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Subscribe to our NewsletterAPRIL 11, 2022
PENNSBURY 13, CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 10
Grace Holmes scored five goals and assisted on two others while Darrien Furiness also had a hand in seven goals, connecting for a hat trick and assisting on four goals to lead the Falcons’ attack. Furiness also had seven draw controls while Holmes and Olivia Graebner each had four.
“We struggled today as a whole, but we were able to come up with the win,” said Pennsbury coach Shannon MacPherson, whose team led 6-4 at halftime. “Darrien Furiness, Grace Holmes and Olivia Graebner did a nice job with the draw controls.”
Furiness also led the team with five ground balls and three caused turnovers. Graebner added four ground balls, and Holmes had two ground balls and two caused turnovers.
Also for the Falcons, Mia Popovitch had two goals. Caroline Mellon contributed a goal and an assist and also had two ground balls. Lily Abraham had one goal, two caused turnovers and one ground ball. “Caroline Mellon has really stepped up for us in the past few games,” MacPherson said. “She goes for every ground ball and hustles the entire game. I’m really happy with how hard she works and the progress she’s made so far this season. “CB East played a great game today. East pressured the ball well defensively and worked together as a team. They fought us until the very end and worked together.” Kema Brown was credited with nine saves in goal for the Falcons.
April 20, 2022
North Penn 13, Pennsbury 8
There’s only one Emily Varilla. But on Wednesday, it seemed like she was everywhere. From marking one of Pennsbury’s top offensive threats, to dominating draws (5 DCs) in the midfield, to peppering in a game-high 5 goals, Varilla made her mark as North Penn jumped out to a 9-4 halftime lead en route to a 13-8 victory over Pennsbury in Wednesday’s matchup.
“Emily had a big day both offensively and defensively,” said Knights’ coach Heather Mellow. “She was tasked with marking Darrien Furiness and held her scoreless.”
Kayla Stressman also shined on draws, winning 7 for the Knights to go along with 2 goals and 2 assists. The hosts also got offensive contributions from Danielle Preston (3G, 1A), Jordan Baily (1G, 3A), Kerry O’Donnell (1G, 2DCs), Olivia Caputo (1G), and Riley O’Donnell (2A).
“Our attack is starting to click and seeing each other,” Mellow said. “I love that we had 8 assists, with many different goal scorers. It shows we are working together as a team.”
Kiera Holt made 5 saves in goal, and was supported by solid defensive play from Hannah Mallitz, Ella Burget, Grace MacNamara, Haley Decker, and Lauren Blanch.
For the Falcons, Mia Popovitch scored a team-high 3 goals and added 1 assist. Olivia Graebner scored twice and added 4 draw controls, Grace Holmes had 2 goals, and Caroline Mellon added 1 goal. Sophia Curtis picked up 4 ground balls. While Graebner and Furiness each nabbed 2 GBs. Kema Brown made 6 saves in goal. With the win, North Penn remains undefeated in league play at 4-0 (6-2 overall). “This was a huge win,” Mellow said. “They are (without Penn State commit Maggie Golder), but they’re still a good team. They have some young players. Grace Holmes is a nice player, and she’s going to be lights-out good. “Emily did an amazing job face-guarding and marking Darrien—she stopped her from getting the ball, and I think that confused Pennsbury’s offense. Even doing that, we also pressured the ball quite a bit. Our defense stepped up. It was a good victory for my defense in shutting their offense down because they have a really good attack."
April 22, 2022
Pennsbury 18, New Hope-Solebury 2
The Falcons controlled play from the start as they cruised to a win on Friday.
Darrien Furiness scored four goals, assisted two more and came up with eight draw controls in another standout all-around performance. Grace Holmes netted a hat trick and pair of assists, adding three draw controls and a trio of ground balls. Olivia Graebner was a stat-stuffer as well for Pennsbury, scoring a hat trick, emerging with three draw controls and cleaning the grass with 12 ground balls. Mia Popovitch had four ground balls and added two goals, Lily Abraham scored twice while Caroline Mellon, Rylie Borgman, Sophia Curtis and Katelyn Baik also scored for the Falcons.
April 25, 2022
Pennsbury 9, Council Rock North 5
Both goalkeepers put on a show in Monday’s game. Rylee Roe Lypsky made a whopping 22 saves for Council Rock North, while Pennsbury keeper Kema Brown turned aside nine shots to help lead the Falcons to a 9-5 win.
“Kema had a great game in goal today and came up with some key saves,” said Pennsbury coach Shannon McPherson.
On offense, junior Olivia Graebner had five goals (as well as 2 ground balls, 2 caused turnovers, 1 draw control) and senior Darrien Furiness had three goals (as well as 2 assists, 4 GB, 1 CTO, 5 DC).
“Olivia does such a nice job keeping her composure and playing her game. She came through with some big goals for us today,” McPherson said. “Darrien puts her heart in every game and doesn’t give up. She also had some beautiful goals and did a great job with the transition.”
Caroline Mellon also scored for Pennsbury and added one CTO. Grace Holmes had one GB, one CTO, and one DC. Angelina Kenney had three GB and one CTO, Lily Abraham picked up one GB, Mia Popovitch had one CTO, Rylie Borgman scooped up two GB, Sophia Curtis had one CTO and one DC, and Chelsea Todd had one GB.
April 28, 2022
PENNSBURY 15, CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 3
Darrien Furiness and Caroline Mellon both scored five goals and assisted on another while Olivia Graebner added four goals to lead the Falcons to the no-doubt-about-it win.
Pennsbury took a 5-2 lead into halftime and then outscored their hosts 10-1 in a dominant second half. “We started off slow in the first half, but after halftime the girls played Falcon lacrosse and it was beautiful,” Pennsbury coach Shannon MacPherson said. “(Goalie) Kema (Brown) came up with five saves today. Defensively, the girls communicated and caused turnovers. “Darrien, Caroline and Olivia worked very well on attack today and contributed to our goals. Caroline was on fire today going 5-for-5, the kid has speed and will go to goal. I’m very happy with how we played as a team today, they followed the plan, ran the plays and worked hard for the win.” Furiness also had three ground balls and three caused turnovers while Graebner had five caused turnovers, three draw controls, three ground balls and three caused turnovers. Lily Abraham also had a goal for the Falcons. Mia Popovitch had five caused turnovers and four ground balls. Sophia Curtis added two ground balls and two caused turnovers, and Angelina Kenney scooped up two ground balls. Grace Holmes had a pair of draw controls.
May 2, 2022
PENNSBURY 7, SOUDERTON 5
Kema Brown was a difference maker in Monday’s defensive battle. The Falcons’ goalie recorded 16 saves in a stellar outing.
“Kema had an awesome game in goal today,” Pennsbury coach Shannon MacPherson said. “She came up with key saves and kept us in the game for the win.
“She is a very smart goalie and was able to take care of the ball for us. This is the best game I’ve seen her play. It was beautiful.”
The visiting Falcons needed every one of Brown’s saves in a contest that saw goals hard to come by for both squads. The two teams were deadlocked 3-3 at halftime, and the Falcons held a 4-2 edge in the second half.
“Our defense did a great job holding Souderton once we started working as a unit and got our slides down,” MacPherson said. “Defensively, we only allowed two goals in the second half which was huge in the win today.”
Darrien Furiness had three goals to go along with three ground balls. Caroline Mellon and Grace Mellon both added two goals. Holmes also had five draw controls while Olivia Graebner had four. Graebner also had a team high five ground balls and two caused turnovers. Angelina Kenney had three ground balls.
May 3, 2022
Pennridge 17, Pennsbury 11
The Rams needed every bit of the offensive output Maddy Edinger and Kate Unzicker provided on Tuesday.
Edinger scored eight goals, adding an assist while Unzicker put away five goals and an assist to pace a high-scoring Rams attack that couldn't put away the host Falcons.
"The final score was not indicative of how tight the game really was. Every time we pulled out to a lead, Pennsbury fought back," Pennridge assistant William Rodzewich said. "Kate and Maddy did most of the scoring, but it took great plays by all 11 on the field and Anjali (Verma) in goal to seal this one."
Pennridge turned things up after halftime but did hold a 7-5 advantage at the break.
Darrien Furiness had four goals, an assist, seven ground balls, three caused turnovers and seven draw controls in a gritty effort for the Falcons. Grace Holmes recorded a hat trick and seven draw controls while Mia Popovitch scored three goals, caused two turnovers and grabbed two ground balls.
"Darrien played her heart out. Grace did an excellent job on the draw and contributed on goals," Falcons coach Shannon MacPherson said. "We were really happy to see our attack contribute as a whole today. Pennridge has a really talented team.
"Maddy Edinger is a great player and contributed beautifully to Pennridge's win today."
Amelia Loughery and Sophie Craig each tallied a goal and assist for the Rams. Kendal Posey had three assists, Ava Fantaskey scored one goal while Leah Verespy and Grace Rosica each tallied an assist.
May 4, 2022
Pennsbury 19, Bensalem 7
The Falcons bounced back from a tough loss on Tuesday with a team effort win on Wednesday. The opened up a 14-3 halftime lead and never looked back.
“The girls played as a team today,” Pennsbury coach Shannon MacPherson said. “We had nine different girls score and contribute to the win.”
Nine different Falcons found the back of the net, paced by hat tricks from Darrien Furiness and Olivia Graebner, who also each tallied two assists. Lily Abraham, Caroline Mellon, Rylie Borgman, Sophia Curtis and Chelsea Todd each scored twice. Katelyn Baik and Grace Holmes each scored one goal for Pennsbury. Holmes also had two assists.
Graebner also had a team high five ground balls and six draw controls to go along with two caused turnovers. Furiness had four draw controls and one ground ball. Holmes and Sophia Curtis each had two draw controls. Curtis also had two ground balls.
May 9, 2022
Pennsbury 20, Neshaminy 4
This was a special game for Pennsbury in so many ways.
Not only did the Falcons celebrate Senior Night in a game against traditional rival Neshaminy, but the Falcons also saw Maggie Golder return from injury and look like she never missed a step. The Penn State-bound senior scored a game-high 5 goals and 3 assists, earned 4 draw controls, and scooped up a ground ball to lead the Falcons to a 20-4 victory over Neshaminy on Monday.
Ohio State signee Darrien Furiness poured in 4 goals and added 2 assists, 6 ground balls, and 7 draw controls.
“The return of Maggie Golder added an extra spark to the night,” Pennsbury coach Shannon MacPherson said. “It was exciting to watch Maggie and Darrien’s beautiful chemistry on the field. We celebrate tonight’s win for our seniors and focus on our games the rest of this week.
“Tonight was an all-out team effort. We had multiple players contribute on attack as we celebrated our seniors. This is a great group of kids who truly play for each other.”
Olivia Graebner added 3 goals, 7 ground balls, and 1 caused turnover. Lily Abraham had 3 goals and 1 ground ball.
The Falcons also received contributions from Caroline Mellon (2 G), Rylie Borgman (1G, 1A), Grace Holmes (2 G, 1A, 4 GB, 1 CTO), Sophia Curtis (1 G, 2 GB, 1 CTO), Chelsea Todd (1 G), and Katelyn Baik (1 CTO).
With the victory, Pennsbury improves to 6-2 in league play, 10-4 overall, and will host Hatboro-Horsham on Tuesday. Neshaminy drops to 1-8, 1-9, and returns to action at 3:30 pm May 11 for a home game against Pennridge.
May 12, 2022
PENNSBURY 16, CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 2
Maggie Golder reached an impressive milestone on Thursday, surpassing the 200-point mark for her career. This despite losing her entire sophomore season to COVID and then being sidelined with a knee injury this spring and just this week returning to the field.
Golder finished with four goals and three assists and teamed with Darrien Furiness (6 goals, 2 assists) to propel the Falcons to the decisive win.
It’s a combination that makes the Falcons a formidable opponent.
“The girls played a complete game today from start to finish,” Pennsbury coach Shannon MacPherson said. “This was the best lacrosse we have seen from them all season, it was fun to watch.
“Defense communicated, we connected well on the transition, and attack had a great connection today with some beautiful goals and assists. Darrien had a great game today with 6 goals and awesome feeds. Maggie scored her 200th point with 4 goals and 3 assists. Olivia (Graebner) shows such grit on the field working for every ground ball and turnover. Very proud of the entire team today, this was a great way to end the season and take us into playoffs.”
Grace Holmes added two goals, and Olivia Graebner had one goal and one assist. Lily Abraham, Mia Popovitch and Caroline Mellon each had one goal.
Graebner was a defensive force, finishing with eight ground balls, five caused turnovers and four draw controls. Furiness also had three ground balls, three draw controls and one caused turnover. Holmes had three ground balls and four draw controls while Golder had two draw controls and one caused turnover. Popovitch had two caused turnovers and one ground ball, and Abraham had two ground balls.
For the Titans, Kate Victor also reached a milestone, scoring her 100th goal.
Pennsbury (8-2 SOL) closed out its regular season with a 13-4 record. Central Bucks South (7-3 SOL) is 10-8 overall.
May 18, 2022
#9 PENNSBURY 17, #24 SOUDERTON 9
The Falcons saved their best for last.
That’s hardly a surprise since the team coach Shannon MacPherson anticipated putting on the field this season did not actually play together until the Falcons’ Senior Night game against Neshaminy when Maggie Golder, sidelined all season with a knee injury, returned to the lineup.
Since then, the Falcons have won five straight games, and they’ve won them convincingly, including Tuesday’s decisive win over the Indians.
“She did a lot for us even when she wasn’t playing,” MacPherson said. “I know it was hard for her not to play, it was hard for us to watch her not play, but she was still a big part of our program. She would help us with plays, she was basically a third coach.
“Darrien (Furiness) took a lot on her hands on the field. She led us basically through the first three quarters of the season. She’s that kid – she gives her all every single game, and for her to have Maggie back to work with has definitely been beneficial to us, but I give Darrien a lot of credit as well throughout the season.”
There’s no mistaking that the Penn State bound senior’s return to the lineup has added a whole new dimension.
“Just how long Maggie and I have been playing together – it’s nice to be able to have that chemistry one last time,” said Furiness, who will continue her lacrosse career at Ohio State. “I would have been satisfied with just one game, but the fact that it’s been five games she’s been back – it’s just so helpful. We play really well together
“Every time she gets the ball, she’s a threat, and that’s just one other person to balance the attack. Obviously, she has so much experience, so there’s leadership.”
On Tuesday, Furiness had another huge game for the Falcons, leading the way with five goals and two assists to go along with five draw controls, seven ground balls and two caused turnovers. Grace Holmes added four goals and one assist as well as two draw controls. Olivia Graebner had three goals, two assists, seven draw controls, seven ground balls and one caused turnover while Golder had three goals and two assists as well as one draw control and one caused turnover. Lily Abraham added a goal, assist and one ground ball, and Caroline Mellon had one goal. Sophia Curtis had three ground balls and two caused turnovers.
“I’m very proud of the girls for our home playoff win today,” MacPherson said. “It was a full team effort. Olivia Graebner played an awesome game today - she really came up with some key draw controls and ground balls.
“Defensively Sophia did a great job on ground balls and turnovers. Darrien contributed on both ends of the field with some caused turnovers and beautiful goals. Maggie did a very nice job on the draw and setting up our attacking players, as well as contributing to the net. Overall, we are very happy with the girls’ level of play today against a solid Souderton defense.”
Tuesday’s game was a rematch of a May 2 meeting between the two schools – a 7-5 Pennsbury win.
“I think we’re a different team than we were when we played them the first time,” Furiness said.
Last year, the Falcons had an opening round bye and then fell to Downingtown East in a second round game. No one was complaining that they didn’t have a bye this time around.
“I think in the history of our program – we’ve never had a home playoff win,” MacPherson said. “We’ve had byes, which moves you to the next round, but we haven’t won after the bye on our home field. Today was big for our program for them to have a win during the playoffs on our field.”
Prior to the final brackets being announced, the Falcons were flip flopping between eight and nine. Eight would have given them a bye.
“When we moved to nine, I was almost happy because I think it’s better to keep that momentum going,” MacPherson said. “We had a great win against Central Bucks South on Thursday (16-2). I think that’s the most complete game we’ve played, so to go from that into this week was huge for us.”
There’s no mistaking the significance of Tuesday’s win to the seniors.
“I think it was a really important opportunity for us because the seniors this year – we’ve never really had the opportunity to win a playoff game,” Furiness said. “We’ve gotten that bye, but we’ve never actually won a playoff game, so having this win was just really important to us, and it’s definitely keeping our momentum going into Thursday.”
On Thursday, the Falcons (14-4, 8-2 SOL) will travel to Downingtown East to take on the eighth-seeded Cougars, who last year brought an end to Pennsbury’s season in a 15-11 loss on the Falcons’ home field.
“I’m not one to forget those types of games,” Furiness said. “You saw it in our CB South game this year. That was the only team we lost to last season besides losing to Downingtown East, and we came out and we were extremely fired up, and we beat them by a pretty large margin. So having that memory of what happened will get us into that game.”