October 25, 2007 Issue                                       

©2007 The Chestnut Hill Local

PC prevails at Springside Homecoming
by TOM UTESCHER

Due to last Friday’s weather conditions, Springside School hosted a sort of half-a-Homecoming last Friday afternoon, with rain washing out the planned cross country and tennis contests, while field hockey and soccer proceeded as scheduled against league rivals from Penn Charter.

On the hockey field, the visiting Quakers broke out of an early 1-1 tie to gain a 3-1 lead by halftime and then win the contest by a score of 4-2. The soccer contest appeared headed for overtime, but Laura Kurash’s goal with 62 seconds remaining in the second half gave Charter a 1-0 victory as goalie Liz Carpino registered her seventh shutout of the season.

On Tuesday of last week, Springside’s hockey and soccer squads had each lined up against Agnes Irwin. Reversing an earlier outcome against the Owls, the local booters posted a 2-1 win on goals by sophomores Courtney Caputo and Nicky Lombardo (senior Sophia Petrillo earned assists on both goals). That raised the Lions’ record in the Girls Inter-Ac to 2-5, their best league mark in some time.

In hockey, Springside had defeated Irwin 2-1 back in September, but in the rematch it looked as though the Owls would be 2-1 winners. Lions senior Tori Roebuck scored with a little over two minutes left in regulation time, and the 2-2 tie held up through an overtime period. Freshman Hillary McDonnell had scored Springside’s first goal in the game.

On Friday, Penn Charter’s soccer team (5-1-1 Girls Inter-Ac) was coming off of a 0-0 tie against Notre Dame, and the match against the Lions almost ended with the same score. After the first round of league games, Springside coach Gary Stephenson realized he needed to do something to slow down opposing offenses.

“We’re playing five in the midfield and clogging up the play,” he explained. “We’re trying to suck up the pressure and then going, so we’re not getting attacked by the flanks.”

This basically defensive posture dictates that most of the Lions’ own offensive chances will come on the counterattack and fast break.

“Larissa Sfedu gives us speed to do that, and Katherine Roberts is also strong when she’s up there,” Stephenson said.

He added that another speedster, freshman Riley Tarver, has the quickness to play as a roving defender while also coming up to lend support in the midfield, when needed.

The Quakers had a lot of ball possession in Friday’s contest, but were frustrated by the Lions’ sagging wall of defenders. Most of Springside goalie Tori Baggio’s nine saves in the game came on outside shots; there were few chances for Charter deep in the box.

Still, persistence eventually paid off for the visitors. Back-to-the-goal about a dozen yards from the cage, Kurash received a pass from Laura Kroculick, then turned and aimed the ball low on the right. Scrambling on the mud in the goalmouth, Baggio could not get near enough to the post and the ball glanced off her fingers into the net.

While disappointing for the Lions, the outcome was better than the 3-0 result in their first game with PC.

“The girls are buying into our strategy and working hard,” Stephenson said. “It was a shame at the end, because Tori sort of lost her footing, and that one got in. She’s been great all season for us.”

Meanwhile, Penn Charter’s hockey squad had arrived at Springside riding high from Tuesday’s 1-0 win over Notre Dame, a traditional Inter-Ac power that had been in a three-way tie for first place in the league. PC goalie Sara Henley stopped 24 shots by the Irish, and Allison Thompson assisted on Sierra Tishgart’s winning goal with a little over two minutes remaining. After a lukewarm first round of league games, Charter would climb over the .500 mark (4-3-1) with the win at Springside.

Last Friday, the Quakers cashed in on the first penalty corner of the game, which came with less than three minutes gone. There was no direct shot off the insertion high into the left side of the circle, but PC forced the ball back down low and Kim Slider banged it in.

Home fans took heart when the Lions (1-6-1 league) leveled the count with 21:23 remaining in the first period. McDonnell crossed the ball from left to right in the circle, finding Roebuck outside of the far post for the score.

“We moved Hillary from midfield to forward, and in her first two games there she has a goal and an assist,” noted Lions coach Susie Macciocca.

PC broke the deadlock less than a minute later, though, charging downfield and going up 2-1 on a strike by Caroline Wilkes. Not to be outdone, the Quakers’ other Caroline, Caroline Snite, dribbled through the middle of the Springside defense to shoot the visitors’ third goal with 13:51 remaining in the first half.

Springside was active in the PC circle, too, but the hosts were unable to capitalize on any of their six penalty corners in the first half. One of their best chances came on a lifted shot by Meg Cronin; right at the crossbar, the Quakers’ Henley got her stick on the ball to deflect it over the goal. Throughout the half, the Quakers were able to bring the ball upfield on their stick side, while the Lions were forced into the left alley.

“To be honest, I think that’s because [Penn Charter’s] Alibra Johnson is so strong,” remarked Springside’s Macciocca. “She is a really talented back and she makes it very difficult to bring the ball up the right side.”

The Lions’ leader also admired the play of PC’s Becca Foley.

“Her speed killed us in the midfield,” said Macciocca, noting that the Lions’ fastest defender, Daylan Bakes, was out of action, having twisted her ankle in the school’s intramural Blue and Gold games earlier the same day.

“I thought we played a much better second half,” said the Springside mentor, whose team pulled within one point of the leaders about nine minutes into the second stanza.

This time, the Lions made good on a corner opportunity, with Nora Langan receiving the insertion and driving the ball back down towards the cage to set up the tip-in by Allie Aversa. Kellie Ragg provided Penn Charter with an insurance goal five minutes later, though, and from there the 4-2 count held up the rest of the way.