Three-way battle heating up in SOL

BucksLocalSports Editor It looks like a real battle is heating up in field hockey between Suburban One League (SOL) National Conference rivals Council Rock North, CR South and Neshaminy.

While the Lady Indians took sole possession of first place with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Neshaminy Sept. 21 in Langhorne, the Rock lost 2-1 to CR South Sept. 24 in Newtown.

Indians senior co-captain Alex Kuzma put North up 1-0 early when she scored just 4:30 into the game.

South picked it up in the second half however earning five corners and getting off seven shots, two of which found the back of the box. Alexis Carroll tied it up for the Golden Hawks, scoring 10 and 1/2 minutes after the break on a feed from Kristin Donohue. Mollie Sheehy tallied the game-winner with 11:30 to go. Assists on the winning shot went to Donohue and Kristin Meihofer.

Kelly Schlupp registered four saves in preserving the victory for the Hawks while the comeback win by South puts the teams into a threeway tie for first place.

With the Redskins blanking the Hawks earlier on in Langhorne, all three squads are 6-1 in the SOL National conference. In that one, Neshaminy scored a goal on a corner-op early and made it stand. Malloree-go Mason netted the game-winner for the ‘Skins 2:42 into the Sept. 19 duel on a pass from Erin Bedesem and Annie Kopera. Neshaminy outshot South by a two to one margin, 168. Sarah Mitchell registered eight saves in preserving the shutout.

In its recent battle with Neshaminy, CR North drew first blood and held strong while the Redskins pelted the Rock cage with 15 shots. Indians keeper gulia Singer held strong, registering 10 saves for North.

On a corner opportunity for the Rock, Kuzma scored the game’s only goal on a pass from Amrit Ahluwalia 10 minutes into the SOL National duel.

A resident of Washington Crossing, Kuzma tallied five times in a lopsided win over Bensalem. The feat, registered Sept. 19 in Newtown, gave the North senior 48 goals for her ca- reer which surpasses previous record-holder gessica Longstreth. Scoring a goal apiece against Neshaminy and South, Kuzma has since reached the 50-goal plateau for her career.

Teammate and co-captain Gabby Tofig reached the back of the box three times in the win over the Owls which went to 9-0 (Brigid McMenamin scored once).

Tofig recently committed to continuing her field hockey career at Lehigh. She also considered New Hampshire, Temple, 4uinnipiac and the Naval Academy.

*** NOTES: Kuzma has been selected to the Futures Elite Academy Program, a highlevel Olympic Development Pipeline (ODP) hockey team.