Methacton strutting its stuff, earns non-league win over Souderton

FRANCONIA >> With Mackenzie Clark performing wonderfully in net, and with an offense operating at peak form, the postseason is approaching at just the right time for Methacton.

“We’re controlling. I think we’re actually beginning to peak,” Warriors coach Laurie Markle said. “We had our stumbles earlier. But this was a good win against a good team. This is the most confident I’ve ever felt in my defense.”

Methacton rose up and earned a 16-10 victory over Souderton in a non-league matchup of two playoff-bound squads in District 1-3A.

Methacton (11-3) came into the contest ranked 12th in the district, with Souderton (11-6) at No. 16.

The Warriors not only had four different players score a hat trick on the offensive end, but also displayed a defense that is both deep and determined.

“I think they play cohesively,” Markle said. “We’ve got people that we can exchange and not miss a step. Our one area of concern is our draw, which we struggle with. But we’re getting better with it. We found some solutions.

“So the last three games, we’ve been pairing up. Not dominating, but at least pairing up.”

The backbone of the defense continues to be Clark, who racked up 16 saves in the win over Big Red. Clark, a junior, is headed to Cornell.

Several players flourished in the Methacton attack.

Jayme Weber led the way with five goals, Megan Sanelli had four, and Julia McCann and Delaney Smith each had three. Mackenzie Coupe added a tally for the Warriors.

“I think we did really well,” Weber said. “We played as a team. I think we got ourselves together. We kept the energy up the whole game and played our game. We had fun.

“We’ve been working on our plays for weeks now and we got it together and made it work.”

The offense is gaining steam.

Said Weber: “At the beginning of the season, we were a little slow getting connected. But we’ve been getting in sync and getting a lot better together.”

Souderton kept pushing, led by Clark Trowbridge’s four goals. Caroline Kelly, Isabel John, Reiley Knize, Lauren Hallman, Ang Borisow and Grace DeMarzio each had a goal for Big Red.

The Indians got as close as 11-7 with about 15 minutes to play, but Methacton closed out strong.

Each squad has its regular-season finale Thursday: Souderton hosts Lower Merion at 6:30 p.m. and Methacton travels to Pennsbury for a 3:30 p.m. game.

“The team spirit, since the beginning of the year, has been so good,” Weber said. “We’re all great friends.”