Pennsbury picked up a non-league win Saturday while Springfield Twp was a winner Friday. Pennsbury/Notre Dame photos courtesy of Darryl Rule of J&D Photography.
Non-league
Pennsbury 5, Notre Dame HS (NJ) 2
(Article submitted by Pennsbury field hockey)
Today was the Falcons’ fourth high level contest in eight days. The intense competition to start the season has been a great challenge and helped to set the tone for PHS as they come into 2026 with a fire in their bellies. Last year’s matchup with Notre Dame ended with a disappointing overtime loss for the orange and black, so they were laser focused on a much different outcome this morning.
Notre Dame did not waste any time working their way up the field and getting one past the PHS goalie, Amelia Fernandes, in the first three minutes of the game, making it 1-0 before anyone could blink.
“We were definitely moving slowly and seemed a little disjointed across the board,” said head coach, Traci Curtis. “Fatigue was a huge hurdle for us today at every turn, but we could not allow it to be an excuse. This is what a true test looks like at this level.”
Pennsbury found an answer to the Irish’s goal with three minutes left in the first quarter. Abby Iacona worked the ball along the endline and fed it to the stroke (line) where her teammates struggled to get it around the pads. Iacona filled the space perfectly to grab a rebound during the scuffle in front of the goal and evened the game 1-1.
“It was a little spark that we really needed to wake us up. We were sleepy and sloppy but managing to create a lot of offensive pressure. The struggle was finishing inside the circle and tightening up our skills,” explained Curtis.
The Irish got the go-ahead goal six minutes into the second quarter. The Falcons were a player down when Coach Curtis was given a yellow card for arguing a call - in that case a PHS player is removed from the field for five minutes. Notre Dame capitalized and it was a 2-1 game.
“Not a great moment for me as I pushed too far unnecessarily and put our team at a disadvantage. We were climbing uphill as it was and I didn’t help the situation,” stated Curtis.
One minute after the penalty, Abby Iacona allowed Pennsbury to exhale a bit when she weaved her magic through multiple defenders, took a shot, picked up her own rebound as the goalie went down and lifted the tying goal into the net - her second goal of the game making it 2-2. The score remained locked at two going into halftime.
The third quarter was dominated by the Falcons, but they could not find a way to finish in the circle. Their offensive attack was consistent with a barrage of shots at the Irish goalie, but not one goal was scored throughout the fifteen minutes. Notre Dame’s goalie denied a lot and forced PHS to work for everything when they were in the circle. Pennsbury was given another yellow card during the quarter and down a player for another five minutes. With grit, determination, and really strong defense, they did not allow ND to take advantage of the player up opportunity.
“Our defense was locked in and not backing down in any situation. They communicated well, helped each other and played really smart hockey in the red zone,” said Curtis.
It was a full team effort to navigate the penalty, and they did an awesome job holding strong. It was tied at two going into the final quarter and the Falcons were in need of a huge reset.
As the clock ticked away in the final quarter, neither team could find a way to break the tie until halfway through when Pennsbury earned a penalty corner and Cailyn Reilly shot a bullet straight into the net off of Ryan Burdette’s insert. The Falcons took the lead 3-2 and a flame was ignited. One minute later, Burdette made a great clean tackle to gain possession and fed it directly up the center to Abby Iacona on the move to goal. Iacona beat four defenders and the goalie for a go alone goal making it a 4-2 game. It took a long time, but Pennsbury found their groove and went with it full force.
“Abby Iacona is a playmaker and today she notched three unassisted goals at crucial times to help keep us afloat while we were treading water,” said Curtis. “Our captains (Iacona, Burdette, Reilly, and Hohman) each stepped up in big ways to be difference makers and it is amazing to watch as they lead both on and off the field.”
The win was sealed in the final seconds when Ava Pinto collected a rebound off the goalie’s pads and notched the fifth goal for the Falcons. The final score was 5-2 and PHS walked away with their third win in a row.
“We got lucky today in many ways and know that there is a lot to work on,” explains Pinto. “Right now our girls need to rest and recover and regroup for the next step. We are taking one day at a time and not taking our eyes off of our vision and goals.”
Pennsbury will travel to Truman on Wednesday to meet up with the Tigers for the first time this season.
Notre Dame (N.J.) 1-1-0-0 2
Pennsbury 1-1-0-3 5
Friday, Sept. 4
Springfield Twp 2, Hatboro-Horsham 1
Springfield Twp scored a pair of first-quarter goals, then let its defense do the rest.
The Spartans made the early goals stand, picking up their second win in as many days with a 2-1 victory over Hatboro-Horsham in Friday’s SOL crossover game.
Emmy Rutkowski and Klara Ochab each scored one goal for the Spartans, while Ada Bianchi made four saves in recording the win in the cage.
Scoring summary
First quarter
Emmy Rutkowski (Spr), 6:47
Klara Ochab (Spr), 2:01
Second quarter
Hatboro-Horsham scores, 2:29
Third quarter
No scoring
Fourth quarter
No scoring
By the numbers: Penalty corners: Spr 5. Shots: Spr 7. Saves: Spr 4.
Springfield Twp co-coach Brianna Buckley:
--The game: “We came out strong in a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Hatboro-Horsham. Emmy Rutkowski and Klara Ochab found the back of the cage in the first quarter, giving us an early advantage. The intensity continued through a back-and-forth battle, with Hatboro-Horsham keeping the pressure on. Our goalkeeper Ada Bianchi made a crucial save on a penalty stroke, while the defense stood strong against a determined Hatboro-Horsham attack to preserve the win.”
Hatboro-Horsham coach Lauren Holliday:
--The game: “The Hatters put up an incredible fight against Springfield, battling hard and never giving up. While it wasn’t the outcome we wanted, this team showed tremendous heart, resilience, and teamwork. They played as a unit and continue to show us exactly what they’re made of!
--Stick of the Show: “Congratulations to Annabelle Deacon on an incredible defensive performance! Her determination and defensive plays helped keep the Hatters in the game and made a huge impact from start to finish! “
Goal: “Aliana D’Angelo found the back of the net in the second quarter, assisted by Norah Haber.
“Keep working together, keep believing in each other, and keep fighting! Great things are coming our way.”
Up next: Springfield Twp will host New Hope-Solebury on Wednesday, and Hatboro-Horsham will host Abington Wednesday.
Hatboro-Horsham 0 1 0 0 – 1
Springfield Twp 2 0 0 0 – 2
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