Westtown School captures first PAISAA girls title since 2016

Brianna Bartsch scored a long free kick in the second half to lead Westtown School to its first PAISAA girls soccer title since 2016 in a 1-0 win over Springside Chestnut Hill Academy at Arcadia University on Tuesday night.

The goal from the right back opened the scoring in an evenly played match between the top two seeds in the tournament mid-way through the second half and when the whistle blew just before 6 p.m. stood as the lone goal of the contest.

“We knew we just needed to stay in the game as long as we could, keep the zero,” said Bartsch, a junior captain for the No. 2 seeded Moose. “Overall it was a team effort to defend, we had a great first half and kept it up and just fought through the second half. We all just worked together, communicated and I thought this was one of our better games this season.”

Bartsch’s goal from about 25 yards out was eerily similar to one she scored against Shipley in the Friends School final just two weeks ago and one in a regular season match against Shipley three weeks before that.

“The last two games against Shipley it was literally the same exact shot,” Bartsch said. “So I really visualized that, visualized it going in the goal and I went up to it, hit it as hard as I could and… prayed.”

Bartsch and Westtown School teammate Noelle Clabaugh, who was excellent from her station as a central attacking midfielder, added a high school state title to their national title won last summer with the Penn Fusion 2008 girls ECNL squad. The connection between the two club teammates and to coach Scott Bissett, who has known Bartsch, Clabaugh and several other Penn Fusion players on the team since they were kids added to the comraderie within the team.

“My job previously was the Zone 1 director at Penn Fusion so for example Bri, I’ve known her since she was 9, Noelle since she was 9-10, Camile 10, Lucy same age and Sierra,” Bissett said. “I’ve seen them be young little girls to now young women and it’s nice to see that progression. Penn Fusion is obviously a top girls and boys club in the region so you know that straightaway they’re going to get quality training and will be prepared when the high school season starts.”

While SCH had the advantage on experience playing on the final day of the season – they lost last season to Episcopal Academy in the final and won it the two previous years in 2022 and 2021 – Westtown was the aggressor in the first half and came ever so close to finding an opener from movement down the flanks and combination play through the middle.

“We should’ve probably scored one in the first half, we had a good number of opportunities,” Bissett said. “Second half Springside had a great wave 20 minutes they almost scored from their set piece, hit the crossbar, and then we go up and score ours. It was a true cup final.”

Springside’s chance to take the lead came just five minutes into the second half off the foot of Cali Smith and it bounced right to the feet of forward Zarin DeVeaux, who was unable to get a clean hit on the ball and could only watch as it dribbled past the post and out of bounds.

Junior goalkeeper Lucy Smith made a couple of saves to deny the Blue Devils and freshman defender Charlie Reed was a disruptive presence all night winning headers and clearing balls out of danger. Bartsch’s defensive work from the right back spot and forward passes helped to prevent the Blue Devils from finding their rhythm. Sophomore Eliana Powenski was also instrumental playing in front of the back line winning 50-50 balls, breaking up passes and putting the breaks on attacking threats like Ryleigh Bakley, Smith and prolific goal scorer Alexandra de Beaulac.

Ultimately in a game with such tight margins it wasn’t surprising that it was decided on a set piece or that the team with the better defensive record prevailed. Tuesday’s clean sheet was the team’s 13th of the season in 20 games. It was just SCH’s fifth loss of the season and only the third time they didn’t score in 20 games.

“We did recognize that our back four, even with missing Sierra Smith all season with an ACL injury, was one of our strengths,” Bissett said. “We’re fortunate to have a strong-minded group.”