Perkiomen Valley tops Owen J. Roberts, clinches first PAC-10 title since 2007

Phoenixville — Perkiomen Valley’s Kelsey Giese, Annie Himsworth, Kaitlyn Delaney, Kat Bartkowski and Nathalie Sell came together at the 30-yard line at Washington Field for what has become an after-game ritual.

Each win designates another photo for the group of five they dubbed “Squad deep.’

After 16 photos and a 16-3 record, the 17th photo is the sweetest yet.

Mara Wrzesniewski and Delaney scored, Giese (one assist) and Himsworth (one assist) played exceptional at forward while Bartkowski made a critical defensive save as Perkiomen Valley topped Owen J. Roberts, 2-0, in the PAC-10 Championship, securing the Vikings’ first title since 2007 and the first under head coach Erik Enters.

It was the Vikings first undefeated run in the PAC-10 since their last title run seven years ago.

Abby Bergman finished with one assist while Kerri Hanshaw finished with five saves in the win.

“I’m hyped. It was a great season, an undefeated finish, it was just awesome,’ said Giese, a junior forward. “It was awesome playing a great team like Owen J. to finish it off and it was great to see our team come together and pull if off, because that’s what we’ve been looking for all season.’

“It feels awesome,’ Himsworth, a Louisville recruit added. “Just knowing that we’ve come this far and won our first PAC-10 title is really amazing.’

For Owen J. Roberts, it marked the second consecutive year the team fell in the PAC-10 final. The inability to contain Giese and Himsworth was a critical reason as to why, according to head coach Clarence Jennelle.

“Both of those goals were set up by both of them. Annie with the big hit outside, someone just got lucky and got a stick on it. The second one it was Annie to Giese, and the hit down in got the ball behind everyone else,’ the veteran coach said. “We’re young and we let ourselves get pushed around. It was the same as when we played them last time (2-1 loss at OJR).’

But the loss could springboard OJR into a healthy run at districts, similar to the Wildcats’ third-place finish in last year’s Class AAA tourney.

“If they get over the top of this loss, districts could be a whole different ballgame,’ Jennelle said. “They don’t like this feeling. This could change the entire way they play districts, which I’d like to see it come down to the two of us playing again.’

Amanda Lamb finished with four saves in the loss for OJR.

However, the night belonged to “Squad Deep’ and the rest of the Vikings squad.

“We’re best friends,’ Delaney said regarding the quintet after the win. “We’ve been best friends since middle school and it’s so easy to play with your friends.’

The chemistry was evident throughout.

Following a scoreless first half with both teams only racking up a combined five corners (OJR – three, Perk Valley – two), Himsworth’s big hit from outside the circle found the stick of Wrzesniewski who lifted a towering shot that went topshelf on Lamb for the 1-0 lead forty seconds into the second stanza.

The defense, led by Bartkowski and Sell, then rose to the occasion.

Following the opening goal, Corinne Gerber, who had been relegated as ineffective for much of the first half thanks to terrific pressure by the duo and midfielder Emily Nagle, found herself with a deja vu opportunity as she had the ball on her stick with a seemingly wide open cage in front of her and a sprawled out Hanshaw three yards away. However, Gerber’s shot never made it to the back of the cage. Instead it found the front of Bartkowski’s stick as she dropped her stick to the turf, deflected the shot and then cleared it out of danger.

It was just the night the Vikings were having.

“I saw it coming, I knew I had to get my stick down,’ Bartkowkski described with her teammates being taken away seemingly one-by-one for photos. “I thought, ‘ Just send it out, get it out of the circle.’ That was my entire motto.’

Bartkowski’s heroics on the defensive end paid dividends as the Vikings levied the devastating blow to OJR’s chances with 5:33 remaining.

Giese’s big hit found the awaiting stick of Delaney who worked to the far post, before firing a shot at an improbable angle past Lamb as she tiptoed the endline, sending the Vikings’ bench into a frenzy as they waited five agonizing minutes before storming the field, and mobbing the starters in celebration at midfield.

Giese and Himsworth, the self proclaimed ‘ PB&J,’ broke off and embraced, almost falling to the turf in celebration.

After holding the PAC-10 trophy and appearing in photos all across the field, “Squad Deep’ came together, and with one click, the 17th photo of their installment was added to Twitter.

And this one, by far, was the sweetest of them all.

NOTES

Good news kept pouring in for Perkiomen Valley as it received the No. 3 seed and a first round bye in the District 1-AAA playoffs. Owen J. Roberts earned the No. 15 seed and will host Mount Saint Joseph’s in the opening round on Monday at 3:30 p.m.