Southeastern Pa. girls’ soccer notes

The Pennsbury girls' soccer team has found it tough practicing lately, but the lack of practice apparently hasn't hurt the Falcons.

Since a win over Abington on Oct. 8, they have won five straight despite limited practices.

"We've been able to hold one practice among seven games," coach Kaitlin Battiste said. "Following the Abington game on a Friday, we had games on the following Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. We had a practice on Oct. 14, then games on the following Friday, Monday, Tuesday."

The Falcons (12-5-1) were scheduled to finish the regular season Wednesday night against William Tennent.

The highlight of the string was a 3-1 win over Council Rock South on Monday, The Golden Hawks lead the Suburban One League National Conference and are ranked No. 2 in Southeastern Pennsylvania by The Inquirer. Before the Abington game, the Falcons played No. 4-ranked Neshaminy to a 5-5 tie.

"We've been playing and improving with each game," Battiste said. "The game we played against South was probably the best we've had.

Kersten Formento (one goal) and Lindsey Jones (two goals) saw to that by accounting for all of Pennsbury's scoring. The two have taken turns as the team's leading scorer most of the season.

Formento, a senior who is headed to St. Joseph's, had 15 goals before the Tennent game. Jones, a junior, had 14.

The Falcons, whose defense, led by center back Anna Olsen, also has played a prominent role in their success, are eager for Sunday's District 1 seeding meeting. They want to improve on last season, when they upset North Penn in their first-round game but lost to the Golden Hawks in the second round.

Wood holds top spot. Archbishop Wood, the No. 1 team in The Inquirer's weekly top 10 with a 16-1 record, continues to hold that spot in the Pennsylvania Soccer Coaches Association large-school rankings. The Vikings are followed by Council Rock South, Downingtown East, Pennridge, Boyertown, and Central Bucks West.

The first non-southeastern Pennsylvania school in the coaches' top 10 is Mount Lebanon at No. 7. No. 8 is Peters Township. Both are from District 7.

Strath Haven (9) and newcomer Holidaysburg of District 6 round out the top 10.

Gwynedd-Mercy moved into the small-school top 10 at No. 5 after receiving honorable mention last week. Two more Athletic Association of Catholic Academies schools, Villa Joseph Marie (No. 7) and Villa Maria (10) joined the Monarchs in the top 10. Mercyhurst Prep of District 10 remained in the small-school top spot.

AACA top seed. Villa Maria will be the top seed in the Catholic Academies playoffs, which will begin Friday. The Hurricanes grabbed the top spot by beating Gwynedd-Mercy, 2-1, in overtime Wednesday.

It marked the first time Villa Maria (11-1 league), which lost its first two nonleague games of the season, has won the AACA regular-season title.

Kasey Schiavoni scored both goals for the Hurricanes, the winning one coming with six minutes gone in the overtime. It was her 18th goal of the season.

"We finally got the right people in the right positions," coach Gary Christopher said, explaining how the team righted itself after the opening losses.

"We've gotten great play from Kasey, defender DeAnna Olsen, and goalie Lauren Martinelli. Lauren, a senior, is really in her first year as goalie."

Villa Maria will meet third-place finisher Gwynedd-Mercy again in the opening round of the playoffs. Second-place Villa Joseph Marie will play the winner of Wednesday's game between Merion Mercy and Mount St. Joseph. The finals are set for 7 p.m. Sunday at Neumann University.