Kuever PK the difference as Boyertown edges Unionville in District 1-4A quarters
BOYERTOWN >> The Boyertown girls soccer team spent the past two weeks blowing the doors off its opponents.
Saturday afternoon, Unionville was clearly not interested in being another blowout victim.
Despite the No. 2 seed Bears’ attack being capably dealt with by the Indians’ defense, Boyertown’s defense was equal if not better and Camilla Kuever’s penalty kick late in the first half was all that was required in a 1-0 victory in the District 1 Class 4A quarterfinals, earning the Bears a spot in the semifinals and a PIAA playoff berth for the first time since 2013.
Pioneer Athletic Conference champion Boyertown (21-1) will host No. 3 Conestoga – a 2-0 winner over Spring-Ford Saturday – on Tuesday at a time to be determined.
Penalty to Boyertown, and Kuever buries it. 7:56 1H, Bears lead 1-0 pic.twitter.com/svsfcakokH
— Austin Hertzog (@AustinHertzog) October 26, 2019
No. 7 Unionville (15-5), which entered off a 4-0 win over Council Rock North a round earlier, enters the four-team playback for one of District 1’s final two state seedings. The Indians host Spring-Ford on Tuesday at 5 p.m. with a state spot in the balance.
Boyertown had scored three or more goals in 14 straight matches. But on Saturday in the biggest game of its season, the defense starred. Goalkeeper Madison Gallagher made six saves and received excellent cover from her back four of seniors Emma Elwell and Morgan Kline and juniors Mikayla Moyer and Courtney Actis. Kline and Moyer, in each half, made crucial blocks on open-goal chances to preserve the Bears’ shutout.
“As a senior class, we really preached ‘family’ and if we do it together and work for each other, we can achieve whatever we want: we have the athleticism, we have the soccer mindset,” Elwell said. “Getting to the state tournament is a senior’s dream. Now it’s how far, game-by-game, how far can we get; we’re looking for that championship.”
Like a true defender, center back Kline deflected praise to the whole team.
“Our offense is also a key part in doubling back and our midfield, we all work on defense,” she said.
Elwell knows all about the flip from offense to defense: a forward last year, she was called to action at right back at the start of the year due to the injury of incumbent Raeanne King.
“Your senior year, you want the glory, want to be up top, but honestly it was what’s best for the team,” Elwell said. “Coach (Bill Goddard) came to me and said, ‘Raeanne went out with her ACL, you are gonna become our right back.’ I thought ‘all right.’ It’s a huge change for me, it’s not my normal position, but if it’s what’s right for the team then it’s what’s right for me.”
The Unionville defense of Hannah Firment, Allie Foote, Erin O’Leary, Emily Foote and senior goalkeeper Katie Borlie (five saves) got nearly everything right in the closest game Boyertown has played since Sept. 16.
“We’ve played some good teams throughout the season. I always tell them, ‘This is a ‘big-girl game’ and today was definitely a ‘big-girl game,’” Unionville coach Joe Ratasiewicz said. “It’s one of those games where you’ve gotta step up, and I thought we did today.”
The lone blip was with 7:56 left in the first half. Bears freshman Karly Sheahan chased a ball across the penalty area to the right and was inadvertently tripped up by a Unionville defender, the referee pointing to the penalty spot.
Midfield maestro Kuever hit it low and right to beat Borlie for the 1-0 lead.
“The PK was kind of unfortunate,” Ratasiewicz said. “The ball came through, the players collided. It was a foul.
“That’s what gives you a sour taste, when it happens (coincidentally) like that.”
Otherwise it was largely two quality sides cancelling each other out, each team’s leading attacking players – Kuever and Samantha Goffice for Boyertown, Pitt commit Sara Darlington, Hayden Wilson and Alex Wilson for Unionville – unable to have their most dynamic outings.
Ratasiewicz expressed confidence in his side’s ability to bounce back from its nine-game winning streak end.
“I think we’ll look forward to Tuesday,” he said. “And maybe we’ll see Boyertown again in the semifinals of states. You never know. It would be fun.”
Boyertown head coach Bill Goddard would be happy for that scenario to play out. Besides the mutual admiration both coaches expressed for each other postgame, it would mean Boyertown is in Pa.’s Final Four.
But Goddard isn’t getting ahead of anything. He’s busy enjoying the ride.
“I keep pinching myself with this team,” he said.
