Harriton girls’ soccer team stops Fords

For most of the season the Harriton girls’ soccer offense has revolved around the present while also getting a glimpse of the future with senior Sami Bigham and sophomore Morgan Rees proving to be a dangerous tandem. Tuesday evening against visiting Haverford High School, the duo hooked up with 29:45 left in the second half when Rees took a perfect feed from Bigham and found open space before beating the Haverford keeper far post in the upper 90 to give the hosts a 1-0 lead which turned out to be all the hosts would need in their eventual 2-0 win.
“I try to feed her the ball and she tries to feed me,” said Rees, referring to the goal scored early in the second half. “I saw a space and shot it high. I was just hoping it would go in.”
“That comes from experience,” said Rhodes, following the game. “Morgan and Sami are high level players. You see them combine in practice and you have a feeling something is going to happen in a game. Tonight it was Morgan’s turn and she did a great job staying composed under pressure and it was a fantastic finish.”
“Haverford is an excellent team and I knew it would be a battle. They did a great job of controlling the tempo most of the night but you have to give our girls credit for coming to play. They worked hard and it’s a sign of a good team that they play for each other. They are a family and they work hard.”
Less than five minutes later, Harriton got the breathing room they needed when senior keeper Claire Coyle connected on a set piece when she curled in a direct kick just under the crossbar but just high enough over the outstretched arm of the Haverford keeper to give the hosts some breathing room pushing the lead to 2-0.
“I have a running joke with my coach about not hitting it over the crossbar,” Coyle said. “I was just trying to curl it under the crossbar.”
With Harriton inching closer to the PIAA District One Class AAAA playoffs for the first time in three years they took a big step with their win over Haverford. The win over the visitors marked the first time Harriton has defeated Haverford High and Radnor High School (1-0 on September 29) in the same season.
“It would be great if we could make playoffs,” said Coyle. “With this team I think we can do well if we make it. We just have to keep working hard and continue to play hard. We have a close knit team that has bonded and making the playoffs would mean the world to Sami and I.”
Rhodes added, “Making playoffs was the goal from the start of the season. More importantly we want to get better every game. If you can do that then good things will happen. This a great win and I keep trying to remind the girls the season is a marathon and not a sprint.”