Plymouth Whitemarsh @ Neshaminy

Plymouth Whitemarsh 4, Neshaminy 3 (OT)

Emily Dobrowolski - 2 Goals, 1 Assist
Gracie Kerns - 1 Goal, 1 Assist
Ava Matthias - 1 Goal
Bridget Fullerton - 1 Assist
Kate Dobrowolski - Defensive Save
Carly Spinner - 12 Saves

Game Summary: "It was an exciting first game of the season as PW defeated Neshaminy 4-3 in overtime. After an evenly played 1st quarter, Neshaminy got on the board first at the 11:03 mark when Kasey Rieger scored the first of her three goals. PW's Gracie Kerns quickly responded, scoring less than two minutes later on an assist from Emily Dobrowolski. The rest of the second quarter would be controlled by Neshaminy as PW struggled to get out of the backfield. Rieger was able to capitalize off of some poor decision making and passing by PW to score her second of the game with 1:33 remaining in the quarter. PW would start the 3rd quarter down a player and Rieger was able to capitalize on the opportunity at the 13:41 mark giving Neshaminy the 3-1 lead. Emily Dobrowolski would score off of a broken corner play in the 3rd quarter at the 8:03 mark to bring PW closer. PW put a great deal of pressure on the Neshaminy defense throughout the 4th quarter and with 3:15 remaining the game, Senior, Ava Matthias, would tie the game with a strong finish in front of the goalkeeper during another corner play. Neshaminy made one last final push at the end of the game earning a corner with no time left on the clock. PW's defensive corner unit, of Hadley Blake, Ava Matthias, Emily Dobrowolski, Kate Dobrowolski, and GK Carly Spinner, stayed composed and played through 5 Neshaminy corners with the time expired to send the game into overtime. Kerns and E. Dobrowolski took advantage of a numbers up opportunity to create a 2v.1 with the Neshaminy goalkeeper and secure the win with a finish in the back of the net by Dobrowolski."

Reflection: "The win is a boost of confidence for this team as we have many returners from last year who experienced a slow start to the 2023 season. The team took our half time talk and made adjustments and corrections to better read the Neshaminy defense and lean into the strengths of our team. For the first game of the season, it was exciting to see our players stick to the game plan and compete even while down two goals in the third quarter. Our second half highlighted the solid play of defenders Ava Matthias and Hadley Blake and the creative and speedy attacking plays of Emily Dobrowolski, Gracie Kerns, Ella Catania, and Bridget Fullerton. The second half also saw PW earn more shots on cage and attacking corners with 17 shots and 8 attacking corners in total. Today's win was truly a team effort and an exciting win to kickoff the 2024 season!