The Pennsbury Falcons returned to their grass today after being away from home for four straight days. The field was damp from the rain, but not unplayable like it was the first time these two teams were scheduled to meet. Today's make up game marked the fourth crossover contest for Pennsbury in six days. Just 24 hours earlier the Falcons were being dominated by CB South and walking away from a 7-0 loss. Today had to be better, and it was. We did not win and we did not score, but we showed up and proved that we have the ability to bounce back and be resilient, said head coach Traci Curtis. North Penn scored four minutes into the first quarter with a beautiful tip on a penalty corner. It was picture perfect and amazing placement - there was not much we could do to defend it so we just learned to look out for it and be ready if it happened again. Two minutes later North Penn struck again taking a hard shot from the top that unfortunately deflected off of a Falcon defender's stick to put the Knights up 2-0. We did not hang out heads or fall into a funk, which is a great improvement for us as of late, Curtis explained. Our focus was on small moments and taking baby steps, and we finished out the first quarter holding them to two goals. There was so much hockey left to play and our girls were prepared to stay strong. Their mindset was different and you could feel it in each one of them. Once again, North Penn scored off of a penalty corner in the first four minutes as the second quarter clock ticked away and the Falcons were down 3-0 before they could blink. Historically, this is where we would fall apart and succumb to the pressure, allowing our mental game get the best of us. The coaches cannot express how proud they are that history did not repeat itself today. The Pennsbury Falcons went on to hold the North Penn Knights to those first three goals, not allowing them to score for the remainder of the game. Nineteen shots and seven corners met the strength of the PHS defensive unit, that once again proved to be the strength of this squad. Goalie, Jordan Vradenburgh, denied 14 shots and led the backfield through actions and words. Senior, Helena Sosa, who was carted off the field last week against Souderton with a ball to the head, returned to play today and was an awesome example of grit, strength, resilience, and determination. She is a difference maker and it filled us with joy to have her back out there today. She had a great defensive save and inspires us all. EB Rafferty has stepped up big time for us in the midfield and really grown this season, contributing more and more each game. It is fun to watch a player make progress like Rafferty has since August. Meg McClure and Olivia Graebner gave their always full tilt, consistent full 60 minute effort from end to end. The Falcons earned two corners and executed well, but are yet to capitalize and finish - we just keep at it and try, try again. We are pleased with how the girls played today - to hold a team like North Penn to 3 goals is huge for us, especially during this intense part of our schedule. We will celebrate what we can and hold tight to it as we move forward. We would like to shout out a BIG thanks to the North Penn team for their generous donation to our food drive today for a local pantry. Their contribution means a lot and was a great reflection of the field hockey community and bond that we all share. The Falcons finish out their five game streak tomorrow at home against CB East.