Varilla, North Penn start with style against Great Valley
TOWAMENCIN >> Emily Varilla came ready to run Saturday morning, but maybe not as much as she did.
The North Penn sophomore had a busy day terrorizing Great Valley’s back line with series of well-timed runs as her teammates looked to send through ball after through ball the speedster forward’s way. It was all a matter of timing and Varilla had hers down pat, latching onto a trio of passes and turning them into goals and helping cause enough chaos in the box to set up a fourth.
Spurred by Varilla’s runs and a quick-moving attack, the Knights opened their season in fine fashion with a 6-2 win over the visiting Patriots.
“We really found ourselves and our way of play quickly,” Varilla said. “We were connecting through balls and we found the way we need our offense to work this season and be successful.”
It took North Penn a couple minutes to settle into the match but sophomore keeper Anna Fiore made two nice saves early to keep it scoreless. A corner kick started the Knights going in a positive direction with center back Casey Cavanaugh hitting an effort just wide.
Two minutes later, Varilla struck for the first time. Right back Landry Holt sent an early ball skittering up through the back line where Varilla latched on and carried it the rest of the way, deftly holding off a defender before tucking away the goal nine minutes in.
“We know where each other is going to be and we know the speed each other have so we understand where we have to be and at what time,” Varilla said. “It just comes down to knowing how to keep ourselves onside.”
Tia Sheehy struck next for the Knights after finding herself rather unmarked on the right flank and chancing one on frame. Her looping effort caught the right current and flew in at the upper 90 on the far post for a 2-0 lead.
North Penn was clicking with a few more shots on frame and a handful of corner kicks putting on the pressure. In the run of play, it was a series of one-touch passes and quick movement that had Great Valley on the defensive for much of the half as each Knight player looked to move the ball as soon as it arrived at their feet.
“We played really good ball just knocking it around and finding our runs,” North Penn co-head coach Mike Rio said. “I’m really happy with the way the girls played. We gave up a goal to start the second half but the way they rebounded and brought the attack to them and found two more, I was proud of the way the girls banded together.”
Great Valley had a lightning strike start to the second half as Emma Gray rushed to a 50/50 ball and slotted it home just 10 seconds in to put new life in the match. That bit of life would be short-lived as the Knights rallied quickly.
Senior co-captain Grace Sacchetti was the next up to send Varilla running. The midfield sprung the forward with a perfectly weighted through ball out of the center and Varilla had a sterling finish to the play, taking a touch forward before touching around the keeper for a composed finish on the open goal.
“It’s just year after year of working on it and making sure I know how to time it and make sure I stay onside,” Varilla said. “We practice it so much so in the game, it’s like nothing. It’s just repetition.”
Varilla helped set up the Knights fourth goal when she put another shot toward goal that turned into a clean rebound finish for Liv Urban.
Sheehy, Varilla and Kloey Carminati formed a solid trio up top with Carminati adding a physical presence able to hold the ball up and turn on defenders to complement the speed in the front six. North Penn has plenty of attacking options but they only work well when the ball moves around.
“We’re trying play the ball quick, trying to knock it around and trying to find each other’s feet,” Rio said. “When we play those outlet balls, there’s purpose. We’re not just kicking it 60 yards, we’re looking for an outlet or there’s space we’re trying to play it into.”
Great Valley’s Mary Deitch, who had a strong match for the Patriots, set up the sequence to halve the lead when she picked out Leigh Chamberlain with a looping field-switching ball over the top of North Penn’s back line. Chamberlain angled her shot well, making it 4-2 with 20:50 left in the match.
The Knights tacked on two more in the final 10 minutes. Urban played another long through ball to Varilla, which ended the same way as the previous two with the little but lethal forward running into its path, dribbling at goal and tucking away a composed finish.
Carminati made it six-goal day when she managed to sneak in a shot from a very difficult angle that had more than a couple teammates on the bench commenting they surely would have missed.
“With this group of girls, that’s the way the come to practice every day,” Rio said. “The positivity they have and camaraderie and chemistry they have, they always bring that energy. They’re all good friends on and off the field and it translates when you have to jump out here and play. They work hard for each other and pull for each other and that’s how we have to play.”
NORTH PENN 6, GREAT VALLEY 2
NORTH PENN 2 4 – 6
GREAT VALLEY 0 2 – 2
Goals: NP – Emily Varilla (Landry Holt), Tia Sheehy, Varilla (Grace Sacchetti), Liv Urban (Varilla), Varilla (Urban), Kloey Carminati; GV – Emma Gray, Leigh Chamberlain (Mary Deitch). Shots: NP – 14, GV – 7. Saves: NP – Anna Fiore/Grace McGarry 5, GV – Lauren Birchler/Katey Coffey 7. Corners: NP – 5, GV – 5.
