Hager’s goal gives Council Rock South District 1-4A first round win over Plymouth Whitemarsh

WHITEMARSH >> Kylee Hager had a clear intention as she charged down the field in the fourth quarter.

“I needed to win that game,” the Council Rock South junior said. “I needed that goal.”

With the Golden Hawks and host Plymouth Whitemarsh even at a goal apiece late in their District 1-3A field hockey first-round contest, Hager took matters into her own hands – rushing into the right side of the circle and ripped a shot into the opposite corner with just 4:11 left in regulation.

“I just had that drive,” Hager said. “I just knew we needed that goal.”

No. 17  seed Council Rock South held on in the final minutes – including a penalty corner in the last seconds – and came away with a 2-1 victory over the No. 16 Colonials on a misty Monday afternoon.

“All of our girls put their hearts out into this game and we really played to our full potential,” Plymouth Whitemarsh senior Jules Tulio said. “That outcome wasn’t what we really wanted but I think we did a good job as a whole and really pushed for this game.”

All three goals in the contest came in the fourth quarter, Council Rock South finally converting on a corner opportunity just 48 seconds into the final period when Megan Rafter sent a ball into the cage.

PW, however, answered less than two minutes later on a corner when Ella Catania rolled a shot past the goalkeeper and in at 12:28.

“We have a lot of heart,” Tulio said. “And we like to pick each other up and just show that we could really do it.”

But Hager dashed through the midfield and into the circle before letting go of a shot past a defender’s stick and into the left corner, giving the Golden Hawks (12-6-1) its first district win since 2019 when they reached the quarterfinals.

“It’s been like two years since we’ve made it past first round so it was definitely a big step for us,” Hager said. “I think we really worked hard for this.”

CR South, which placed second in the Suburban One League Patriot Division, has won its last four and is 6-0-1 – the tie coming against Patriot champ Neshaminy Oct. 7 – since consecutive losses to Pennridge and Souderton. The Golden Hawks advance to visit No. 1 seed and defending district champ Conestoga in the second round 6 p.m. Wednesday.

“We’re a little nervous but we definitely think we can take them,” Hager said. “We went into overtime with the second-place team Wissahickon so I think that it shouldn’t be that much of a difference and I think we can hang in with them.”

Plymouth Whitemarsh, which came in second behind Wissahickon in the SOL Liberty, finishes 10-8-1 after falling in the district first round for a second straight year.

“I don’t think today we had our best performance but as a reflection of our whole season I am super-proud of these girls,” Colonials coach Jess Randazzo said. “From August 15 until now, they’re a completely different team, my freshmen are now playing like my seniors and my sophomores and all the younger kids are stepping up and playing like the older players.”

After coming up empty on a bevy of corner chances in the first three quarters, Council Rock South struck on one in the first minute of the fourth.

“I think our corners were a little slow,” Hager said. “We needed to get it off a little quicker and were struggling with that but we just needed to make a pass cause they were flying out at us hard and we just needed to dish it off to get a quick shot.”

Rafter’s insert went to Breanna Gamble, who sent in a ball that found Rafter close to the left post – Rafter getting off a shot by the keeper and in for a 1-0 Hawks lead at 14:12.

“It was me to Bre Gamble and then she’s trying to shot it and it went wide,” Rafter said. “And then I kept it and then I kind of just I don’t even know what I did, I just moved the goalie and then went left post.”

Plymouth Whitemarsh knotted things at 12:28 on a corner that went out of the circle but Hadley Blake recovered the ball then found Maddie Carr to keep the opportunity alive.

“It was a little bouncy but my backup got it,” Tulio said. “And we always come back.”

Carr sent in a ball collected by Catania in front of the goalie with Catania turning then sliding a shot past the keeper and into the cage.

“Ella’s been a great asset to our team,” said Randazzo of Catania. “She started out on JV and we’ve swung her up the past couple of games. Her speed and her drive and determination is really a game changer. But in going with that, the resiliency with these girls, they fight to that very last whistle.”

Council Rock South had seven games go to overtime this season – posting a 3-3-1 mark in those contests – but avoided needing it for an eighth time thanks to Hager running through the midfield and into the circle for her go-ahead tally at 4:11.

In the final minute, Plymouth Whitemarsh earned a corner and got the ball in the middle of the circle in front of the keeper but could not get a shot on the cage.

“It was a tough one,” Tulio said. “But they played really good and it was just who wanted it most.”