Wissahickon stays perfect with win over Springfield-Montco

LOWER GWYNEDD >> Face guarded from the start, Wissahickon’s Emma Baker still saw her way to the net four times for scores.

“If anything, it kind of brought us together,” Baker said of a tough Springfield-Montco defense focusing on her throughout. “And it made us be patient, and with the scoring opportunities we had, we took it upon ourselves to follow through.”

The Trojans followed through to an 8-0 start, as Wiss overcame the challenge from the rival Spartans and earned an 11-3 win on a cold, windy day on the turf at Wissahickon.

“That felt really good. We were kind of nervous going into it but we definitely came out strong,” said Baker, a junior. “(The 8-0 start) has been really exciting. We didn’t have a start like this my freshman year (in 2019). I think we have a lot of potential, and I think we’re even better than we think we are as a team.”

Lexi Hobson also scored four goals for Wiss in the Suburban One League American Conference victory, with Sophia Chiodo Ortiz adding a pair and Abby DeGroat contributing a goal.

Wiss powered to an 8-1 lead by the half.

“The offense did look good,” Trojans coach Jamie Kane said. “They’ve been trying a lot of different things, to see what works for which player. And what opportunities are present and how to take advantage of them.

“We have a lot of speed too and I feel like that works out no matter what sport you’re playing. And this is probably the most athletic team that I’ve ever coached.”

Defense Does It >> In addition to the Trojans’ high-powered attack, Wissahickon also benefitted from a hawking defense.

“I know how good Springfield is – they have a lot of awesome players,” Kane said. “We were ready for (Maddie Yoder, Emma Yoder and Ella Marino). Their offense has several threats, and in the last couple practices, we were focusing on how to stop their attack, and what would work for us.”

Alena Doll stands out on the defensive end for Wiss.

Said Kane: “She is consistently one of the best defenders. I don’t think she’s had one foul all season. She’s really smart.”

Kane also praised the play and leadership of Haley Reed and Amanda Brecher.

“They just played smart defense for the most part and they talked a whole lot, heads on swivels,” Kane said. “I think they’ve definitely grown from the first day they played together until now. We definitely have some leadership down there. They all work together to make good stops.”

Spartans Battle >> Maddie Yoder had a pair of goals and Emma Yoder added a tally for Springfield, a team that is off to a promising 5-3 start.

“I’m really proud of the way our defense held (Wissahickon), especially in the first half,” Spartans coach Marissa Conover said. “We had a goal, but we just were not getting enough possessions.

“I think that we really picked it up. In the second half, we didn’t give up, didn’t hang our heads. We added pressure, started doubling the ball.”