Girls Soccer: Conestoga claims place in states, District 1-AAAA semifinal with 2-0 win over Spring-Ford

Tredyffrin >> The follow-up is often the hardest part. For the Conestoga girls soccer team during Saturday’s District 1-AAAA quarterfinal against Spring-Ford, the follow-up was the best part. Junior defender Hannah Morgan was going to do her part to get on the end of senior Madie French’s corner kick five minutes into the second half of a scoreless game. After that, nothing was a given.

“Any corner we get, with Hannah in the box, she’s going to get on the end of it and be dangerous. She’s done a good job all season getting to the ball and getting the initial touch but we haven’t always had the people following in.”

Freshman Caitlin Donovan provided the missing piece as she scored the rebound of Morgan’s shot that hit the near-side post to send Conestoga well on its way to a 2-0 victory over Spring-Ford to claim a berth into the PIAA Championships and advance to the District 1-AAAA semifinals. Junior midfielder Ariel Loevy poached on a defensive miscommunication by the Rams with under 14 minutes remaining to put the final touches on a comprehensive fourth-seeded Pioneers’ performance that handed No. 5 Spring-Ford its first loss of the season (20-1-1). Not a bad follow-up to last year’s five-win season for the Pioneers. Conestoga moves on to the district’s final four to face top seed Neshaminy – a 1-0 winner over Downingtown West Saturday – on Wednesday at Neshaminy.

Spring-Ford enters playbacks for the district’s fifth and final place in states – it will host No. 9 Downingtown West on Wednesday – a road the Rams know quite well. Spring-Ford traversed that path in 2013 and 2014 to reach states.

“Unfortunately we know it all too well,” Rams head coach Tim Leyland said. “Last year was the first year we got through the ‘easy way’ where we advanced to the semis; this year will be a little tougher. Now you’re in a four-team tournament for one spot. That puts a lot of pressure on you honestly because your season is on the line every game you play.”

On Saturday, the pressure came vigorously from the Pioneers (15-1-4), a program that is returning to district prominence under first-year head coach Ben Wilson, who last year guided the Episcopal Academy girls’ team to an Inter-Ac title.

“We only won five games last year so it’s a huge turnaround. It’s overwhelming,” Morgan said. “Everyone was just so disappointed with last year that we really wanted to turn around so everyone is working hard at practice, putting in the time and wants to get better. Our mindsets have changed.”

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