Rivera scores twice, William Tennent shuts out CB West
WARMINSTER >> Ashley Rivera and the William Tenennt girls soccer team made the most of their second chances Monday afternoon.
With the Panthers still in a scoreless draw in the second half with visiting Central Bucks West, Rivera ripped a free kick just outside the Bucks’ 18-yard box right into the West wall. But the ball bounced right back to the senior for another opportunity to make something happen.
“I was actually trying to shoot it that time, but I leaned over it too much and it hit off the wall,” Rivera said. “And then I just (got the) rebound and then I just shot it.”
Rivera got more lift of her second try, lofting a soft shot that sailed under the crossbar to give the Panther the lead in the Suburban One League Continental Conference matchup on Tennent’s tight grass field.
GIRLS #SOCCER: @ashmashfofash gives @WTHS_Sports a 1-0 lead vs. CB West 2H, lofting a ball into the net from just outside the box. pic.twitter.com/zq1WyIR2O1
— Mike Cabrey (@mpcabrey) October 2, 2017
“I saw other people were open but I was like I’ll just take my chances and shoot it and then it just went in,” she said.
Tennent tacked on two more goals in the second half — Rivera capping the scoring with her second tally — as the Panthers earned a 3-0 victory to avenge a overtime loss to the Bucks on Sept. 6.
“This was a big game for us, another step closer to playoffs and last time this team beat us,” Rivera said. “So we just kept our heads up and just used that anticipation and pushed for those other goals.”
Nicole Reh added the other goal for the Panthers (8-3-0,4-3-0 conference), who got back on track after a 5-1 loss to Souderton last Thursday. Reh spent most of the day tossing a long throw-in into the box to no avail but finally got a ball to go in with a strike from long range for a 2-0 lead.
“I was nervous because of that feeling, because if you lose two in a row then we start to say wait a minute, we’re going back the other way,” William Tennent coach Bill Hontz said. “But it was nice to get a win today just to get back into that position.”
Central Bucks West (5-6-0, 1-6-0) had a handful of good looks, but a few were denied by strong saves for Tennent junior goalkeepers Jessia Jara and Emily Vickalitis. The shutout loss was the fourth straight for the Bucks in SOL Continental play.
“I think we credit a lot of opportunities this game, we just haven’t found the back of the net right now,” CB West coach Mike Moyer said. “We’re going to continue to work on it and get better and that part of it. But we were in one-on-one with the goalie a half-dozen times and credit to their goalie they made great saves.”
Since at 3-0-0 start, CB West has gone 2-6-0 — the two victories coming against Hatboro-Horsham and Bensalem — but the Bucks are still in the District 1-4A playoff race, coming into Monday’s 26th in the rankings, just out of the 24-team field.
“We have a big week this week,” Moyer said. “We’ve got North Penn on Wednesday and we’ve got (Central Bucks) South on Friday. Hopefully we get a result against North Penn and we’ll work on South on Friday. But we just have to be a little bit better defensively and finish our chances.”
GIRLS #SOCCER: @CBWGirlsSoccer goalie Jenna Abaza grabs a shot at the goal line after a William Tennent throw in 1H. pic.twitter.com/QEYKDLaPBd
— Mike Cabrey (@mpcabrey) October 3, 2017
West hosts North Penn 7 p.m. Wednesday at War Memorial Field. Tenennt’s next game is also home against North Penn — the Panthers taking on the Knights 3:30 p.m. Friday.
After a scoreless first 40 minutes Monday, Tennent had two chances right at the goal but both were blocked at the goal line by Arianna D’Elia. But the Panthers finally broke threw on Rivera’s goal — the initial free kick set up by Caroline Weir, who was fouled just outside the box after a run down the right side.
“We switched some people around just because I thought maybe the change would of helped make the difference,” Hontz said. “And I think it did right from the start.”
Reh made it 2-0 Tennent as she elected take a shot from well outside the 18-yard box and the effort carried into the opposite right side of the net.
“That was so far out, I didn’t think she would shoot it,” Rivera said. “Once she did, I was so proud because you never get goals that you don’t take.”
GIRLS #SOCCER :@WTHS_Sports goalie Emily Vickalitis makes the save (after a little bobble) on a CB West free kick 2H. pic.twitter.com/hPkeRkWwqn
— Mike Cabrey (@mpcabrey) October 3, 2017
Rivera proceeded to collect her second goal for a 3-0 lead by putting pressure on the West backline, forcing a turnover, then went to goal and blasted in a shot to the left corner.
“Liv (Miller) tried playing through and the defender just kind of hit and it ricocheted off me,” she said. “And you keep pushing forward and then you get your chances like that.”
