Balmer’s versatility an added weapon as Pennridge tops CB West

DOYLESTOWN >> It wasn’t easy to miss Lindsey Balmer.

The Pennridge junior, her twin pigtails still dyed a bright hue of pink from the Rams’ Pink Out game last week, did plenty of what she’s been doing the last month by flying up and down the pitch creating all sorts of chances. She didn’t need to on Monday, but Balmer’s also been a standout at fullback in the instances Pennridge has needed her as a defender.

Led by Balmer and Tori Angelo setting the pace on the wings, Pennridge used a strong second half to top Central Bucks West 3-0 to start the final week of the regular season.

“Our speed helps, we all connect well and we’ve played together for a while now so that’s a big part of it,” Balmer said. “I like playing forward because I like scoring obviously, but I’m fine playing either.”

The Bucks were quite simply, playing for their season. West (9-8-0, 8-8-0 SOL Colonial) entered play holding the No. 27 slot in the District 1 4A rankings with the top 28 teams making the playoffs in this year’s expanded field, so a win over No. 3 seeded Pennridge (16-1-0, 14-1-0 SOL Colonial) would have gone a long way to easing those bubble concerns.

As expected, West came out with a high intensity and the first 40 minutes saw the two sides push the pace against each other in an up-and-down half. What’s hindered the Bucks at times this fall has been scoring goals – the team has five 1-0 losses on its resume – and while the hosts tested Pennridge a couple times, they weren’t able to find the clinical ball that would go into the back of the net.

West also had to stay firm defensively, with senior co-captain Courtney Moylan and the rest of the back line at one point defending three straight corners while senior keeper Jules Broskey made a few nice saves to send it to half 0-0.

“The first five minutes we come out always have to be strong, I think most of our games we did that but in the games we didn’t, that’s what killed us a little bit,” Moylan said. “No matter what the end result is, we’ve given our all and always worked for the entire game. That’s always what we’ve lived by; as soon as we step on the field, it’s all business and our team has really followed that this year.”

Pennridge defender Anna Croyle felt her team was playing too fast at times in the first half, which put pressure on the defense with West looking to play the long ball over the top or transition back quickly any time it stopped the Rams going forward. At the break, Pennridge coach Audrey Anderson gave her team a pep talk and pointed out there was room out wide to use if the ball could get out there.

“I think we were playing panicked in the first half and at halftime, Aud really hyped us up,” Croyle said. “We focused on playing our game and going to goal, using a lot of 1-on-1s because our forwards are good at that and when they did, we had success from there.”

Anderson also wanted to see a little more effort from her attacking players and that’s what ended up leading to the team’s first two scores. Roughly 10 minutes into the second half, Angelo pursued a ball rolling to the end line that slowed as it neared the line which gave the Pennridge forward a chance to keep in play. From there, she cut in and whistled a tight-angled shot that found the top shelf of the opposite corner of the goal for a 1-0 lead.

Angelo had an indirect role in the second goal a few minutes later, drawing  foul just outside the penalty box to to cue up a free kick in dangerous territory. Liv Grenda, who took a shot to the face last Thursday and didn’t play the second half against CB East, served in a good ball that Balmer got to first and tapped in for the score.

On Thursday, the Rams needed Balmer to drop back to an outside defender role and the junior had served in a free kick that led to her team’s first goal in the comeback 2-1 win over East.

“We were more relaxed in the second half, which definitely helped us,” Balmer said. “We were really composed.”

Balmer has three goals and an assist in the team’s last four games, while also playing excellent defense last Thursday before going fully offensive-minded on Monday. Anderson said Balmer’s speed is a difference maker and she really likes what the junior brings as a forward, but if a team is taking away space for the forwards, she can drop Balmer to defense and let her make runs as a wing back.

When usual starting right back Meredith Blannett had to miss a few games earlier in the season due to injury, Balmer was an easy fill-in until Blannett came back and she could move right back to forward.

“Her versatility is amazing,” Anderson said. “When she’s up top, she’s not afraid. We can cross a ball in, she’ll run to it and make contact with it and it was great she scored the second goal. She works really, really hard on the offensive side of the ball and it was nice to have her finish that opportunity.”

It’s not like there’s a drop off at either position Balmer isn’t occupying either. Blannett’s been solid on the back line and if Balmer does drop off, then Hailey Primwhere or one of the other forwards can step in up top.

Croyle, a co-captain, said she’s happy to have Balmer on the field and trusts her teammate at whatever position she’s put in.

“I like that she’s scoring goals,” Croyle said. “If it’s working, it’s working. No need to change it.”

Grenda, who had her nose re-set earlier Monday and played the game wearing a protective face mask, capped the scoring with seven minutes left. The Rams played a short corner with Riley Williams laying the ball off to the midfielder, who hit a superb strike on her first touch that curled into the far upper 90 for a goal that no keeper would have saved.

The Bucks will host Lower Moreland on Friday afternoon in their final regular season game. Moylan admitted the next few days will be a little nerve-wracking as she and her teammates have to scoreboard-watch but the senior defender is confident that if the Bucks find their way in, they’ll prove they belonged in the field.

“I think the whole environment for the postseason, it’s more intense and I really feel like our team can adapt to that and bring it,” Moylan said. “Every game now can be our last, every game matters, so we have to give our all for every minute and not take a play off.”

PENNRIDGE 0 3 – 3

CB WEST 0 0 – 0

Goals; P – Tori Angelo, Lindsey Balmer (Liv Grenda), Grenda (Riley Williams)