It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...then it was okay times, and then not so bad times with some great times mixed in. It has been the "tale of two Pennsbury FH teams" this season - the coaching staff's big question is, "Which one is showing up and how will the "times" be described?" Tonight, despite the loss, was an awesome showing for PHS under the Friday Night Lights in West's turf stadium. Set against a beautiful October 1st sunset, the Falcons rose up brushing the dirt off from Souderton's shut out and found a way to put a confident foot forward giving CB West a strong challenge. Winning is measured by the numbers on the scoreboard, but tonight our Falcon defense had a victory in the stats. The Bucks dominated much of the game, but both teams were hard pressed to score in the first half. The score was 0-0 well into the third quarter and that is due to Pennsbury's stand out defensive unit and goalkeeper, Jordan Vradenburgh. West scored the first goal of the game with six minutes left in the third quarter off of their 15th penalty corner. Aside from committing the fouls in the circle, the Falcons were a solid brick wall up until that corner play when they went down 1-0. They went on to tally up a total of 21 corners total. The score held 1-0 into the fourth when West added another goal to go up 2-0. We cannot say enough about our core defensive unit - senior captain, Sophia Curtis, junior captain, Olivia Graebner, and sophomore, Gabby Darling. They work so well together as a cohesive trio and have settled into a rhythm that works. They are lacrosse defenders as well so it is great to watch them operate in the two environments. Darling had two incredible defensive saves tonight and truly has no fear when going in for a block. She is super strong and as she learns and grows, her timing is perfect. Curtis has the experience to lead the crew and take charge in so many facets including flying on corners (21 times), free hits, and offensive corners as well. Olivia Graebner is one of those kids you just wish you had a thousand of on your team. She does it all and simply leads as a quiet force through her actions on the field. Add a dash of Vradenburgh in the cage and it is a wonderful homemade recipe for success. Vradenburgh notched 17 saves and the shots came in all forms - high lifts, fast bullets, scuffles, rebounds, and more. She had a rough time against Souderton and we are extremely proud of the way she bounced back in 24 hours to protect the net like she did. That took mental strength and we know she worked hard to shake off yesterday's loss. Pennsbury had a few break away opportunities and earned six penalty corners, which they executed well, but just not well enough. The Bucks are a great team with lots of skill, smarts, and speed. We are working hard to get to that next level and meet these crossover teams where they are. It will take time. As Coach Taylor would say in the show, Friday Night Lights, "Clear Eyes. Full Hearts. Can't Lose." We can honestly say we walked away with full hearts tonight proud of who we are and how we fought. After a short weekend breather, Pennsbury will travel to CB South on Monday, play North Penn on Tuesday, and finish a 5 game run with CB East on Wednesday.