Hummel scores twice, Wissahickon tops Plymouth Whitemarsh to finish perfect in SOL Liberty

WHITEMARSH >> The Wissahickon field hockey team used its head – literally – to score for the second time Wednesday afternoon.

On a first-quarter penalty corner, Kendall Crowley got a stick on a shot in front of the goalkeeper, the ball lofting into the air, hitting the head of Riley Ball at the right post and continued to sail into the top of the cage.

 “Everybody kind of just paused,” Wissahickon’s Ella Hummel said. “And we’re like ‘Wait – wait, OK yay.”

The fortuitous carom gave the Trojans two goals on its first two corners, putting the visitors up 2-0 on Plymouth Whitemarsh less than 10 minutes into their matchup. Wissahickon added a third goal in the final minute of the third quarter as it completed a perfect run through the Suburban One League Liberty Division by shutting out the Colonials 3-0.

“It really gave us the upper hand,” said Hummel of the early corner conversions. “I feel like it gave us momentum and allowed us to keep working hard throughout the entire game.”

Hummel finished with two goals while Miller collected two assists as the Trojans (17-1-0, 16-0-0 division) head into the District 1-3A tournament on an eight-game win streak.

“I feel like I’ve personally been working really hard alongside the team,” Hummel said. “Everyone’s been working their butts off this season and just felt really good to finally finish it off with a win. I’m really proud of our defense for keeping it a shutout, we wouldn’t of been able to win without them.”

Wissahickon posted shutouts in all 16 division contests, outscoring opponents 80-0 in claiming its first SOL league title since winning the American Conference in 2012. The only goals the Trojans have conceded so far in 2021 came in a 4-3 overtime victory over Council Rock South in their season opener Sept. 3 and then in their lone loss to North Penn 7-1 Oct. 1.

“Our offense tried to push up and keep pressure and our defense helps back us up with that so we never let it past our 50 which is the goal,” said Crowley, who had a goal and an assist. “So we’re always just having pressure and we try to stay up past the 50 as much as possible and that’s just we keep our momentum and keep our power just up.”

Wissahickon began Wednesday third in the district’s 3A rankings and stayed at that spot, which would give it a first-round bye and a home game in the second round Wednesday, Oct. 27.

“I feel like we just have to kind of refine the little things,” Hummel said. “We’re not a perfect team so we definitely have to keep working hard and push through. It’s not going to be easy but I feel like we work really well together and we’re really cohesive so as long as we just keep our composure and refine those little skills like I said we’ll be able to do our best.”

Plymouth Whitemarsh (12-4-1, 12-3-1) was 12^th in the 3A rankings before the loss – its second straight after falling to Abington 2-0 Monday – with the result dropping the Colonials down to 13^th, which would still give PW a first-round home game Monday, Oct. 25.

“If we get home field, we have home-field advantage, we’ll be a little bit more comfortable on our turf but going into next week the girls are ready,” Plymouth Whitemarsh coach Jess Randazzo said. “They know that this is it, they know that this is life or death so we’re just going to prepare and take Monday, take it day by day from here on out.”

PW’s best offensive push as the Trojans came in the fourth quarter but the Colonials could not avoid being shut out for the fourth time this season.

“Wissahickon’s a great team,” Randazzo said. “This is our first year, a new coaching staff. I know we graduated a lot last year, we’re a really young team and we’re really trying to rebuild this year. This first game that we played (a 4-0 Trojans win Sept 22) it was a total shellshock, this game we came in a little bit more prepared but Wissahickon, like I said, they’re a greatly-skill team, they’ve been practicing together since they end of last year so we knew that this was going to be a tough game.

“I think my girls played a lot better this time than the first time. They really did hold their own and were trying to adjust our game to be better equipped to play against them and it was a better result this time so overall I’m proud of my girls.”

PW goalie Rosalie Montemayor made nine saves while Wissahickon keeper Julianna Thomas had four saves.

Hummel gave the Trojans the 1-0 lead at 10:58 in the opening quarter. Hummel’s insertion pass on the game’s first corner went to the top of the circle to Miller, who ripped a shot that Hummel stopped near the left post then swept into the cage.

“PW has a very good defense so I tried my best to get in front of them and keep my stick down,” Hummel said. “So if the ball came to me and it did I would be able to get it in.”

Wissahickon doubled its lead five minute later on another corner. Miller took a shot after a give-and-go with Julia Schools with Crowley getting a touch on the ball before it deflected off Ball’s head and in at 5:58.

 

“Once she shoots I try to angle my stick so it bounces up and hopefully it bounces over the PW stick so it ends up going in,” Crowley said. “And I work on that a lot in practice too and that’s what all our forwards are trying to do.”

Hummel scored her second with just 48.5 seconds remaining in the third to make it 3-0, knocking in a shot right in front of the cage with Crowley getting the assist.

“I just kept my stick on the ground and the goalie didn’t move fast enough,” Hummel said. “So I just put it right in the little gap.”