Cinnaminson High’s Lila McDermott moves the ball down the field with Addison Buckley trailing her during the field hockey match against Delran on Sept. 9. Alyson Whitmeyer of the Bears takes a shot while teammate Brynn Harper looks to tip it in and Pirates defender Phoebe Kershaw looks to block it.
The Bears’ Alyson Whitmeyer takes a shot as teammate Brynn Harper looks to tip it in and Pirates defender Phoebe Kershaw tries to block it.
The action on the Cinnaminson High field hockey field was fast and furious, with all the players hustling after every loose ball in a match against rival Delran on a breezy, cool Sept. 9.
With less than five minutes left in the fourth quarter, Gabriella Pacetti scored a goal to tie the game, 2-2, on a penalty corner, to the delight of the Pirates fans. But Delran’s Avery Hemphill answered back just one minute later, also on a penalty corner, to give the Bears a 3-2 lead.
The Pirates tried to tie the game again in the final four minutes of frantic play, but the Bears held on for the victory.
Early in the game, Delran controlled the flow of the game, putting a lot of pressure on the Pirates’ defense and senior goalie Sophia Flicker, who made 14 tough saves throughout the match with both her stick and by kicking the ball away. With three minutes left in the first quarter, the Bears got a 1-0 lead when senior forward Samantha Wuebker tipped in a shot from the edge of the circle while stationed in front of the net.
The second quarter saw Cinnaminson start clicking on offense, as junior midfielder Avva Smith made some passes and senior forward Lila McDermott stole the ball from a Delran defender. That created a chance, but the shot went just wide of the goal.
Later in the quarter, Delran moved the ball better, and with six minutes left, sophomore midfielder Kendall Kneib scored on an amazing shot for the left of the circle created by a penalty three-quarter corner set play.
When the halftime horn sounded, Delran held a 2-0 lead. Both teams gathered around their coaches on the sideline for a breather and to figure out a strategy for the rest of the game, led by Cinnaminson head coach Sara Skvir and Delran head coach Brittany Cairns.
Both teams came out sharp in the third quarter, and the speed of the game increased with both teams moving the ball well. The Pirates eventually broke through with a goal by McDermott on a penalty corner, making the score 2-1 and setting up the exciting finish.
When the final horn sounded, Delran had defeated its longtime rival with players leaving everything on the field during the early season match.
Cinnaminson players looking forward to the rest of the season include Addison Buckley, Claire Minniti, Renee Secoulder, Madeline Farrell, Ally Yodis, Lila McDermott, Shea Gulbin, Claire Salvo, Avva Smith, Gabriella Pacetti, Izabella Orlik, Madelyn Byrne, Emme Smith, Kate Koprivica, Meghan Donelson, Sydney Szczepanek, Phoebe Kershaw, Madelynn Malone, Abbigail Hagan, Ava Pacetti, Paige Sorino and Sophia Flicker.
The Bears players on this year’s team include Emily Lewandowski, Abagail Ferroni, Madeline Munroe, Samantha Weubker, Molly Pona, Brynn Harper, Ellery Hamlet, Juliet Robinson, Eyshila Moreira, Isabella Nunes, Lila Jaussi, Lily Martinez, Kendall Kneib, Caroline Horton, Caitlin Moore, Gianna Powell, Ariana Hernandez, Avery Hemphill, Addison Major, Madison Wenger, Madelyn Conard, Alyson Whitmeyer, Bella Kandel, Kaylee Smith, Olivia Spahr, Giolina Francesconi, Christina Lovitt, Adrianna Ashton, Morgan Largent and Hannah Sowle.
