OH WHAT A NIGHT! The stage was set for the seniors at Falcon Field as Pennsbury prepared to face off against Council Rock South for the second time. It was senior night and also the last regular season game of 2025 - talk about seizing the moment! The first time these two teams met at CRS a month ago, PHS came out on top 3-2 with the first quarter being goal heavy. Tonight the final score was a carbon copy, giving PHS the 3-2 win again, but the fourth quarter saw most of the scoring action. In both match ups, the second quarter was scoreless. After the seniors and their families traveled the memory-laden path across the field, beneath the balloon arch, and met with their impact person (someone invited who has had a significant impact on their life), the line ups were announced and the anthem played. The Golden Hawks were entering the game hovering in playoff range sitting right at number 24, while Pennsbury sat at 17 after a tough OT loss to Notre Dame on Saturday. This game could help the Hawks secure a playoff berth and for PHS, it was a the possibility of getting a home playoff game if they could move up the rankings a bit. The stadium vibe was electric! The Falcons came out on fire, setting the tone with high speed passing and off ball movement, along with strong steps to the ball and overall great work ethic from end to end. South's goalie was making saves from the start, forcing the orange and black to get creative right away. Pennsbury struck first lighting up the scoreboard with about six minutes left in the quarter putting the Falcons up 1-0. Joley Hohman set up the play on a smart long hit pass back to defender, Cailyn Reilly. Reilly centered a beautiful ball to the top of the circle hitting Abby Iacona perfectly. Iacona's first touch was out to a waiting Ryan Burdette who shot it on goal and the finishing touch was made by Regan Rodriguez with a deflection right past the keeper. "It was a really great heads up series on all of those touches," said head coach, Traci Curtis. "Hohman's patience was key and Cailyn's precision was priceless. They all worked together to make that first goal happen." And that goal would stand alone though halftime and into the third quarter. Pennsbury had many opportunities to stretch the lead firing shots on cage and building on breakaways, but they were stopped many times by a very strong and determined Hawk defense. "They had really strong sticks and were stopping everything we put at them. The goalie was making consistent, saves and was protecting the cage with agility and confidence. We talked at halftime about the importance of keeping up the intensity and knowing that a one goal lead against a fierce team like South was not enough. We had to do more," explained Curtis. Coach Curtis was right. With six minutes left in the third quarter CRS earned a corner and capitalized on the moment. It was a tie game 1-1 and the temperature was rising. Little did both teams know that despite the thirty seven minutes of high intensity battling, the fourth quarter would be the main event. Two minutes into the final quarter Pennsbury broke the tie with an incredible breakaway effort by Ryan Burdette who dribbled through multiple players with sheer speed and saved the ball going over the endline with a one time pass back to stroke where Abby Iacona was ready to pounce and Iacona did pounce with confidence and laser sharp focus. "We literally practiced that type of attack on the ball at our workout the other day - just going to the ball hard in the circle and not waiting for the perfect shot. Ryan's fight got us the opportunity and Iacona didn't hesitate and finished in the most beautiful way," Curtis said. The Falcons went ahead 2-1, but there was much more of the story yet to unfold. At the four minute mark, South earned three corners in a row and the third time was a charm as they connected on a nice, slightly lifted straight shot threaded right past Abby McCole's pads to tie it up. The clock was ticking and the game was deadlocked 2-2. The Golden Hawks were killing it considering they only had about six shots on goal and landed two of them. Pennsbury was quite the opposite with shots on goal in the twenties and only two to show for it. "It was amazing to see the girls putting the ball on cage, but we have to close the gap on chances versus finishing," said Curtis. "Here we were tied up and had dominated possession and shooting for over three quarters of the game. Our connections were precise, our IQ was off the charts, and our speed never wavered. As frustrating as that description sounds, it felt even worse. However, we were so proud that the players never looked back. They just kept moving forward and playing their game. They didn't panic and they just did what they needed to do." The heat was on and the fans were certainly on the edge of their seats, wondering where in the world this game could go next. Council Rock threatened with another penalty corner that was broken up by Ryan Burdette and as the minutes turned to seconds, Cailyn Reilly sent a bouncy ball from the defensive circle that got through to Abby Iacona. Iacona used her speed, skills, and smarts to carry down half the field using a give and go with Regan Rodriguez to beat a final defender before Iacona dumped to stroke for Ryan Burdette to ice the cake for the Falcons' 2025 regular season. It was 3-2 with fifty three seconds left on the clock. PHS played it smart and as the final buzzer rang they all exhaled at the same time. Three goals in twelve minutes in the fourth quarter reminds us all that it's never over until it's over. "We are beyond proud of the way our team played tonight. We didn't say anything different or do anything different, they just found what has been inside the whole time," said Curtis. "Every single person contributed, did their job, and did it to the best of their ability for sixty minutes. It was a wonderful night celebrating our seniors and experiencing that together on our home turf. It certainly was an exclamation point on the regular season," Curtis added. "South played an incredible game - their goalie was outstanding, their defense had really strong sticks, and they worked the ball very nicely from end to end. It was definitely a different team than when we played them a month ago and that is what makes the season so exciting. Teams are never the same the second time around." Congratulations to our seniors Abby Anderer, Caelan Henderson, Abby Hicks, Abby McCole, and Danielle Morgan - your legacies are just taking root and we will be sure to nurture them and continue to build upon what you are leaving with us. Pennsbury will wait to find out where they fall in the PIAA rankings and who they will face in the first round of playoffs. This will be the second year in a row they have earned a spot since Curtis & Co. took over seven years ago. The Pennsbury coaches and players would like to congratulate all seniors on their seasons and wish the best of luck to those teams moving on to play in the post season. It's fun to grow the game alongside all of you.