Tuesday
September 26, 2023 
Pennridge girls soccer coach Audrey Anderson knew she had to temper her expectations.
The Rams lost most of the cast from a state title game appearance a year ago, and a new unit presumably would need some time to jell.
It didn’t take too long.
Pennridge received a pair of second-half goals from sophomore Emily Kriney coupled with a solid overall aggressive effort that helped the Rams to a 3-1 victory at Council Rock South in the season opener for both teams Aug. 30.
Both teams figure to be among the contenders in their respective Suburban One League conferences.
“They are a very good program,” said Anderson. “We basically have an inexperienced team, and we knew we had to have a good plan and execute it. We have a lot of young players and I think they were surprised on how well we played.”
Senior Lauren McIntyre gave the Rams a 1-0 lead just over six minutes into the game after fellow senior Raina Adelman sent a ball near the far post.
Council Rock South senior Sammy Jones tied the game seven minutes into the second half when she found the far side of the net.
Head coach Nick Heim figured he could get an early reading on his veteran team comprised of mainly seniors and juniors. Sammy and Allie Jones are among the returning leading scorers for the Golden Hawks. Heim also expects junior Jordi Rubakh, who missed her sophomore season with an injury, to be a major contributor.
“They came at us with a lot of pressure, and we made some adjustments at the half,” Heim said. “This was a good test for us.
“We’ll have a grueling league schedule ahead, and we hope to peak at the right time down the road.”
At the start of the second half, Pennridge turned up the pressure and it capitalized when Lindsey DeHaven found Kriney open for the game-winner. Kriney added an insurance goal midway through the second half.
“We really wanted to win our first game, and it was a good experience for all of us,” said Kriney.
“We were well prepared, and this was a great way to start our season.”
Senior goalie Meghan Kriney recorded five saves for the Rams, while Sydney Mandel had seven stops for CR South.
Anderson sees a strong season ahead for the older Kriney.
“Meghan played great today,” said Anderson. “Overall, she will come up with some big saves for us this season. She’s tall and good with her feet. Her punts are ridiculous, and she can build off a big save.”
Anderson expects her team to continue to ride the wave. They hosted Lansdale Catholic Tuesday and were scheduled to meet Quakertown Friday.
“We scrimmaged Downingtown East, and they must have had 20 shots on us,” said Anderson. “We have gotten better from our scrimmages. Our girls know we pride ourselves on our work ethic and character.
“We have to keep building.”
