Reloaded Neshaminy has sights set on Pennsbury (VIDEO)
LANGHORNE – With only six league games remaining, Neshaminy is hot on the trail of Suburban One League National Conference leader Pennsbury.
While the Skins got goals in a 4-1 win over Bensalem today (Oct. 1) from seniors Gabby Farrell, Dani McGlynn and Julia Andreozzi, the game-winner was registered by freshman Brooke Mullin, who connected on a cross from sophomore Jackie Ziegler.
Neshaminy lost a host of players last spring to graduation including Nicole Nisivoccia, Amy Mandia, Fran Donato and Katie McCoy. All but McCoy were All-Suburban One League honorees.
“We had a bunch of holes to fill but we have a couple of freshmen who start for us,” said Lady Skins head coach Chelsea Deeter. “We’ve had a good group of girls coming in so it’s been alright.”
“We had good seniors last year but we also had some good freshmen coming in and they have really stepped up to the plate,” added Andreozzi, who put a ball into the back of the net off an Owls defender in the last two minutes of the contest.
In addition to Mullin starting up top, Neshaminy starts classmate Brianna Tobin in the midfield. You’d never know the two were ninth-graders, says Andreozzi.
“They’re starting but they don’t play like they’re freshmen,” said Andreozzi. “They’re not scared on the field at all.”
Daeche might play in the back on this team, she’s brought up on set pieces and the strategy has led to several big scores for her side. Maggie tallied twice in a 3-2 win over Council Rock South and scored the game’s only goal in a 1-0 triumph over CR North.
While the Skins finished a respectable 9-3-2 finish last year, good enough for second place in the SOL, the 2014 campaign paled in comparison to the 25-0 state championship season Megan Schaefer and company registered the year before.
With a lot of young talent in tow, the Skins are trying to reach new heights. After a tough opening loss to Cumberland Valley, Neshaminy won four straight including a 1-0 win over CR North Sept. 18 in Newtown.
Three days later it was on to Pennsbury and that’s where the Skins seem to hit a wall. A 2-2 game at the half turned into an eventual 6-3 loss with Cara Thomas netting three goals for the Lady Falcons.
“We were pretty frustrated about letting in six goals,” admitted Deeter. “That’s not a typical Neshaminy-Pennsbury game. Usually, it’s a zero-zero tie or a one-nothing game. It was definitely different.”
Defensively, the Skins are usually much tighter than that in the back. Led by Andreozzi, junior Maggie Daeche, classmate Nicole Palmer and senior Dani McGlynn, the defense has allowed just four goals in the seven wins thus far for Neshaminy. Three of those wins were shutouts including early season victories over Bensalem and Abington.
“Some goals, we just got unlucky and on others we just fell apart,” admitted Andreozzi of the 6-3 loss to the Falcons. “I think we’re evenly matched and I think we can beat them.”
So Pennsbury is definitely the team to beat, at least in the SOL National division.
It was our biggest test so far, other than Cumberland Valley, admitted Deeter.
“Going forward, part of our goals are keeping goals limited to what we let in and trying to get the shutout,” said the coach.
While the loss at Pennsbury ended a four-game win string for the Skins, ensuing victories over Truman CR South and now Bensalem have the team on a three-game tear heading into a weekend matchup with Philadelphia Catholic League (PCL) rival Archbishop Wood.
The Lady Vikings are coming off a big win over PCL rival Little Flower though the only game Neshaminy is eying comes up on Oct. 15 on its home pitch. That’s the night of the rematch with the Falcons and it’s also Senior Night.
“I think we’re doing really well. I think we’re playing together more and we’re playing for each other more,” stated Andreozzi. “We have a chance to win SOLs if we can beat Pennsbury.
Hopefully, it ends in the Skins’ favor.
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Against Bensalem, in a battle that took place under miserable wet and rainy conditions on Neshaminy’s home pitch, the Skins got an early goal from senior Gabby Farell in the first few minutes only to see the Owls deadlock the score at a goal apiece on a shot by freshman Tori Yorgey.
Neshaminy poured the pressure on throughout the remainder of the first half and sure enough, got the winning and go-ahead goal from Mullin, on a cross from Ziegler.
With the shot 7-2 favor the Skins in the first half, the Owls tightened up the defense after the break. While that led to less scoring chances for Neshaminy, the Skins tallied the same number of goals in the second half with McGlynn chipping one in between Bensalem keeper Kate Rivera and the left side post for a 3-1 Neshaminy lead with only 12 minutes to go in regulation.
With less than two minutes remaining, Andreozzi sliced one in off a defender for the final score, 4-1, favor: the Skins.
NOTES: In the 2014 postseason, Neshaminy fell in the first round of districts to CR South which made it to states.
Contact the author at ssherman@buckslocalnews.com, or @BucksLocalSport on Twitter
Neshaminy 4, Bensalem 1
(Oct. 1 at Neshaminy)
NESHAMINY 2 2 – 4
BENSALEM 1 0 – 1
GOALS: N — Gabby Farrell, Brooke Mullin, Dani McGlynn, Julia Andreozzi; B — Tori Yorgey
ASSISTS: N — Riley Nyhus, Jackie Ziegler; B — Carly Hunt
SHOTS: N — 10; B — 2
SAVES: N — 1; B — 7
