PJP’s Rapchinski, Boyertown’s Heimbach score milestone goals in Bears’ 15-8 win
Pope John Paul II’s Monica Rapchinski and Boyertown’s Hailey Heimbach registered career milestone goals a minute and a half apart in what ended up a 15-8 Boyertown victory in a Pioneer Athletic Conference cross-divisional matchup on Friday afternoon.
Rapchinski, a junior, scored career goal No. 200 on a free position try with three minutes remaining in the first half. Her shot ricocheted off a Boyertown defender’s stick and bounced into the net.
Not the prettiest goal she’s scored, Rapchinski admitted. But it got the job done.
“It’s (scoring 200 goals) something that I’ve been working for my whole career,” Rapchinski said. “I couldn’t have been able to do this without my teammates who have supported me throughout the way.”
“To get 200 goals as a junior is amazing,” PJP head coach Maureen Burger said. “To get 200 goals as a senior is a huge feat. To get it early on in your junior year is incredible.”
Her goal came 1:27 after Heimbach reached a milestone of her own, driving in and finishing top shelf for goal No. 100 of her career.
“It’s exciting to reach 100,” Heimbach said. “I couldn’t have done it without my teammates. We really push each other in practice and I think it really showed on the field today how well we can work together.”
The milestone markers were highlights in a contest that went Boyertown’s way throughout. The Bears were relentless on defense, causing 20 turnovers (game-high six from Ally Bardman) and effectively shutting down a Golden Panther attack that averaged 15 goals per game in the winning three of their last four.
Offensively, the Bears made sure to put the game out of reach early. Behind an early hat trick from Maddy Siejk and goals from Hannah Wentzel, Heimbach and Haydn Hallman, Boyertown built a 6-1 lead in the first 20 minutes en route to a 10-3 lead at the half.
Three straight goals to open the half from Wentzel, Sydney Fox and Kate Kada effectively put the game out of reach.
Heimbach, Siejk and Wentzel finished with three goals apiece in the win. Siejk added three assists and Wentzel and Kylie Webb two. Bardman finished with seven groundballs to go along with her six caused turnovers with Tiffany Diachynsky and Fox each winning four draw controls.
The win is Boyertown’s sixth straight after starting the season 1-2.
Charlotte Williamson was magnificent in net for the Golden Panthers, turning away 18 shots in the loss.
Rapchinski and Grace Cobaugh led the way with three goals apiece with Lauren Bello and Julia Latoff also scoring for PJP.
