Pennsbury out for blood this year in the SOL
For Pennsbury field hockey (from left): Tracey Arndt, Brooke Bergmann, Jenna Allen, Jennalise Taylor and Julie Kang.
By Steve ShermanSports Editor
Pennsbury’s current campaign is an about face from last season.
The Falcons came into 2008 without 14 players from the previous campaign. This year, Pennsbury returns 13 seniors to the playing field, all with plenty of varsity experience.
“Our coaches have high hopes for us and so do we; we’re just setting high standards for ourselves,” stated co-captain Jennalise Taylor. “We know that we can win and we know that we can dominate in the SOL.”
“We had a disappointing season last year and a lot of the girls came into the season not wanting to repeat that,” stated head coach Brooke Bergman
“The expectations are high. This is a tight group of seniors and they WANT to win. So they’re setting the bar pretty high.”
While the Falcons come into the fall season without midfielder Leigh Deininger (St. Joe’s), forward Casey Tallman, along with defenders Christie Quake (Haverford) and Lauren Bucher, the girls say this is as good a team as they’ve had in a while and they hope to go far.
“We’re really excited. We’re looking to beat Neshaminy because they were SOL champs last year,” stated Taylor. “Also, Council Rock North is pretty stacked this year.
“But, we’re a pretty good team, too. We have a lot of returning starters so we have a very strong core.”
Last season ended abruptly when Pennsbury was ousted in the first round of district play in a 3-2 loss to Mount St. Joseph’s.
While the Falcons opened their season Sept. 4 in a 3-1 loss to Mount St. Joe’s, Pennsbury got its league season off to a rousing start Sept. 9 with a convincing 4-1 victory over SOL Continental Conference rival CB West.
The Falcons dominated in this one, outshooting the Lady Bucks, 13-4, and outcornering West, 6-2. Pennsbury used an early goal--her second of the season--by senior forward Jenna Allen to mount a 1-0 halftime edge then got two quick second-half strikes by sophomore forward Allie Brady and senior MF Mia Reed to go up 3-0.
After a Bucks goal tallied by Jess Ernst, the Falcons regained a 3-goal edge with Allen’s second tally of the day off an assist by Brady. The two teamed up earlier on Brady’s goal. Senior forward Nikki Cuthbert assisted on Allen’s first strike and the goal by Reed, who also had an assist.
Afterward, Bergman commented on the play of Allen, who already has 3 goals and 1 assist.
“She’s improved as a player—in skills and intensity,” stated Bergman.
“She’s coming at this knowing that she’s a leader on this team and her intensity is coming through in the games.”
Last week’s contest was a dramatic difference compared to the outcome of last year’s battle with CB West, which resulted in a 3-0 loss.
“We really dominated the entire game,” stated Taylor. “We were out for blood after last year because they handed it to us last year; we were not ready for them in that one.
“We came for blood today and we got it; we redeemed ourselves.”
Providing the offense at Pennsbury this year are many of the names seen in the CB West boxscore, namely Allen, Cuthbert, Reed, Brady, Taylor along with senior MF Melinda Feyko and defenseman Julie Kang on corners.
“We’re moving the ball up the field quickly and we’re moving teams out that way,” stated Taylor of the falcon offense. “We’re looking for a lot of two-on ones and we’re getting them.”
Brady has stepped in for Tallman and has performed well alongside Allen and Cuthbert, who were starters last year on the forward line.
“Last year as a freshman playing JV, you could see that she had a lot of potential and she’s just an athlete,” stated Bergman. “She’s gotten a ton better from last year both skill-wise and game sense-wise.
“She blew us away in the preseason and has been impressive in these first two games.”
The players shoring up the defense at Pennsbury include Danielle Geller, Jess Bulafka and Alyssa Cox along with midfielders Reed, Feyko, Taylor, and Kang. Senior Katy Ritchie is back in goal for the Falcons.
But a sticking point for the Falcons last year was scoring, especially on corner opportunities. That hasn’t been the case thus far with two of Allen’s goals coming on corners.
“We’re going to score a lot of corners this year,” stated Taylor. “We’re doing really well on those--the free possession hits in.”
Allen is the player Pennsbury counts on in such instances, said the coach.
“She struggled scoring goals off corners last year and that’s all about taking advantage of opportunities,” stated Bergman. “She had the opportunities last year, she just wasn’t capitalizing on it. She’s made that improvement this year.”
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WHAT COACHING CHANGE
While Bergman is coaching in place of Tracey Arndt, who is out on maternity leave but acting as a volunteer assistant at all the games and practices, many of the girls don’t notice the difference from last year.
“It really hasn’t changed anything,” stated Taylor. “They’re both always here; there’s no real distinction between head coach and non-head coach; they both do equal things and they’re both really good players.”
“Tracey is still very involved in volunteering her time so it hasn’t been a major transition for the girls as they’re used to us and both of our inputs,” explained Bergman.
“It’s been fun; it’s a temporary thing but we’re making it work.”
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NOTES: Pennsbury opens league play 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15 at Council Rock North. While the Neshaminy game is surely circled on the calendar, that contest won’t come until Oct. 21 at home in the last game of the season.
Two years ago, the Falcons defeated West in the regular season and then in overtime on a goal by Tallman in a first-round district playoff.
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