Durfee stands tall as Haverford stuns No. 1 OJR in PKs
South Coventry Twp. >> The record books will show that Owen J. Roberts’ girls soccer team allowed just two goals all season. Thursday night, after 110 minutes of soccer, the Wildcats kept that record intact.
It was another OJR shutout, their 19th. It was also their last this year. That has a great deal to do with Alison Durfee, Haverford’s senior goalkeeper.
Durfee stopped 13 shots before coming up with two saves in a shootout to knock off Owen J. Roberts, 0-0 (3-0 in PKs) in the second round of the District 1 Class 4A playoffs.
“It’s a cruel game,” Wildcats coach Joe Margusity said. “How else can you describe it? We didn’t allow a shot on goal all game … but our season is over.”
Indeed, Owen J. Roberts (19-1-1) dominated for much of the night, but it will be the No. 17 seed Haverford Fords (12-7-1) moving on to face Souderton in the district quarterfinals on Saturday.
The Wildcats pressured Durfee early and often, forcing her to make a pair of diving saves early in the first half and testing her with 14 corner kicks.
“I have already been exposed to this much pressure during my four years on varsity,” Durfee said. ”I just needed to keep my head in the game and focus on the ball.”
Owen J. Roberts had a number of attempts to score, but every time the dust would settle, Durfee emerged with the ball safely tucked under her arm.
All three of the Fords’ penalty kicks were successful, with Annalena O’Reilly, Rebekah Cunningham and Alyssa Hayes converting. Durfee stoned two of the Wildcats’ shooters, and the home team’s other attempt sailed over the crossbar.
“I thought back to all of the saves I had during the game and said, ‘If I can make all those saves, I can do this,’” Durfee said. “I’m not a goalie who will guess where the ball is going. I will stare at the ball and throw my whole body at it once they kick it.”
Also in District 1 Class 4A:
Penncrest 1, Central Bucks West 0 >> Sarah Hughes’ move to forward continues to pay dividends, as the senior All-Delco scored the game’s only goal in the first half off a feed from Julia Mullaney for the No. 20 Lions in ousting the No. 4 Bucks.
Bryn McLaughlin posted a shutout, aided by the backline of Kenna Kaut, Shayna Polsky, Katie Sparling and Logan Morris. The Lions advance to take on No. 5 seed Downingtown East Saturday at a time TBD.
