Conwell-Egan Catholic is coming on in the back
FAIRLESS HILLS – You can’t blame Conwell-Egan Catholic (CEC) for being a little shaky in the back in their first few games of their fall campaign. After all, the Lady Eagles have a new sweeper and a new goalkeeper back there this season in sophomore Ally Wojton and classmate Maddy Terry, both in for the departed Shelby Samuels and Maggie Irvine, who decided not to play soccer her senior season.
“Half of the starting team is underclassmen,” said CEC head coach Andrzej ‘Andy’ Adamiec. “But as you can see, we can hang with anybody.”
While Egan allowed seven goals in its first two duels – a pair of losses to Lower Moreland and Hallahan – the Eagles appeared to have plugged the gaps in a pair of ensuing wins over Archbishop Carroll and now Friends League rival George School.
A day after blanking Carroll 2-0, Egan fought off a game squad from Newtown to emerge with a 2-1 triumph Sept. 15 at home, the Eagles second win in two days to even their record out at 2-2.
Conwell got goals in each half – one from junior Lindsay Straka before the intermission and another from sophomore Carly Bonfig 12 minutes after the break and seven after the Cougars tied the score at a goal apiece on a strike by junior Yasmeen Malik off a feed from classmate Jill Mikula.
Egan is young up top too. With a pair of freshmen in Tori Anthony and Chloe Grabowski on the forward lines, the Eagles put plenty of pressure on George School senior keeper Anneliese Jennings. The 12th-grader was up to the task though she needed help from the pipes as Egan hit the post three times in the contest.
“I think we have a lot of potential as a team,” said CEC senior Bailey Brown. “I think once we get the flow of the game going, we’re pretty good on the field.
“I think we just need to find our composure and communication is key.
“I think once we have that on the field we can attack the net.”
In addition to Brown, returning to the pitch for the Eagles this season is senior defenders Maddy Wojton and Amy Meyer, Straka, Bonfig, along with sophomore forward Mackensie Michaels.
In addition to Maddy Wojton and Meyer, Egan has senior Tess Konovitch playing the stopper position. Versus the Cougars however, the visitors were getting plenty of balls through. George School was having a hard time getting them in the net, save the loan goal by Malik five minutes after the halftime break.
“It was too tough teams out here playing today,” said Adamiec. “Neither one of them wanted to lose.”
As good as it felt to win two in a row, Egan’s losses were tough to take. The first was a season opening defeat suffered at home at the hand of BAL rival Lower Moreland. Holding a 2-1 lead late in the game, the Eagles saw the lead then the game slip away when the Lions scored a pair in the last 15 minutes.
Five days later, Egan lost 4-1 at Hallahan in what the coach describes as a hiccup
Last year, while the Eagles captured a third straight District 12 championship, they lost their PIAA opener a year after making a run in states. Right now, Adamiec says the team is more concerned with the Catholic League slate of games that is in front of them
“Soccer in the Catholic League – it’s a physical game,” “If you don’t stand up and battle for the ball you’re going to get run over.”
“Wood and Ryan – if you don’t stand up to them, they’ll make you this big.”
“You have to be physical – you have to be aggressive to the ball.”
Egan next hosts St. Hubert’s Thursday, Sept. 15 before hosting Archbishop Wood Sept. 21. The Vikings were a Catholci League finalist last year before falling to Archbishop Ryan.
NOTES: George School fell to 1-3-1. The Cougars defeated Calvary Christian Academy 5-0 for their only win. They defeated Princeton Day School for their only draw.
Conwell-Egan Catholic 2, George School 1
(Sept. 15 at CEC)
CONWELL-EGAN 1 1 – 2
GEORGE SCHOOL 0 1 – 1
GOALS: CEC — Lindsay Straka, Carly Bonfig; GS — Yasmeen Malik
ASSISTS: GS — Jill Mikula
