Check out Wednesday’s SOL girls lacrosse results.
HATBORO-HORSHAM 10, NORTH PENN 4
Coaches preach the value of controlling the draw. On Wednesday night, the Hatters showed just how important that part of the game can be, winning – thanks to Katie McKay - the first eight draws of the game and opening up a 6-1 lead on their way to a 9-1 halftime advantage.
The Hatters not only controlled the draw, they tormented the Maidens at both ends of the field, scoring with methodical precision at one end and swarming the Maidens at every turn at the other.
“We didn’t want them to just sit out there – what North Penn wanted to try to do was sit the ball in the corner and try and keep the game close,” Hatboro coach Duncan Swezey said. “If you keep it a one or two-goal game, at the end of the night, if you get one or two breaks, the next thing you know you’re in trouble.
“We pressured them. I said, ‘Go get them.’ I wanted to practice for next week. I said, ‘Go get tired, go chase them down, beat somebody one-on-one, challenge yourself.’”
It all added up to a memorable Senior Night for the Hatters – who recognized Lauren Hill, Liz Purtell and Jackie Giovinazzo – prior to the game.
“It was just fun,” Giovinazzo said. “It was a nice way to end my last home game.”
The senior goalie, who turned away six shots, credited her defense for keeping the Maidens’ offense under wraps, particularly in a first half the Hatters owned.
“It was really nice,” she said. “One thing we did differently was we doubled them right away. I think the doubling and pressure really helped.
“It was a big improvement over what we did the last game against Pennridge (an 18-11 Hatter win). When we have on games like this and we talk, I think this is the team we can come out and be. Our defense was awesome.”
The first half began with Rachel Rausa converting her own caused turnover at midfield into a goal. The Hatters led 2-1 after a free position goal by Colby Eldridge. Midway through the half, Hannah Young found her way through the Hatters’ defense for the score to make it a 2-1 game, but when McKay – on a free position – passed to teammate Sydney Rausa on the left post for the score, the Hatters went up by two, and they were off and running.
Three straight goals – two by Annette DeSipio and one by Maria Guerra - while the Maidens were a player down put the Hatters on top 6-1, and by halftime, they had upped their lead to eight (9-1).
“They were better than us,” coach Jami Wilus Behm said of the first half. “They caught the ball, and we ran the ball. They were passing and we were running, and they were just much better than us in the first half.”
The Maidens outscored the Hatters 3-1 in the second half, but by that time, the Hatters had the game well in hand.
“We put a whole second lineup in there (late in the first half),” Behm said. “I don’t know if that lit a fire under them, but at this point in the season, you shouldn’t have to do that.
“We put the starters back in at the beginning of the second half. I thought we played the way North Penn lacrosse should play in the second half.”
“We have never been in a hole like that before,” Maiden junior Gabby DiDomizio said. “ And now that we have – that first half really woke us up to play hard in the second half. You have to go hard first half and second half – a full game. Being a second half team won’t get you anywhere with teams that are better than you.”
The Maidens received single goals from Young, Ashley Durham, Jules Hill and Lauren Green.
Eldridge led the Hatters with the hat trick. Casey Swezey and Annette DeSipio each had two goals. Guerra had a goal and two assists while Rachel Rausa added a goal and assist and Sydney Rausa, one goal. McKay had two assists, and freshman Carly Daley added an assist.
The Hatters completed conference play with a perfect 12-0 record (14-2 overall). The Maidens finished league play with a 9-3 record (12-4 overall).
SPRINGFIELD 9, PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 8 (2 OT)
It took two overtimes for the Spartans to eke out a win over a gutsy Colonial squad on Wednesday.
“It was our Senior Night, and my girls played their hearts out,” said PW coach Ellen Reilly, whose team fell to the Spartans 14-6 in the initial meeting between the two teams. “It was really a great game.”
The Colonials found themselves staring at a 6-2 halftime deficit but slowly crawled back into the game, knotting the score and setting the stage for overtime when they converted an 8-meter shot with five second remaining in regulation.
The Spartans scored the game winner with 11 seconds showing on the clock in the second OT period.
PW goalie Emily Miller had eight saves on 10 shots, which included five saves on six shots in overtime.
“Our defenders worked great together,” said Reilly, lauding the standout defensive play of Cassie Ward and Steph Fazio.
Colleen Morris led the Spartans with four goals while Katie Morris had two goals and one assist. Libby Field contributed one goal and two assists, and Julie Cardamone and Sarah Rosa each had one goal.
For the Colonials, Sarah Naylor, Kayla Wisniewski and Monica Dresnin each had two goals and one assist. Haley Quinn and Kristen Monte both added single goals.
The Spartans upped their record to 9-4 in the league (9-6 overall) while the Colonials fell to 4-10 in league play (5-13 overall).
PENNSBURY 13, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 7
Seniors Kelsy Gumbert (three goals, three assists) and Jackie Sweeney (three goals, one assist) led a balanced attack in a win that capped an undefeated conference season for the Falcons (8-0 SOL, 12-3 overall). Missy Frankil added two goals and one assist, and Joy Hopkins had two goals. Contributing one goal were Rachel Pierce, Alyssa Matthews and Carson Smith. Anna Cruser had one assist.
The Indians were led by Katy Lehman's hat trick. Tori Lyon and Natalie Maher both added a pair of goals.
Pennsbury goalie Liana Eyre turned away 12 of 19 shots while Rock North's Taylor Beck was credited with 12 saves as well.
The Indians are 3-4 in league play (7-9 overall).
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 17, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 6
CB East’s Senior Night game was interrupted by a lengthy rain delay with just under six minutes remaining in the opening half. The Patriots were winning 5-3 at the time. When play resumed, the game belonged to the Patriots, who opened up an 8-4 halftime lead and then outscored the Titans 9-2 in the second half.
“We were delayed an hour or maybe close to two hours,” East coach Dipi Bhaya said. “It was Senior Night they were fired up to play, and in the second half, we just came out and we kept scoring.
“It was nice, especially since it was such a close game the first time we played them. South has really been coming along. They ended up beating Souderton and had a close game against CB West. This is something we were proud of. It was a nice moment to enjoy with the senior class and underclassmen.”
With the win, the Patriots closed out their league season with a 6-6 mark, a far cry from last year’s 0-12 record. For the team’s seven seniors – Marissa Glatt, MaryKate Schwartz, Katt Miller, Kelsey Washburn, Brooke Cataldo, Jordan Sanocki and MaryKate Cassidy – the program’s turnaround has been especially significant.
“It’s really been an exciting season for us,” Bhaya said. “This was a nice moment for the senior class. What a nice night for them.”
Glatt led an inspired East attack, contributing seven goals and one assist. Her fifth goal vaulted her to the career 100-goal milestone. Julia Norek added six goals and two assists while MaryKate Schwartz had one goal and three assists, and Kaitlyn Stout had one goal.
East goalie Alana Rivas turned away 16 shots in a solid outing.
The win came on the heels of a stretch that saw the Patriots lose back-to-back games and three of their last four.
“Coming into the year, I think people didn’t know what to expect of East,” Bhaya said. “Maybe thought it would be the same thing as last year.
“When our girls started to do well, they were never in that position before. They got excited – it’s what happens when you have a young team that’s never won a couple of games in a row like that. We got a little nervous.”
Bhaya had a talk with her players on Tuesday.
“I said to them, ‘Don’t worry about what’s going to happen in the future, and don’t worry about what happened in the past. We need to enjoy the time we have. Whatever happens happens,’” the Patriots’ first year coach said. “The seniors are such a great group of girls. They just want it to continue. They don’t want it to end because we’re having such a great time. When things weren’t going their way and they felt it slipping away, instead of just living in the moment, they were thinking, ‘What if we lose?’
“I talked to them, and we regrouped. I said, ‘We’re going to take it minute by minute and focus on each step,’ and we did that. I was really pleased, and they were really happy. It was just a wonderful thing to watch tonight, especially coming off two losses which we were kind of disappointed about. It was really fun to watch them be the team they were when the season first started.”
Sophomore Emily Cliggett led the Titans with the hat trick. South goalie Leslie Searles had nine saves.
While the Titans are 3-8 in league play (7-9 overall), the Patriots upped their overall record to 10-7.
CHELTENHAM 19, NORRISTOWN 7
Gabby Szczepanek (three goals, one assist) and Allison Hawkins (three goals) led a balanced Lady Panther attack. Allie Liss, Sky Wallace and Lauren Freeman each added two goals. Sammi Slotkin, Madison Wilken, Sammie McManus, Emily Hawkins and Annie McGoldrick added one goal apiece. McManus also had two assists and McGoldrick had one assist.
For the Eagles, Rachel Hagel, Kerri Harner and Natalie Mitchell all had two goals. Megan Grande had one goal and one assist. Jamie Justice had 10 saves in goal for the Eagles, and coach Stacie Staufenberg credited sophomore Emma Hagel for her excellent double teaming.
The Lady Panthers improved to 8-5 in league play (8-8 overall) while the Eagles are 1-13 at the end of the league season (2-15 overall).
SOUDERTON 19, PENNRIDGE 7
The Indians received multi-goal efforts from Chessie Rehmer (four goals, three assists), Natalie Bulgier (four goals), Nikki Palmer (three goals, three assists), Amber Lambeth (two goals, two assists) and Bekah Hershey (two goals). Alyssa Ziegler, Michelle Goodwin, Alyssa Qhash, Rachel Judge and Brittany Royan each had one goal.
The Indians closed out the league season with a 6-6 record (8-8 overall) while the Rams fell to 0-12 in the league (2-13 overall).
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