Springside Chestnut Hill Academy split its two Inter-Ac League field hockey games last week, downing visiting Penn Charter on Tuesday, 3-1, and then playing another home game on Thursday afternoon and losing to Episcopal Academy, 1-0.

While Episcopal is not quite the power it's been in many past seasons, the Churchwomen are still a very solid franchise and are ranked second in the league. The outcome last Thursday represents a significant improvement for the Blue Devils, coming after a 3-0 loss to EA at the start of the month.

The undefeated league leader in the Inter-Ac is the Academy of Notre Dame, which has appeared in the top spot in national scholastic polls.

In third place, just ahead of SCH, is Agnes Irwin, which defeated the Blue Devils in one game of their season series and tied them in the other match.

Springside closed out the last full week of October with a record of 4-4-1 in the league and 9-6-1 overall.

The end of October also brings to a close Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and SCH designated Thursday's contest as their "Pink" fundraiser game. The sister of Blue Devils head coach Emilee Ehret, Penn Charter and University of Pennsylvania graduate Gretta Ehret, was diagnosed with Stage Four breast cancer in 2019 when she was coaching at Merion Mercy Academy. Through the various ups and downs that came with the disease, Ehret has returned to coaching and then has taken time off for treatment. She's been an assistant coach at Radnor High School this fall.

In honor of Ehret, "Dream Crazy" fundraisers were held at Penn, where she was an assistant coach as well as a player. SCH has stayed with the Dream Crazy theme, and their efforts benefit a Stage Four cancer organization called METAvivor. The girls raised over $900 in their 2023 campaign.

In game action against Penn Charter last Tuesday, the Quakers led 1-0 at halftime and SCH finally got on the board in the middle of the third quarter. Here, senior Riley O'Donnell scored after receiving a pass from her twin sister, Kerry. The game-winner came late in the same period, as junior Kira Vakil scored by following up on a drive at the cage by junior Devyn Conlan. Junior Veronica Goettner added the insurance goal in the fourth quarter.

In Thursday's match, Episcopal started out by earning three penalty corners, then the Churchwomen scored the game's lone goal with 9:39 remaining in the first quarter. EA senior Paige McMeekin, who will go on to play for Bucknell University, drove the ball toward the left post and it deflected into the cage.

Episcopal appeared to score again at the end of the period, but the refs ruled that time ran out in the quarter before the scoring play was completed. SCH was more active on offense in the second quarter, but promising scoring attempts by Conlan and freshman Molly McGinn were both repulsed by EA keeper Isabel Andrews.

For most of the game, though, Episcopal put considerable pressure on the Springside defense. The Blue Devils bent, but didn't break, and the early EA goal remained the only one on the scoreboard. The Blue Devils completed a quite respectable showing that featured 23 saves by junior goalie Colleen Conlan, the twin sister of Devyn.