Methacton tops Wissahickon in D1-3A quarterfinals

LOWER GWYNEDD >> No. 6 Methacton beat No. 3 Wissahickon, 4-1, in the District 1-3A quarterfinals Friday afternoon at Wissahickon High School.

The Warriors advance to the semifinals Tuesday, when they’ll host No. 7 Garnet Valley.

Methacton controlled the ball for most of the game. They put 11 shots on goal and earned 11 corners while the Trojans managed four shots and earned three corners.

“We do a ton of possession work at practice,” Methacton coach Amanda Fuertsch said. “They’re not even going to a goal – the goal of the drill is just to keep possession. Just about every practice we are doing at least one drill specifically to work on keeping possession.” 

Bayla Plower got the scoring started late in the first quarter. Carmela Maro found Plower alone at the left side of the cage and Plower put it away with 3:46 left in the opening quarter. 

Elena Snodgrass doubled the Warriors advantage in the second quarter. After the initial shot on a penalty corner was stopped, she grabbed the rebound and put the ball into the cage for a 2-0 lead. 

Maro made it 3-0 just before halftime. Precise passing around the circle on a corner resulted in a goal when Snodgrass fed Maro in front of the cage and Maro did the rest. 

“Our corners have been fantastic recently,” Methacton captain Madison Noh said. “I was really please, and I’m sure the team was as well, to see how they all played out.”

Elena Weychert extended the lead to 4-0 early in the third quarter. The four-goal advantage stood until the final moments of the third. 

Riley Ball got Wiss on the board with 19 seconds remaining in the third. Kayla Pak carried the ball up the right side in transition and centered it to Ball, who finished to give the Trojans some life.

“I think we played two games,” Wiss coach Lucy Gil said, “the first half and the second half. In the second half they were much, much better. They were moving to the ball better… Once they got the jitters out, they really settled down and started playing their own game. I’m not taking anything away from Methacton – they played great and they’re very quick. They’re really, really strong, but I don’t think we played our own game in the first half and it made all the difference.”

That was as close as Wissahickon would get. The hosts put a couple shots on goal in the fourth and earned a corner but couldn’t find the back of the cage. 

Methacton clinches a spot in the PIAA-3A state playoffs with the win.

“Last year when we lost in the semifinals of districts we were all pretty heartbroken,” Noh said. “We all came with the same goal into the season and we’re all really glad it’s working out the way we want it to.”

Wissahickon heads to the playback bracket, where it will try to earn one of the three remaining District 1 berths in the state playoffs.

“We’re going to see how we do and hopefully we get a berth into states,” Gil said. “Three out of the four teams go, so hopefully we will. Let’s see.”