The 17th ranked Pennsbury Falcons were on the move again, settling in for a long bus ride to Ridley for the first round of playoffs. Despite missing the home field advantage by a fraction of a percentage point, PHS was proud to jump three spots higher in the rankings compared to last year. Finishing the regular season at 13-5 overall and 8-2 in the Patriot Division, PHS was ready for the next step and focused on preparing both mentally and physically for the rigor of "the third season" (pre, regular, post). There is no denying the higher stakes in a playoff game as teams work to hold onto the 2025 season with a tight grip. And as the starting whistle blew, there was no turning back and the battle began. Ridley came out strong as expected, while Pennsbury got caught on their heels defensively as they worked to adjust to the style and pace of play being shown on the the other side of the ball. Almost exactly half way through the first quarter after several Ridley attacks, the Raiders connected to go up 1-0 on a diving goal by Samantha Flemming. "We got beat on the left side and they snuck the ball through into the circle and their player dove to get the shot off and was able to finish with strength," said Pennsbury head coach, Traci Curtis. "You could see the heart and determination in that first goal and it set the tone for them. It was taking us too long to settle in and get comfortable with our own game and that goal shook us harder than it should have." Two minutes later Ridley shook the Falcons even harder by scoring on the first of their 14 penalty corners to make it a 2-0 game. "They moved the ball well in the circle on the corner play and our defense being numbers down in the moment did not get to the spaces quick enough to take away the scoring opportunity. Addison Hartfuss connected on a cross ball with a reverse one time shot, beating defenders and our goalie in seconds," explained Curtis. The Falcons had experience being down in a game and there was plenty of time left, so it was just a matter of digging in and doing the work. And they did do the work necessary to get several corner opportunities in the last few minutes before the quarter came to an end, but unfortunately could not execute to perfection to light up the scoreboard quite yet. It was a 2-0 game going into the second quarter. The Falcons showed some fight in the second quarter with good pushes into the Raiders' red zone and connecting on passing combinations that were missing in the first fifteen minutes. The pressure was a welcome shift in their play, but Ridley had answers and put another goal in off a penalty corner half way through the second quarter. The 3-0 deficit was looming large, but not enough to send PHS home packing. They knew how to fight and had plenty of time to show it. The five minute half time was a great chance for the Falcons to take a collective breath and talk strategy - mental strategy and game strategy. "Playoffs is where the will to win is what puts a team at an advantage along with believing in yourselves. The field hockey is there - the skills, the ability, the talent - but it's the will that makes the magic happen," said Curtis. "We needed to find the will inside each of us and put it together on the field in the second half." Pennsbury found their way onto the scoreboard four minutes into the third quarter, using their tried and true style of play to connect up the field and finish. "Mallory Harrison took a free hit sending it inside to Joley Hohman who put it up to Ryan Burdette in the center. Burdette tossed it to Regan Rodriguez on the right and Rodriguez sent it back to Burdette as they entered the circle and Burdette capitalized on catching the goalie off balance," said Curtis. "The passing and movement was what we were looking for in the first half. That is our style of hockey and it was nice to see it coming alive in the third quarter. It's never too late and we were proud of that effort and push in that moment." It was a 3-1 game with a ton of hockey left to play. The Raiders fought back hard with a barrage of corners throughout the quarter. Pennsbury played down due to green cards multiple times, but held strong disallowing any additional goals keeping it a 3-1 game going into the final quarter. "Our goalie, Abby McCole, was having a great game and really navigating the cage well. The three goals may not tell the right story about her performance, but she did a great job back there. Our defense was stepping up much better in the second half and making some great stops," added Curtis. Five minutes into the final quarter Ridley earned a penalty stroke on a chaotic play in front of the goal. Pennsbury's goalie, Abby McCole, stuffed the attempt, defending her cage and keeping the Falcons within two. "It was a great moment for sure," said Curtis. "McCole was locked in and I'm so glad that she had that spectacular save as a senior playing in this game." The remaining minutes of the game were a bit back and forth with Pennsbury attacking more often than earlier in the game and Ridley answering with return force. When the final buzzer rang across the turf, it was a 3-1 victory for the Raiders and the sound of a season coming to an end for the Falcons. "They are a strong, fast team with a great attack down the right side. Their defense had strong sticks and they were able to stifle our chances," said Curtis. "Unfortunately, we didn't put our best foot forward tonight and it took us too long to show up to play. It was great that we put one on the board and held them scoreless in the entire second half. Those are small victories that we will take with us for sure," added Curtis. "Senior, Abby Hicks, played a great game with a defensive save and many strong steps to the ball to shut them down. Senior, Abby McCole, was great in the goal and had a season highlight with a save on the stroke. Senior, Abby Anderer contributed in multiple places on both attack and defense for us tonight and did a great job handling it all with confidence and poise. Seniors, Danielle Morgan and Caelan Henderson were supportive contributors who consistently help us to be our best. We wish our five seniors the best as they move on and leave their legacies behind," said Curtis.