FRANCONIA >> A goal had eluded Taylor Yoder in this early portion of the season and her patience was wearing a bit thin.

Catharsis finally came for the Souderton junior midfielder early in the second half Thursday night.

“Even last game I had a lot of chances that I felt I should of finished,” Yoder said. “Just I tend to struggle to get the goal in. So it was really nice to finally finish one. It felt good.”

Driving in on the right flank, Yank let got of a shot that slid just inside the far left post for her first tally of 2019 and ending the scoreless tie between the Indians girls soccer team and visiting North Penn.

“Honestly, I didn’t know where it was going to go,” she said. “I was just kind of in a tough spot and just tried to kind of hook it to the back post and luckily it went it.”

Yoder’s breakthrough ignited the Big Red attack as Souderton struck for three goals in the first 10 minutes after halftime, turning what was a tight match into a comfortable 3-1 victory in the Suburban One League Continental Conference opener for both sides.

“Definitely for this team we tend to struggle to find the net but once we find it, we really figure out what works,” Yoder said. “And we tend to capitalize on our chances once we get one.”

Hannah Alderfer scored 39 seconds late at 36:19 to double the Souderton lead while Avery Nogami added a third at 30:50 as the defending PIAA Class 4A champs improved to 3-0-0 (1-0-0 conference).

“There’s definitely some pressure but we talked about last season was great and we loved that that happened but it’s last season,” Yoder said. “So this season is a whole new season and we need to continue to prove ourselves. Last season doesn’t mean anything this season.”

North Penn pushed for the first goal with free kicks and corners in the final minutes before halftime only to come away empty. Souderton made the Knights pay for the missed chances quickly in the second half and handed them a second straight loss.

“I really liked the way we played tonight. I think it came down to that five minute-period there were it just kind of got away from us,” North co-head coach Mike Rio said. “We kind of just slipped up and before we got back on our feet, they had two more in. And then I liked the way we closed it out, we played strong ‘til the end.”

 North Penn (1-2-0, 0-1-1) avoided the shutout with 1:13 remaining when Grace Sacchetti blasted a free kick into the top of the net.

“That’s just beautiful placement,” said Rio of Sacchetti’s strike. “Just beautiful, driven ball, upper 90, that’s the kind of free kick you dream of hitting and she deserved to be excited and happy after that.”

Yoder gave the Indians the 1-0 lead at 36:58 then 39 seconds later Alderfer extended the advantage to two on a breakaway down the left side, sliding a ball under the Knights keeper and into the net at 36:19.

“Averie (Doughty) played a beautiful ball over the defense and I ran onto it and finished it,” Alderfer said.

Big Red made it 3-0 at 30:50 off a free kick Sarah Toche-Manley sent into the 18-yard box, with sophomore Nogami eventually corralling the loose ball and knocking it into the back of the net.

“I feel like they started to get really frustrated with each other and themselves, and we always play as a team and that always helps us to work together,” Alderfer said. “And I think that’s why we came ahead instead of them.”

In all three of its games so far this season, the Indians have scored at least two goals– last year on the way to the state title Souderton had two or more goals in just nine of 26 contests.

“I think our team does a really good job of playing together,” Yoder said. “We definitely continue to support each other and we’re really good at like we know how each other play cause a lot of us play club together so we kind of know what runs we’re going to make and I think we just do really well with that.”

Both teams are back on the field Friday. Souderton stays in SOL Continental play as it visits Central Bucks West at 5 p.m. North Penn, looking for its first since besting Great Valley 6-2 in the Knights’ season opener, visits Lansdale Catholic at 3:45 p.m.

“Still have some young players that are still learning, trying to figure it out and dealing with some different formations, different players in different spots,” Rio said. “Overall, we were happy with the way we played tonight, obviously not the greatest result but it wasn’t one of the nights you walk away and say that we played bad soccer tonight. I like the soccer that we played for 70 of the 80 minutes.

Doughty had Souderton’s top chance to grab the lead in the first half, bursting behind the NP backline and driving straight on the net but the junior sent her shot high.

The Knights’ best opportunities to break the 0-0 stalemate came in the last minutes before intermission. A free kick into the box was redirected by Casey Cavanaugh to the front of goal but Ella Kregel cleared it for a corner.  The ball dropped to Sacchetti’s feet on the corner, but her shot was blocked by Darby Kramer for another corner,

The second corner led to a second free kick but the effort from 25 yards out was sent wide right.

“Even on the corners, we got on the end of them, just couldn’t find the net and getting that first goal is always so big,” Rio said. “Just kind of gives your team that extra little bit of confidence. They got that tonight and they were able to build on it whereas if one of those goes in it goes the other way, we’re maybe feeling a little differently.”

Boyertown

Coach: Bill Goddard, 20th season
Last year’s record/accomplishments: 4-4-2 PAC Liberty, 7-4-2 PAC, 9-7-3 overall; District 1-4A qualifier
Players to watch: Seniors Emma Elwell, mid.; Madison Gallagher, GK. Juniors Samantha Goffice, fwd.; Camilla Kuever, mid.; Madison Monka, mid.; Mikayla Moyer, def./mid.
Outlook: Last year’s Boyertown team consistently played right with the best opponents on its schedule, but good performances didn’t translate into winning results on too many occasions. This fall, the Bears will be hoping for those elements to match up with one of the better returning casts in the PAC. Fast-paced attackers Emma Elwell and Samantha Goffice (both All-Area second team 2018) should provide a scoring punch while the spine is strong with midfielder Maddie Monka and goalkeeper Maddie Gallagher. Boyertown will also be bolstered by Camilla Kuever, a German exchange student who is a member of the U16 Germany women’s national team. Veteran coach Bill Goddard hates having the attention focused on his squad, but early season buzz says that’s unavoidable: the Bears are considered co-favorites in the PAC and will be positioned for a run in districts.

Daniel Boone

Coach: Mark Reightneour, 1st season
Last year’s record/accomplishments: 3-7 Berks II, 6-11 overall
Players to watch: Ariana Trautz, fwd.; Nylah Cody, fwd.; Nicole Brown, mid.; Lily Ferguson, mid.; Hailey Kaba, def.; Emma Kay, def.; Lizzy Tranni, def.
Outlook: The Blazers have gotten off to a strong start in 2019 and have proven capable of scoring goals with 15 goals through four matches. They’ll hope that trend continues as it battles in Berks II against division favorites Fleetwood, Berks Catholic and Conrad Weiser.

Hill School

School: Laura Wann, 4th season
Last year’s record/accomplishments: 2-12 overall
Players to watch: Senior Lindsey Coffey, mid. Juniors Sydney Floyd, fwd.; Marah Krick, GK.
Outlook: Hill plans to use its speed at forward and lean on returning goalkeeper Marah Krick, an All-Area honorable mention in 2018, to up its win total this fall. After some lean years recently, coach Laura Wann feels the right mentality will play a big role in the Blues’ progress. “We need to stay healthy and need our team chemistry to be positive from day one,” she said.

Methacton

Coach: Bret Smith, 17th season
Last year’s record/accomplishments: 2-8 PAC Liberty, 4-9 PAC, 7-11 overall
Players to watch: Seniors Michaela Tommarello, mid.; Kate Evans, mid.; Rachel O’Toole, def. Juniors Julia McCann, fwd.; Madia Mazzucola, fwd.; Jess Lineen, def. Sophomores Sarah Kenwood, mid.; Ruby Murray, def.; Lizzie McNichol, def. Freshman Molly Rowland, mid.
Outlook: The Warriors found life difficult in a stacked PAC Liberty DIvision in 2018, but coach Bret Smith liked the growth his team showed. Smith is hoping a carryover effect can lead Methacton to its first district playoff berth since 2012. “If the returning players can start off the season the way they ended last year, I expect to improve again on our record from last year,” Smith said. Methacton has three returning starters on defense, a positive considering it often started three freshmen in back last year. The Warriors’ progress may come down to finding capable and consistent goal scoring, a spot that has troubled the team in recent years.

Owen J Roberts

Coach: Joe Margusity, 24th season
Last year’s record/accomplishments: 9-0-1 PAC Liberty, 12-0-1 PAC, 19-1-1 overall, PAC champion, District 1-4A second round
Players to watch: Seniors Veronica Roach, mid.; Sophie Marks, mid.; Hannah Delahaye, fwd.
Junior Sam Hughes, GK; Sarah Kopec, mid.; Emily Sands, def.; Avery White, fwd. Sophomore Morgan Weaver, def.
Outlook: Last year’s OJR team had a historic regular season, allowing a state record two goals on the way to an undefeated PAC championship. The No. 1 seeds in District 1 were stunned in the first round of districts in a penalty kick loss to Haverford (despite not allowing a goal), a painful end to an otherwise brilliant season. The team featured five All-Area first teamers, four that graduated – Mia Baumgarten (Bridgewater College), Bailey Hunt (Millersville), Kenzie Milne (Penn State club team), and Kylee MacLeod (Kutztown), last year’s Mercury All-Area Player of the Year. The lone returner is sophomore center back Morgan Weaver, though second team forward Sarah Kopec and goalkeeper Samantha Hughes are also back. “After two consecutive years of graduating very talented senior classes the team will be very young this year,” coach Joe Margusity said. “We will be counting on a very talented freshman class as well as a number of sophomores who will step in and fill the void left by graduation.” Even with counting on a number of rookies, Margusity expects his starting 11 to match up well with all comers in the PAC. It’s only natural for the Wildcats to take a step back from a record-setting season, but expecting too big a dip comes at your own risk considering the standard of excellence in the OJR program.

Perkiomen School

Coach: Justine Segear, 10th season
Last year’s record/accomplishments: 12-1-1 overall, Tri-County League and Penn Jersey League champions
Players to watch: Seniors Abbey Glavin, GK; Sasha Vassallo, mid. Junior Rianne Moll, mid. Sophomore Cece Vassallo, fwd. Freshman Cheyenne McCloud, def.
Outlook: Perkiomen School has to be feeling good entering the season after losing just once in 14 matches in 2018 while claiming two league titles – the Tri-County and Penn Jersey leagues. It will be battling on two fronts again this year but has plenty of experience with core pieces Abbey Glavin, Sasha Vassallo, Rianne Moll and Cece Vassallo returning, all of whom were All-Area honorable mention last year. “We have a seasoned keeper, solid returning players,
and some new hopefuls I am looking forward to seeing build as the season progresses,” coach Justine Segear said. “With being in two leagues we have an opportunity to play in two post-seasons so we are hoping to make the best of this season. I think we are focused on building our level of play as a program and having fun and growing together as a team.”

Perkiomen Valley

Coach: Kim Paulus, 15th season
Last year’s record/accomplishments: 6-3-1 PAC Liberty, 8-4-1 PAC, 9-7-1 overall, District 1-4A qualifier
Players to watch: Seniors Nikki Foller-Moll, mid.; Cassidy Polignano, mid. Juniors Riley Hill, GK; Mackenzie Patla, def.; Madelyn Zielke, mid.
Outlook: Perkiomen Valley’s 2018 season had more than a few highlights, most notably its first District 1 playoff qualification since 2007. To repeat that will require many new players to step in for a large graduated class that featured All-Area first team midfielder Sydney Marasco (Pittsburgh). “Though in a rebuilding year, we expect to stay competitive,” coach Kim Paulus said. “We have a core group of talented players who have established chemistry and who understand our program and our league. This core group has already assisted in the development of our youngest players; and though we lost eight starters, we return nine varsity seniors, who have experience in big situations.” PV looks best positioned in the midfield with Nikki Foller-Moll, Cassidy Polignano and Madelyn Zielke returning, but will need a largely new set of defenders to meet the reputation of the Vikings as a tough defensive side.

Phoenixville

Coach: Stewart Sherk, 1st season
Last year’s record/accomplishments: 6-4 PAC Frontier, 7-6 PAC, 9-8-1 overall, District 1-3A qualifier
Players to watch: Seniors Maddie White, mid.; Lily White, def. Juniors Ava Labik, def.; Alex Perrotto, def.; Morgan Beatty, mid.; Savanna Seldes, mid. Sophomores Sydney Goodhart, mid.; Ella Stout, GK.
Outook: Former Pope John Paul II head coach Stewart Sherk moved over to Phoenixville in the offseason, taking over for Tim Raub. Sherk inherits a young team that has a couple large holes to fill, namely in the attacking midfield with the graduation of All-Area first teamer Gabrielle Perrotto (Drexel). Leading returners include Sydney Goodhart, Maddie White and Ella Stout, all of whom were All-Area honorable mentions in 2018. “We are still a young team that has a good foundation to build on. We have some girls adapting to different positions than they are normally used to playing,” Sherk said. “This team has a lot of potential. Playing team defense and executing the details is imperative to our success. We must stay engaged for the entire game and also be mentally tough.” A return to district play would be a mark of a successful season for the Phantoms.

Pope John Paul II

Coach: Bill Bono, 1st season
Last year’s record/accomplishments: 8-2 PAC Frontier, 9-4 PAC, 10-8-1 overall, PAC semifinals, District 1-3A qualifier
Players to watch: Seniors Stacey Kormos, GK; Delaney Cordrey, def.; Mary Kate Shannon, fwd.; Emily Hughes, fwd. Junior Lainey Owens, mid.
Outlook: Bill Bono takes over at PJP, replacing Stewart Sherk, who is now in charge at Phoenixville. Bono inherits a program that has consistently been toward the top of the PAC Frontier Division. To continue that trend, the Golden Panthers will look to its defense to lead, specifically three-year starting goalkeeper Stacey Kormos and defender Delaney Cordrey. “Our defense is solid and along with our goalkeeping we will look for them to set the tone in each game,” Bono said. “Our team has talent, but hard work and focus will be the biggest factors for this team to reach their potential.” PJP figures to be among the pack chasing Pottsgrove in the PAC Frontier and can realistically target a return to the District 1-3A playoffs.

Pottsgrove

Coach: Stephen Mellor, 9th season
Last year’s record/accomplishments: 10-0 PAC Frontier, 11-2 PAC, 14-6 overall, PAC Frontier champion, PAC semifinalist, District 1-3A quarterfinals
Players to watch: Seniors Skylar Glass, fwd.; Becca Delp, mid./def. Juniors Alexis Zook, mid.; Hailey Strain, mid.
Outlook: One of the stories of last fall was the breakthrough of the Falcons, who won the PAC Frontier for the first time, qualified for districts for the first time since 2002 and won a program-best 14 games. Ten starters, including All-Area first team forward Skylar Glass and midfielder Becca Delp, are back and poised to make it a banner year for Pottsgrove. “We are looking to build on last season’s success,” coach Steve Mellor said. “With 13 varsity letter winners returning, experience will be our strength. We have good soccer players at every position who know their roles and are willing to do whatever is necessary for the team to be successful.” Pottsgrove is the firm favorite to repeat in the PAC Frontier. That part is known. What’s not is if the Falcons can maximize their potential and win a PAC title and make a run in the District 1-3A tournament that could earn one of the district’s two state-playoff berths.

Pottstown

Coach: Gary Mock, 10th season
Last year’s record/accomplishments: 1-8-1 PAC Frontier, 2-10-1 PAC, 4-12-1 overall
Players to watch: Seniors Emme Wolfel, GK; Aniya Hoskins, fwd.; Melissa Coleman, mid. Sophomores Calista Daye, fwd.; Kaleigh Martin, mid.
Outlook: Pottstown is coming off its best season in a decade of varsity girls soccer, winning four games including two in the PAC, the first Trojans team to ever do so. With standout senior goalkeeper Emme Wolfel (Mercury All-Area first team, Kutztown commit) returning to her leadership role and proven goalscorers Aniya Hoskins and Calista Daye back up top, the Trojans are not the easy out they’ve historically been. It’s hard to know what the ceiling is for this year’s Pottstown team, but it’s higher than ever before and coach Gary Mock and his staff are excited to find out. “When we learn how to share the ball and play together we will finally hit our full potential,” Mock said. “The coaching staff thinks this is the year we will compete for a division title and maybe a district bid for the first time in the 12-year history of this program.”

Spring-Ford

Head Coach: Mo Hadadi, 2nd season
Last year’s record/accomplishments: 7-3 PAC Liberty, 10-3 PAC, 13-7 overall, PAC finalist, District 1-4A second round
Players to watch: Senior Ella Curry, mid. Juniors Hope Flanegin, fwd./mid.; Molly Thomas, mid.; Riley Wallace, GK; Caitlin Norwood, def.; Emily Higgins, mid. Sophomore Ally McVey, mid.
Outlook: Last year was a transitional year for a Spring-Ford program that has become one of the top programs in District 1 after graduating a highly-successful senior class and welcoming new coach Mo Hadadi. Even still, the Rams managed to make the PAC title game and reach the second round of districts. With last year’s leaders Ella Curry (All-Area first team), Hope Flanegin (second team) and Molly Thomas (second team) all returning in the midfield, the Rams look poised to return to the top of the PAC. “It’s a young roster, but most of the players played with each other last season and understand each other,” Hadadi said. That continuity will go far – and so can the Rams this fall.

Upper Merion

Coach: Jeff Kushner, 4th season
Last year’s record/accomplishments: 0-9-1 PAC Frontier, 0-12-1 PAC, 4-13-1 overall
Players to watch: Seniors Olivia Barr, Morgan Donovan, Sarah Lattanze
Outlook: After a winless PAC campaign in 2018, the Vikings hope brighter times are ahead. “(Upper Merion) continues its development by infusing young talent with a number of returning players this year,” coach Jeff Kushner said. “Since joining the Pioneer Athletic Conference 4 years ago, the program seeks to develop a more competitive spirit with its league opponents.”

Upper Perkiomen

Coach: Mike Freed, 11th season
Last year’s record/accomplishments: 4-6 PAC Frontier, 5-8 overall, 7-11 overall
Players to watch: Seniors Hannah Landis, GK; Avery Diehl, fwd. Juniors Bryanna Marinari, mid.; Emily Schaut, mid. Sophomore Lindsay Bieler, def.
Outlook: Early season talk has Upper Perkiomen as a team trending upward with most of its core returning, including four-year starting goalkeeper Hannah Landis and junior midfielder Bryanna Marinari, both All-Area honorable mention. “A very talented group of freshmen join a team that includes 11 returning letter winners, making for great competition for places and roster depth,” said coach Mike Freed. “The team should be solid in midfield, but there is experience at almost every position.” While Pottsgrove remains the favorite to retain the PAC Frontier title, Upper Perk should be capable of heading the chase pack, which could translate to places in the PAC and District 1-3A playoffs.

Springfield goalie Shannon Cutliff registered 11 saves and her third shutout in four games to lead the Cougars to a 4-0 Central League win over Marple Newtown.

Caroline Walters paced the Springfield attack with two goals. Erin Gormley and Molly Henry also found the back of the net for the Cougars (4-0, 2-0 Central).

In nonleague action:

Penncrest 1, Avon Grove 0 >> Shayna Polsky scored her first goal of the season off a corner kick early in the second half and the Lions received outstanding goalkeeping by freshman Ava Simpson.

Pennington 2, Episcopal Academy 1 >> Maya Namoli scored off a pass from Lauren Cunningham late in regulation for the Churchwomen.

Bryn Mawr – Three years ago, Baldwin School soccer head coach Adrian Cox created a way for the soccer programs at Haverford School, Shipley and Baldwin to showcase their abilities and bring a community together.

On Sept. 4, the three programs came together again at Baldwin for a girls’ contest featuring Baldwin and Shipley that preceded a boys’ match between Haverford School and Shipley.

Cox, who is also Baldwin Assistant Athletic Director, said, “Baldwin and Haverford soccer programs play non-league games every fall against Shipley. Since Baldwin and Haverford are both single-sex schools and many families have children at both schools it’s always nice to partner and bring our school communities together. All three schools are located within a mile of each other and a lot of the student-athletes know each other and even play on the same club teams outside of school.

“Baldwin does a lot of partnering with Haverford in academics, the arts and international exchange programs. Athletics serves as a great platform to unite the schools. It allows all these talented student-athletes to play a competitive contest in a fun and spirited atmosphere against local non-league rival Shipley, a co-ed school.” 

For the second time in three years the girls’ contest came down to the closing minutes before Baldwin pulled out a 2-1 victory over Shipley. In the boys’ match, Haverford grabbed an early 2-0 lead before the game was eventually postponed due to the combination of lightning, bad weather and eventually darkness before the match was completed.

“The whole day is exciting,” said Baldwin sophomore Josie Stockett. “We hype each other up all day in school. It’s a great way to bond and bring the community together.”

Shipley senior Liv Hamilton said, “The game is very important to us because Baldwin is so close and the game is always competitive and it’s great to have our boys team come out and support us and we’ll stay and support our boys team. It also gets our classmates out so we can show them what we have been working so hard on in pre-season.”

With the sun shining brightly as the girl’s took the pitch the two teams battled as the crowd got into the contest with both teams having early scoring opportunities. With a little over four minutes remaining in the first half, the combination of Clara Page and Josie Stockett gave the Polar Bears a 1-0 lead when Stockett converted on a feed into the box from Page.

Midway through the second half, the Gators knocked home the equalizer when Liv Hamilton went far into the box and without much of an angle fired the ball on goal hoping for something to happen.

Fortunately for Hamilton, her shot that ended up going near post went off the hands of Baldwin keeper Taylor Levinson into the back of the net to level the match.

“I did not have a great angle,” said Hamilton. I knew the shot was a high risk, high reward chance. Luckily it went in. It felt good to help my team however unfortunately we did not get the result we wanted.”

With a little over two minutes remaining, Page drove the right side and put a ball into the box. As she has done so many time before, Stockett followed the ball into the box and was able to settle the carom off the keeper’s hands and deposit the eventual game winner into the back of the net.

“I had confidence that Clara would put the ball into the box and I just wanted to put myself in a position. Fortunately, I was able to do that and convert the rebound.”

Alivia Hamilton

Hamilton, a senior co-captain, led the Gators in goals and assists each of the past two years, scoring a school record 21 goals last fall. She tallied a hat trick in Shipley’s season opener against Academy of Notre Dame, and has received All-Friends Schools League honors every year since her her freshman season. Last fall, many of the goals she scored were vital to the Gators advancing to the FSL championship finals. In the spring, Hamilton plays varsity softball for Shipley. 

Q:  What in your opinion have been the biggest keys to your scoring proficiency?

A: I have become a much more confident player over the past few years, and I think that it’s a big reason why I have been more successful with my play. It is easy to put yourself down for making a bad pass or missing a shot, but it is important to believe in your abilities. [Shipley head coach] Dakota Carroll has helped me progress as a player and so have my teammates, and I think they are a big reason why I feel comfortable taking as many shots as I can knowing that whether or not it goes in, I am supported.

Q: What aspects of your game are you working on most currently?

A: I am working on my physicality and being able to hold off defenders when they are on my back. It is something I have been working on but something that I know I will always have to practice.

Q: What was your most vivid memory of last season? Can you share your recollections with us?

A: My most vivid memory is every game we got scored on, our goalkeeper at the time (Grace Gordon) pulled the team together on the field and always told us what we need to work on. It is something that motivated the team and inspired us to keep our heads up and to come out with urgency to score goals and focus on playing our style. She was always able to hype the team up and helped us relax and play the best soccer we could. Another memory was playing under the lights during Super Saturday. Our whole school came to watch us and it was an awesome feeling to know that we were supported by them.

Q: How do you see your leadership role as a team captain this fall?

A: I am super excited to be a captain with Sarah Cotteta, Lexi Wojtelwicz and Hannah Brainsky. We are working to create a team that feels like family. When we were underclassmen that is something that was instilled in our program, and we are looking to carry that on to create a stronger connection on the field. The girls are so much fun to be around and there energy is contagious along with their intense work ethic and it makes our job as captains a lot easier.

Q: Tell us a little about your start in soccer. What originally attracted you to soccer? Who have been your most important soccer mentors, and what was the most important thing each of them taught you?

A: I started playing soccer the second I knew how to walk. I played with my four older brothers and constantly got beat up, but I never stopped because I always wanted to be just like them. They have helped me improve as a player so much because of their tough love. They taught me how to take a hit and get right back up which was very important when I was younger because of my small stature. Another mentor who is very important to me is my club coach, Sam Griggs. He taught me to be confident in my play and not to care what people think of me. I used to be a scared player who never wanted the ball and would just kick it away so I wasn’t responsible for any mistakes. I learned that mistakes help you grow as a player and to improve you have to take risks and learn from your mistakes.

Q: Briefly describe for us your pre-game preparation (physical, mental) on the day of a game.

A: Before games, we get the team together in the locker room and blast music as loud as we can. Sometimes we dance around and laugh or sometimes we play an inspirational speech to help us get in the zone. I love to laugh and release all the stress that I might be feeling and try to let go of that, so I can solely focus on the game. During warm-ups, I try to set a goal for myself so that I constantly have something to work for, whether it is to score a goal or work on winning as many air balls as I can. I also always have a bag of pretzels that I snack on before every game so that I am fueled for the game, and I eat these throughout the game to keep me energized.

Q: You wear uniform jersey No. 5 for Shipley – is there a reason you picked this number – does it have any significance to you?

A: I have always been No. 5. I got this number from my brother who I looked up to as a player and the number reminds me of him every time I play.

Q: What do you think you might want to major in at college? Is there a career field that particularly interests you at the present time?

A: Right now my goal is to become an orthodontist, so I would most likely major in biology.

Fun facts – Alivia Hamilton
Favorite book: And Then There Were None – Agatha Christie.
Favorite TV show: The Office.
Favorite movie: The Sound of Music.
Favorite athlete: Tobin Heath.
Favorite team: USWNT.
Favorite place to visit: “My cousins in Arizona.”
Favorite pre-game meal: “Any kind of pasta and salad.”
Person I most admire: “All of my brothers because they are successful and caring and have been the perfect role models.”
Family members: parents Mary and Glenn (“best parents ever”) and brothers Cal, Ian, Aidan and Nolan.

(To be selected as Main Line Girls Athlete of the Week, a student-athlete must first be nominated by her coach.)

It’s taken four games for Upper Darby to match its win total from the last four seasons.

Gabby Liberio recorded her second hat trick of the season, all the scoring needed for a 3-0 win over Penn Wood Monday. Moira Penot made 12 saves in keeping the clean sheet for the Royals (2-2).

In other nonleague girls soccer action:

Archbishop Carroll 5, Norristown 0 >> Kiley Mottice deposited another hat trick, and Keri Barnett and Kelli Ann Matey added a goal each for the Patriots (2-2). Nicollette Cashin stopped the only shot to come her way.

In the Bicentennial League:

Dock Mennonite 2, Delco Christian 1 >> Maddy Vavala scored late, but two second-half goals from Dock did in the Knights.

TOWAMENCIN >> The early portion of this season’s schedule has taken its toll on the Neshaminy girls soccer team.

“We’re been decimated with injuries this year,” Redskins coach Renny Papendick said. “We’ve got a broken foot, we’ve got a broken hip, we’ve got a broken nose, we’ve got a concussion.”

Down five starters, Neshaminy has turned to its younger players and Monday afternoon a freshman helped deliver the ‘Skins a SOL nonconference win. Carly Fox scored in the first half then picked an assist after halftime as visiting Neshaminy held on to edge North Penn 2-1.

“She’s going to be a big-time player for us in a couple years,” said Papendick of Fox. “But she’s definitely not playing like a freshman.”

North Penn’s Emily Varilla (9) tries to move in on Neshaminy’s Jordyn Fregia (1) late in the first half of their game on Monday, Sept. 9, 2019 at North Penn High School. (James Beaver/For MediaNews Group)

Emily Varilla pulled the Knights even before halftime and came tantalizingly close to another in the second as North Penn had a handful a quality chances to equalize but just couldn’t get one in the back of the net.

“We created changes and we just didn’t execute on them,” Knights co-head coach Mike Rio said. “They had a few and they did. Again, they played good defensively, they were organized, they took care of their business in the back and they had a couple really nice through balls that their girls were able to run through and finish.”

Fox gave Neshaminy (3-2-0, 1-1-0 SOL National) the early advantage on a breakaway while Varilla made it 1-1 making a long run after getting behind the ‘Skins defense. But Neshaminy regained the lead for good early in the second half, with Fox finding Gina Sexton with a long pass for the go-ahead goal.

“I saw a gap and I put it through the gap and she went through a different gap,” Fox said.

A tying goal evaded North Penn (2-3-0, 0-1-0 SOL Continental) the remainder of the contest, but not due to the Knights’ lack of trying. North Penn threatening on a few corners — Landry Holt headed a ball over the crossbar on one while another was cleared out to Olivia Urban, who ripped a shot that bounced twice before being saved.

North Penn’s Grace Sacchetti (2) pushes the ball into the Neshaminy zone during their game Monday, Sept. 9, 2019. (James Beaver/For MediaNews Group)

NP’s best chance in the second half came from Varilla, the sophomore bursting down the left sideline then toeing a shot that went bit wide of the right post.

“Feed the ball to her, just kind of missed the outside post be a little margin there,” Rio said. “It kind of felt like we were just a little bit off when we got around that attacking third, everything was a just a little off where it was header over the crossbar, some of the crosses just a little out of reach of our attackers. We felt we generated a lot of chances and we played hard. It’s just that’s one of those things.

“Again give Neshaminy, hats off to them, they have a really good defensive shape, they played hard defensively, they didn’t make anything easy for us and again when they had their opportunities they took advantage.”

The Knights have dropped three of four since a season-opening 6-2 win over Great Valley — their other win 3-2 over Lansdale Catholic last Friday — but Rio has seen plenty of positives for a NP side coming off an appearance in the District 1-4A second round.

“As far as our schedule, we’ve had a pretty tough schedule here to start,” Rio said. “This week, we’ll have seven games in 14 days and we had a back-to-back Thursday and Friday then we have today and tomorrow. So, it’s been tough to do game after game after game.

“We like the way that the girls are playing, they’re playing hard, obviously not getting the results and hopefully as we go over to (Central Bucks) East tomorrow, bring this same kind of intensity and get a result tomorrow and kind of get that moving forward through the rest of the season.”

North Penn’s Riley Saxman (18) weaves her way through Neshaminy defenders Monday, Sept. 9, 2019 at North Penn High School. (James Beaver/For MediaNews Group)

The Knights head up to take on CB East at 4:45 p.m. while Neshaminy is also in action Tuesday visiting Truman at 5 p.m.

“We’re weathering the storm, “ Papendick said. “We’re in the Suburban One, we got the big guys coming up. We got a tough loss against Council Rock South, we’re going to bounce back here and it’s going to be a tough season. Some of these freshmen are going to have to step up and play and we got some other talented juniors and sophomores are going to be put to the test.”

It was one of those freshman, Fox, that set up the winning goal for Neshaminy in the second half, sending a long pass from the left sideline forward to Sexton, who delivered a shot that found the right side of the net.

“She’s a little undersized but she’s physical and she’s got really great vision,” said Papendick of Fox.

Fox struck for Monday’s opening tally after get behind the Knights backline, sidestepping the keeper and slotting in a shot. For a brief moment, it looked like North Penn had cleared the ball of the line, but the ball was deemed over the goal line and the ‘Skins were up 1-0.

“I saw it go over the line and I wasn’t sure if he was going to count it,” Fox said.

The goal that put the Knights level started with Cynthia Sheehy, who won a ball before getting the ball up to Varilla near midfield. Varilla, who stayed just onside, dashed to the net and popping a shot into the goal.

“Her speed gives her such an advantage over a lot of the defenders we play and when see can finish like that it’s great” said Rio of Varilla. “Tia in the midfield, she’s been working really hard for us. I’ve been really happy with her service and the balls that she’s played and just her general work ethic throughout the game.

“She’s been one of our hardest workers all season so far and I think she might have played a full 80 minutes today.”

HORSHAM >> There’s an old belief among soccer strikers that the next chance they get is the one they’re going to bury.

It’s what the front line of the Hatboro-Horsham girls’ soccer team forwards kept telling themselves late in the second half and again in overtime Monday night. Facing a tough-minded Wissahickon side under the stadium lights, the Hatters were again forced to dig deep internally and find a way out.

Thanks to senior Ally Eutermoser in nearly the final minute of play, the Hatter did just that, claiming a 3-2 double overtime victory over the visiting Trojans.

“We wanted to win, we didn’t want to tie so we all put in the effort,” Eutermoser said. “We were a little nervous, it’s the first night game and for us seniors, we were excited to get out here and play but we had to keep working together and keep our heads in the game.”

GIRLS SOCCER FINAL 2OT: Hatboro-Horsham 2, Wissahickon 1
Ally Eutermoser buries the winner with 1:08 to play off a free kick by Gabrielle Liott pic.twitter.com/wWcWocdX5c

— Andrew Robinson (@ADRobinson3) September 10, 2019

As the Hatters celebrated following Eutermoser tucking away the winner with 1:08 left in the second overtime, Wiss coach Chris McDaniels pulled his team in for a talk. The Trojans’ players told the story, they felt like they had played well enough to deserve at least a point for their performance.

It’s also a mark in the change of expectations for Wissahickon this season, with McDaniels in his second year. The Trojans want to improve on last season’s win-loss record and push for a playoff bid this year and Monday night was a sign they’re not far off from a team expecting to contend for an SOL American title.

“The game was a little bit hectic and came down to who was going to win the middle of the field,” McDaniels said. “I thought we did a nice job in there, our keepers did a nice job and made all the saves they should have made.

“When I took the program last year, the idea was to make strides in the right direction and we won a few more games than they did the year before. Now this year’s crew wants to win a few more than we did last year and by my math, puts us in position to contend for a playoff spot which is the next step in our growth.”

Monday’s first half was a bit choppy, with the ball spending a lot of time being played in the air or off a bounce and neither side really developing long spells of possession. Still, the hosts were the more dangerous attacking side sparked by senior wide midfielder Maggie O’Neill.

O’Neill forced Wiss keeper Quinn Klessel into a superb stop midway through the first half, while Emily Thomas and Eutermoser all tested Klessel and second half keeper Caroline Hassall through the first 60 minutes of play.

Wiss didn’t generate as many chances, though the Trojans had their best success taking the ball right at defenders. Carly Amato led that charge, but the issue on Monday was the amount of work the forwards had to do in order to get the ball at their feet.

“As much as we defended well, the next step is giving them far less to do to get on the ball,” McDaniels said. “We required quite a bit from them in terms of getting on the ball. If you’re running 40 yards to get on the ball, wrestling a defender the whole way and trying to beat a defender, it’s a lot different if you didn’t make a 40-yard sprint.”

A handball on a blocked shot set up a free kick right on the edge of the box and with a couple options, the Trojans had Natalie Ryan step up to take it. Ryan drove her effort right on frame, eluding the edge of the wall the Hatters set up and finding the back of the net with 24 minutes to play.

GIRLS SOCCER 24:01 2nd half: Wissahickon 1, Hatboro-Horsham 0
Natalie Ryan drives in the free kick pic.twitter.com/Jv2JraUlOl

— Andrew Robinson (@ADRobinson3) September 10, 2019

The match escalated from there, with the Hatters morphing formations to get more in the attack and both teams playing with more edge.

“We didn’t want to lose on our home turf tonight so we came out strong,” O’Neill said. “We had a lot of opportunities we didn’t finish. We knew it was coming. We had a lot of opportunities getting crosses in so I think we needed to continue to get it wide and play it in and it was coming.”

It did come for the Hatters with eight minutes to go thanks to Eutermoser and O’Neill. After the Hatters kept the ball alive on the right touchline, it got played back into the box where Eutermoser made the extra pass to find O’Neill.

The senior hit her try on the money, dipping the effort just inside the post but just out of the reach of the keeper to level the score.

“It’s just a drive to win,” O’Neill said.

Thomas almost found a winner right after O’Neill’s equalizer but Hassall made a superb save to keep her side in it. Neither team really created much in the end of regulation or first overtime but Amato forced Hatters keeper Martine Royds into a stop early in the second extra time.

With time winding down, the Hatters were awarded a free kick just over the midfield line. Gabrielle Liott drove a service into the box, where Eutermoser was able to turn on it and punched home the winner.

“We talked to them at halftime and said to them we weren’t the same team as we were last week and I think that fired them up a little bit,” Hatters coach Kelsey Daley said. “Whatever we said to them worked in the second half because their intensity was a lot better. They’re really excited for this year, it’s the first year they see themselves as a top contender for the league and they say every day they want to win the league more than anything else.

“They want this to be their year so with games like this, they’re going to have to dig deep and that’s exactly what they did today.”

HATBORO-HORSHAM 0 1 0 1 – 2

WISSAHICKON 0 1 0 0 -0

Goals: HH – Grace O’Neill (Ally Eutermoser), Eutermoser (Gabrielle Liott); W – Natalie Ryan.

Boyertown 2, Upper Perkiomen 1 (2OT) >>  Camilla Kuever’s double overtime goal in the 97th minute gave the Bears a PAC crossover win Tuesday.

Upper Perkiomen’s Bryana Marinari scored an unassisted goal with 35 seconds remaining in regulation to send the game into OT. Samantha Goffice scored Boyertown’s other goal, while Samantha Devlin and Mikayla Moyer assisted on the Boyertown scores.

Perkiomen Valley 2, Pope John Paul II 1 (2OT) >> Cassidy Poligna scored from 20 yards out in double overtime off an assist from Mackenzie Patla to give the Vikings a 2-1 PAC crossover win.

After PJP’s Rayan George broke a scoerless tie in the second half, PV’s Nikki Foller-Moll found a streaking Dorothy Chessire to tie the game with less than two minutes left in regulation.

Both goalkeepers were busy as PV’s Riley Hill made eight saves and PJP’s Delaney Cordrey saved seven shots.

Perkiomen School 2, Abington Friends School 1 >> Cece Vassallo and Rianne Moll led the Panthers to their home win against the Roos on Tuesday.

Methacton 3, Phoenixville 1 >> Kirsten O’Brien netted a pair of goals off assists from Mackenzie Coupe and Ruby Murray in the Warriors’ PAC crossover win.

Madia Mazzzucola scored Methacton’s third goal off an assist from Kate Evans. Ava Labik scored the Phantoms’ lone goal on a free kick from 30 yards out. Methacton’s Kate Green (4) and Mairi Smith (3) combined for seven saves, while Phoenixville’s Ella Stout saved eight shots.

MARPLE — Keri Barnett and Kiley Mottice were the only two players on the field who saw it Tuesday, but as far as they were concerned, they were the only ones who needed to.

Barnett, the Archbishop Carroll winger, was lurking off the inside shoulder of a center back late in the first half when Mottice got the ball 70 yards from goal and lumped forward a defense-splitting ball. With a few heady strides past a defender and three tidy touches, Barnett had the ball in the back of the net. Against the run of play, Carroll had a lead.

“We’re just really good at getting the ball out of defense and working it up,” Barnett said. “We just happened to be in the right place at the right time, and she passed it up and it worked out.”

Archbishop Carroll’s Keri Barnett, center, is congratulated by teammates Kiley Mottice, left, and Olivia Hoffman after Barnett’s goal, which would hold up for a 1-0 Carroll victory over O’Hara Tuesday. (Pete Bannan/MediaNews Group)

It would prove to be the only goal in a feisty encounter, a 1-0 win over Cardinal O’Hara. And it provided more proof of the burgeoning connection between Barnett, an Interboro transfer, and the rest of the Carroll attack.

The chemistry between Barnett and Mottice, along with a starting forward Kellie Anne Matey, stems from the lacrosse field. All three play for Phantastix lacrosse club, where Barnett was honing skills that led to more than 200 points in two varsity seasons at Interboro before joining the perennial Catholic League powerhouse.

In a different sport and different schools, that link translates, and having soccer in her first fall at Carroll has eased Barnett’s transition.

“We all have a great connection and we have that kind of friendship, too,” Barnett said. “So it kind of works out. … It’s kind of nice because it’s like an automatic friend group. So going into the year, I already knew, what, 20 girls, so that was nice.”

The moment between Mottice and Barnett didn’t only make the difference for Carroll (3-2, 2-0 Catholic League). It did so by being precisely what O’Hara (1-1-1, 1-1) was missing all day.

The Lions had much more of the ball and far better chances, forcing five saves from Carroll goalie Nicollette Cashin and firing four solid chances just wide of the frame. But O’Hara was too seldom able to make the assertive and incisive runs to put Carroll’s defense under serious pressure, settling for a large quantity of low-quality looks.

O’Hara got plenty of industriousness from central midfielders Marrissa Lobb and Sheila Bennetta. It benefited from solid distribution from Makalia Ley in the No. 10 role and physical hold-up play from forward Julia Stellabotte.

But without the speed or foresight to unmoor an organized Carroll defense, Stellabotte was often marooned up top, far from goal and without much help. The result was the zero on the scoreboard.

“It’s frustrating,” Lobb said. “I think we just need to work together more up top. … I just yell to them on the field that someone else has to be up there for her to actually pass it. She has the ball but she doesn’t have anyone to pass it through.”

Cardinal O’Hara forward Julia Stellabotte, right, controls the ball in front of Archbishop Carroll defender Bella Grube in the first half Tuesday. Carroll won, 1-0. (Pete Bannan/MediaNews Group)

Carroll mitigated the threat by playing a low defensive block, not trying to catch O’Hara offside but instead cushioning behind them with at least one defender back at all times. The center back tandem of Bella Grube and Kayla DeMola kept tabs on Stellabotte, and freshman Ella Wright turned in a stellar shift as the holding midfielder, putting out fires time and again.

“She’s doing really good, especially getting those balls out of the air,” Grube said of Wright. “That was really great and a very important part of her job. And he’s doing a great job getting her head up and seeing the entire field and playing those perfect balls through.”

O’Hara’s half-chances didn’t add up to a breakthrough. Lobb volleyed just wide in the third minute, and Ellie Miller toe-poked a Ley ball wide of frame in the 10th. O’Hara could’ve tied the game just moments after Barnett’s goal, but a Kellie McCarthy header off a Ley corner in the 39th bounded just wide of an open net.

McCarthy put one wide midway through the second half, and she spurned arguably the Lions’ best chance, played in by Bennetta with only Cashin to beat. The sliding goalie appeared to get a piece of the shot to direct it wide, though no corner was given.

It’s another win for Barnett to add to her first month at Carroll.

“It’s good because we’re 2-0 in the league, so that’s good,” she said. “But we’re working hard defensively. We’re a young team, so it’s going well.”

In the Central League:

Strath Haven 3, Lower Merion 1 >> Danielle McNeely scored two minutes after Aviva Kosto had opened the scoring for the visitors, and Devon Maillet and Gianna Zweier added second-half tallies as the Panthers (4-0, 2-0) prevailed in a battle of unbeatens.

Penncrest 1, Ridley 1 >> Shayna Polsky scored off an assist by Abigail Consadene with less than three minutes to play to even up the game. Ridley had taken the lead early in the second half when Jackie Deisler deposited an Abby Karkowski feed into the back of the net.

Garnet Valley 2, Harriton 0 >> Carly Shiller scored twice in the first half, and Kayleigh Saboja made the lead stand up in goal for the Jaguars.

In nonleague action:

Sun Valley 4, Marple Newtown 2 >> Chiara Robinson scored twice as the Vanguards netted four times in the second half for a come-from-behind victory. Sam Hoy and Emily Kauffeld also tallied for Sun Valley.

Eleni Zografakis had one of Marple Newtown’s goals.

Agnes Irwin 1, Germantown Friends 0 >> Alyssa Hardin set up Natalie Pansini for the game’s only goal in the first half.

Friends’ Central 4, Notre Dame 1 >> Allie Lynch scored in the second half off a feed from Abby Butler, but the Irish were unable to overcome conceding the first three goals of the day.

DOYLESTOWN >> Like the slogan on the back of the Pennridge girls’ soccer team’s shirt says, here and now.

The Rams faced a major test in the still-early season Tuesday night against CB West, the only team to beat them in SOL Continental competition last season. With a highly talented Bucks side looking to make it three straight wins over Pennridge, an 80-minute classic unfolded under the lights.

At the end, due in large part to the effort of both teams and somewhat to one unfortunate deflection, the Rams emerged with a 1-0 victory.

“It just took the fight in all of us, we wanted it and we needed it,” Pennridge junior forward Lindsey DeHaven said. “We couldn’t give up at all.”

When the ball was in play, it rarely stopped moving as both squads rode the ebbs and flows up and down the pitch. Pennridge junior center back Maddie Angelo said there was no way around the fact that West was going to come right at them and everyone had to be committed.

Angelo, who just committed to Youngstown State, was up for the challenge and turned in a glistening all-around effort on the back end. Strong in the air, Angelo also covered a ton of ground and at one point ran about 50 yards to break up a potential CB West breakaway which the defender chalked up to wanting to send a message.

“We knew we were going to get tested as an entire back line and I think this game showed who we are as a program,” Angelo said. “As a back line, we’re not letting you past us, no matter what it takes. That’s also us as a whole team too, our defensive mentality is really strong and what drives us to go forward.”

It was a match that clearly meant plenty to the participants. West’s Ryan Fitzsimmons gutted through a cramp late to create a few chances chasing the equalizer while Tori Albrecht just kept getting up after every collision and following the play and on the Rams’ side, Ashley Gordon shook off a hard collision to stay in the game during the second half.

With so many players going above, from winning headers to standing firm on a challenge, it was hard to find a singular standout. But that list would certainly have Bucks goalkeeper Jenna Abaza near or at the top as the junior played an outstanding match with seven saves and plenty of work that doesn’t get tallied.

“Jenna was awesome tonight and I hope she can build off this game,” Bucks coach Mike Moyer said. “We’ve been a little shaky in the back even though we haven’t given up many goals but I was really pleased with the way my back four and Jenna played tonight.”

The game’s lone goal came in the second half during a spell where the Rams found some success going down their right flank. Gordon and Emily Kriney led the charge it was Kriney who played the ball in with about 27 minutes to play that altered the game.

On the right, Kriney rifled a shot off the wing toward goal. Her effort deflected off a Bucks defender in the six-yard box and found the net for a hard-luck own goal.

To West’s credit, the goal only seemed to further embolden their efforts.

“The effort was awesome, for both teams, it was an awesome game to be a part of,” Moyer said. “We knew they’re going to send three all the time and we had to weather their storm and keep the gaps closed. They’re relentless, the three girls in the midfield continue to come at you and I thought we did a really good job bypassing the midfield. We had a ton of chances too we just couldn’t find one.

“I know we’re only four games in, but that was one of the best high school games I’ve seen in a while.”

West’s front of Taylor Moyer, Ryan Fitzsimmons, Erin Fitzsimmons and Shea Lubin was as relentless as Pennridge’s front, the midfields dueled and both team’s back lines were under pressure to respond all match. It wasn’t a surprise to the Pennridge players either.

“They always come out with such high energy, they’re very aggressive and very strong so we had to be ready for that and find a way to top that,” DeHaven said. “It pushed us to work even harder and want it more than them so we had to come out with that ‘win’ mentality.”

Playing in the SOL Continental, which features defending state champ Souderton, state runner-up Pennridge, CB West, South and East, North Penn and Quakertown means there’s no “off” nights for any of its members. Pennridge got to survive Tuesday night, turn around and play under CB South’s lights on Thursday.

It’s a gauntlet for all the teams involved but as Rams coach Audrey Anderson noted afterward, they’re all games that mold teams for the postseason. While the season is long, playing one or two matches that bring out their best every week is what the players train all those hours for.

“We want to make the most of every moment and this tested us,” Anderson said. “We know what they’re capable of, any time their forwards are around the 18 with the ball at their feet, they’re so dangerous so the biggest thing for us was not giving easy shots away.”

“That’s the fun part about being an athlete and a competitor, you always want to come out here and play hard and play a good game,” DeHaven said. “It’s what we look forward to. We love a challenge and we love to beat that challenge in a sense.”

DeHaven, who isn’t the biggest player, said she felt compelled to keep going up for headers with the way her teammates were playing around her and Angelo added she believes when everyone on the field has that same energy, it’s going to be very hard to beat the Rams.

“These are the games we look forward to,” Angelo said. “We love being challenged and on a night like tonight, being able to see us get past that challenge and doing it as a team.

“I think we established ourselves as a top competitor in this conference tonight.”

PENNRIDGE 0 1 – 1

CB WEST 0 0 – 0

ROYERSFORD >> Hope Flanegin was under the weather. So was the Spring-Ford girls soccer team’s play through six minutes of their game against Pottsgrove Tuesday night.

A dream start for the Falcons put the Rams in a two-goal hole before the game had even settled in.

But whether it was coughing fits and raspy voice for the ill-but-ever-present junior midfielder or a sleepy start from the team at large, Spring-Ford pressed on.

Flanegin’s first-half finish gave the Rams life and their perseverance paid off with a three-goal second half that earned Spring-Ford a 4-2 victory over Pottsgrove in an entertaining rematch of last year’s Pioneer Athletic Conference semifinal Tuesday night at Coach McNelly Stadium.

“I never felt like we had no chance,” Flanegin said of the two-goal deficit. “I knew that if we focused and tried to forget about those goals and start over, I knew we would be able to get back and score.”

Spring-Ford’s Grace Sharkey, right, tries to take the ball from Pottsgrove’s Skylar Glass Tuesday. (Austin Hertzog – MediaNews Group)

Senior midfielder Ella Curry scored twice, the game-tying goal with 28:31 remaining on a cross from Emily Higgins and the game-sealing goal with 11:30 to play on a one-timer to the near post from a Flanegin centering pass.

Higgins scored the go-ahead goal for the Rams with 19:27 to play after Felicia Vagnozzi headed down a long Ally McVey cross. Prior to that, Flanegin’s opening goal came on a cross from the end line by Ally McVey with 23:11 left in the first half.

“I’m really proud of us because going down 2-nothing is mentally tough,” said Curry, a returning Mercury All-Area first teamer. “But I think we kept calm and played our game. We had some spurts that we were panicking, but we figured it out.”

Spring-Ford’s Hope Flanegin (21) possesses the ball as Pottsgrove’s Avery Makoid defends Tuesday. (Austin Hertzog – MediaNews Group)

Pottsgrove’s stunning start came on a beautifully-struck left-footed one-timer from Hailey Strain after being played in by Skylar Glass just 4:30 in. Less than two minutes later, Glass hit from 30 yards for a 2-0 Pottsgrove lead.

It was the second straight meeting between the sides that the Falcons, last year’s PAC Frontier Division champion, gave Spring-Ford a serious run only to fall short. In the 2018 PAC semifinal, the Rams took it in overtime, 3-2.

Spring-Ford improved to 6-0 (2-0 PAC Liberty, 3-0 PAC) while Pottsgrove took its first loss, dropping to 4-1 (2-0 PAC Frontier, 2-1 PAC).

Pottsgrove’s Hailey Strain drives forward as Spring-Ford’s Katie Sites defends. (Austin Hertzog – MediaNews Group)

With their 2-0 lead, the Falcons had the natural reaction to try to protect it.

“Obviously a dream start against a team like that with solid players all around,” Pottsgrove coach Steve Mellor said. “We just kind of collectively, for whatever reason – and this isn’t a function of this group – we took our foot off the gas. It looked like we were dropping deeper. IF we could have gotten up 3-0, it’s not that we would have finished them off, but it’s a different game. I thought we could have pushed a little bit.”

That allowed the Rams and their formidable midfield trio of Curry, Flanegin and Molly Thomas to begin controlling the game. That’s a dangerous game to play as teams in the PAC and beyond know and will continue to find.

“Hope, Molly and I have been playing the past three years for high school and played together when we were younger,” Curry said. “I think we’ve done a good job. We switch around positions a lot. The chemistry there helps a lot.”

The new-look Spring-Ford back line of Kaitlyn Mulle, Caitlin Norwood, Raven Wellington and Grace Sharkey found their footing after the less-than-ideal start while Spring-Ford goalkeeper Riley Wallace stopped four shots. Pottsgrove counterpart Summer Walker had three saves.

Spring-Ford’s Felicia Vagnozzi, left, and Pottsgrove’s Ciara Garcia compete for the ball Tuesday. (Austin Hertzog – MediaNews Group)

While last season was a transitional one under new coach Mo Hadadi, the Rams look more like the perennial power the program has become in the last six years.

“This year we’re just taking the momentum we had last year,” Curry said. “We have a lot of people stepping up for us – Riley (Wallace), our keeper, has been stepping up big for us – and overall everyone is putting the effort in at practice and it’s translating to the field.”

Spring-Ford celebrates the team’s fourth goal against Pottsgrove Tuesday. (Austin Hertzog – MediaNews Group)

Despite the loss, Pottsgrove remains the favorite in the Frontier and looks like a contender in the PAC landscape, a statement that would have been unthinkable a handful of years ago.

“Four year ago we’re losing that game 6-0. And now it’s a game,” Mellor said. “I like that and the girls play to a certain level and it’s fun, but now we need to use it and push to get better.”

But at the final whistle Tuesday night, the Falcons were the ones feeling ill.

“They’re not happy,” Mellor said. “We were definitely up for it – the start was fantastic. I know they’re mad, but I told them to ride home on the bus, sleep on it and tomorrow’s a new game. This should just be motivation. Playing in these games against that type of team makes you better.”

Taylor Yoder scored in the second overtime after a Leah Mowery free kick as the Souderton girls soccer team bounced back from its first loss of the season to edge Central Bucks South for a 3-2 Continental Conference victory Tuesday night.

Avery Nogami gave the Indians (4-1-0, 2-1-0) a 2-1 lead with nine minutes remaining in regulation but visiting CB South struck for the equalizer with three minutes left.

The Titans (2-2-0, 1-2-0) went up 1-0 in the first half before a goal from Souderton’s Hannah Alderfer had the teams knotted 1-1 at halftime.

Villa Joseph Marie 2, Gwynedd Mercy 1 (OT) >> Gwynedd Mercy pulled even late in the second half on Kiera Thomas’ 79th-minute goal but Jillian Hunter scored in the fourth minute of overtime to give Villa Joseph Marie the AACA win.

 Villa Joe took a 1-0 lead in the 65th minute on a Kennedy Kilchrist goal. GMA goalkeeper Grace Galbreath made 20 saves.

Villa Maria 2, Mount Saint Joseph 0 >> Villa Maria’s Anna Nunag scored with 44 seconds left in the first half, Grace McLees added a goal after halftime and the Hurricanes earned an AACA shutout win over Mount Saint Joseph.

Kaelyn Wolfe assisted on Nunag’s goal while Delaney Dobra assisted on McLees’ tally, which came at 32:08 in the second half.

The defending Ches-Mont champion Downingtown East girls soccer team looks to contend again this fall, as the Cougars return a strong crop of players from last year. Tops on the list is senior center back Emily Buckner, who was the Ches-Mont Most Valuable Player last year.
Buckner, a 2018 first team all-state selection who was also the Daily Local News Girls Soccer Player of the Year, scored 10 goals and dished out 12 assists last fall, while scoring six goals on free kicks.
“Emily has great technical ability,” said Downingtown East head coach Craig Reed. “She sees the field really well, her range of passing is excellent – she can make all kinds of great passes, 30- 40-yard passes – and her shooting from long range is very good. She’s a great leader from the center back.”
Buckner is one of four D-East co-captains. The other three are senior back Meg Buckner (Emily’s twin sister), who received All-Ches-Mont honorable mention last fall; senior defender Katie Hudachek; and senior center back Maren Dougherty, who was a second team All-Ches-Mont selection in 2018.
Sophomore forward Caroline McDonald, a first team All-Ches-Mont selection last fall, will be another key player for the Cougars.
“Caroline is a very, very smart player who creates a lot of space with her movement and technique,” said Reed.
Senior Ashley Buchheit, who received All-Ches-Mont League honorable mention as a goalie last fall, will once again handle the Cougars’ netminding chores.
“Ashley had an excellent pre-season,” noted Reed.
Another key scoring force for the Cougars could be senior forward Rebekah March, who showed promise as a junior despite being injured part of the season.
“Rebekah can be a big-time player for us this fall,” said Reed.
Reed, whose Cougars have won five Ches-Mont titles in his 10 years as head coach, likes the depth of his team this fall.
“We were really deep last year, and we have that same depth again this fall,” said Reed. “We have 20 players on our roster, and all 20 will play a significant role in our success this season.
“We also have strong leadership on this team. Being consistent as we get deeper into the season will be our biggest challenge.”

Owen J. Roberts 11, Norristown 1 >> Alexa Vogelman tallied a hat trick and Avery White and Olivia Thompson netted two goals in the Wildcats’ PAC Liberty win Wednesday. Hannah Delahaye,Gabbi Koury, Tara Kelly and Kaliegh McKinley also scored for the Wildcats.

Owen J. Roberts 5, Pottstown 0 >> Hannah Delahaye and Alexa Vogelman scored twice in OJR’s PAC crossover win Tuesday. Sarach Kopec added a scored for the Wildcats. Pottstown’s Emmy Woffel made 15 saves in goal.

Baldwin 7, Hill School 0 >> Host Baldwin played player-up for the final 68 minutes of Wednesday’s match after Hill goalkeeper Marah Krick was shown red in the 12th minute. With no backup keeper available, midfielder Lindsey Coffey and outside back Zenia Masani split goalkeeping duties for Hill throughout the remainder of the match.  Hill kept Baldwin off the board until the 31st minute before the hosts broke through for three goals in the final nine minutes of the first half.

Kennett Square >> Under a blazing sun, 90 degree temperatures, and humidity that made it feel closer to 100, the Downingtown East girls’ soccer squad was hotter than the weather Wednesday afternoon at Kennett’s Legacy Field, steaming past the host Blue Demons 8-0.
The victory improved the defending Ches-Mont League champions’ record to 4-1-1, with their only defeat a 2-1 loss to Council Rock South Sept. 3.
“We’ve been playing well lately, and we wanted to continue doing the same thing today, go out and create chances,” said Downingtown East head coach Craig Reed. “We did well today moving off the ball, we did well in the final third.
“We were happy with the win today. We knew going in that Kennett had faced some tough opponents and came up with good results, but a few things went our way early today.”
In the first 16 minutes Wednesday, Downingtown East took a 4-0 lead on goals by senior Ella Marrollo, sophomore forward Caroline McDonald and senior forward Rebekah March. By game’s end, March, Marrollo and McDonald each had two goals scored. McDonald, a first team All-Ches-Mont League selection last fall, leads the Cougars this season with six goals scored.
“Caroline’s good off the ball, which helps her find space in dangerous areas,” said Reed. “She is a very, very smart player who creates a lot of space with her movement and technique, and has good players around her who give her chances to score.”
Senior center back and co-captain Emily Buckner, the Ches-Mont League’s MVP last year and a first team all-state selection as well as Daily Local News Player of the Year was in the middle of the Cougars’ attack Wednesday afternoon.
“We came out really strong in the first half,” said Buckner. “We were connecting well; we were passing the ball around and saving our energy, but at the same time we were finishing our drives.
“We have a lot of seniors [10] on our team this year. When we came in this fall, we were already comfortable playing with everyone on the team, we spent the summer practicing together. It just helps to have a core [veteran] group.”
Reed said, “Emily controls things in the middle of the field, and can adjust to different playing styles. She has great technical ability, sees the field really well, her range of passing is excellent – she can make all kinds of great passes, 30- 40-yard passes – and her shooting from long range is very good. She’s a great leader from the center back position, and she can go at it for 80 minutes.”
The Downingtown East squad features a sizable senior class, with 10 of them on the roster, including co-captains Emily Buckner, back Meg Buckner (Emily’s twin sister), defender Katie Hudachek and center back Maren Dougherty, who also scored a goal Wednesday.
D-East senior goalie Ashley Buchheit, who had an excellent pre-season for Cougars, recorded the shutout Wednesday. While the Cougars’ tough defense wasn’t allowing Kennett many shots at the goal, Buchheit made a couple of nice saves.
“Ashley has done really well for us this season,” noted Reed.
Both teams stopped play midway through each half for a water break, and Buckner reflected on Wednesday’s hot conditions.
“This weather is definitely what our pre-season was like,” Buckner said with a laugh. “You’re physically ready for it, so mostly it’s just a mental thing. We had the finesse to connect on our passes, and we were smart about it, doing it in a way to save energy.”
Wednesday’s heat allowed for plenty of player rotation on both teams. During the pre-season, Reed had mentioned that the Cougars featured good depth, as they did in 2018.
“We have 20 players on varsity, and we’ve played all 20 in many of our games this season,” said Reed. “We have a deep team, and we trust them all out there. It certainly helps, particularly as the season goes on, to be able to rotate a lot of players in.”
For Kennett (2-3), which has beaten Bishop Shanahan and Octorara, this season has been a learning experience under first-year head coach Ashley Ainsworth, who was an assistant coach last fall at West Chester Rustin.
“We have a good group of players who are willing to train hard, ask questions, and work together to make themselves better,” said Ainsworth. “They’re learning a new system, and they’re dedicated and willing to learn. It’s a learning process, for myself as well as for the players. This is my first time running a [high school] program. At the end of the day, my goal is just to make them have fun, continue their love for the game, and hopefully learn something in the process.”
The Kennett head coach sees the Blue Demons’ back line as a potential building block.
“We definitely have a strong back line with [seniors] Emma Connolly, Jordan Barish, [junior] Taylor Heimann and [sophomore] Mary Harper – they’re very smart players, they work very hard. Building out of the back, they’ve been a strong foundation; we have strong players in each part of the field, but it’s helpful to have a strong backfield leading us that way.”
Ainsworth, who is a counselor at West Chester Rustin, saw Wednesday’s loss as a bump in the road and a growth opportunity for the Blue Demons.
“I think coming against a team like Downingtown East, [our players] came out a little [mentally] flat today, I feel like they felt like they weren’t going to do as well as they could have,” said Ainsworth. “It’s really not how we’ve played every game this season, so I think today was a big wake-up call to make sure our players never underestimate themselves, or the other team.
“Moving forward, I think our girls feel really comfortable talking to me and having those conversations about the team’s [mental] temperature and what they can do moving forward, so it’s really a collaboration between me and the girls. There’s not a whole lot I could say today which the girls didn’t already know, so they’ve got to pick their heads up and move forward. They’ll learn from this.”

Downingtown East 8, Kennett 0
Downingtown East 5 3 – 8
Kennett 0 0 – 0
Downingtown East goals: March 2, McDonald 2, Marrollo 2, Prendergast, Dougherty.
Goalie saves: Buchheit (DE) 2.

 Natalie Pansini’s three-goal game Agnes Irwin on its way to a 4-0 win over Notre Dame.

Alyssa Hardin added a goal and two assists, while goalie Amelia Leyden stopped all four shots she faced.

In the Inter-Ac League:

Great Valley 3, Sun Valley 1 >> Jenna Hayes had the goal for the Vanguards.

Hope Graham scored a pair of goals while four other teammates had one goal apiece as Strath Haven cruised past Upper Darby, 6-0 in a Central League girls soccer game that was called in the second half due to rain.

Graham tallied her first goal in the 19th minute then added her second five minutes later to help the Panthers (5-0, 3-0 Central League) remain undefeated.

Lily Ostiguy, Maria Malone, Gianna Zweier amd Julia Steere put the rest of the goals on the board and Maggie Forbes had three assists.

Moira Penot recorded eight saves for the Royals.

Also in the Central League:

Springfield 1, Garnet Valley 1 >> Carli Johnston scored on a pass from Coryn Silberstein late in the second half to tie the game and goalkeeper Shannon Cutcliff made eight stops in net for the Cougars.

The Jaguars took the lead early in the second off of a goal from Anna Shankle. Goalie Kayleigh Saboja had a strong night with 16 saves.

In the Catholic League:

Lansdale Catholic 2, Cardinal O’Hara 0 >> Julia Mirarchi kept the Lions in this one with 21 saves.

Girls soccer

Pottstown 2, Upper Merion 1 (OT)  >> Calista Daye netted the game-winning goal off of an assist from Yaz Paez to give the Trojans their first victory of the season. Julianna Figueroa scored first for Pottstown to give them a one-goal lead on their PAC Frontier opponent.
Upper Merion’s Sophia Lamesta scored late in the second half to tie the game for the Vikings.

Pottstown goalie Emme Wolfel made five saves in the win.

Friends Central 6, Perkiomen School 0 >> The Panthers dropped their non-league matchup to the Phoenix on Friday.

Phoenixville 1, Pope John Paul II 0 >> Kim Labik’s late goal proved enough for the Phantoms to prevail over the Golden Panthers in their PAC Frontier Division game Thursday.

Labik scored with 1:33 left in the second half. Ella Stout turned away five shots at goal — the same number as PJP’s Stacy Kormos — to give Phoenixville the clean sheet.

Pottsgrove 1, Upper Perkiomen 0 >> Chloe Shivak-Manogue scored in the 38th minute Thursday, lifting the Falcons over the Indians in their PAC Frontier Division game.

Shivak-Manogue’s tally held up with Summer Walker’s three goalkeeper saves for the clean sheet. UP got 11-save goaltending from Hannah Landis.

Spring-Ford 1, Boyertown 0 >> Ally McVey scored on a breakaway in the first half for the game’s lone goal Thursday in a matchup of PAC Liberty leaders. S-F goalie Riley Wallace made seven saves in the shutout.

Boys soccer

Pottsgrove 1, Upper Moreland 0 >> Pottsgrove’s Junior Shane Gleason knocked in a corner from Ethan Pace early in the second half to give the Falcons a non-league win over the Golden Bears Friday.

Spring-Ford 3, Wissahickon 2 (2OT) >> Spring-Ford junior Tommy Bodenschatz was the hero for the Rams, netting a header with three minutes left in the second overtime Friday night. Senior Brett Gulati made the assist as well as tallying the other two goals in the non-league victory. Colin Trainor recorded two assists on the night, giving him the school record with 29.
Matthew Henderson netted both goals in the comeback effort for the Trojans.  

Boyertown 1, Spring-Ford 0 >> The Bears dealt the Rams their first loss of the season in a matchup of PAC Liberty leaders Thursday night.
Mason Kurtz gave eight-save goalkeeping to Boyertown, which scored on an own goal in the 79th minute with Drew Benning the last Bears player to get a touch.

Pottsgrove 3, Upper Perkiomen 0 >> Ryan Curnew’s two-goal showing Thursday led the Falcons to victory over the Indians in their PAC Frontier Division matchup.
Shane Gleason had the other score for Pottsgrove. Ethan Pace and Landon Shivak were credited with assists.

Methacton 3, Perkiomen Valley 1 >> Balanced scoring was key to the Warriors’ PAC Liberty Division win over the Vikings Thursday.
Brett Eberly, Zach Stevenson and Nick Ahlum all tallied in the second half for Methacton, which got six-save goaltending from Tyler Andorf. Mark Pirrone had PV’s lone goal — also in the second half — with Jack Moyer (three) and Luke Speers (two) sharing time in goal.

Phoenixville 2, Pope John Paul II 0 >> Dylan Russ’ goalkeeping was the bright spot for the Golden Panthers in Thursday’s PAC Frontier Division loss to the Phantoms.

Russ had 12 saves for PJP, which saw Phoenixville score in each half: The first at the 23:50 mark, the second at 23:55.

Field hockey

Owen J. Roberts 10, Norristown 0 >> Jenna Kirby and Emma Kircher tallied hat tricks as the Wildcats scored nine first-half goal en route to the PAC Liberty win.

Taylor Marburger scored twice in the game, and Julia Lamb added a goal and an assist. Rylee Laloup and Raina Smolij rounded out OJR’s scorers, while Maddie Wisen added an assist.

Spring-Ford 2, Boyertown 0 >> Katie Crist and Mackenna Maloney broke a scoreless game with second-half goals to lead the Rams to the PAC Liberty win.

Julia Corropolese and Alexa Collins had assists. Laura Wigand saved six shots for the Bears

Upper Merion 2, Pottstown 1 >> Upper Merion senior Sammy Deskiewicz netted the game-winner in this PAC Frontier showdown. Ella Menke also scored for the Vikings early in the second half.

The Trojans’ lone goal came in the first half from Debra Laula, assisted by Destri Roye. Lillian Stirk recorded seven saves in goal.

Methacton 3, Perkiomen Valley 2 >> The Warriors balanced offensive attack gave them the edge over PAC Liberty Division rival Perkiomen Valley.

Elena Snodgrass, Alexa Kratz, and Bayla Plower all found the back of the net for Methacton, while Kelly O’Donnell and Sarah Woolston recorded five and seven saves, respectively.

Senior Katie Wuerstle scored both goals for the Vikings in the loss.

Phoenixville 4, Pope John Paul II 1 >> Cassidy Stevens and Katie Baker both netted two goals for the Phantoms on their way to a three-score PAC Frontier victory Friday night. Aubrie Breisblatt assisted on two goals.

The Panthers’ Chiky Escudero recorded 15 saves in-goal.

Upper Perkiomen 3, Pottsgrove 0 >> Kate Rodenberger, Kylene Gooch, and AiYi Young were the three goal-scorers for Upper Perkiomen en route to a PAC Frontier victory. Upper Perkiomen keeps its perfect PAC record.

Schuylkill Valley 3, Daniel Boone 0 >> Ashley Birmingham had two goals as the Panthers beat the Blazers in Thursday’s Berks League game.
Ashley Finkbiner had seven-save goaltending for Boone (1-2, 1-4).

Boys’ Cross Country

Harrier Invitational >> Owen J. Roberts won the meet on Friday, placing four runners in the top six finishers. Senior Vincent Fennell won the 2-mile effort in a time of 10:19 with fellow Wildcats Matt Muthler and Cole Smith coming in at third and fourth with respective times of 10:33 and 10:39.

Pope John Paul II’s team came in at sixth place in the team scores. Junior Jack Brosius led the Panthers with a time of 11:16.

Pottstown’s team score put them in seventh place at the meet on Friday, and Darius Smallwood finished in fifth place with a time of 10:41.

Girls’ Cross Country

Harrier Invitational >> The Owen J. Roberts Wildcats finished with a team score that earned them second place behind Governor Mifflin. OJR freshman Claire Zubey won the race with a time of 11:57. Hannah Kopec and Sabryna Collins placed fifth and sixth with times of 12:35 and 12:37, respectively.

Pope John Paul II finished in third, with a pack of four girls taking the 10th through the 13th spots, Gianna Cagliola, Bella Greco, Katy Todd, and Natalie Florig.

Boys golf

Spring-Ford 201, Perkiomen Valley 208 >> Luke Watson shot even par, and the day’s lone sub-40 round, to lead the Rams past the Vikings in Thursday’s PAC match at Turtle Creek.

Watson’s 36 gave him low-man honors ahead of PV’s Kyle Colombo, who carded a 40. Spring-Ford had three golfers at 41 — Noah Kim, George Wicks, Joey Chilano — while the Vikes had a pair of 41s from Ryan HOrenci and Jack Colyer.

Daniel Boone 205, Conrad Weiser 225 >> Colton Yenser went two-under on Arrowhead’s Blue Course Thursday, leading the Blazers past the Scout in their Berks League match.

Yenser’s 44 left him with the lone sub-50 score for the match. Braylon Kuhn followed with a 52 for Boone, matching CW low man Drew Druckenmiller.

Girls Tennis

Perkiomen Valley 7, Upper Perkiomen 0 >> The Vikings were carried by strong performance across the board, sweeping their way to a PAC Frontier victory. The doubles group of Meghana Sahasrabuddhe and Kaitlyn Murphy finished without dropping a set.

Spring-Ford 7, Great Valley 0 >> The Rams were led by No. 1 freshman singles player Cady Krause who won in the contest of the night, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (4).

Volleyball

Perkiomen Valley 3, Phoenixville 0 >> The Vikings won their sets in scores of  25-8, 25-13, and 25-11 on their way to PAC Frontier victory.  Perkiomen Valley was led by Ella Beckman who recorded five aces, 11 assists, and three digs,  Lilah Maus with five kills, and Anna Proto with 8 digs and 2 aces. Phoenixville’s defense was led by Avery Stackhouse with 8 digs, LeiLu Campbell with 14 digs, and Maria Coll with 7 digs. Riley Daher added on with three kills and 2 blocks.

Perkiomen School 3, Plumstead 2  >> The Panthers won their match with set scores of 25-17, 10-25, 16-25, 25-21, and 15-11.

Boyertown 3, Upper Merion 2 >> The Bears knocked off perennial power Upper Merion in five sets, 18-25, 27-25, 18-25, 25-18, 15-10, to improve to 5-0.

The Bears were lea by Emily Wolfe with 24 kills, 13 digs and 4 blocks. Julia Smith was huge on defense with 52 digs. Alexa Mack added 12 digs on defense for the Bears and Emma Ludwig had 48 assists along with 25 digs. Jess Ahart and Adrianna Derstine added 9 and 17 kills, respectively.

Pope John Paul II 3, Perkiomen Valley 0 >> The Golden Panthers swept their PAC divisional crossover match with the Vikings Thursday by set scores of 25-13, 25-23 and 25-21.

Statitstical stars for PJP were Hanna Hulli (12 kills), Sarah Ward (13 kills, three aces), Haley Spotts (four kills), Chelsea Harvey (29 assists, two aces, six digs), Tea Pasquale (12 digs) and Jessie Donovan (10 digs, five aces). Leading the way for PV were Isabel Clauhs (five kills, one block), Cami Leyes (12 digs, two  aces) and Allie Haflett (seven kills).

Muhlenberg 3, Daniel Boone 2 >> The Muhls rallied from an early deficit to overtake the Blazers in their Berks League match. Set scores were 19-25, 25-16, 25-23, 20-25 and 15-12.

For Boone, Val Klick had 11 kills, four blocks and two aces; Aubrey Hunt 11 kills, three blocks and six digs; and JJ Valentin 24 assists and 20 digs.

Ridley 3, Phoenixville 0 >> The Green Raiders handled the Phantoms in Thursday’s non-league pairing by set scores of 28-26, 25-11 and 25-15.
Phoenixville’s statistical stars were Alexa Grammerstorf  (three kills, two digs), Avery Stackhouse (three aces, one kill, three digs), Riley Daher (three kills, three blocks), Natalie Detweiler (four kills, eight digs) and LeiLu Campbell (nine digs).

LOWER GWYNEDD >> Grace Hirschmann knew it was time for everything to come together.

The Gwynedd Mercy Academy senior and her teammates had been close to connecting too many times to count as the second overtime started against Mount Saint Joseph. Hirschmann wasn’t directly intending to score when she launched a ball off the left wing a minute into the extra time but that’s what ended up happening.

Hirschmann’s 93rd minute volley lifted the Monarchs to a 2-1 overtime win against their fierce AACA rival in a tight game Friday afternoon.

“I kind of just went for it and hoped for the best,” Hirschmann said. “Throughout the season I’ve tried to cross it in and hoped someone got there. This one just happened to go in.”

“That’s kind of our game and we were hoping one would finally go in.”

Befitting a contest between the two rivals, neither side could really claim a definite edge in the proceedings. Gwynedd Mercy was better early, but Mount countered with a strong spell to respond and so it went through the first half.

Mount asked more of senior forward Madison Hornig to carry the offense while the Monarchs used Samantha Berish as a launching point for most of their attacks. Chances weren’t of a high number before halftime but had quality to them, so keepers Grace Galbreath (GMA) and Gina Sassane (Mount) had to be on task.

“They fought so hard in this game,” Mount coach Bill Naydan said. “Getting that first goal was critical. When you’re playing Gwynedd, anything can happen.”

Sassane was very busy throughout the game, making 12 saves and also patrolling the penalty box quickly and alertly to cut down some potential Monarch chances. The senior co-captain couldn’t have stopped either GMA goal, but she was on point in turning away efforts from Cassidy Palazzo at the near post in the first half and a couple from Berish at different points.

“Gina saved a couple point-blank ones from Sam Berish and Grace Hirschmann and just played so well back there,” Naydan said. “It was a bit of an unfortunate ending they got that last shot in.”

Both squads made some adjustments in the second half, with Gwynedd sending senior co-captain Sarah White out of the back and into the midfield. The Mount got some good supporting midfield play from Kate Taulane, Cayla Higginson and Emily Friel, but continued to try and find Hornig up top.

Galbreath made six saves in goal and she had a good connection with her defenders, something junior co-captain and center back Hailey Morris said was a result of strong communication.

“We really tried to talk positive,” Morris said. “We had to stay together as a team because possession is our game and we’re looking to play through balls and be aggressive.”

While most of the Monarchs players wore eye black on Friday, Morris took the intimidator look to the next level with her sleeves rolled up for most of the match. It was a fitting look for the junior, who didn’t directly man-mark Hornig, but made sure the Mount senior had a second shadow following her around the pitch.

The two clashed often but Morris’ solid play was part of the reason Gwynedd Mercy was able to move White up the field to let the senior rampage around the midfield.

“We had to keep pressuring her,” Morris said. “You don’t want to let her have any open space, so that constant pressure was the goal.”

The Magic’s defenders were just as tough. Senior co-captain Caroline Kelly was strong at center back, as was Ava Picofazzi and the two of them made a couple very timely tackles inside the 18.

Hornig however, wasn’t going to go scoreless against a Monarchs side she’s had plenty of success against in her career. With about eight minutes left, a short clear by GMA turned into a midfield win for the Magic, with the ball finding its way up to Hornig.

“Getting those final chances are so tough against a team like this,” Naydan said. “We’ve adapted well to the teams we’re playing against. Sometimes it takes the first 15 minutes for us to feel it out but whether we’re playing Gwynedd, Villa Joe or Villa Maria, we’ve adapted and hopefully will have a different story the second time around.”

Getting behind the back line, the senior tucked home the first goal with 8:12 to play but the home side wasn’t discouraged.

“This year, we’ve been trying really hard to stay positive on the field and if we get down or make a mistake, we’re always there to back our teammates up,” Hirschmann said. “I think that’s the main part of what’s allowed us to play so well.”

It only took two minutes for Gwynedd Mercy to get right back in the game. A foul gave the Monarchs a free kick out on the left wing about 25 yards out.

Senor co-captain Mollie Hanson stepped over the ball and took on the challenge, looping a gorgeous service to the far side of the net, over the keeper’s reach and rippling the back of the net with 6:09 to play.

Hirschmann almost won it in the first overtime, denied by a great Sassane save with Hanson’s follow-up blocked out by Kelly.

“It was really important for us to keep talking and get open,” Morris said. “We were really frustrated not scoring in the first half but we came together and came through.”

The winner came about thanks to some hustle too. Hanson and Hirschman battled Mount’s Emily Jones to win possession of the ball on the flank with Hirschmann touching it into space and recovering quickly enough to get the decisive service off.

 “For us seniors, it’s our last Mount home game and we really wanted to win,” Hirschmann said. “I know we gave it our all out there.”

GWYNEDD MERCY ACADEMY 0 1 0 1 – 2

MOUNT SAINT JOSEPH ACADEMY 0 1 0 0 – 1

Goals: GMA – Mollie Hanson, Grace Hirschmann; MSJA – Madison Hornig