Sibling harmony carrying Methacton
Poring over the Methacton field hockey roster for the first time this season, things got a little tricky.
Having only last names at hand, you could forgive a sportswriter for needing to go through the lineup with the Methacton scorekeeper one-by-one.
“What number does Dickinson wear this year?’ I asked.
“Which one?’ the scorekeeper answered.
“Oh, right. There’s two of them this year,’ I replied.
Not just two Dickinsons, but two Owens sisters and two Alderfers, Maddie and Gretchen.
Not an ideal situation for scorekeeping, but it’s become an interesting dynamic to a team that’s season has been anything short of ordinary.
In total, there are three sets of sisters on the field hockey roster this fall, led by the Dickinson duo of Brittany and Julia and the Owens combination of Gabby and Emily — all who have helped Methacton surge into a tie with Owen J. Roberts for the No. 2 seed in the Liberty Division before the two square off in a pivotal do-or-die clash on Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. at OJR.
It just hasn’t been easy.
The sister-sister connection was levied a serious blow as starting midfielder and Wake Forrest recruit Brittany Dickinson suffered a torn ACL in a 2-0 loss in the Warriors’ previous matchup against OJR. But with the cohesion of the Owens duo, the rise of freshman Julia Dickinson and a solidified midfield, the Warriors have rebounded, winning their last eight games to set up Tuesday’s clash.
“We were missing a piece of the puzzle,’ Gabby Owens said. “She was one of the main distributors on the team. It was pretty hard trying to get the ball up the field when she wasn’t here.
“But now, we’ve been doing a lot better since we lost Brittany. We have a chance to make it to the PAC-10s and districts.’
But why, after starting the PAC-10 slate 2-3, has this season been so successful?
Chemistry, says Gabby Owens and Brittany Dickinson.
“It’s really cool that the group of sisters are playing with each other,’ the older Owens sister said. “It makes the team jell better also because we know how we play, it helps us pass better. It definitely gives us an advantage in that regard.’
“I think everyone has done really well,’ Brittany Dickinson said. “We’re starting to build a lot of team chemistry. We’re such a close team that we’re clicking at the right time. The junior class is really stepping up, it’s great. I’m hoping to make the PAC-10 playoffs but if we don’t it’ll be fun to make districts.’
For Brittany Dickinson, daughter of Meredith Mandracchia (Dickinson), who was a member of the Warriors’ PIAA Class AAA championship 1989 team and then a standout for Penn State University in the 1990s, not having the opportunity to play alongside her sister Julia has dampened her senior year, but it’s been a pleasant experience to see how much she’s contributed to her team in her absence.
“I wish I got to play with her more,’ Brittany said. “I really like watching her. I wish she got a chance to play earlier in the season because I would have gotten to play with her.’
And as Julia Dickinson has stepped up recently with four goals, so too have Emily and Gabby Owens. The duo, who learned about field hockey from the Hoover family and play for the Limerick Vipers, have contributed to the maturation of the team’s defense and at forward, with Emily, a freshman, scoring three goals and registering one assist in her debut season — a stat line that Gabby thinks speaks to the future of the Warriors team.
“She is the next generation of the Methacton field hockey team and I am proud to be on the field with her,’ the elder Owens said.
That next generation includes Shannon Tierney (sister of Brianna Tierney ‘ 10), Olivia Hoover (sister of Alexa Hoover ‘ 13), Sydney Burgese (sister of Olivia Burgese ‘ 09), Emily Sayre (sister of Bekah Sayre ‘ 12) Katie Moyer (sister of Annie Moyer ‘ 12) and Madison Schanbacher (sister of Danielle Schanbacher ‘ 11).
And if the younger sisters produce the same results as their older counterparts, the Warriors will have no problem contending for years to come.
Bright Future
The 2015 Futures Elite Academy selections were announced last Tuesday. Brittany Dickinson (Methacton), Sammi Steele (Methacton), Annie Himsworth (Perkiomen Valley), Kelsey Giese (Perkiomen Valley), Megan Duvernois (Gwynedd Mercy), Sophia Gladieux (Oley Valley) and Samantha Buzalewski (Oley Valley) were area picks.
Players were selected after competing over the summer at the Under-21 Women’s National Championship, Futures Elite Championship, National Futures Championship and AAU Junior Olympics. From these events, the top competitors across U14, U16 and U19 age groups were selected to train at the 2015 Futures Elite Academies. Selection is considered the next step in USA Field Hockey’s Olympic Development Pipeline. According to USA Field Hockey’s official release, “The Academies exist to provide additional training and competition opportunities for these athletes distinguished with the potential to one day represent Team USA.’
Play 4 the Cure
Pottstown hosted its Play 4 the Cure game on Friday, a 2-1 loss to Pottsgrove in OT. Over the past several years, Pottstown’s field hockey team has donated well over $3,000 to charity. The team is accepting donations though the end of the season on October 9.
Staying Strong
Daniel Boone has maintained a spot in the Top 20 of the District 3 Power Rankings. The Blazers should make a jump up from the No. 17 after wins over Exeter and Reading this week.
Around the State
Northern York secured another Mid-Penn Capital title for the Polar Bears. It’s the first time in school history for that the team has won back-to-back titles.
Mighty Quinn
The 31 goals this season by Phoenixville’s Bailey Quinn is unofficially the highest total in the nation, according to Top Of The Circle. Emmaus’ Meredith Sholder is second with 29 goals.
