Plymouth Whitemarsh uses three second-half goals to down Wissahickon

WHITEMARSH – Call it Plymouth Whitemarsh Field Hockey, A.C., as in one season following last year’s Suburban One League American Conference championship.

And through the first two games of this season, which saw the Colonials yield an unprecedented nine goals while losing by three, and then four goals, that championship year seemed as distant as a stroll to Topeka.

But there is a lot more to this year’s PW gang than just pleasant memories, and Tuesday this year’s version of the Red, White and Blue showed up huge in the second half of its SOL American meeting with Wissahickon, scoring three goals in the first 9:47 of the second half to pull away to a 4-1 win.

Paige Totten scored in both halves and Aurora Mills and Jess Dixon added second-half tallies as the Colonials moved to 3-0 in league play in the season’s early going.

“This was definitely our best game so far,’ said Colonials head coach Marianne Paparone. “We’re missing some very important players (from last year’s team), and it’s been a big adjustment for us.

“But we’ve had players like Allison (Spinelli) and Aurora (the aforementioned Mills) step up as leaders, and we’re moving forward.’

PW moved forward through long portions of the opening half, carrying play and taking a 1-0 lead when Totten whacked home the rebound of a Frankie O’Brien shot at the 15:47 mark.

But the Colonials celebration had yet to die down when the Trojans answered with Sami Pack guiding home a crossing pass from Sarah Cammarota at 12:34.

Buoyed by that goal, Wissahickon grabbed the momentum and the territorial advantage for most of the remainder of the half, which finished with the two teams knotted at 1.

At halftime, Paparone said she stressed a fast start to the second half.

“They were disappointed about giving up the lead,’ Paparone said. “I told them whoever comes out the hardest early in the half was going to win the game.

“And for once, they listened.’

Less than 3:00 into the half, Mills jumped on a loose ball in the crease and pushed it past Trojans goaltender Claire Tarzia and the hosts were ahead to stay.

But that didn’t stop Totten from notching her second goal of the game a little less than 4:00 later, giving PW a two-goal advantage.

“Once the goals started going in, we were all excited,’ Totten said. “We were pumped up and looking to get another one.

“We still have a lot of good players from last year’s team.’

Dixon polished off the three-goal barrage, scoring another, once more, off a scramble in the crease.

“We had two of our best defenders out of the game,’ said Wissahickon head coach Lucy Gil, referring to Brianna Mills, who missed the game due to a concussion suffered in a recent game against Upper Moreland and Lauren Marolla, who was forced from Tuesday’s game with an injury to her left leg. “They were messy goals and with our inexperienced defenders we had a difficult time keeping the ball off the crease.’

PW carried play most of the rest of the way. And for the first time this year was able to celebrate a convincing win over a quality foe.

“We’re missing some key players,’ Totten said, “but this team works hard and is very dedicated. And that helped us today.’