The Patriots jumped out to a lead scoring 3 quick goals before Bensalem answered with 3 of their own. Each team only tallied 1 point in the 2nd quarter before the Patriots pulled away in the 3rd quarter and marched on to a 10-8 victory.

Coach Kelly Tait: I'm really proud of how the girls played today it was definitely a hot day and the girls powered through. We did have some sloppy moments where I think we were adjusting to the heat but fortunately the girls cleaned that up before it became an issue. Paige Dougherty, Cece Hayes, and Natalie Berndt were absolutely dominant in the midfield today, winning the majority of the draws. It was thrilling to watch the three of them work together on the circle—they did an outstanding job securing possession and setting the tone for the game. Our defensive unit did an excellent job locking down their players and covering cutters, which really limited Bensalem’s shooting opportunities and kept them out of the 8. Our slides were sharp, and the communication across the defense was on point all game. Emma Weisel played a key role in transition today, consistently getting open in the midfield and making clutch catches to move the ball into the offensive zone.

By the numbers: Paige Dougherty (3G, 4 DC), Cece Hayes (3 G, 2 DC), Emma Weisel (2 G, 1A), Natalie Berndt (1 G, 2 A, 4 DC), McKenna Lynch (1G), Megan Fahey (1A), Ella Menard (2 DC, 4 GB)

Box:
CBE 3 4 9 10
Bens 2 3 5 8