NESHAMINY:
Lucky 13 take the next step
By Steve Sherman
Sports Editor
While the rest of us gear up for yet another varsity season here in lower Bucks County, there are 13 student athletes from Neshaminy High School who have already moved on.
Four of the students are members of the football team that went 12-2, captured the SOL National Conference championship and earned a berth in the District One Class AAAA finals.
Five are members of Rich Reice's soccer teams including boys co-captain Kyle Soroka, who led his team to the District One Class AAA finals as well as a berth in states.
Three are field hockey players, members of Lisa Pennington's squad that captured a District One Class AAAA championship, 25 years after Pennington and her crew did it, guided by former skipper and Athletic Director Sheila Murphy.
Two of them are soccer players headed to the same school at West Chester University including 2009 Neshaminy graduate Jennifer Anne Hutchinson who led the SOL National conference in scoring last year.
“It’s an awesome feeling. All your hard work and all those years that you put in and all the money that you put into it,” stated Hutchinson on her commitment to WCU.
"You’re taking the next step into your future; hopefully, it takes you even further—semi-pros, pros.
"It’s an awesome feeling to have all that training take you somewhere.
"I can rest easy knowing that I have a scholarship.
"It’s an amazing feeling; I love it."
Hutchinson considered Bloomsburg and East Stroudsburg but chose to play for the Golden Rams instead.
***
Neshaminy senior Jay Colbert, a 6-1, 230-pound fullback who plays the end on the D-line, is headed to the University of New Hampshire. Jay made his college choice based on the winning attitude that always seems to prevail at UNH.
“It feels great,” says Jay. “It’s pretty much the next step in my life; it’s been a blessing to get this far.”
Last season, UNH head coach Sean McDonnell led the Wildcats to their fifth consecutive appearance in the NCAA FCS Championships and advanced to the quarterfinals for the fourth time during a five-year span. New Hampshire posted a 10-3 record, capturing the Colonial Athletic Association North Division title.
“Every year, New Hampshire wins games and they’re always in the playoffs every year,” said Colbert.
“They do a great job with their coaching staff.
“They always get the right guys in the program—good guys.”
A winning program coupled together with hard work made the Wildcats an attractive team to join, said Colbert. The similarity to Neshaminy football was uncanny, he noted.
“Their program is just like Neshaminy’s. Guys get in the weight room; they work—they work hard. They have great coaches. The coaches get after you and they WIN games.”
Last year, after dropping a non-league opener, the Redskins didn’t lose a game, going 9-1 in the regular season together with a trio of playoff wins over Downingtown East, Ridley and Garnet Valley. While Neshaminy finally met its match in the district championship with North Penn, the ‘skins had a nice season at 12-2 overall.
“It was a great run--an awesome season; I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
“It was just great to be playing with your friends well into the postseason—guys you had been through the whole process with.”
***
Moriah Allen is gearing up for her first season with the Villanova Wildcats a team that has been picked to finish in fifth place in the Big East in a preseason coaches poll. Today Aug. 19) the Cats travel to University Park to take on the Nittany Lions in a scrimmage before heading to Drexel to battle the Dragons Aug. 22.
“It’s really exciting. I’ve been coming to school for 13 years working hard for field hockey. Now, it’s finally the day—it’s final; I’m going to Villanova.”
Allen joins Pennsbury alum Megan Goelz, who could see time as the No. 1 goalkeeper after spending her freshman year in a reserve role.
Villanova opens the season Aug. 30 in Norfolk vs. Old Dominion before traveling to a tournament in Fairfield, Connecticut and the Vonnie Gros Classic Sept. 11-12 in West Chester.
***
Zach Turchi is headed to LaSalle to play soccer. He spent some time reminiscing over his last season at Neshaminy, which started out slow and ended with a hot streak the size of Haley’s Comet.
“We started out shaky. Our season--we didn’t know where it was going. Then, all of a sudden, we came on strong. We started playing real good and we just came out with big wins.
Neshaminy defeated Lower Merion in the district semifinals on penalty kicks before falling to Downingtown West 1-0 in the district final and again in the state semis.
“That’s where we shine--in the playoffs; we kept winning.”
Turchi likes the fact that he chose LaSalle.
“They have a real good program. They have a lot of talent,” he says of a team that went 2-14-3, 1-8-0 in the Atlantic 10 Conference.
“Last year wasn’t their best, record-wise. They beat a lot of good teams; but they had a lot of one-goal losses.”
Turchi also looked at Rider but wanted an urban campus that was close to home. The Explorers open Sept. 1 at 7 p.m. at Bucknell. Niagara comes to McCarthy Stadium at 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 6 for LaSalle’s home opener.
***
Lyndsay Pierson is headed to the University of Pittsburgh, a team that finished in fifth place in the Big East American Division at 7-11-1 (4-6-1) then lost its Big East Tournament opener, 1-0, to Louisville.
Pierson also considered UNC-Charlotte and Delaware. She’ll play the midfield post for Pitt head coach Sue-Moy Chin who returns nine starters from last year’s team including the Panthers’ three leading goal scorers in senior Ashley Habbel, sophomore Katelyn Ruhe and junior Liz Carroll.
Pitt kicks off its season with six non-conference matches beginning with an opening home game against Buffalo on Aug. 21 at Founders Field. The Panthers host rival and nationally ranked West Virginia on Sept. 18 for their first conference match of the season.
***
Diana Rowan, meanwhile, readies herself for the soccer season at West Chester, where she joins classmate Jennifer Anne Hutchinson. Rowan believes the soccer program at Neshaminy got her to the next level.
“Coach Reice is an awesome coach; he has experience as a winner himself. He was an awesome player and he knew what it took for us to get to the next level.
“We had a lot of potential last year. This year, we played as a team and we came together. We won game after game and we turned around and we looked and we were undefeated.”
After winning the SOL National Conference, the ‘Skins made it to the district semifinals and a consolation before heading to states where they made it as far as the state quarters.
Rowan, along with Hutchinson will play for Golden Rams head coach Betty Ann Kempf, a third year skipper who in 2008 guided WCU to a 14-3-5 record overall and 8-0-4 in the PSAC East.
In a preseason poll, the Rams were tied with Bloomsburg in first place votes.
But first Kempf will have to find a way to replace Lauren Boyer and Brittany Yetter.
Last season, Boyer led a West Chester defense that allowed just 17 goals in 22 games for a 0.72 goals-against average. Yetter led the way offensively with 27 points on 9 goals and 9 assists.
Boyer was later bestowed with PSAC East Player of the Year honors and Yetter was named an NSCAA First Team All American. Together, they helped the Rams earn a berth in the NCAA Division II Sweet 16.
“The girls are one big team and it’s like a family,” said Hutchinson of her new team. “The coach is amazing. The past two years, she’s taken them far and they’ve won. She seems like someone you can actually connect to.”
West Chester opens Aug. 28 on the road against Dominican before coming home to face Bloomsburg Sept. 2.
Sports Editor
While the rest of us gear up for yet another varsity season here in lower Bucks County, there are 13 student athletes from Neshaminy High School who have already moved on.
Four of the students are members of the football team that went 12-2, captured the SOL National Conference championship and earned a berth in the District One Class AAAA finals.
Five are members of Rich Reice's soccer teams including boys co-captain Kyle Soroka, who led his team to the District One Class AAA finals as well as a berth in states.
Three are field hockey players, members of Lisa Pennington's squad that captured a District One Class AAAA championship, 25 years after Pennington and her crew did it, guided by former skipper and Athletic Director Sheila Murphy.
Two of them are soccer players headed to the same school at West Chester University including 2009 Neshaminy graduate Jennifer Anne Hutchinson who led the SOL National conference in scoring last year.
“It’s an awesome feeling. All your hard work and all those years that you put in and all the money that you put into it,” stated Hutchinson on her commitment to WCU.
"You’re taking the next step into your future; hopefully, it takes you even further—semi-pros, pros.
"It’s an awesome feeling to have all that training take you somewhere.
"I can rest easy knowing that I have a scholarship.
"It’s an amazing feeling; I love it."
Hutchinson considered Bloomsburg and East Stroudsburg but chose to play for the Golden Rams instead.
***
Neshaminy senior Jay Colbert, a 6-1, 230-pound fullback who plays the end on the D-line, is headed to the University of New Hampshire. Jay made his college choice based on the winning attitude that always seems to prevail at UNH.
“It feels great,” says Jay. “It’s pretty much the next step in my life; it’s been a blessing to get this far.”
Last season, UNH head coach Sean McDonnell led the Wildcats to their fifth consecutive appearance in the NCAA FCS Championships and advanced to the quarterfinals for the fourth time during a five-year span. New Hampshire posted a 10-3 record, capturing the Colonial Athletic Association North Division title.
“Every year, New Hampshire wins games and they’re always in the playoffs every year,” said Colbert.
“They do a great job with their coaching staff.
“They always get the right guys in the program—good guys.”
A winning program coupled together with hard work made the Wildcats an attractive team to join, said Colbert. The similarity to Neshaminy football was uncanny, he noted.
“Their program is just like Neshaminy’s. Guys get in the weight room; they work—they work hard. They have great coaches. The coaches get after you and they WIN games.”
Last year, after dropping a non-league opener, the Redskins didn’t lose a game, going 9-1 in the regular season together with a trio of playoff wins over Downingtown East, Ridley and Garnet Valley. While Neshaminy finally met its match in the district championship with North Penn, the ‘skins had a nice season at 12-2 overall.
“It was a great run--an awesome season; I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
“It was just great to be playing with your friends well into the postseason—guys you had been through the whole process with.”
***
Moriah Allen is gearing up for her first season with the Villanova Wildcats a team that has been picked to finish in fifth place in the Big East in a preseason coaches poll. Today Aug. 19) the Cats travel to University Park to take on the Nittany Lions in a scrimmage before heading to Drexel to battle the Dragons Aug. 22.
“It’s really exciting. I’ve been coming to school for 13 years working hard for field hockey. Now, it’s finally the day—it’s final; I’m going to Villanova.”
Allen joins Pennsbury alum Megan Goelz, who could see time as the No. 1 goalkeeper after spending her freshman year in a reserve role.
Villanova opens the season Aug. 30 in Norfolk vs. Old Dominion before traveling to a tournament in Fairfield, Connecticut and the Vonnie Gros Classic Sept. 11-12 in West Chester.
***
Zach Turchi is headed to LaSalle to play soccer. He spent some time reminiscing over his last season at Neshaminy, which started out slow and ended with a hot streak the size of Haley’s Comet.
“We started out shaky. Our season--we didn’t know where it was going. Then, all of a sudden, we came on strong. We started playing real good and we just came out with big wins.
Neshaminy defeated Lower Merion in the district semifinals on penalty kicks before falling to Downingtown West 1-0 in the district final and again in the state semis.
“That’s where we shine--in the playoffs; we kept winning.”
Turchi likes the fact that he chose LaSalle.
“They have a real good program. They have a lot of talent,” he says of a team that went 2-14-3, 1-8-0 in the Atlantic 10 Conference.
“Last year wasn’t their best, record-wise. They beat a lot of good teams; but they had a lot of one-goal losses.”
Turchi also looked at Rider but wanted an urban campus that was close to home. The Explorers open Sept. 1 at 7 p.m. at Bucknell. Niagara comes to McCarthy Stadium at 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 6 for LaSalle’s home opener.
***
Lyndsay Pierson is headed to the University of Pittsburgh, a team that finished in fifth place in the Big East American Division at 7-11-1 (4-6-1) then lost its Big East Tournament opener, 1-0, to Louisville.
Pierson also considered UNC-Charlotte and Delaware. She’ll play the midfield post for Pitt head coach Sue-Moy Chin who returns nine starters from last year’s team including the Panthers’ three leading goal scorers in senior Ashley Habbel, sophomore Katelyn Ruhe and junior Liz Carroll.
Pitt kicks off its season with six non-conference matches beginning with an opening home game against Buffalo on Aug. 21 at Founders Field. The Panthers host rival and nationally ranked West Virginia on Sept. 18 for their first conference match of the season.
***
Diana Rowan, meanwhile, readies herself for the soccer season at West Chester, where she joins classmate Jennifer Anne Hutchinson. Rowan believes the soccer program at Neshaminy got her to the next level.
“Coach Reice is an awesome coach; he has experience as a winner himself. He was an awesome player and he knew what it took for us to get to the next level.
“We had a lot of potential last year. This year, we played as a team and we came together. We won game after game and we turned around and we looked and we were undefeated.”
After winning the SOL National Conference, the ‘Skins made it to the district semifinals and a consolation before heading to states where they made it as far as the state quarters.
Rowan, along with Hutchinson will play for Golden Rams head coach Betty Ann Kempf, a third year skipper who in 2008 guided WCU to a 14-3-5 record overall and 8-0-4 in the PSAC East.
In a preseason poll, the Rams were tied with Bloomsburg in first place votes.
But first Kempf will have to find a way to replace Lauren Boyer and Brittany Yetter.
Last season, Boyer led a West Chester defense that allowed just 17 goals in 22 games for a 0.72 goals-against average. Yetter led the way offensively with 27 points on 9 goals and 9 assists.
Boyer was later bestowed with PSAC East Player of the Year honors and Yetter was named an NSCAA First Team All American. Together, they helped the Rams earn a berth in the NCAA Division II Sweet 16.
“The girls are one big team and it’s like a family,” said Hutchinson of her new team. “The coach is amazing. The past two years, she’s taken them far and they’ve won. She seems like someone you can actually connect to.”
West Chester opens Aug. 28 on the road against Dominican before coming home to face Bloomsburg Sept. 2.
***
Neshaminy’s Lucky 13
Jay Colbert, New Hampshire, Football
Dan Shirey, Villanova University, Football
Paul Carrezola, Rutgers University, Football
John Zavorsky, Kutztown University, Football
Kyle Soroka, Villanova University, Soccer
Zach Turchi, LaSalle University, Soccer
Marlaine Schneider, Rider University, Field Hockey
Moriah Allen, Villanova University, Field Hockey
Alexa Doyle, Kutztown University, Field Hockey
Kelli Kerr, Millersville University, Soccer
Lyndsay Pierson, University of Pittsburgh, Soccer
Diana Rowan, West Chester, Soccer
Jennifer Anne Hutchinson, West Chester, Soccer
Jay Colbert, New Hampshire, Football
Dan Shirey, Villanova University, Football
Paul Carrezola, Rutgers University, Football
John Zavorsky, Kutztown University, Football
Kyle Soroka, Villanova University, Soccer
Zach Turchi, LaSalle University, Soccer
Marlaine Schneider, Rider University, Field Hockey
Moriah Allen, Villanova University, Field Hockey
Alexa Doyle, Kutztown University, Field Hockey
Kelli Kerr, Millersville University, Soccer
Lyndsay Pierson, University of Pittsburgh, Soccer
Diana Rowan, West Chester, Soccer
Jennifer Anne Hutchinson, West Chester, Soccer
3 Comments:
Chelsea Rota is going to Rutgers for field hockey so you forgot her.
Chelsea Rota held three school records. The goalie for the soccer team, she holds the season and career shut out record. In field hockey she played forward and shares the record for goals in a game. The leading scorer for three consecutive years for Lisa Pennington's squad.
Marlaine Schneider is going to Rider to play field hockey. She was the other forward with Rota that led the Skins to the district championship.
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