Pennsbury High School Field Hockey

Monday, September 21, 2020
Pennsbury 2, Bensalem 1

The Pennsbury Falcons kicked off the 2020 season with a road trip to Bensalem. The game was under the lights in the stadium as the Owls celebrated their senior night. The Falcons controlled possession most of the game with skilled passing, smart decision making, and great communication. Pennsbury's greatest challenge was finding ways to get around Bensalem's packed circle defense strategy and finishing on the numerous shots taken throughout the game. The Owls held strong in the first half denying every shot and making some nice defensive plays under pressure. The teams entered half time scoreless and the energy in the stadium was very exciting. Halfway into the third quarter, Pennsbury Junior defender, Sophia Curtis, notched her first varsity goal during penalty corner play. Sophomore, Molly Murray, caught a rebound off the goalie and passed it across to Curtis who shot it into the far corner.  Pennsbury's second goal came quickly after the first with some more great movement across the goal during another penalty corner.  Curtis assisted senior forward, Kayli Williams who got a shot off quickly from the right side.  Despite being down 2-0, Bensalem never let up. They came into the fourth quarter on fire and scored their first goal with tons of time left on the clock.  The fourth quarter was high intensity as the Owls had some more opportunities to tie it up, but the Falcons were able to stand their ground. PHS goalie, Jordan Vradenburgh did not see much action, but when she did, she made it count and defenders, Hannah Aker and Reilly Monach, helped to hold onto the lead until the final second ticked away. Other strong contributors to the PHS unit included Sophia Hitchingham, Megan McClure, Jaclyn Gorgo, Marissa MacAinsh, and Reagan Ward. The Pennsbury coaching staff was so proud of the way their girls moved the ball and utilized the entire field to penetrate from all angles. Head coach, Traci Curtis, credits the success in this first game to the team's connection, shared mindset and vision, and the way each player took ownership of their role and executed with full focus and intensity from start to finish.  The Falcons will host Neshaminy on Wednesday at 3:30pm.  

Wednesday, September 23rd
Pennsbury 1, Neshaminy 2 - OVERTIME

When you set out to rebuild and redefine a program the way coaches, Traci Curtis, Aly Mallon, and Brittany Sheenan have been doing since taking over just last year, the term, 'victory', takes on a whole new meaning. In the books, Pennsbury lost a tough game to Neshaminy 2-1 in overtime, but in their hearts and minds, Pennsbury will count it as a win that will stand for much more than what is seen at face value.  The Falcons took the field without key player and starting center mid, Jaclyn Gorgo, who was out nursing a knee injury, but the coaches spent no time being rattled. They filled the spot with fellow sophomores, Molly Murray and Olivia Graebner. After some more adjusting, Murray slid to the right for an added push down the strong side and Graebner took on the center role with authority by being, smart, strong, and consistently solid. The midfield is where Pennsbury struggles the most as they continue to search for the right formula for that layer. The first quarter went by with neither team scoring and it was evident that it would be an intense battle to the very end. Neshaminy notched the first goal in the second quarter capitalizing on a quick free hit and catching PHS players on their heels. The Skins went ahead 1-0, but the Falcons remained strong and the score was still 1-0 going into halftime. It was nowhere near over for PHS and they believed that wholeheartedly. During the third quarter, Pennsbury senior midfielder, Aditi Luitel, connected in the circle with a heads up play tying the game 1-1, adding a spark to the already fueled atmosphere.  There were a lot of big ball hits from both teams as the game went back and forth, especially in the fourth when fatigue was a factor.  Neshaminy has so much talent and skill and are trained by excellent coaches, so as the clock ticked down, Curtis & Company knew it was becoming a coaches battle just as much as a players battle. Every decision was vital. 

The teams entered the fourth quarter still tied at 1-1. Neshaminy had many scoring opportunities including three penalty corners with the clock at zero in regulation. The Falcons' defense forced the game into overtime with outstanding stops when it mattered most. Jordan Vradenburgh, Hannah Aker, Reilly Monach, Helena Sosa, Sophia Curtis, Sophia Hitchingham, and Kayli Williams (on defensive corners) worked together as an incredible unit in the backfield. Unfortunately for the Falcons overtime 7v7 came and went quickly. Neshaminy earned corners and scored on one early into overtime play. Coach Traci Curtis takes full responsibility for not preparing her team appropriately for overtime. Just as the players are learning and growing, the coaches are as well.  Pennsbury was no match in 7v7 with the Skins and knows that the only thing to do moving forward is to take what you learn from every situation and use it to improve.  There was nothing but pride as the Falcons walked off the field having given everything they had in them. Curtis told the girls that she could look into their eyes and know that they genuinely gave their very best and that's all that can be asked of them.  We made Neshaminy work really hard for that 2-1 win and that means something. Last season the Falcons fell to Neshaminy 5-1 and 4-0 in the two times they met, so taking the Skins to overtime was truly a win for them at this point. Curtis has a lot of admiration for a program like Neshaminy (her alma mater as well as her head JV coach) and knows that success like they have attained does not come over night, but the game today was another building block being stacked for them to stand upon as they climb. The Falcons face Council Rock South on Tuesday at home.    

Tuesday, September 28th
Pennsbury 1, Council Rock South 5

The first few rain drops began to fall right before game time and then the drops intensified and turned into a downpour that lasted until the final buzzer. The Pennsbury Falcons season theme is #NOEXCUSES so the pre-game talk focused on just that - pay no mind to the weather. PHS came out of the starting gates confident, strong, and ready and was able to score first on the heads up playing from forwards Meg McClure and Kayli Williams. After a beautiful passing sequence through the midfield, McClure assisted Williams and the Falcons went up 1-0 in the first quarter. It was some of the best hockey the coaches had seen since their start. If the first 15 minutes could have been bottled and saved forever, the Pennsbury coaching staff would have done it for sure.  Unfortunately, that first quarter playing was not long lasting. The foundational lesson learned is that there is a huge difference between choosing a season theme and actually implementing it and applying it to a real life situation. Once Council Rock South tied the game 1-1 in the second quarter and then went up 2-1 and then 3-1, Pennsbury allowed the changing score and the falling rain to take over their mindset.  South handled the mental game just as strongly as they did the physical game of hockey. They made adjustments better and fixed what they needed, getting stronger with each quarter, while Pennsbury deflated and allowed old habits to come to the surface.  The final score was 5-1 with CR South capitalizing on corners, acclimating to the grass, and staying focused on keeping possession. Some of the bright spots for the Falcons were players Olivia Graebner (sophomore) who held the center mid position and Junior, Sophia Curtis especially on defensive corner play. Pennsbury will continue to move forward taking lessons away from every contest. They will prepare for their next game when they host Council Rock North on Monday.    

Monday, October 5th
Pennsbury 3, Council Rock NORTH 1

It was a perfect weather day for field hockey.  A complete 360 from the Falcons’ last game in the pouring rain against CR South almost a week ago. Coming off of that big loss to South, Pennsbury was looking to redeem themselves in some way and prove just how capable they are. That is exactly what they did.  After a very productive week of practice fine-tuning and focusing on specific changes to their game play, Pennsbury earned an awesome win on their home field as they topped CR North 3-1. They were fired up and ready from the starting whistle, capitalizing on their first penalty corner early in the first quarter. Sophia Curtis inserted a nicely paced ball and Hannah Aker connected with a laser shot giving the Falcons a 1-0 lead. The PHS coaching staff was most impressed early into the game with the application of skills that were discussed throughout the week at practice each day. It was so refreshing to see the girls playing strong, skilled, field hockey as a cohesive unit - it validates the hard work and ignites the confidence that has been simmering for some time in this program.  With about one minute left in the first quarter, Pennsbury connected again on heads up circle play from senior forward, Maddy Spratt.  Starting with a long hit, the Falcons got the ball in front of the goal and after some battling, Spratt caught the goalie leaving a lot of space on one side and scored using a reverse stick dump. The score remained 2-0 for the entire second quarter.  Pennsbury’s forwards and mids were passing beautifully, overlapping, and getting rid of the ball quickly, but just could not finish in the circle.  North’s goalie played an outstanding game, making us work for every goal.  North was pressuring and earning many corners, but the Falcons’ defense stopped every one and it was still 2-0 at the half. The Pennsbury halftime huddle was not a celebration, however, it was a more intense talk about how not to let this lead slip out of our hands. PHS knows that feeling all too well and made a pact to not let it happen on this day. Council Rock made their way onto the scoreboard toward the end of the third quarter on a goal by Brenna S.  They never gave up the entire way.  With the score 2-1 going in the final quarter, Pennsbury had to dig deep and play solid hockey for 15 minutes. We lost to North twice last season and a win today would show progress - there was intense determination to hold strong to that lead. With the incredible leadership of Sophia Hitchingham, PHS stayed composed and worked as a unit to keep control of the game. Olivia Graebner, Molly Murray, Meg McClure, Maddy Spratt, and Kayli Williams seem to be getting into a comfortable rhythm in the midfield and on the forward line and have become a very talented unit.  Stopping about fifteen penalty corners, Goalie Jordan Vradenburgh, and her defensive team are a solid group in the back field.  Sophia Curtis, Reilly Monach, Hitchingham, and Hannah Aker are a force to be reckoned with on the way to the goal. The Falcons added another goal in the fourth quarter, going up 3-1 with a free hit from senior, Sophia Hitchingham, to sophomore, Megan McClure. Coach Traci Curtis is most excited about the growth happening each day in everyone.  We do not rely on one, singular player to do it all - the workload is shared and the responsibility is on every single girl to do their part well and if they can’t that day, then there is another teammate ready to pick up the slack. It’s a full team effort.  It makes me proud to watch the girls take chances, step outside of their comfort zone, and build confidence in themselves as individuals and as a whole.  Today we discovered what it feels like to believe in ourselves and one another. What is means to trust and what it feels like to propel a program forward with authority.  Pennsbury will celebrate their seniors on Wednesday at home against Bensalem.  

Wednesday, October 7th

Pennsbury 4, Bensalem 2

The atmosphere was buzzing with excitement as Pennsbury prepared to celebrate their seven senior athletes at today’s game against Bensalem. Grateful for the opportunity to honor these players with their families, the Falcons understood how special the moment was for everyone. Seniors Hannah Aker, Sophia Hitchingham, Reilly Monach, Aditi Luitel, Kayli Williams, Marissa MacAinsh, and Maddy Spratt stepped onto the field for their final home game, pumped from their win against CR North and ready to take their program to the next level as a solid unit. Maddy Spratt started off the scoring less than one minute into the game assisted by forward, Meg McClure. Bensalem answered back tying the game 1-1 on a corner, but Spratt connected once again on a strong 25 yard hit from Sophia Hitchingham putting the Falcons ahead 2-1. Pennsbury had numerous penalty corner opportunities, which was something the coaches had challenged the team to work on from game to game, but despite forcing the corners, they did not capitalize. The Owls’ goalie had many great saves throughout the contest, denying a barrage of shots from the PHS offense. The score was 3-2 going into halftime after Pennsbury added a goal from Meg McClure on a cross ball from Jaclyn Gorgo and Bensalem notched one on a great tip during a corner, keeping the game very heated. The Falcons played with consistent energy as they moved into the fourth quarter dominating possession for most of the fifteen minutes. Maddy Spratt earned a hat trick on an assist from sophomore, Olivia Graebner, making the final score 4-2 as the Falcons finished out the game keeping the Owls on defense and managing the clock well. Coach, Traci Curtis, and her staff are extremely proud of the ball movement, field hockey IQ, and intensity the team is playing with right now.  Despite the late start, shortened schedule, protocols, and other barriers in 2020, the coaches are seeing an enormous amount of growth and progress in their program. Stand out performances supporting the Falcon win included Marissa MacAinsh in the midfield with incredible stops and smart decisions and midfielder, Aditi Luitel, with consistent ball distribution and overlapping. Pennsbury will travel to Neshaminy on Friday to face the Redskins for a second time.  

Friday, October 9th

Pennsbury 0, Neshaminy 1

Preparing to play against Neshaminy at their home field requires a special process for the Falcons. With two Pennsbury coaches who are Neshaminy field hockey alums, one coach who is a Pennsbury alum, and a whole rivalry history between the programs, it’s not only the players who have to do that pre-game mindset work.  The mental side of this contest for the Falcons is where the focus falls each year.  There is something about traveling to Neshaminy that catapults our team into an intense inner struggle that needs to be worked through at game time. Today they started exactly how coach, Traci Curtis, could have predicted. The Falcons came out flat, on their heels, and intimidated from the first whistle.  Despite taking Neshaminy to overtime in their first meeting, Pennsbury continues to battle with confidence issues when stepping onto the Skins’ grass. Neshaminy took advantage of that in the first two minutes of the game when they earned a corner and then scored during a scuffle in front of the goal at the 13:45 mark. The sound of the starting whistle barely out of the air and the score was 1-0.  It was one of those goals that happens in slow motion, nothing fancy or even pretty, but still a goal as it rolled over the white line. And that goal was the only one scored in the entire game. When the first quarter ended the Pennsbury players heard an earful from Curtis. Curtis is not sure what part exactly stuck or helped to flip a switch in their brains, but the Falcons came out in the second, third, and fourth quarters and played absolute amazing hockey.  They dominated much of the possession throughout a good portion of the remainder of the game, but just couldn’t tie it up with corner opportunities, break aways, and great passing and shooting with one shot that actually bounced off of the post. Neshaminy’s goalie had some incredible saves that kept her team on top and forced PHS to work harder to figure out how to get one by her. They never did.  Pennsbury made some tactical changes, line up changes, and executed corners well, but they just could not even up the score. Once again, the hard fought game resulted in a loss, but the Falcons coaches felt like it was a win in so many ways.  Having a three game week, battling some injuries, and the intensity of online learning certainly are factors, but the season theme is #NOEXCUSES so there is no room to allow anything to get in the way of game time. The coaching staff is proud of how the girls found a way to get over their mental block surrounding this particular battle and proved to themselves how strong they are together. After the early goal our team could have fallen apart, given up, or acted like they weren’t worthy of competing, but that is not what happened and that is what we love to see in them.  We do not rely on one person to take care of anything for us - the workload is shared across the board and everyone stepped up as a solid unit to give the performance they gave today.  Some highlights include ball control and distribution in the middle from Sophia Hitchingham and Olivia Graebner, forward line attacking by Jaclyn Gorgo, Kayli Wililams, and Maddy Spratt. In addition, another stellar performance by Marissa MacAinsh helped in the midfield, and incredibly strong, smart defensive play from Sophia Curtis, Hannah Aker, Reilly Monach, and goalie, Jordan Vradenburgh, kept the Skins scoreless for 58 minutes.  Pennsbury will continue their travel schedule against Council Rock South on Monday.  

Monday, October 12, 2020

Pennsbury 0, Council Rock South 3

It was another rain soaked game between Pennsbury and Council Rock South, the difference this time being turf instead of grass. This was Pennsbury’s first turf game of the season so they knew they would have to make some adjustments on both sides of the ball. South’s, Kerry Kaufman, scored midway through the first quarter on corner play to go up 1-0. The Falcons were slow to make those imperative adjustments especially in the midfield and finding openings on free hit opportunities. South is a strong, fast team with great ball anticipation so PHS struggled connecting and working the ball through the layers of the field. Despite the chill in the air, Pennsbury was still fired up going into the 2nd quarter, staring a 2-0 deficit in the face after CR South notched another goal from Emilia Elko. They were having fun, playing hard, and doing the work, but struggled keeping possession in their scoring zone. The Falcons defense stepped up big time in the back field denying opportunities throughout the game, holding Council Rock scoreless in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. The score remained 2-0 at the half. Junior Sophia Curtis handled the sideline channeling like a champ and stopped many a ball from getting into the circle from the right.  She also had some big stops inside the circle with strong heads up plays. Hannah Aker broke through the back a few times to give a spark on defense as well.  Helena Sosa stepped in for a senior defender who was out with an injury and handled her job well, adding to the solid playing in the red zone. Goalie, Jordan Vradenburgh, protected the cage with great clears, stepping out to deny shots, and consistent communication. South was able to score another in the 4th quarter making it 3-0 on a goal from Karissa Smedley, but the Falcons never let up and in the final quarter had a sequence of three penalty corners in a row, but just could not finish.  We were proud of how the girls handled the weather, the travel, the turf, and the entire game experience. Playing on turf is an entirely different game that requires a skill set that Pennsbury is striving to master. Each game provides the chance to learn, reevaluate,  and get better. With three games left on their schedule, Pennsbury looks to be the best version of themselves when they reach the final moments of the 2020 season. The Falcons will travel back to Council Rock North’s turf to face CR North on Monday.   

Wednesday, October 21, 2020

Pennsbury 0, Wissahickon 3

When the Pennsbury coaches had the opportunity to add Wissahickon to their schedule, they took advantage of it immediately knowing that it would be a great challenge to put before their team.  The Falcons met the challenge with grit, heart, and awesome field hockey. Playing on turf as a grass team puts PHS at a disadvantage from the start, but the girls came out ready to battle and adapted quickly to the fast pace of the game against a very strong Trojan team.  Last year PHS fell 6-0 in a preseason scrimmage against Wissahickon. Today’s game ended with a loss as well, but with a score of 3-0 and a story that is not told well in the outcome. Wiss scored first early in the first quarter, but the Falcons made them earn it for sure. The defensive power of Sophia Curtis, Reilly Monach, Hannah Aker, Sophia Hitchingham, and goalie, Jordan Vradenburgh did not make it easy for Wiss to get on the scoreboard.  Vradenburgh, with over 15 saves, had an outstanding game using her agility  to dive, slide, clear, and strongly deny a few one on one breakaways. The score remained 1-0 after the first quarter. Pennsbury came out in the second quarter more determined than ever - sophomore forward, Meg McClure, played smart hockey connecting with senior forward, Kayli Williams to create many give and go offense pushes and scoring opportunities.  After some great passing sequences the Falcons did put the ball in the cage in the second quarter, which would have tied the score 1-1, however the goal was called back as ruled on the field during the play in the circle. After the gut punch goal reversal, Pennsbury simply dug deeper and entered half time holding the score at 1-0. When the third quarter began, it was evident that the battle intensified - the speed and physicality of the game was at its peak.  Wissahickon is a very skilled, fast team and the Falcons were right at their heels answering back  with the same level of play. The Trojans did score two more goals, one in the third quarter and one in the fourth resulting in the 3-0 loss, but the PHS coaches are nothing but proud of the effort and heart put on the field for sixty minutes. The story of the game reveals progress in field hockey skill, but more importantly in believing in our abilities as players and a program as a whole.  It is games like this that catapult us forward as we build from the inside out and embrace our progress as a true reflection of our success and achievements this season. We are grateful for the chances to be challenged and forced to raise our caliber of play and we are grateful for the ability to play field hockey this fall. The Falcons will travel to Council Rock North for their last regular season game on Wednesday, Oct. 28th.

Wednesday, October 28, 2020

Pennsbury 1, Council Rock North 3

It was definitely not the way they wanted to end the hockey portion of this crazy season, but the Falcons walked away with clear eyes and full hearts nonetheless. Council Rock North came out ready to fight and kept an intense momentum that was tough for Pennsbury to crack. It was another strong turf battle with some great hockey on both sides of the ball. The Indians scored first on a beautiful, fast-paced ball sent across the circle and tipped passed the goalie.  The score remained 1-0 until Pennsbury connected on a great deflection set up by Maddy Spratt to Jaclyn Gorgo in the second quarter.  With the game still tied at halftime, PHS coaches focused on building on momentum and encouraging players to take intensity to the next level. We had many opportunities in the attacking 25 and just needed to finish. It's been something we have needed to improve on all season. Not having starting senior right wing, Kayli Williams on the field forced us to make some line up adjustments and it took a little bit for the forwards to get into a groove. Once they did, Spratt, Gorgo, and sophomore, Meg McClure created a lot of offense, but the circle is where it ended. North notched another goal in the third quarter putting them up 2-1 and the Falcons kept fighting back with corner opportunities and breakaways. Once again, the Pennsbury defense came up strong as senior, Hannah Aker, stepped up, broke through and broke up a lot of plays in the defensive end.  Reilly Monach, Sophia Hitchingham, and goalie, Jordan Vradenburgh added to the stops and kept CRN from accumulating many goals.  Junior Jenna Outcalt stepped in and rose to the occasion on defense with a strong stick and great channeling down the sideline.  Marissa MacAinsh was solid in the midfield along with starting sophomore center mid, Olivia Graebner.  Despite efforts, the Falcons fell behind 3-1 when the Indians scored again and that is how the game ended. We know that North had a tough couple of weeks trying to get back to playing after the shut down and it was nice for them to end with such great playing.  They outplayed us for sure with some big hits and just solid connections up field. The Falcons will look back on this season with joy, pride, and knowing that they became better versions of themselves along the way as a united group during a very difficult time. It will be remembered as a time when we escaped together, bonded together, and played great hockey set against a backdrop of sheer gratitude for it all. Best wishes to our seniors, who were amazing leaders along the way - Captains Sophia Hitchingham and Hannah Aker, Maddy Spratt, Kayli Williams, Aditi Luitel, Reilly Monach, and Marissa MacAinsh.  Congratulations to all of the teams in the SOL for the seasons they had and good luck to all who will continue into playoffs. #noexcuses