Girls Soccer: Penncrest is in this together

RADNOR — For Daniela Faux, the one constant in her four seasons with the Penncrest girls soccer team has been the teammates around her.

Through three seasons, they’ve had three head coaches, three alterations to the process on and off the field, three voices leading the pack.

The effect for the girls involved has actually managed to be beneficial … thanks in large part to the players constituting those groups.

“We all get along,’ Faux said Tuesday after helping her team to a 2-0 nonleague win over Archbishop Carroll. “I know everyone says that, but it’s actually true. It’s just a lot better than previous years. We all work for each other on the field.’

When the one factor uniting past and present are the players in uniform, it can engender the kind of tight bonds that the Lions have started this season with, winning their first two games under coach Mike Deleo.

Tuesday’s win came courtesy of a pair of unassisted goals — by Olivia Mancarella in the 21st minute, then Tara Higgins nine minutes from time, both with the Lions speedy attackers capitalizing on defensive slips by the host Patriots.

Anchoring the offense was a stout defense, fronted by Faux in the holding midfield role. She has the luxury of playing in front of one of the faster defenses around, with Penncrest track stars Mariah Kozub and Katie Arbogast composing the central defense pairing.

“We want to build it from the back, and me and Katie have been playing together for a while,’ Kozub said. “We work well together.’

In a game that involved spells of attacking impetus for both sides, Penncrest (2-0) had more sustained pushes forward, utilizing some composed one- and two-touch soccer. If not for a couple of desperate defensive interventions from the Patriots (0-1), the margin could’ve been wider.

There were flashes of attacking chemistry that didn’t look like they belonged in early September, especially on the slower track of Carroll’s grass field under the high, hot sun. While consistency is something they’re still searching for over 80 minutes game-in and game-out, it’s clear that the Lions have some important pieces in place.

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