PHILADELPHIA – While the fall weather has yet to make a lasting appearance, it unfortunately does not mean that the fall sports season will be extending. On October 23, the final Philadelphia Catholic League girls’ field hockey game between Cardinal O’Hara and Bonner-Prendergast will be played and playoffs will commence soon after.
Currently, Bonner-Prendie leads PCL standings with an undefeated 6-0 league record. They are followed close behind by Archbishop Carroll, Cardinal O’Hara and Archbishop Wood who are all tied in second at 6-1.
After graduating a large impactful senior class, the Pandas have been stepping up as a unit both in practice and on game day.
MBAP Field Hockey - PSD Photo
“Having graduated a significant part of our offense last year, we knew we would have to develop new scorers as well as learn to play differently,” said Bonner-Prendie senior, Allison Martin.
The Pandas have a tough back loaded league schedule. Bonner-Prendie will host Wood on Wednesday, Oct. 18 before ending the season against O’Hara.
“Our team is not preparing any differently than usual. We have a disciplined approach to our practice regimen and we stick to the plan laid out by our coach,” said Panda’s co-captain Kaitlyn Martin.
Last year, the Lady Lions knocked the Pandas out of the PCL semifinals. The senior co-captain stated that playing challenging league opponents at the end of the season is more of a blessing in disguise.
“Playoff games seem to have a faster pace than regular season games, so playing traditionally rougher opponents towards the end gets us geared up and primed for what we can expect come playoff time,” said Kaitlyn Martin.
Most recently, Carroll served O’Hara their first loss of the season, as the Lady Patriots took home a 3-0 victory. Jade Orsatti, Katie LaBella and Sydney D’Orsogna each scored a goal to guide the Patriots to victory. Archbishop Carroll’s sole loss of the season so far has been to the Pandas in a close 3-2 battle. The Patriots still have to face Wood on Friday, Oct. 20 in their final regular season game.
So far, Archbishop Wood only garners one loss on their regular season record. On September 27, the Lady Vikings traveled to O’Hara and faced off in a defense dominated game. Upon entering the contest, both teams were undefeated. Wood’s goalkeeper Kayley Hence was on fire blocking shot after shot after shot. With 12:20 on the clock, O’Hara’s Bunny Ripp literally ripped one into the net, scoring the only goal of the game. Hence’s amazing performance in the net made it difficult for O’Hara to score again.
O’Hara’s defense was all over Wood. Whenever the Vikings had a slight breakaway, the Lions were right there interrupting passes and blocking corner shots on goal. O’Hara’s goalkeeper Marie Noon, was credited with the shutout.
See below for the remaining 2017 PCL field hockey game schedule:
Wood vs. MBAP Game Highlights
Post Game Interview with Wood goalie Hayley Hence
Post Game Interview with O'Hara goalie Marie Noon
Remaining Games: PCL Field Hockey
| DATE | HOME | AWAY | LOCATION |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-10-18 | St. Hubert's | Archbishop Carroll | Philadelphia, PA |
| 2017-10-18 | Archbishop Ryan | Cardinal O'Hara | Philadelphia, PA |
| 2017-10-18 | Bonner & Prendie | Archbishop Wood | Drexel Hill, PA |
| 2017-10-18 | Conwell-Egan | Bishop McDevitt | Fairless Hills, PA |
| 2017-10-18 | Little Flower | Lansdale Catholic | Philadelphia, PA |
| 2017-10-20 | Conwell-Egan | Little Flower | Fairless Hills, PA |
| 2017-10-20 | Archbishop Ryan | Bonner & Prendie | Philadelphia, PA |
| 2017-10-20 | Bishop McDevitt | Lansdale Catholic | Wyncote, PA |
| 2017-10-20 | Archbishop Carroll | Archbishop Wood | Radnor, PA |
| 2017-10-23 | Bonner & Prendie | Cardinal O'Hara | Drexel Hill, PA |
Tag(s): Home Schools Philadelphia Catholic Field Hockey Philadelphia Catholic League Arch. Carroll Field Hockey Arch. Ryan Field Hockey Arch. Wood Field Hockey Bishop McDevitt Field Hockey Bonner & Prendie Field Hockey Cardinal O'Hara Field Hockey Conwell-Egan Field Hockey Lansdale Cath. Field Hockey Little Flower Field Hockey Saint Hubert Field Hockey