DeHaven, Kriney help Pennridge hold off North Penn, stay undefeated

EAST ROCKHILL >> Both junior Lindsey DeHaven and sophomore Emily Kriney have their parts to play in the Pennridge girls soccer team’s attack.

“I feel like my role is more of finding her cause she’s the speed and I feel like I’m definitely not as fast as her,” DeHaven said. “So it’s me winning the ball and turning and finding her. And even Leah (Malone) or Riley (Hepler), whoever’s up there we always work together and we work harder. We know exactly where everybody is at all times.”

Tuesday night, DeHaven and Kriney each ended up taking on the role of goal scorer — DeHaven staking the Rams out to the 1-0 lead in the first half, Kriney doubling it right after halftime, the two tallies enough to hold off visiting North Penn for a 2-1 SOL Continental Conference victory at Helman Field.

“I think every single team comes out to play us as hard as they can because we are such a big threat and we work really hard,” DeHaven said. “I think this game, both sides worked really hard, it was a great game — physical, it was a tough battle and I feel like we just had a little more determination to get back out on top.”

Kriney looked to have given the Rams (8-0-0, 6-0-0 conference) a firm hold of the contest by finding the top left corner of the net for a 2-0 lead just 42 seconds after the break. However, a fantastic free kick strike from Grace Sacchetti four minutes later had the Knights (4-6-1, 2-3-1) back within a goal and the game’s intensity stepped up from there —  each sides getting a few quality looks but both unable to finish and the scoreline stayed in the Rams’ favor.

“I think they just have a really well constructed offense,” said Sacchetti of Pennridge. “We just needed to keep working on our plays up top, getting a little bit more creative. But that game was like a great show of what the rest of the season can look like.”

For the Rams, the victory was its eight straight over the Knights and extended its unbeaten streak in Continental play to 10 (9-0-1). Pennridge finishes its first half of conference play six points clear of second place Central Bucks West.

“I think there’s a lot of pressure still just because we’re this team at the top right now,” Kriney said. “And it’s just a lot of pressure because everyone wants to come for us and they all want to beat us and stuff. But we’re trying to work towards postseason, I think it’ll be fun.

While North Penn ended up dropping a third consecutive game, Sacchetti gave the Knights a chance with her first-class free kick. From just to the left of the 18-yard box, the senior curled a right-footed shot over Rams keeper Meghan Kriney and into the top right corner at 35:24 left in regulation.

“I was trying to get around the wall right side and I just had no idea I’d hit it sidebar in,” Sacchetti said. “I surprised myself there.”

The goal was just the second Pennridge had allowed all year, the Rams having shut out its previous six opponents after a 3-1 win over Council Rock South in the season opener.

“Two goals is crazy for what, eight or nine games that we’ve played,” DeHaven said. “I got to give it to our defense, they play solid every single time. And Meghan Kriney in the goal, she’s just a beast there, she wins every single ball and she’s so reliable that we just know that she’s always there to back us up.”

North Penn looks to end its skid Wednesday when it hosts Souderton in a Continental matchup at 3:45 p.m. The Knights lost at Souderton 3-1 Sept. 5.

“I think this is our turning point,” Sacchetti said. “This was the big game that we needed to do well in and we played very well so for the rest of the season if we just play with this intensity then we should beat every team we comes across.

Pennridge, meanwhile, plays again 3:30 p.m. Friday when it visits Wissahickon for an SOL nonleague contest

That Sacchetti’s goal was not the equalizer was due to Emily Kriney, who gave Pennridge a 2-0 edge at 39:18 in the second half as she ran onto a through ball from Maddie Anderson and from the right side of the box lofted a shot over NP keeper Anna Fiore and into the top left corner.

“I was really determined to come out and just score after it was 1-0,” Emily Kriney said. “I wanted it to be more.”

In her first varsity season, Emily Kriney has slowly gotten comfortable playing on a team coming off a appearance in the PIAA Class 4A final. After her goal Tuesday, the sophomore continued to threatened from the right flank and came close to a second with a shot that slide just wide of the left post.

“At first it was very nerve-racking but once I got the hang of it, it’s fun,” she said. “I like the girls a lot and we’re just  all friends and I love them.”

DeHaven collected Tuesday night’s first goal at 18:06 in the opening half. Leah Malone got to a ball down the right side an cut a cross back into the box where a charging DeHaven knocked it into the back of the net with her right foot.

“Leah did a great job beating her defender and she just picked her head and played a perfect ball to me,” DeHaven said. “I feel like she did a lot of the work on that and my job was just there to be there to finish it and I feel like it was a team effort that goal because we won it in the midfield, playing it out to Leah, great ball to Leah, she wins it and just finds me there and I just finish it and it was perfect.

North Penn had a few chances at a tying goal in the second half. On a corner kick, a deflected ball in the box was sent forward to Tia Sheehy, but her header with her back facing the goal went over the crossbar. Rebecca Richardson almost had a opportunity late as the ball dropped to her in the box, but Zoe Sabol poked the ball away just before a shot with the Pennridge freshman then fouled, alleviating any further danger for the Rams.