Cardinal O'Hara wins field hockey title
Cardinal O'Hara field hockey coach Nicole Nelson got a belated birthday present for her week-old daughter, Gabrielle, yesterday when her Lions advanced in the PIAA Class AAA playoffs.
Cardinal O'Hara field hockey coach Nicole Nelson got a belated birthday present for her week-old daughter, Gabrielle, yesterday when her Lions advanced in the PIAA Class AAA playoffs.
Playing for Nelson's sister, junior varsity coach Marie Murphy, O'Hara won the District 12 championship with a 4-0 victory over Public League champion Northeast at the Public League's Germantown super site.
The Lions moved on to face Wissahickon at the super site at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday in the first round of the state playoffs. Wissahickon fell to Downingtown West, 2-1, yesterday in the District 1 playoff game for fourth place.
"We did it for Nicole and the baby," said O'Hara junior Megan George, who got her team off to a good start with a goal less than 30 seconds into the game. Goals by Molly Fee and Alicia Govannicci made it 3-0 with more than eight minutes to go in the first half.
The Vikings (17-4), two days past winning the Public League title for the fourth straight year, had trouble mounting any kind of offense against the Lions (14-3-1).
Although the Lions did not win the Catholic League championship - they were upset in the semifinals - they made the district title game by being the league's highest Class AAA finisher during the regular season.
O'Hara posted a 13-0 advantage in offensive penalty corners yesterday, five of them coming in the first 10 minutes of play. George said the early goal was important.
"It was nice to play with that early lead," said George, who has 10 goals. "It gave us a sense of comfort."
The Vikings got an outstanding game from senior goalie Erin Null. She made 18 saves, many of them in rapid-fire succession.
"It was a challenge," Null said, "but we faced some other good Catholic League teams in scrimmages. On that first goal, O'Hara came out hard, and we didn't. We played much better in the second half."
That was evident as the Lions got only one goal, by sophomore Katie Kileen with seven minutes to play.
"We made some changes in the midfield at halftime," Vikings coach Mitch Kline said. "I thought the kids played hard. I was very proud of them for that. Quit is not in their vocabulary. These kids don't get the overnight hockey camp at $500 a week. They can't afford it, but they give it everything they have. I can't ask for more than that."
Cardinal O'Hara 3 1 - 4
Northeast 0 0 - 0
Goals: COMegan George, Molly Fee, Alicia Govannicci, Katie Kileen.
Saves: COMaryKate O'Connell 0. NErin Null 18.