Top MCT seed still up for grabs after 1-1 draw between PDS and HoVal

HOPEWELL TWP. >> The No. 1 seed for the girls soccer Mercer County Tournament is still up for grabs.

What was billed as a match to decide the top seed resolved nothing after Princeton Day and Hopewell Valley played to a 1-1 draw on Saturday afternoon at Ackerson Field.

“It was just a battle of two really good teams,” said Hopewell sophomore Mea Allex. “We both just played our hardest. At the end of the day, they’re a great team and we also work so hard to be a great team.”

The result speaks to just how competitive the the county is. None of the top eight teams have more than three losses.

“You look at the records and the county is playing at a very high level,” PDS coach Pat Trombetta said. “It’s going to help everybody prepare for county and state play. It’s great that we’ve had an opportunity to play a lot of CVC teams this year. We’re given them a good game as well when we’re a week or two away from the county tournament.”

Games through Oct. 10 count toward seeding, so there will still be plenty of movement next week.

This was the first meeting between the two schools since the 2016 MCT final won by Hopewell. What neither the Panthers (9-11) nor the Bulldogs (11-2-1) could do on Saturday was grab the inside track to the No. 1 seed.

“When you have two teams that have that history, and knowing what was on the line with this game, it was a bigger atmosphere than a regular season match,” Trombetta said.

It wasn’t for a lack of trying.

PDS went ahead in the 33rd minute after junior Kelly Beal started and finished a slick counter attack that also included Ava Mattson and Aislynn Macco in the build up. Macco’s pinpoint cross allowed Beal to take one touch and slot the ball into the corner of the goal.

“The people who were involved are very good with moving the ball, so I knew that I needed to make that run because they would get me the ball,” Beal said. “You have to keep your composure and I tried my best to do that.”

Hopewell, which was without a pair of key starters, regrouped at halftime and equalized from a corner kick in the 54th minute when freshman Faith Doldy headed in Charlotte Hare’s cross.

That tipped the momentum in home side’s favor as it created the better chances in the second half and two overtimes. Emily DeNero nearly won it in the 79th minute with a right-footed effort that rattled the post.

“I’m glad that we were able to show some toughness and comeback,” Bulldogs coach John McGinley said. “After we got the goal, we took over momentum and put them under pressure. We just have to find a way to make that the entire game and not wait until our backs against the wall.”

The theme after 100 minutes was just how competitive the MCT is going to be.

“It’s really tough because everybody here is trying to be the best of the best,” Beal said. “Us being able to compete with that is really good.”

“It’s so competitive and everyone goes out and leaves everything on the field,” Allex said. “At the end of the day, it’s just whoever works the hardest.”