Kriney, Grenda help Pennridge roll past Neshaminy, stay undefeated

EAST ROCKHILL >> Even after winning its first eight games by combined score of 34-2, the Pennridge girls soccer team still felt their offense was not where it needed to be.

The Rams, however, seemed to get their scoring form back up to their standards in a matchup between two sides sitting at the top of their respective Suburban One League divisions Thursday afternoon.

“We’ve had a few games where we haven’t been scoring as much and playing to our full potential,” senior forward Emily Kriney said. “I think today really showed what we can do but I think there’s still more left in us that we’re going to have to bring out later in the season but I think today was a good result from all of us.

Pennridge struck twice in span of 2 minutes, 43 seconds for a 2-0 halftime lead over visiting Neshaminy. Liv Grenda proceeded to add the first two of the Rams’ three goals after the break as they rolled to a 5-0 crossover victory at Helman Field.

“We came in today trying to get on our front foot and go as hard as we can and get the offense going again,” Grenda said. “Our defense has been playing really strong and we wanted to get the offense going.”

Kriney assisted on both of Pennridge’s first-half goals – Tori Angelo tallying the opener with Leah Malone doubling the advantage. Grenda made it 3-0 by converting a penalty kick with 26:08 in the second, collected her brace at 5:49 then picked up an assist as Gabby Herman – who was pulled up from the JV squad –  scored 63 seconds later.

“A lot of people had their opinions of us and we’ve been really working on finishing and finding different ways to score so we’re not a one-dimensional team and it’s not just one person doing it,” Rams coach Audrey Anderson said. “And I think today was a great example of how many offensive threats we can possible have and I feel like we left a couple goals out there on the field.”

A few superb saves from Neshaminy keeper Hanna Labadie and a couple shots going high may have prevented the Rams from matching the season-high eight goals they scored against Palisades. But the five Pennridge (9-0-0, 7-0-0 SOL Colonial) collected were more than enough to extend its winning streak to 18 and perhaps silence a few detractors of a team that stands third in the latest United Soccer Coaches national fall girls rankings.

“I think with all the negative outside voices that the girls are reading on social media or whatever, ‘Oh you only scored two goals against this team or you only scored whatever,’” Anderson said. “I think these girls need to know we don’t have to be perfect right out of the gate but hopefully we can keep growing as a team as the season goes on.

“And I think today we played everybody, we played 18 girls today and it was against a great team so I just think they’re starting to find their own style of play out here.”

The defending District 1 and PIAA Class 4A champions, Pennridge began Thursday tied for first in the SOL Colonial with Central Bucks East at 18 points. But the win over Neshaminy and East’s loss to Council Rock North put the Rams alone atop the standings at 21 points.

Pennridge next plays Friday as it visits Central Bucks West at 4:30 p.m.

“Honestly we have this thing just one game at a time don’t get caught up in anything,” Anderson said. “We talked about letting this game go when you go to bed tonight, let it go, next game is tomorrow, just stay focused.

“Our goal is always the same, we want to win as many games as possible if we get a championship whether it’s a conference, district, state we’ll take it but we’re trying to grow and make sure this program continues to succeed and figure out what our purpose is, why we’re playing and as we go through the season I think having that idea in their head is going to take them really, really far.”

Neshaminy (6-2-0, 6-2-0 SOL Patriot), which has lost two of three since winning its first five, visits Conwell-Egan for a nonleague game 3:30 p.m. Friday.

The Rams put the pressure on Neshaminy from the start but the match stayed scoreless until the 30^th minute. Kriney sent a ball forward to Angelo, who dribbled to her right to get enough space from a defender then ripped a shot from just outside the top of the 18-yard box into the goal’s left side at 10:21.

“I saw space and I was just like I saw her running,” Kriney said. “And she made the run and it just felt perfect to play it.”

The Rams quickly made it 2-0 at 7:38 as Malone chased down a ball played by Kriney, touched it around a sliding keeper then slotted a shot past a defender and into the far right corner.

“Honestly I’m used to the outside more but I just went in the middle because I don’t know we needed to switch up something,” Kriney said. “And, I don’t know, I liked it. It was OK today.”

Grenda put things in Pennridge’s control with a pair of goals after intermission, the first on a penalty kick after getting her shirt pulled in the box. Labadie got a hand on the sophomore midfielder’s PK effort but not enough to keep it from going into the right corner at 26:08.

“It’s a great feeling cause you’re pushing so hard and you don’t want to let them come back into the game,” Grenda said. “And when you get that next goal and you just feel like a little bit of a blanket of security it just feels great.”

Grenda pushed the Rams’ lead to 4-0 with 5:49 left off a pass from Sophie Craig, driving to the net a sending a shot inside the near right post.

“Once I saw Sophie with the ball and the open space behind, we just knew,” Grenda said. “We’ve both been looking for that play all season and we both knew that it was going to happen. It just felt so great that it did.”

Grenda set up Pennridge’s final goal, playing Herman into space down the right side. After getting inside the box, Herman chipped a shot that tapped off the crossbar and into the far left side of the net at 4:46.

“It’s always good to have options and the girls were so great when she scored, you would have thought it was the game winner of whatever,” Anderson said. “And that just goes to show how much these kids want to see their teammates succeed.”