Souderton’s movement leads to win over CB West

FRANCONIA >> As the build-up unfolded in front of her, Souderton girls soccer coach Lindsy Jones watched everything she’s been telling her attackers get put into practice.

Countering off a Central Bucks West throw-in, Taylor Yoder slipped a through ball up the channel to the feet of senior midfielder Campbell Power. Power dribbled the ball out to the flank, then up the field, pulling the recovering Bucks her way before sending a low cross back in front of the goal where Erin O’Keefe’s perfectly timed run set her up for the finish.

With creativity and movement, the Indians broke their scoring drought and topped a very good CB West side 3-0 on Tuesday afternoon in a key game at the top of the Suburban One League Continental Conference table.

“We were getting a little bit down, I tried to keep it positive and telling them to keep taking it back to the drawing board of working on how to be creative in our movement and I feel like it finally clicked,” Jones said. “Our movement was the best I’ve seen it with our top three. We’ve really been developing that and it really came together today.”

In the last three games, the Indians’ (6-1-4, 4-1-3 SOL Continental) only goal was an overtime winner against Quakertown on Sept. 25. They hadn’t scored in regulation in three matches and their last two fixtures ended as scoreless draws, so the attack was eager to put some balls in the back of the net.

As well as the Bucks (10-3-0, 5-3-0 SOL Continental) have played this year, the Indians seemed to have their number. Both CB West-Souderton matches ended as 3-0 Indians wins and Tuesday provided the chance for Souderton’s attack to find the well again.

“We’ve tied a lot of our games, so this one we came out hard and this was a team we wanted to beat,” Souderton sophomore forward Averie Doughty said.

“This game, we had to move and step to the ball,” O’Keefe said. “Their defense gave us that space to be able to step to the ball, turn and play into that space with through balls and it really worked for us.”

West, which topped Perk Valley 4-1 on Monday night, didn’t seem to be at its sharpest early on. Senior Trish Hauck brought a lot of energy and fight up top, but the entire team never really seemed to connect throughout Tuesday’s contest.

Some of that was due to Souderton’s defenders, who kept some of the Bucks’ more dangerous players in check.

But if the Bucks weren’t connecting passes in the final third, they also weren’t giving those defenders too much trouble to deal with.

“We had a game yesterday, them today and Pennridge on Thursday, so the schedule is just a grind to play in our division,” Bucks coach Mike Moyer said. “For whatever reason, Souderton has our number. I didn’t think it was a 3-0 game, they had chances we had chances. They got a fluke second goal and we tried to counter and get a really good third goal on a counter.”

That second goal came courtesy of O’Keefe, who bagged a brace in a 60-second span in the second half. The senior forward even admitted scoring was not her intention when she ripped a ball off the left wing toward the box, intending instead for it to a be a cross into the 18.

Instead, she hit it with enough power that the ball spun itself along just the right path to tuck itself inside the upper 90 on the far post for an unintended but very aesthetically pleasing result.

“I really was trying to cross it and luckily, it just went in the net,” O’Keefe said.

O’Keefe would seal the game with her finish off Power’s cross a minute later but the breakthrough for the Indians’ attack had actually taken place in the first half. Aside from movement and creativity, Jones has been pushing her forwards to work harder throughout the season.

Souderton has played most of the year without Allie Trick, one of last season’s top goal scorers who is due back soon from a knee injury. In her stead, it’s pushed younger players like Doughty or players like O’Keefe who didn’t see many minutes into bigger roles.

Doughty came through for her side late in the first half by working hard after a ball played over the top by midfielder Sara Readinger. As the ball took a hop, Doughty pressured a West defender who couldn’t make a play on it.

At full stride, Doughty settled the ball off the hop, and hit the ball well into the back of the net.

“I realized I had a whole lot of space in front of me,” Doughty said. “I took a few touches and placed it.”

The upcoming schedule doesn’t get any easier for either West or Souderton. The Indians travel to CB South on Thursday, then play PCL-leading Little Flower on Friday before hosting CB East and Pennridge next week.

West travels to Pennridge on Thursday. The Bucks are the only team to have beaten the Rams so far this season and despite a setback on Tuesday, Moyer was confident his players would bounce back and be up for the challenge.

“I’ve coached a lot of teams and this is the most unselfish team that I’ve had,” Moyer said. “Everyone is so happy for each other. We just didn’t have it today, I’m not upset with the effort, we just couldn’t execute today. You can’t have an off day in our league, so we’ll learn from it.”

Sometimes, all it takes is that first ball going into the net to ignite a scoring spree. Jones saw a lot of positive steps from her offensive players on Tuesday and so long as they keep it up, she thinks more goals are to come.

“That is the movement we’re looking for, something to throw the defenders off,” Jones said. “I’m really proud of them.”

CB WEST 0 0 – 0
SOUDERTON 1 2 – 3
Goals: S – Averie Doughty (Sara Readinger), Erin O’Keefe, O’Keefe (Campbell Power).