime deadlocked 1-1.
“The first 10 minutes they were down in our defensive end,” Luft said. “We have been playing on grass for a couple of games, and we were playing that grass game instead of using strategy.
“In the first five minutes, I called a timeout. I could tell they were flustered in the back, and I gathered them and reminded them it was a different game. We were back on turf, and we needed to connect with one another and not just hit the ball like it was on grass. After that, we were in our offensive zone. Our offensive players connected in the second half.”
The Trojans exploded for three second-half goals. Emily Gallagher (Guaglianone assist) scored what turned out to be the game-winner at the 20:41 mark. Lauren Becker – using Guaglianone’s third assist – added an insurance goal three minutes later. Hibbs (Angela Virtu assist) connected with 11:10 remaining for the 4-1 final.
Luft acknowledged the effort of senior defensive back Lizzie McKenna.
“Lizzie is a very good leader and motivator on the team,” the Trojans’ coach said. “She plays a big part of getting them fired up. This was definitely a big game for us.”
Flying Cardinal goalie Dana Russell was credited with 12 saves while Wissahickon’s Rina Lobell had five saves The Trojans held a 6-5 edge in corners.
The Trojans upped their league mark to 4-0 (5-1 overall) while the Flying Cardinals are 5-1 in league play (6-2 overall).
CHELTENHAM 2, UPPER MORELAND 0
Sparked by the two-goal effort of Gabby Szczepanek, the Lady Panthers notched their first win of the season when they downed the Golden Bears on Wednesday.
“It was very exciting,” coach Emily Link Zegestowsky said. “This is huge. They have been working really hard in the preseason and during the season. We had a few really off games, and for them to get a win now at the beginning of the season, they’re more determined and motivated to work even harder.”
The two teams found themselves locked in a scoreless tie at halftime, but Szczepanek connected for a pair of second-half goals, the first with an assist from Hannah Gilliam and the second with an assist from Carolyn Brown.
“Today we dominated in offense, but in the first half we couldn’t score,” Zegestowsky said. “We had so many chances, and it was very frustrating. It was just getting so crowded with their defense in the circle. We realized we had to pull out more and take shots from the top of the circle and rush the goalie’s pads. That’s how we scored both of our goals in the second half.”
While the Golden Bears fell to 0-5 in league play (1-6 overall), the Lady Panthers improved to 1-5 in the SOL (1-6 overall).
“We won both of our scrimmages, and we played well against Upper Dublin, and then we had a tough loss to PW,” Zegestowsky said. “We just lost to Norristown 5-0, and the girls weren’t feeling very positive.
“Going in today knowing it was another game of equal ability – they knew they didn’t play well against Norristown. Our AD actually came down and said, ‘I want to see the intensity and fire.’ They want to win, they’re very determined, and they want to do better than last season. They knew that every one of them had to step up.”
Zegestowsky, who made several changes to her lineup in Wednesday’s game, received solid outings from several players.
“My midfield is probably my strongest position,” the Panthers’ coach said. “Dara Liss is playing right back, and she and (right mid) Amy Huynh work really well together. Amy really stepped it up this year – just her passing, and she’s very strong in the midfield.
“Carolyn Brown is playing center mid, and she has stepped it up the last couple of games, so our midfield has gotten a lot stronger.”
The Lady Panthers held a 16-10 advantage in shots on goal. Cheltenham goalie Emily Hawkins had four saves, and Upper Moreland’s Saige Wenik had seven.
Continental Conference
PENNRIDGE 3, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 1
The Rams had been coming oh so close to earning a win in SOL play, extending both North Penn and Souderton to overtime.
“I think that helped us greatly,” coach Nikki Thren said. “In the North Penn overtime, I thought we played excellent. I guess it wasn’t our day to win.
“Last year when we played Souderton at their place (a 4-0 loss), that was our down point, so to go back there and be able to (take them to overtime) was huge.”
On Wednesday night, the Rams scaled the mountain when they defeated the Bucks 3-1.
“Today they came out and they were on,” Thren said. “The effort was there. They worked together, they moved in transition as a team, the passing was there, and more importantly, we were able to finish today. We were able to put the ball in goal.
“This proves to the girls that they can do it. They found a way to make it happen tonight, and in terms of team morale, it was huge.”
The Bucks actually held an advantage in both shots (17-9) and corners (10-7), but the Rams prevailed. Kelly Herd scored her first of two goals on the night to send the Rams into halftime with a 1-0 lead. A goal by Addy Marshall put the Rams on top 2-0, and they led 3-0 after Herd’s second goal before Jennie Kamel put West on the scoreboard.
While acknowledging it was a team effort, Thren lauded the efforts of several players.
“I have a sophomore back – Madison Reiss, and she has been the backbone of the defense,” the Rams’ coach said. “Sara Yerk, for the most part, has been steady in the midfield. Kelly Wolff was out the last couple of games with a concussion, but she came back tonight at center back.
“My left mid – Brooke Labs – is steady. Nothing showy, but she gets the job done. I have three or four girls sitting on the sidelines that I can count on to go in there and keep things going. I don’t want to sell anyone else short, especially tonight. Everybody did play their game which helped us out a lot.”
The Rams are 1-5 in league play (3-5 overall) while the Bucks fell to 2-4 in the league (3-6 overall).
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 0, HATBORO-HORSHAM 0 (OT)
The Hatters rebounded from a disappointing loss to Central Bucks West on Monday to stun the defending conference champions, forcing the Titans to settle for a 0-0 tie in a game CB South dominated.
“It was a great game, it was very intense,” Hatboro coach Laura Swezey said. “My kids came to play, and it was a team effort. The way they went to the ball was unbelievable.
“South played a great game too. After the CB West game, I was disappointed and they were disappointed. We had a discussion about it yesterday. I was really proud of my kids. They really had a lot of heart.”
The Titans had 18 corners to just three for the Hatters. They had four in the first half, six in the second half and eight in a high-pressure overtime period. Swezey lauded the efforts of freshman flier Jenna Cutilli.
“She was amazing,” the Hatters’ coach said. “She’s fast, and she ran out with her stick low and stopped them from even shooting at times and came up with the ball.”
Goalie Maddy Wagenfeld turned away 15 shots in a stellar outing
“She just did a great job on aerial balls and balls on the ground,” Swezey said. “Everybody did a great job, but the seniors’ leadership was unbelievable, and it really helped us pull through.”
The Hatters were anchored defensively by Nicole Beck, Jane Henry and Cutilli. Midfielders Cortnee Daley and Caroline Hagan as well Rachel Rausa and Julia McKay, according to Swezey, also came up big.
“They held the fort,” the first-year coach said. “They pounded us, but our defense really held true.”
The Hatters are 2-3-1 in league play while the Titans are 5-0-1.
SOUDERTON 3, NORTH PENN 0
The Indians are very quietly battling their way back into the Continental Conference race after a slow start, upping their conference mark to 5-1 and overall record to 7-2 after a 1-2 start to the season.
“We were struggling at the beginning of the season, trying to figure out where everyone needed to play and to get everyone to click, and I think it might be starting,” senior tri-captain Alayna Brown said.
The Indians were operating on all cylinders in Wednesday’s win, scoring early on a goal by Rachel Valentine (Abbey Gabriel assist) just over three minutes into the game. The Indians added to their lead after their second corner of the game. Taylor Yoder’s laser shot from the top of the circle was turned away by goalie Shannon Keen, but defensive back Megan McDermott sent the ball back into the circle where Kalley Veit was waiting and slammed it home, sending the Indians into halftime with a 2-0 lead.
“The defense was playing hard,” Souderton coach Mary Ann Harris said. “North Penn was fast and got dangerous balls in the circle. I was also pleased with the attack. They got an early goal and added a second and third. We passed the ball much better today than we had been.”
If the Indians needed insurance, they got it when Brown (Valentine assist) scored on a baseline shot into the opposite corner of the cage in the opening minutes of the second half. Souderton’s defense did the rest, preserving the Indians’ second shutout in as many games.
“We want to go game by game,” said senior tri-captain Taylor Yoder, who anchors the Indians’ young defense. “We’re not looking two weeks from now. We’re looking at our next game. No one can be taken lightly in our league.”
“Last year we beat North Penn but then we lost to CB East in our next game,” added senior tri-captain Bekah Hershey. “Our goal is to focus on every single game and go out every single game like it’s the hardest team.”
For the Maidens, it was their second loss in as many games, coming on the heels of a 2-1 loss to Quakertown on Monday.
“We outplayed Quakertown for three quarters of the game,” Maidens’ co-coach Carrie Jankowski said. “In this game, I thought they just outplayed us. We were not clicking at all. I think part of that had to do with their pressure, and part of it is we just weren’t clicking. I’m not going to take anything away from them. They had a couple of players that I thought were difference makers – 8, 10 and 11 (Tabitha Almond, Gabriel and Yoder).
“We sometimes get to a point where we play very passively, and we’re not going to win until we play two aggressive halves of hockey where we’re controlling the pace of play.”
National Conference
NESHAMINY 8, HARRY S. TRUMAN 0
The Redskins received the hat trick from both Emily Curtain and Brittany Sheehan while teammate Bailey Curran had a busy day, contributing one goal and five assists.
“I just feel like it’s starting to click,” said coach Caitlin Koczynski, whose team was coming off a 1-1 tie against William Tennent. “It was rough going into the season. With our first game being rained out halfway through and our next game postponed – a lot of things occurred, and now we’re finally getting into the swing of the season.”
Goals by Sheenan (Curran assist) and Jill Dougherty (Breanna McGrath assist) sparked the Redskins to a 2-0 halftime lead. They exploded for six second-half goals. Curran (Annie Kopera assist) got things started with a goal early in the half, and then Curtain connected on her first of three second-half goals, the first with an assist from Curran, who assisted on all three of her goals. Sheenan added a pair of second-half goals to complete her hat trick, this time using assists from Curran and Abby Alexis.
Koczynski acknowledged the solid effort of Lindsay Blum in the midfield.
“We were finally passing well and taking shots,” the first-year coach said of her team’s second-half effort. “We took most of our shots in the second half.
“It’s nice for them to find the back of the cage so they can see they can score. It will boost their confidence going into the rest of the season.”
While the Redskins improved to 2-1-2 in SOL play, the Tigers fell to 0-6.
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 8, BENSALEM 0
WILLIAM TENNENT 4, ABINGTON 0
PENNSBURY 2, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 1
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