Barnhart scores 4 goals, CB South pounds Pennridge

EAST ROCKHILL >> Pennridge High field hockey head coach Becky Spahr could only smile an embarrassed smile when asked about Thursday’s 9-1 loss to Central Bucks South.

The Rams were blitzed, as Titan Kaitlyn Barnhart scored four times and visiting South had the mercy clock running by halftime.

“We did have some positives,” Spahr said after the setback. “But South have always been a strong team, and their players work real well as a unit.”

It took a while for that unit to click.

But after Megan Weeks got South on the board at the 15:14 mark of the first half, it was Katy-bar-the-door, as the Titans scored five times in the span of 13:09 and the issue was put to rest without much of a struggle.

“I didn’t think we would click so quickly,” said South head coach Pat Toner. “We’ve been trying to work on getting off to fast starts, and I think our forwards are starting to click.”

After Weeks took the lid off the net, the Titans Remy Kelinson set off a three-goals-in-less-than-three-minute stretch that pushed the Titans onto easy street by halftime.

Megan Gillard scored off a corner, and Barnhart scored the final two goals of the half as the visitors blew it open in just 30 minutes of playing time.

“We’ve improved so much from last year,” Barnhart said. “I think we’re going to do really well this year.

“We weren’t really connecting early on in the game, but I think we were a little tired from our game against Souderton (a 2-1 South victory Wednesday).”

As for her game, Barnhart, a senior who is starting for the first time this year, credits her off-season work with the club team True North with her improvement.

The second half was more CB South dominance as the Titans expanded their lead to 6-0 before Maddie Pennie got the home team on the board with 14:12 left in the game.

Rams goaltender Mackenzie Bross faced 24 shots, while Titans netiminder Jillian Heilig was forced to make just two saves.

“Our biggest thing is our inexperience,” Spahr said. “We struggle when we get down. We have to learn to be positive, and realize we can come back.”

But Thursday there was no comeback.

The Titans saw to that.

“Everybody played really well,” Barnhart said.

CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 9, PENNRIDGE 0
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH                5 4 — 9
PENNRIDGE        0 1 — 1
First Half Scoring: 1. CBS, Megan Weeks, 15:14. 2. CBS, Remy Kelinion, 10:26. 3. Megan Gillard, 7:36. 4. Kaitlyn Barnhart, 7:31. 5. Kaitlyn Barnhart, 2:05.
Second Half Scoring: 6. CBS, Jordan O’Connor, 21:46. 7. Pnrge, Maddie Pennie, 14:12. 8. CBS, Kaitlyn Barnett, 8:26. 9. CBS, Kaitlyn Barnett, 5:49. 10. CBS, Casey Reilly, 2:17.
Shots – CBS 24, Pennridge 3.