New Hope-Solebury rolls past Lansdale Catholic in District 1/12-1A semifinals to clinch PIAA berth

NEW HOPE >> As the first quarter progressed, so too did the number of penalty corners the Lansdale Catholic field hockey team had to defend.

New Hope-Solebury earned 10 corners in the opening 15 minutes of Thursday night’s District 1/12 Class 1A regional semifinal but LC held on all but one – Sophia Cozza putting a shot into the cage at 11:56.

“I feel like we stayed pretty strong throughout the corners,” Crusaders senior goalkeeper Katie Herron said. “But when they keep coming over and over and everything’s getting called, it’s hard to keep going.”

Five more came in the second quarter, the Lions again only converting on just one to lead 2-0 in halftime.

But after its limited corner success, New Hope-Solebury got its attack going in the run of play in the third, scoring three times during the period to pull away as the Lions went on to earn a 6-0 victory over LC.

“At halftime it was only 2-0 so we were like ‘Oh my God they can come back and get us,’” Cozza said. “So we came out with even more intensity. And then our forwards did such a good job of getting up so then the mids would just send a really big through ball and it was like 5-on-2 of us. And it happened like four times so I think that was really good.”

Cozza finished with two goals while Rylee Logston had a goal and two assists for New Hope-Solebury (19-2-0) as it clinched a PIAA tournament berth two days after winning a sixth straight District 1 championship by edging Dock Mennonite 2-1 in overtime.

“I think it really helped that we were in it to win it first quarter because in (the) Dock (game) as coach said, we were playing not to win but just not to lose,” Cozza said. “And so then I think this one we were like OK we gotta destroy cause it’s going to come back to bite us later if we don’t try as hard but I think we did. I think we did really good.”

With Dock topping Conwell-Egan 4-0 in the other semi, a regional final is not needed to determine the state seeds for the Lions and Pioneers. New Hope-Solebury – which has won its last eight – is the top seed and faces the fifth-place team from District 3, either Berks Catholic or Greenwood. Dock is second and takes on the District 3 runner-up, either Oley Valley or Boiling Springs.

“We’re definitely really nervous but I think out of this game we’re kind of confident that we can do this if we work hard enough,” said Cozza, who has verbally committed to Stevens Institute of Technology. “So I think we’re just thinking back on our Dock game, we know more of what we need to work on so I think we’re going to watch some more film and just pinpoint some things we have to work on.”

Herron made 20 saves for Lansdale Catholic, which was trying to reach states for the fourth time in the last five seasons.

“We didn’t know we were going to districts so the last game we played in the (Philadelphia Catholic League) playoffs we all sobbed, cried,” said Herron, an All-PCL first team selection. “So all the tears are kind of gone but it is really sad.”

Cozza recorded her second goal of the night to make it 3-0 less than three minutes into the third, driving into the circle and putting a shot into the cage at 12:44.

Just 93 seconds later, New Hope-Solebury extended the margin to four as Sophia Leonardi knocked a ball over the goal line at 11:11 with Logston getting the assist.

“I feel like they just had some girls that would just squeeze past us every time on post,” Herr said. “It was just hard to keep track of ‘em.”

Logston scored from the front of the cage off an Ava Cozza assist with 6:28 in the third.

Ava Cozza added the Lions’ sixth and final goal in the fourth after a Logston assist.

“I think that we’re all just tired – end of the season,” Herron said. “I think that it just got the best of us.”

Sophia Cozza struck for the night’s opening tally 3:04 into the first quarter, maneuvering on a corner into open space on the left side of the circle and getting off a shot that found the back of the cage. Olivia Conte picked up the assist.

“I thought Coach (Gwen) Smith was going to be mad cause she was like ‘Go right, go right,’ and I pulled left and did a reverse shot,” Sophia Cozza said. “I was like ‘Oh shoot,’ but it actually went in.

“But I think that was good because we haven’t seen their defense on defensive corners yet, ever. So I was just like I looked up and there was just a lane, I was like all right.”

The Lions doubled their advantage on an early second-quarter corner, Avery Mendola collecting a rebound and scoring at 14:03.