For the New Hope-Solebury field hockey team, the gas tank was painfully close to empty.
So when the Lions’ Sophia Cozza received the ball with 3:36 left in the first 10-minute overtime on a corner play, she was absolutely determined to make it good. She did, sending a hard shot into the right side of the net and giving host NH-S (20-2) a 3-2 win over District Three fifth-seed Greenwood (17-5) in the first round of the PIAA Class A playoffs.
The Tuesday night, Nov. 8 win vaults District One champion New Hope-Solebury into a Saturday, Nov. 12 state quarterfinal game with Central Columbia, the second seed from District Four.
Cozza and her teammates were breathing a sigh of relief after her dramatic goal pushed the Lions into their next game.
“We were all running up and down the field so much, like hyperventilating,” she said. “Some of us were gassed, we couldn’t do it anymore. We were all like ‘if we don’t get this one in, we’re done.’”
But they did get this one in as Cozza willed herself into confidence and made good.
“In practice, I don’t even get it on goal half the time, so I’m glad that when it really mattered most, we did it,” she said.
Greenwood took a 2-0 advantage in the first quarter but would get no more goals the rest of the game as the NH-S defense tightened and its offense started to rev up with more forays deep into the Greenwood end of the field. The visitors had their share of chances the rest of the game as well, but the Lions managed to fend every one off.
New Hope-Solebury evened the score at 2 apiece with second quarter goals from Mia Patino and Ava Cozza. After the first quarter, both Sophia Cozza and Lions coach Gwen Smith said there was disappointment but no panic.
“We had a meeting and just said ‘we can get it back, it’s only 2-0,’” Cozza said.
“We have been down in other games this season and come back,” Smith added. “I told the players ‘look, you can’t let this get in your head, you just need to keep fighting.’ I was really proud that we came back.
“The winning goal from Sophia was a great hit from the top. She has a fantastic shot. A clean reception, great execution, and it went in. But Greenwood exploited some things we did tonight, so we need to clean that up.”
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