District 1 Class 4A Girls Soccer: Fords hunker down, hold off Springfield

SPRINGFIELD — From the moment the celebration around Mackenzie Lacey dispersed in the 13th minute, Emma Lonergan knew what needed to be done.

Up a goal 13 minutes into their District 1 Class 4A opener Tuesday, the Haverford defense understood even more clearly the task ahead of it. Any nerves, any uncertainty about being an underdog in the districts debut for most of the Fords went out the window with a lead to protect.

For Lonergan, the combative and clinical left back, the mission sharpened with a lead in hand.

“I feel like we kind of click a little more and are more supportive of each other,” Lonergan said. “We’re always supportive of each other and we know where to go when the other person needs a backup, but being able to know that no goals can get in now, especially when we’re up, it’s definitely a little tougher but I feel like we work better when we’re ahead.”

Haverford’s defense did the job, making sure goalie Maddie Kantawala had precious little to do in pulling an upset, Lacey’s goal standing up for a 1-0 win over 10th-seeded Springfield. The victory sends the 23rd seed Fords (13-6) into the second round to take on No. 7 Avon Grove (14-2-1) on Thursday night at 7 p.m. It also avenges a 1-0 loss to the Cougars on Oct. 5.

That result left the Fords under no illusion of being anything but the underdog, but that suited Haverford fine. The back four, each of whom went the full 80, particularly embraced the challenge. Mollie Carpenter and Alyssa Seavey paired in central defense, Seavey often stepping up to contest possession in midfield. Lonergan and Maddy Gillespie patrolled the flanks, Gillespie helping late with incisive, line-splitting passes to relieve pressure on the defense.

The defensive side of the ball was where the biggest adjustment came. In the last meeting, a Coryn Silberstein ball pried open the defense to set up the only goal. This time, the Fords adjusted by making sure a midfielder, most often holding mid Paige Snell, constantly shadowed Silberstein, cutting down the space she had to spray dangerous passes.

Neutralizing Silberstein was a big reason why the Cougars (13-4-2) didn’t get their first shot on target until the 58th. The Cougars called Kantawala into action only twice, despite chasing the game for nearly 70 minutes.

“We didn’t have that in the first game against them,” Lonergan said. “Paige is an insane defensive player and she can read anybody really well, so that really helped cut off all of her passes.”

“Last time, when our three midfielders had the ball, we had more time and more space,” Silberstein said. “I feel like they took knowing that into this game. Every time I had it, there was someone on my back. There wasn’t much I can do with that. They played a good game.”

Haverford created the only chance it needed, and Lacey duly finished it. The move started with a probing run through midfield by Nora Burns and created a brief 3-on-3. She found Deegan Mack in the right channel, and Mack squared to Lacey. The ball got on Lacey quickly, forcing her to take it with her weaker left foot. But with Springfield goalie Emily Boyer shuffling quickly to her right, Lacey struck it back across the grain and into an open half of the cage.

“I don’t know, there was no one marking me,” Lacey said. “I saw the goal and I didn’t think I was going to get to it because it was kind of a hard pass. But I just finished with my left foot.”

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