BY MARK ZIMMARO
Charlotte Stiefel has reached secret weapon territory.
The Westtown School senior didn’t even see the field the game before. But on Tuesday, she provided one of the biggest moments of the season by scoring a crucial goal late in the game. Stiefel scored on a turnaround shot with about nine minutes remaining to give Westtown a key 1-0 victory on the rooftop at Friends Select School.
Charlotte Stiefel scored the lone goal in Westtown's 1-0 victory at Friends Select. Photo/Mark Zimmaro
“I’m not quite sure (what happened),” Stiefel said. “I’m honestly surprised because last game I didn’t even play and now I got the corner score. I guess I happened to be in the right place in the right moment and we were all finally working in sync.”
There was a little more to it. Reese Masiello inserted the ball on the penalty corner to the usual target Grace Malavolta. Malavolta slid it across to Grey Sobel who fired it on net. Stiefel was facing the shot and spun around to sweep the ball to the far side of the cage. It was the only goal in a game that could have gone either way and carried major playoff implications.
“It’s big,” Malavolta said. “Every game is important so getting these early wins is really big for us and getting the team spirit up is really good.”
Stiefel has been on the JV team the last couple years but is making good when she gets the call in a big spot.
“Charlotte is a good spark,” said Westtown coach Lizzy Oxler. “We said going into the fourth quarter that we needed a spark and I thought Charlotte could do it. She gets her stick down and she doesn’t care how ugly it has to be, she’ll make it work. That’s what you want in a forward, especially when you play this formation. We want risk-takers and she is certainly one of them.”
Westtown School's Charlotte Stiefel on her big goal
Westtown School's Grace Malavolta talks about huge win
Westtown narrowly missed the playoffs last year but took full advantage of the consolation prize opportunity by winning the Quaker Cup via a 2-1 overtime victory over Friends Select.
The Moose are hoping to punch a ticket back into the playoffs for the first time since 2019, when they lost in the FSL final to Moorestown Friends School.
“I think that would be huge,” Malavolta said. “We have a lot of seniors so sending them off with a big win would be great. The Quaker Cup was one step but getting to the playoffs is even bigger.”
Falcons taking Flight
Friends Select, which once again played well, was on the wrong side of the scoreboard in another tough defeat to Westtown School. The 1-0 overtime loss didn’t have the Falcons down very long as they knew a bounce was going to come their way eventually.
“We’re really working hard to score some goals,” Friends Select senior Zoe Siegel said. “We’ve had some really good games and I’m really proud of how we’ve been playing. We just got to go up from here.”
Two days later, it happened. Junior Kate Gunther scored twice including the deciding goal in a 2-1 overtime victory over Germantown Friends to give the Falcons their first league win of the season. Senior Nora Marwaha assisted the overtime tally.
Westtown at Friends Select
Westtown defeated Friends Select, 1-0, on Tuesday on a late goal by Charlotte Stiefel. Photos By Mark Zimmaro
“It’s been a little frustrating but we’ve really improved as a team,” Marwaha said after the Westtown game. “Since preseason, day one, we always keep the intensity up and the chemistry this year is really different.”
The secret has been keeping a fun atmosphere, even as the games get more intense. The Falcons had lost their first three league games by a combined four goals including a 2-0 loss to Academy of the New Church. It was only a matter of time before a bounce went their way.
“Our coaches make it a really fun time,” Marwaha said. “We work hard, but we also have a good balance.”
Friends Select's Nora Marwaha
Friends Select's Zoe Siegel
Around the League
On Tuesday, Germantown Friends School gave undefeated Academy of the New Church all it could handle, jumping out to a somewhat surprising 3-1 lead in the first quarter. The Lions locked it down and rallied for a 4-3 victory to remain unbeaten on a hat trick by Molly McCabe while Mary Vandegrift added the other goal.
On Friday, McCabe and ANC kept it rolling with a 2-0 victory over Westtown as McCabe netted both goals on assists from Vandegrift and Ellery Johns. The Lions are still atop the division at 5-0 along with Shipley School which is also unbeaten at 4-0. The two juggernauts will square off in the regular season finale on Oct. 20.
As ANC and Shipley have virtually locked up playoff spots, the other six Friends League teams are alive and well in a wild race to claim the other two playoff spots. Through 18 total FSL games, there have been nine one-goal games including a pair that were settled in overtime. There have been only two games so far this season that had more than a three-goal margin. For comparison, last year, there were 10. Much of the credit should be directed towards the bottom teams in the division that have narrowed the gap and made almost every game a tight one.
Another one of those tight games was George School’s 2-1 victory over Moorestown Friends that had huge playoff implications. Watch out for the Cougars, who also defeated Friends' Central last week and have key matchups with Germantown Friends and Westtown this week before wrapping up with Friends Select the following week.
Elchfeldhockey
Westtown School is enjoying a bit of international flavor as midfielder Lia Schueerhoff is playing for the Moose this year as an exchange student from her native home of Germany.
Schueerhoff, a sophomore, said the North American game differs greatly from where she is used to playing in Europe. She got a pretty big surprise when she stepped onto the Moose’s field.
“It’s actually a lot different,” Schueerhoff said. “Westtown has a grass field and I’ve never played on grass. So I came here and was like, Ok, that was so different from what I was used to. But it’s also different in how (the game) is played. German hockey is a bit quicker with more passes and more give-and-gos. From here, the players run a little longer with the ball.”
Westtown School sophomore Lia Schueerhoff is an exchange student from Germany and is helping the Moose during its drive for a playoff spot. Photo/Mark Zimmaro
Coach Oxler noticed the same thing and is enjoying what her German player is bringing over from Europe.
“The German program is very intense and very focused on the basics,” Oxler said. “Getting Lia was a gift. She’s a scholar of the game and really understands it. She wants to do really well and has really blended into our team. I’m just really sad she’s only a one-year player.”
Westtown didn’t have time to do a historical tour of Philadelphia but they made sure to take a few extra turns on its way to Friends Select, just off the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. One player, for certain, truly appreciated it.
“We drove through the city a bit,” Schueerhoff said. “It was my first time being in Philadelphia so it was really exciting.”
She’s still early into the school year but Schueerhoff is soaking in all the sights and the culture.
“It’s been really fun and so exciting and so different from everything. But I’m really excited about this year. The teachers are so nice and everyone is so open. It’s going to be a great year.”
STANDINGS Through October 8
Academy of the New Church 5-0
Shipley School 4-0
Germantown Friends 2-3
Westtown School 2-2
George School 2-2
Moorestown Friends 1-4
Friends Select 1-3
Friends' Central 1-4
Top four teams qualify for the FSL Playoffs