Pennridge goalkeeper Liv Buckman made two big saves in the first ten minutes, and Gabriella Howley broke the game open with an early second half goal to give Pennridge a 1-0 win over Council Rock North Monday night.
The win moves Pennridge (6-3, 5-3 SOL) into the top-ten of the District One power rankings and gives the Rams a season double over the Council Rock schools, who both sit at the top of the Patriot Division. Pennridge beat Patriot leader Council Rock South 2-1 in their opening game of the season, scoring the only goals against CR South since Kate Walsh’s late consolation goal for CB South Monday, which snapped an eight-game CR South shutout streak. CR South won 4-1.
Pennridge’s victory over CR North provides another quality win on their path to returning to the district final.
For Council Rock North (5-2-1), who conceded their first goal of the season in a 1-0 loss to CR South last week, the loss to Pennridge presented a similar script from the game against their rival. North jumped on the visitors early and could have been two goals up within the opening minutes if not for some outstanding goalkeeping from Buckman. In the 5th minute, Darcy McCullough whipped in a corner that Bella Lanza headed on goal, but Buckman pushed it out of the top corner. Then Sarina Igval dinked the ensuing corner off the crossbar. A minute later, McCullough got in behind the Pennridge backline on the left side and had a clean strike on frame from a tight angle, but Buckman made another strong save and scooped up Isabel Diaz’s rebound to keep the game scoreless.
After weathering the first ten minutes, Pennridge started to build more confidence in the game, and play opened up with both sides creating chances to find the first goal. Pennridge’s Sophie Toner tested North keeper Sophia Mills from distance in the 11th minute, and a minute later North came back and had an opportunity off a throw in combination from Keegan Terry to Diaz. Terry followed up Diaz’s cross and challenged Buckman at the near post off a rebound from the end line. At the other end, Mikala Loux had two shots that caused Rock trouble, the first one blocked by Annie Mills, and the rebound saved by Sophia Mills, who had the angle covered. Four minutes later, Loux created a pocket in the defense on the left side and sent a rocket high.
Midway through the half, Pennridge continued to create more quality opportunities despite North carrying more of the ball and applying pressure on set pieces. In the 21st minute, Pennridge’s Mackenzie Metzler dribbled down the right side, beating her defenders with her speed and sent a cross toward Loux at the six that Sophia Milich cleared away. In the 27thminute, Madelyn Buchanan received the ball and dribbled deep down the left, but North’s keeper Mills intercepted her cross through the goalmouth before any of the Pennridge runners could get the next touch.
Late in the half, Igval became more involved in the attack and created some dangerous opportunities down the right side. In the 31st minute, she beat her defender around the outside, but Pennridge’s Payton Rabinowitz made a great interception to deny the cross. With three minutes remaining in the half, Igval crossed a deep through-ball from Diaz toward the front post, just missing Terry before Howley cleared it away.
In the second half, North started to get closer on their corners. Three minutes in, Igval whipped an in-swinger toward a crowded goalmouth area, and Buckman fought through players to punch it out before Kendra Palena headed it away.
A minute later, Pennridge stunned the hosts with a goal, snapping North’s early-half momentum. After a quick change of possession, Howley got behind the North backline on a pass from Kylie Manville and looped a shot over Mills from the top of the box to make the score 1-0. Howley has now scored a goal for the third week in a row after also finding the net in the 2-1 loss to CB South last Tuesday and in the 6-0 win over CB West two weeks ago.
With North pressing for an equalizer and Pennridge trying to counter, the second half carried a more end to end flow with neither defense breaking. Yet Pennridge continued to create more of the chances and appeared the more likely side to score the next goal. In the 46th minute, Maya Howard led another counter, sending a cross through the six, just missing Loux at the back post. Less than five minutes later, Pennridge had another corner that put Mills under pressure backing into her goal line, but the North keeper made the save.
In the 60th minute, Pennridge sent a free kick from distance that Mills saved, and in the 64thminute, Loux took a shot from outside the box that Mills also saved, keeping her team in it until the final fifteen minutes. One minute later, at the other end, Sam Geib beat her defender around the outside and drove across along the turf that just missed Terry, who was covered well by Harper Posey. Geib then found space two more times down the right late in the game, but North couldn’t get the final touch on frame and had to settle for a second-consecutive home loss against a another good SOL opponent.
“Some of it’s just a piece of luck here and there,” CR North coach Gavin Flanagan said after the game about falling in another close game. “I thought we did a good job tonight getting into positions to create chances, whether it’s a cross, a final ball, or set pieces, and we just can’t seem to get on the end of it.”
For the second game, North came out fast and had created good scoring opportunities early but was held scoreless by good goalkeeping and some of that unluckiness.
“Lanza had a great header off a corner kick,” Flanagan said. “Goalie made a great save. There were a couple other moments maybe we’d like to have back. At halftime, I said I think it’s going to be a one-goal game. It’s just that tight. Unfortunately, I was correct, which wasn’t for us.”
North remains in the chase for the SOL Patriot division and should still be in the mix for a high seed in the playoffs. They’re only losses on the season have come in consecutive games, also the only games in which they’ve conceded goals, against two opponents now ranked in the top-ten in the district rankings.
“We trained well Friday. I thought we came out with the right energy and the right level of physicality,” Flanagan said. “I think we just have to find some details that we’ve got to get better at, and I think we’re right there.”
“We knew we’d have a challenge,” Pennridge coach Lucas Kriner said after the game. “Gavin’s been around here for a long time, and they’re always well coached.” Kriner said his team was focused on the warm-up about playing to their identity and their strengths. “When you’re in our position, you’re taking as many wins as you can get., and I’m glad with the result. I’m really glad G had the opportunity to find that part of the net.”
Even after the goal, Pennridge continued to attack North in their end, making it difficult for the hosts to climb back into the game, which was something Kriner has emphasized with his team in recent weeks. “We have pretty good discipline when it comes to when you score a goal, what’s the response going to be like? We really locked it down.”
After losing three close division games, Pennridge has now won two straight and will seek a third in a row when they host William Tennent Wednesday. Tennent is currently first in the SOL Freedom division.
Council Rock North travels to Plymouth Whitemarsh Wednesday then hosts CB West Saturday.
