Wentz delivers in clutch, Gwynedd Mercy tops Upper Perk in 2OT in District 1-2A 1st round

LOWER GWYNEDD >> Alex Wentz wasn’t letting her team lose in double overtime.

A few minutes after hurling herself forward to try and put a stick on a teammate’s pass, the Gwynedd Mercy Academy forward came up with the clutch finish her team needed. From a tight angle on the endline, she took her chance and made it count.

Wentz’s close-range heroics with 2:12 left in the second overtime handed No. 6 Gwynedd Mercy Academy a 5-4 win over No. 11 Upper Perkiomen in the first round of the District 1-2A field hockey tournament.

“The ball went through and I saw the opening,” Wentz said. “I decided to take it, but it was really a team effort. Our defense got it up the field and our mids set it up for me.”

GMA played a brilliant first half, moving the ball well through Upper Perk’s midfield and turning that ability to carry the ball on their sticks into three goals. Alaina McVeigh opened the scoring off a corner, then made it 2-0 following a long solo run up the left followed by a cut back into the circle.

Thanks to Alden Boccella, the Monarchs led 3-0 at the break. It was nothing new for Upper Perk this season.

“My team has this in them, but we’ve been playing from behind a lot all year,” UP coach Jamie Warren said. “This was the first game we were actually to come back and get it tied. I knew they had it in them and they proved it today.”

After halftime, the Indians got much better at containing GMA’s long runs and started drawing penalty corners. A free restart is always a good way to spark a comeback and it’s exactly what Upper Perk did.

The Indians scored all four of their goals in the second half following plays off corner inserts. Abrianna Gatto scored two of them, bringing the senior’s career goal total to a staggering 97. Monarchs coach Alex McMahan pointed to a lack of marking and too many easy passes inside the circle as reasons for her team’s breakdowns defensively.

“I am really proud of them for their resilience and that’s 95 percent of the battle in field hockey,” McMahan said. “It’s a battle of mistakes and who can capitalize on each other’s weaknesses so when you can grit it out after a game like that it shows a lot of character, and it’s something we’ll need going forward.”

Wentz scored two goals herself, with her first coming off a re-direct of Bocella’s shot for a 4-2 lead with 24:14 left in the second half. It wasn’t enough though as Gatto’s second goal and a tap-in by Kylene Gooch tied things up at 4-4.

Upper Perk swapped goalies with about 10 minutes left and Lynnsi Joyce made sure the game got to extra time then a second overtime with a couple of huge saves. She denied Boccella on a clear opportunity with about 12:30 left in the first overtime.

“We start four freshmen, two seniors and a mix of juniors and sophomores,” Warren said. “It’s been a difficult year for us in terms of wins but they’ve always played hard and we got better. I’m hoping the team we have coming back next year can start somewhere close to where we left off.”

Field hockey overtime is a different type of game with fewer players on the field, but McMahan said it played into the style the Monarchs want to play anyway. It didn’t stop Upper Perk from creating more than its share of chances though.

“We talked about teamwork, good passing and communication,” Wentz said. “I think we bonded with each other. We’re a very close team, so we powered each other through it.”

Gwynedd Mercy Academy faces No. 3 seed Mount Saint Joseph on Thursday.

Prior to the second overtime, McMahan and her assistants had a message meant to fire their team up one more time. McMahan also praised captains Caroline Sweeny and Jaque Senour for their play and leadership.

“We said the last period was going to come down to all heart and that’s what Alex Wentz demonstrated,” McMahan said. “She never stops. She is a train without brakes and that’s exactly why  she scored that winning goal.”

UPPER PERK 0 4 0 0  – 4
GWYNEDD MERCY ACADEMY 3 1 0 1 – 5
Goals: GMA- Alaina McVeigh, McVeigh, Alden Boccella, Alex Wentz (Boccella), Wentz; UP – AiYi Young (Kyelene Gooch), Abriana Gatto (Young), Gatto (Morgan Fiorito), Gooch (Young)