By Mark Zimmaro (Photos by Mark Zimmaro)
WARMINSTER — Grace Edwards likes the role of underdog.
The Monsignor Bonner & Archbishop Prendergast junior didn’t mind that her field hockey team had to return to the scene of a recent loss. The playoffs are a different animal.
“I feel like every team says this but at Prendie, we want it so much more than everyone else and we always end up being the underdogs,” Edwards said. “We love it. Go Phillies!”
Edwards ended up scoring the game winning goal early in the second half as the Pandas rallied for a 3-1 victory at Archbishop Wood.
The Vikings had taken the regular season matchup by a 2-1 margin just two weeks ago but none of that seemed to matter to the Pandas.
Different mindset, different result.
“We wanted it so much more,” Edwards said. “It's playoffs, everyone is pumped up.”
Bonner & Prendie's Grace Edwards
Bonner & Prendie carried most of the early play but couldn’t get one past PCL first team goalie Laurel Tonkinson despite several penalty corner opportunities.
The Vikings held them off and were awarded their first penalty corner just a couple minutes before halftime. Kaelyn Ricchini’s shot was blocked but Brynn Trepper pounced on the rebound and gave Wood a 1-0 lead, which the Vikings carried into the break.
“I was really happy with that,” said Vikings senior co-captain Bella Szwak. “It was a nice goal, a good lift of the ball. I think it really showed what we could do.”
Bonner & Prendie didn’t sway from its game plan. The Pandas continued to throw shots at the net and they finally cashed in with 9:47 left in the third quarter as Marina Tagliaferi got her team on the board by taking a pass from Ava Rainey and snapping a shot in tight to make it 1-1.
Five minutes later, Edwards struck on a penalty corner that wasn’t exactly how the Pandas drew it up.
“They sent it in, a cross ball from the side,” Edwards said. "It hit another person and the goalie was already on the ground so I just tapped it in.”
Just like that, the Pandas were in front. That part of the plan was executed perfectly.
“We didn’t want to lose hope,” Pandas junior captain Taylor Eagan said. “We wanted to stay strong, play aggressive and hopefully win.”
Rainey added an insurance marker with 8:40 left in the game and the Pandas could sense a postseason win. The Vikings turned up the heat in the final eight minutes, but Bonner & Prendie maintained the two-goal advantage.
Archbishop Wood's Bella Szwak
Archbishop Wood's Stephanie Froehlich
“I’m really excited to win,” Eagan said. “We just played them and we lost, so we weren’t really sure what was going to happen today.”Archbishop Wood went 5-3 this year and earned the No. 4 seed.
The Vikings played great defense all season but lacked a little bit of the firepower to dig themselves out of multi-goal deficits. They still pushed hard until the final whistle.
“We wanted to keep up and be resilient and keep firing to try to get more goals,” said senior co-captain Stephanie Froehlich. “I’m incredibly proud of how the girls came out this season. I think that everyone, especially towards the end of the season, just pushed and gave it their all. Nobody wants to say goodbye to their season just yet. I’m so proud of how resilient they play.”
Bonner & Prendie at Archbishop Wood PCL quarterfinals
Bonner & Prendie took on Archbishop Wood in the PCL field hockey quarterfinals. Photos by Mark Zimmaro
Szwak also proclaimed her pride in the Vikings.
“I’m really proud,” Szwak said. “We got to the playoffs which is always good. It’s my senior year so it’s nice. I’ve had fun with the girls and meeting everyone and being a captain. I’m proud of this team as a whole, no matter how far we get.”
Bonner & Prendie was 4-4 in the standings and earned the No. 5 seed. The Pandas will take on No. 1 seed Cardinal O’Hara in the semifinal round on Wednesday. The Pandas didn’t seem to mind the extra bis ride.
“We knew that playoffs are different from the start,” said Eagan, who was drenched with cold water by her teammates as she spoke. “We knew that playoffs are different from a normal season and this game is much more important, so we decided to come out strong and aggressive and be the best that we can be and hope for the best. And that’s what we got. We got a big win.”