Plymouth Whitemarsh edges Wissahickon in first-ever playoff win

WHITEMARSH — In a blustery, chilly game under the lights at Colonial Stadium, the Plymouth Whitemarsh and Wissahickon girls soccer teams met for a first round conference showdown in the District One Class AAA playoffs.

And if you were watching the product on the pitch, it would have looked like the No. 21-seeded Trojans would be the group celebrating a playoff victory after enjoying much of the ball possession in the second half.

But when the full 80 minutes was up, a quick glance at the scoreboard revealed that the 12th-seeded Colonials, behind a two-goal effort in the first half, did just enough to hold off Wiss, 2-1, in a nail-biter for the program’s first-ever playoff win.

“I can’t say enough about this team, I’m really proud of them,’ Wissahickon head coach Shannon Franke said. “Unfortunately, the score does not reflect what I feel today.’

The playoff game had higher implications from a league standpoint, as there was familiarity between both rival teams in the Suburban One League American Conference.

Plymouth Whitemarsh and Wissahickon split the series in the regular season, as the Colonials beat Wissahickon on their home turf, and the Trojans returned the favor by beating PW on its Senior Night.

“Honestly, this team has worked hard from preseason on,’ Franke said. “This is a weird playoff game because this is a league game. They beat us the first time we met them, and then we beat them the second time.’

After the whistle had been blown, the Colonials didn’t waste any time striking first on their adversary.

Just three minutes into the game defender Jewel Terraces played a ball up to Ragan Ebersole, who managed to direct a header into the path of Nicole Abbott.

Abbott, who found a clear path behind the Trojan defense, went five-hole through the legs of Wiss goalkeeper Keanna Haney and the Colonials were rolling.

“We always know that we have to come out strong, so it set us up for a good win,’ Abbott said.