POTTSGROVE — If you had to describe Boyertown’s field hockey team in a word, you couldn’t choose a much better descriptor than ”aggressive.”
The Bears schedule aggressively, they play aggressively and they prepare thoroughly for each contest.
So it was no surprise that with a week to get ready for their playoff opener, seventh-seeded Boyertown came out and dominated Wednesday’s second-round District 1-3A contest at Pottsgrove, taking control in dispatching No. 10 Neshaminy, 5-1, to advance to Friday’s quarterfinals.
Emily Ulrich scored four goals and Alex Bliss added a pair of assists as the Bears grabbed an early lead and never looked back.
“We’re working together, we’re connecting on our passes,” Ulrich summarized. “That’s when it’s hard to stop us. My teammates set me up with some great passes.”
Ironically, the lone goal not scored by Ulrich came off the stick of Maya Brunner after the day’s best pass from senior captain Bliss.
“Get quick starts, catch them on their heels,” said Bliss. “That’s what Coach (Alicia) Terrizzi always tells us, and we took advantage of the defense having their backs turned on that restart.”
Boyertown came out flying, opening the scoring just three minutes in with senior captain and center midfielder Peyton Shellaway creating a turnover around midfield. Shellaway found Brunner, who won a battle for position with a Neshaminy defender to dish to Ulrich for the opening tally just three minutes in.
The Bears dominated possession early, with Neshaminy unable to generate much pressure until Kasey Rieger got loose down the sideline early in the second quarter. Her attempt was just wide of the far post, and the Bears preserved the lead.
Minutes later, Boyertown goalie Addison Galianese made her lone save off a corner.
The Bears took immediate advantage, with Shellaway handling the insert for the first time in the game.
“There’s no particular person who handles (inserts),” Shellaway explained. “We decide it on the field, and it’s usually whoever’s having a good day in that role.
“On that play, I just stepped up and did it because we wanted to push the pace.”
She found Ulrich, whose shot deflected off a Neshaminy player and into the net to double the lead.
A 2-0 advantage never seemed so commanding.
“There’s a constant emphasis on being faster, being sharper, and keeping the opponents guessing,” said Bliss. “We work much better together when we’re aggressive.”
Ulrich completed her hat trick just two minutes into the second half, but Ava Arbakov broke the ice for Neshaminy seconds later with a blast from the top of the circle to cut the deficit to 3-1.
But Bliss made the great pass to an open Brunner at the back post to re-open the three-goal lead only two minutes later, effectively settling the contest. Ulrich added a fourth tally off another Bliss assist for a 5-1 advantage after three.
“Coach always tells us after a goal, ‘two minutes’,” explained Bliss. “So we knew it was our turn, we needed to score next.”
Abby Johnsen came on late in place of Galianese and added a pair of fourth quarter saves for Boyertown to preserve the victory.
For Neshaminy, the season ends at a mark of 15-5. They prevailed over rivals CB East in their first playoff contest Monday but couldn’t make it two in a row.
Eight seniors played the final game for the Suburban One League champion on Wednesday.
“We didn’t know much about Boyertown coming in,” said Neshaminy coach Jamie Pinto, “but once we looked at things, we realized how strong and quick they are. We prepared as best we could, but we just couldn’t find the back of the net today.
“Four of our seniors, our captains, have been part of the program for all four years. We’re going to have some big shoes to fill. It’s a great class, they showed great leadership and were excellent representatives of Neshaminy field hockey.”
Boyertown spent the fall playing some of the best field hockey teams in the area, including a 2-0 loss on September 11 to Hill School, the top-rated team in the United States.
They came out atop the PAC’s Liberty Division, where all six teams qualified for the postseason. And they validated that finish by finishing the job in last week’s PAC Final Four, claiming their second league title in three seasons.
Next up for Boyertown is a matchup with No. 2 Central Bucks West, another challenge the Bears have confronted this season. The Bears claimed a 1-0 win in Doylestown on Aug. 28 and intend to do likewise Friday.
A win sends Boyertown into the PIAA 3A tournament for a second consecutive season, but even a setback won’t mean the end of the road, as District One sends seven teams onto the state tournament.
“We just need to maintain our style of play, regardless of our opponent,” said Shellaway. “Just keep playing how we’re playing.”
Which, of course, means aggressively.
