Cheltenham 10, Pope John Paul 5

Cheltenham came out strong in Tuesday’s season-opener, with a 10-5 win over non-league opponent PJP.
In all, 8 players contributed to the stats, including one freshman earning her first varsity goal.
Cheltenham coach Emily Towey: “Today was a great reminder to just trust the process and control the controllables. This season has already had quite a few challenges with the weather, field conditions, and injuries over the past few weeks. Our team is really coming together, adapting, and growing as a cohesive unit. We earned this win together, and have found a lot of ways to rise above and I am really proud of them for that! Our defense did a great job led by our goalie, Meg Robinson, with nearly a 70% save percentage.” (11 saves, 5 goals)
By the numbers: Cheltenham: Brianna Gardner (7 G, 5 GB, 5 CTO, 7 DC), Maggie Leighton (2 G, 2 GB), Lilad Payne (1 G, 2 GB), Marelle Johnston (2 GB, 1 DC), Giana Meija (2 GB),
Up next: The Panthers will travel to Interboro at 3:30 pm on Thursday.