Liott’s OT goal gives Hatboro-Horsham SOL American title

HORSHAM >> The last time a Hatboro-Horsham girls soccer team won a league crown was before any player on the current roster was even born.

That was until Thursday afternoon, as the Hatters topped Plymouth Whitemarsh, 2-1, thanks to a game-winning golden goal from Gabrielle Liott that gave her team the Suburban One League American Conference championship, its first title since 1995.

“It’s amazing. It’s like nothing else I’ve ever experienced,” Hatboro-Horsham senior captain Camryn Ryan said. “It’s the best feeling, the best day of my life and I’m so happy for this team.”

While Liott, Ryan and the rest of the team can now breathe easy and take in the feeling of their first league title in over 20 years, Thursday’s win didn’t come without its share of drama.

After a goal from Maggie O’Neill put Hatboro-Horsham ahead, 1-0, in the ninth minute, the Hatters fell just a couple seconds short of clinching the title in regulation.

With time winding down in the second half and Plymouth Whitemarsh pressed up, PW’s Natalie Lannie broke free from the Hatboro-Horsham defense and chipped a shot over goaltender Martine Royds to force overtime.

“She works on everything in the offseason and at practice and just wants to get better,” PW head coach Ryan Zehren said of Lannie. “It all shows on the field. She never wants to come out of the game, and we pushed her up at the end of the game there. She typically plays midfield, but she found the ball at her feet, was composed and made a nice left-footed finish.”

That set the stage for Liott’s heroics, and she wasted no time getting it done.

Hatboro-Horsham took early possession of the ball in overtime and worked it down the field, eventually earning a corner in the first minute.

Ryan’s first corner attempt was cleared over the end line by the PW defense, but her next try was a low, driven service that found Liott streaking toward the near post. She settled the ball and sent it toward the far post, sneaking it past goaltender Devon Skiles and inside the upright for the game winner.

“I kind of saw it rolling toward me and went after it,” Liott said. “Luckily I was able to get my left foot on it and it went in. I was kind of rolling backwards but I still saw it go in and I was just like ‘oh my gosh, we just won.’”

Hatboro-Horsham controlled the pace and possessed the ball for most of the first and second half, but Lannie’s goal at the end of regulation had the potential to take away all momentum from the home team and turn what seemed like a win into a crushing defeat.

But the Hatters responded perfectly to adversity, something their coach says isn’t surprising if you know the players that make up this year’s squad.

“They all have such amazing heart, fight and determination out there,” head coach Kelsey Daley said. “This has been our goal since day one. From the heat in preseason to 6 a.m. practices, these girls have shown how much they want it and they came out and got it.”

The regular season comes to a close for the Colonials (14-4-0, 11-3-0 conference), who drop a spot from No. 13 to No. 14 in the District 1-4A rankings as they await seeding for next week’s first round.

“We need to focus on playoffs now,” Zehren said. “We’ll find out at some point this weekend who we’re playing and we just need to stay focused like I said, prepare and be ready.”

The Hatters (15-1-1, 12-1-1) move from No. 9 to No. 7 with the win and face No. 2 Pennridge Friday. The Rams suffered their first loss of the season on Thursday, falling 2-1 to North Penn.

“We’re ecstatic,” Ryan said. “We made playoffs last year, had a home game, but knowing we have a chance to get a bye this year has us so hyped.”

Hatboro-Horsham 2, Plymouth Whitemarsh 1 (OT)
Plymouth Whitemarsh  0 1 0 — 1
Hatboro-Horsham           1 0 1 — 2
Goals: HH-Maggie O’Neill (Camryn Hughes), Gabrielle Liott (Camryn Ryan); PW-Natalie Lannie (Isabella McNew).