WARMINSTER – It may not have been her intention but the end result of Emma Levin’s corner kick was the ball sailing over the goalkeeper and into the net, pulling the Hatboro-Horsham girls soccer team even with William Tennent
“I was standing there and I saw the ball curve in the net,” Levin said. “I thought it was going in, then everybody just standing there, hit the back of the net and everyone started cheering.”
After Levin’s Olimpico with 12:05 before the break knotted the Wednesday afternoon’s Suburban One League crossover at a goal apiece, the senior was the catalyst for the Hatters pulling away in the second half.
Levin found Lily Harvey for the go-ahead goal then struck on a free kick from 30 yards out with 16:08 remaining.
Sara Roesing headed in a corner less than three minutes later as Hatboro-Horsham handed the host Panthers their first loss of the season and extended their own winning streak to seven with a 4-1 victory at Alumni Stadium.
“Once we scored the second it was ‘Let’s go,’ and then the third I was like ‘OK we’re good,” Levin said. “Then the fourth was just a gift.”
Tennent (10-1-0, 8-1-0 SOL Freedom) grabbed a quick advantage in the matchup of SOL division leaders as Bailey Kasner shot from the right side of the 18-yard box lofting over keeper Alyssa Tooley and in at 37:06.
Lia Jablonowski tried to double the Panthers’ lead with a long-range effort in the eighth minute but the shot was knocked over by Tooley. The game, however, began to slide toward Hatboro-Horsham (8-3-0, 8-1-0 SOL Liberty), which made it 1-1 after a corner given following a Roesing shot that was blocked.
Levin, a Towson commit, delivered the ball in from the right side toward the goal that sailed in.
“I think once they got the equalizer I think that just took us out of our game a little bit and they just had the momentum,” William Tennent coach Elise Jara said. “They’re a very talented team, they have some very talented players and we knew that going in. We didn’t want to necessarily man mark but just aware of them.
“Unfortunately, we have some injuries right now and things that (are) preventing us from playing who we might want to play out there. But I think overall we played a good game.”
The Panthers, who were without their starting keeper Wednesday, have already earned their first double-digit win season since 2017 when Tennent finished 10-8-0.
“It’s a good lesson for us to learn,” said Jara, in her second year as head coach. “It’s nice to think you’re going to go undefeated but that’s not realistic and so it might be good for us to kind of take this little setback and see what we come out with on Friday.”
Hatboro-Horsham’s chance at perfection ended when it fell to Council Rock South 1-0 in the season opener. The Hatters dropped to 1-3-0 after consecutive defeats to Abington and Central Bucks East but they have not lost since – posting six straight shutouts before surging past the Panthers after conceding early.
“Our coach said during halftime if we lost we were going to have to run those hills (next to William Tennent) so I think everyone was like we can’t lose,” Levin said.
Both teams have SOL crossover games Friday – William Tennent visiting Plymouth Whitemarsh at 3:30 p.m. while Hatboro-Horsham hosts Upper Moreland at 3:45 p.m.
Levin sent a shot high over the net late in the first half. Still 1-1 after halftime, Jablonowski put a shot on goal but Tooley got a hand to it for a save.
Levin set up the Hatters’ go-ahead goal by driving diagonally down the field to the left side then sending a ball forward to Harvey, who moved in and put a shot in at 30:39.
“They always tell me to just dribble and take my space,” Levin said. “But sometimes when I see runners I try and give them the ball and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to give her the ball.
Levin extended the Hatters’ lead to 3-1 as she collected her second goal of the afternoon with a free kick after drawing the foul on a run. The senior’s shot from 30 yards out hit the bottom of the crossbar and in over the reach off the keeper at 16:08.
“I scored one from there our senior night so I just tried to do the same exact thing as I did last time,” Levin said. “And it worked out. I mean, I’ve been practicing them.”
Hatboro-Horsham found success again on a corner to make it 4-1. Clara Walker’s ball sent in from the right side found Roesing, who headed it into the net with 13:33 remaining.
