Sophia Cozza has come into her own.
The senior captain on the New Hope-Solebury field hockey team has emerged as a leader on the field for the Lions.
A case in point is Thursday’s 4-1 victory over host William Tennent in a Suburban One League Freedom Division clash. Cozza figured into all four of New Hope’s goals.
“I think this year I have a lot more say in what happens,” said Cozza, who was an SOL Freedom Division first team selection in 2021 as a midfielder/defender. “I’ve always been scared to give directions to people on the field, but now they’re actually listening to me.”
New Hope started things off with a bang, earning the first penalty corner of the game within the first minute of play. The Lions didn’t score, but that set the tone for the first quarter and eventually, Cozza scored with an assist from Avery Mendola with 6:33 to go.
Cozza then assisted on a Maddie Thistlewaite goal with just 25 ticks left on the clock to send the Lions into the second quarter sporting a 2-0 lead.
Mia Patino added to the lead with a goal assisted by Cozza with 6:14 to go in the second quarter off a corner to make it 3-0 at halftime.
Tennent showed its mettle with a goal in the third quarter with a goal by Mya Sebastian at 11:11 on a corner.
Cozza capped of the win with a goal from Mendola a little over one minute into the fourth quarter.
“Tennent put up a good fight,” said Cozza, who also plays lacrosse for the Lions. “We had an overtime win against Lower Moreland and I think Lower Moreland saw that they had an opportunity to beat us, and everyone else saw that, too. Now everyone comes out with that fire, like we have a target on our backs. We just have to work harder.”
New Hope had a 12-2 advantage in penalty corners.
Sebastian’s goal was the first scored by the Panthers since opening day, and the third of the season to date.
“We’ve been struggling to score,” said Tennent senior captain Olivia Leitrim, who assisted on the goal. “But even though we lost this game, the fact that we scored a goal against such a good team is good for our confidence.”
Tennent scored again on Tuesday in a 2-1 loss to Lower Moreland.
The Lions notched a big win over SOL Freedom foe Springfield (M), 2-1, on Sept. 1. Springfield, like New Hope, is Class A in District One and the two are always top competitors for that district title as well as being league rivals. The Lions are the five-time defending district titlists.
“That was a big win for us because they’re our biggest competitor,” Cozza said. “We have to play them again, so that’s a game that we’re really looking forward to.
“We definitely have our work cut out for us, but I think we’re up to the challenge. Our freshmen have really had to step up but they’re doing a great job. I have full faith in the freshmen.
“I definitely see us going into the playoffs again this year.”
Cozza will continue her field hockey career at Stevens Institute of Technology, where she is considering a major in biology with an eye toward a career in marine biology or pathology.
Junior Caroline Berman is in her first season as the starting goaltender for New Hope. She takes over for Lydia Eastburn, who was a stalwart between the pipes for the Lions for three seasons. Eastburn is now at Tufts.
“I worked with Lydia and she was a big role model for me,” Berman said. “She always pushed herself to improve and work harder and she showed me how hard I have to work to be like her and have the success that she had.
“I’m really excited to be the starter because I believe I’ve worked very hard over the past few years to become a better goalie, and I’m excited to see what I’ve got and play my hardest for the team.”
New Hope extended its win streak to six without a loss in Tuesday’s 9-0 shutout of Upper Moreland. Ava Cozza, Rylee Logston, Sophia Cozza and Mendola each netted two goals, while Maddie Thistlewaite chipped in a single tally.
Both teams are back in action on Thursday, with New Hope (6-0, 5-0 SOL) traveling to Hatboro-Horsham (0-6, 0-5) at 3:30 p.m. and Tennent (1-5, 1-4) hosting Wissahickon (6-0, 5-0) at 5 p.m.
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