Quakertown heating up for playoff run

MacKenzie Kramer will shake arms along with her center college artwork trainer in the future sooner than the beginning of Friday afternoon’s Quakertown-Palisades box hockey sport.

Admittedly, the greeting can be a minimum of reasonably surreal for Kramer.

Kramer, a proud Palisades High School magnificence of 2011 graduate, is in her first season as head trainer at Quakertown. The present trainer at Palisades, Kim DeNato, taught Kramer about artwork about 15 years in the past.

“It will be weird playing my alma mater,” Kramer stated. “My old teachers are coming because they know I’m the coach (at Quakertown).”

Kramer didn’t play in school at Indiana (Pa.), the place she supposed to check nursing. She quickly segued into bodily treatment after which workout science, however certainly one of her shoppers satisfied her {that a} occupation in educating and training would swimsuit her.

After incomes educating certification at West Chester, she used to be employed as a Phys Ed trainer at Quakertown remaining yr. This yr, she took over as box hockey trainer at Quakertown when the location changed into to be had.

After an 0-3-1 get started, the Panthers (8-3-1) have heated up and at the moment are No. 7 within the house scores. Entering this week’s video games, they had been in 2nd position in Suburban One’s Liberty Division, at the back of handiest unbeaten Wissahickon. Quakertown entered the week on tempo to be the No. 14 seed in District One Class 3A’s 24-team box.

On Monday, Quakertown defeated New Hope-Solebury, District One’s top-rated Class A group.

“I’ve always known I wanted to coach,” Kramer stated. “I love the sport … I wanted to give back, but I wanted to survive my first year of teaching. When the position presented itself, I went for the position, and here I am.”

And listed here are the Panthers, two years after a winless 2020 season.

Kramer likes her midfield. Senior middle mid Alex Bevan-Xenelis has blended with junior Kiera Gallagher (Kutztown dedicate), sophomore Katelyn Landis and senior Natalie Boyd to offer Quakertown a cohesive unit that units the tone.

Junior Megan Roth has been a unswerving middle again.

“They are continuing to mesh, to communicate,” Kramer stated. “They work very well together. Working as one whole team was our big goal. They had to be able to read me. I had to be able to read them. Practices are starting to count and matter. The effort has changed greatly. Now they have that confidence that they can hang with other teams.

“We’re finally capitalizing. We had the ball in the opponents’ area, but we couldn’t finish.”

Easton trainer Casey Eck is aware of what it’s like to train towards an alma mater. She coached her Red Rovers towards Warren Hills (N.J.) on Saturday in an Easton 5-0 win, certainly one of a number of instances that the Rovers have performed the Blue Streaks in Eck’s 17 seasons at Easton

To make issues extra fascinating, her niece now performs at Warren Hills.

“It was nice to share the game with her and watch her play,” Eck stated.

Eck has had a pleasing time looking at her personal group play this season, too. Easton is 12-1, 2nd handiest to Emmaus within the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference and District 11 Class 3A races. In truth, the Rovers scored first at the Green Hornets and held a 1-1 rating for two quarters sooner than falling 4-1 on

Easton’s best possible win thus far, in Eck’s estimation, is a 4-1 over Northampton on Sept. 21. The sport fell in the course of a stretch of video games that incorporated Emmaus, Stroudsburg and Parkland. The Rovers struggled for lots of the sport however pulled away finally.

They discovered a option to win once they weren’t at their best possible. Eck favored that.

“That was a nice win for us because we were struggling the whole game” Eck stated.

Easton has two extra dynamic avid gamers within the house in midfielder Lexi Causa and Jocelyn Morgan, the realm’s No. 2 main scorer with 67 issues. Morgan and Causa are each Top 100 avid gamers in Max Field Hockey’s Class of 2024.

Junior Reagan Day, an achieved observe celebrity, leads a protection that incorporates Leanne Villante, Lauren Gallagher and Megan Elias in entrance of goalkeeper Macy Wilcox.

Olivia Milia and sophomore Aubre Krazer reinforce Causa within the midfield and playmaker Gabby Lanier offers Easton a group this is rapid and learns rapid, consistent with Eck.

“We lost some really good people to graduation,” she stated. “I wasn’t sure how we were going to fill those spots. Honestly, they work really well together. They’re workers. They listen well. They run well. It makes everything easier when they do things fast. Against Emmaus, for us to score on them first and be 1-1 at the half with them, we’re doing all right.”

With one week-plus to head within the common season, many groups are at the bubble for postseason berths. Here is a take a look at one of the most paintings that some pieces will have to do to get and recover positions within the postseason.

Emmaus, Easton, Nazareth, Parkland – all in D-11 3A and EPC tourneys. Emmaus most probably peak seed in each.

Moravian Academy – Still within the hunt for Colonial and District 11 Class A peak seeds; has difficult video games vs. Southern Lehigh and Wilson this week.

Northampton – One win in ultimate 4 video games clinches berth in D11 3A.

Northwestern – Can clinch Colonial West with wins over Bangor and Catasauqua.

Palmerton and Palisades – Both have difficult ultimate 3 video games, together with one vs. each and every different. Could fall out of districts.

Pocono Mountain East – Jumped over Southern Lehigh into peak spot in District 11 Class 2A box. One of the overall 3 video games is vs. Emmaus, the Cardinals may just lose it.

Saucon Valley – Has a shot at districts, however will have to win 4 of 5.

Southern Lehigh – Could regain peak spot in Colonial and D11-2A, however will have to win out and get assist. Will be in each tourneys both approach.

Stroudsburg – Big win over Parkland on Monday. Will be difficult out within the playoffs.

Whitehall – Will more than likely make D11 2A however has Stroudsburg and Emmaus this week.

Wilson – Can clinch peak colonial league seed however has difficult video games vs. Moravian Academy and Palmerton this week.

(Records thru Monday)

1. Emmaus 15-0

2. Easton 12-1

3. Nazareth 11-2

4. Wilson 13-0

5. Parkland 9-3

6. Moravian Academy 12-1

7. Quakertown 8-3-1

8. Pocono Mountain East 10-4

9. Southern Lehigh 10-2-1

10. Stroudsburg 8-5

First 4 out: Upper Perkiomen 10-4, Northwestern Lehigh 10-4-1, Northampton 8-6, Whitehall 8-6.

(Through Saturday’s video games)

EAST PENN 18

Emmaus 11-0, Easton 10-1, Parkland 9-2, Nazareth 9-2, PM East 8-3, Whitehall 7-4, Stroudsburg 6-4, Northampton 6-5, ES South 5-7, Liberty 4-6-1, Freedom 2-10, Pleasant Valley 2-9-1, Allen 1-8, Bethlehem Catholic 0-10, PM West 0-11.

COLONIAL LEAGUE

East – Wilson 12-0, Moravian Academy 11-1, Bangor 6-5-1, Pen Argyl 1-10.

South – Southern Lehigh 10-1-1, Salisbury 5-6-1, Palisades 4-6-2, Saucon Valley 2-8.

West – Northwestern 8-3-1, Palmerton 6-6, Catasauqua 2-11, Northern Lehigh 0-11.

SUBURBAN ONE

Colonial – Souderton 10-0, CB West 9-1, North Penn 6-4, CB South 4-5-1, Pennridge 4-5-1, CB East 4-6.

Liberty – Wissahickon 10-0, Quakertown 7-2-1, Abington 6-4, Plymouth-Whitemarsh 5-3-1, Upper Dublin 5-4-1, Hatboro-Horsham 2-8.

PIONEER

Frontier – Upper Perkiomen 9-4, Pope John Paul II 7-5-1, Upper Merion 7-6, Phoenixville 4-7, Pottsgrov e3-10, Pottstown 0-10.

BERKS

Division IV – Wyomissing 4-3, Brandywine Heights 3-4, Hamburg 2-5, Tulpehocken 1-6-1, Kutztown 0-6-1.

G A Pts

Rachel Herbine, Emmaus 34 33 101

Jocelyn Morgan, Easton 28 11 67

Abby Burnett, Emmaus 20 23 63

Melea Weber, Emmaus 22 11 55

Emma Bonshak, Whitehall 22 7 51

Zoey Emrick, Nazareth 20 8 48

Lexi Causa, Easton 17 13 47

Melissa Shunk, Wilson 17 8 42

Kendall Iasillo, Northampton 17 4 38

Sophia Bandi, Wilson 16 6 38

Ava Zerfass, Emmaus 16 5 37

Emma Kunkle, Nazareth 13 6 32

Sydney Frantz, Palmerton 8 15 31

Emmy Horner, Emmaus 13 4 30

Gabby Lanier, Easton 8 13 27

Zoe Ehlman, Wilson 13 0 26

Kira Hauser, Palmerton 13 0 26

Megan Dadio, Moravian Academy 11 4 26

Hailey Cook, Emmaus 9 7 25

Lana Hughes, Southern Lehigh 11 1 23

Gracie Hylton, Moravian Academy 9 5 23

Olivia Handelong, Pocono Mountain East 10 3 23

Lainie Walker, Parkland x x 22

Olivia Milia, Easton 7 7 21

Elaina Fragassi, Parkland x x 21

Matisyn Darkacs, Whitehall 9 2 20

Phoebe Shane, Moravian Academy 9 2 20

Abby Wortman, Nazareth 8 4 20

Mikenna Price, Pocono Mountain East 6 8 20

Brooke Saul, Northampton 6 8 20

Gianna Tripodi, Nazareth 6 8 20

Ashley Amato, Palisades x x 20

Maya Zaun, Parkland x x 20

Tim Shoemaker is a freelancer for The Morning Call.