Six SOL boys’ soccer teams were victorious in Tuesday’s opening round of the District One AAA Tournament. To view photos of the William Tennent/Upper Dublin match, please visit the Photo Gallery.
#27 SOUDERTON 1, #6 SPRING-FORD 1 (SOUDERTON 5-4 IN PENALTY KICKS) There wasn’t too much going in Souderton’s favor Tuesday night at Spring-Ford
Due to an injury to center back Jordan Rawa, the Indians were already down a key piece of their defense heading into the match. Things only got worse in the second half when fellow center back Chadd Ziegler also went down with an injury, which left Ryan Kramer, Jack O’Leary and Dan Sullivan to man the back line.
But the Indians, who won four straight games to end the season, were not fazed by the challenges. They rallied to even the match in the second half before shocking the Rams and shaking up the District 1 Class AAA playoff field with a penalty kick triumph.
“It’s huge for our boys, I feel, because the season didn’t exactly unfold the way we wanted it to,” Souderton coach Matt Benner said.
“It really just shows how teams can overcome adversity,” he continued. “I think it’s a great win for the senior class, and it’s a great win for the younger players that they can take with them for years.”
The Indians fell behind when David Gulati set up Dan DiLiberto for the first goal of the match. Eleven minutes later, though, Souderton answered when Nick Stulb sent in a ball off a restart that found Tylor Strozeski. He proceeded to beat Spring-Ford’s keeper for the equalizer.
“He played a great ball right across net,” Benner complimented Stulb. “We were able to finish very nicely.”
“I thought either team could have won the game at any point.”
“It was a very entertaining high school game,” he continued. “It’s exactly what District One soccer’s all about.”
Neither squad was able to earn a “golden goal” in the overtime sessions, which resulted in deciding penalty kicks. Only Justin Rodzewich missed on the fourth attempt, while Stulb, D.J. Rostron, Tyler Eckardt, Andres Silva all connected. That helped send the game to sudden death kicks when Dan Sullivan found the net to give the Indians the lead. On their ensuing chance to tie things, Spring-Ford’s kicker sent a shot over keeper Adam Strogis and the Souderton net to seal things for the Indians.
Strogis made nine saves in the victory, which bumped the Indians to 8-9-2 on the year and earned them a trip to William Tennent on Thursday. Spring-Ford saw its Pioneer Athletic Conference Liberty Division championship year end with a final mark of 15-3-2.
“I know that William Tennent is another team that really brings it. They play with a great amount of energy and passion,” Benner said. “They’re a very, very good program and have been for a few years.”
Souderton 0 1 0 (OT 1) 0 (OT 2) 5 (PKs) 2
Spring-Ford 0 1 0 (OT 1) 0 (OT 2) 4 (PKs) 1
#8 PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 1, #25 HARRITON 0
History came in giant fashion for Plymouth Whitemarsh Tuesday night.
For the first time in at least three decades, the Colonials won a postseason match.
“Guys are pumped. The school had a great showing. Hundreds of people at the game, and it was a good feeling for PW and the program,” Plymouth Whitemarsh coach Devon Landgraff said.
With the victory, the eighth-seeded Colonials advanced to Thursday’s round of 16 match against Bensalem, which it will also host.
“Back to the drawing board,” Landgraff said. “We’re going to find as much information as we can and prepare. I’m going to start tonight.”
Though Tuesday’s match was statistically controlled by the Colonials, things were never comfortable. The Colonials broke the scoreless tie midway through the second half when Kenny Almack scored off a shot set up by Taij Rosen’s throw-in.
Cam Johnson and David Raina led the defensive effort from there, while keeper Brett Paul stopped five shots in helping the Colonials earn their 12th shutout of the season.
“The game went back and forth. It was an intense game. We had many opportunities that we didn’t capitalize on,” Landgraff said. “Brett Paul and our defense came up huge.”
Almack’s goal continued what has been an excellent showing for him since replacing Connor
Moore, who broke his foot during the Colonials victory over Upper Dublin Oct. 14.
“Kenny and Alex [Bilodeau] complement each other in the middle,” said Landgraff.
Plymouth Whitemarsh finished with a 12-6 shot advantage and 6-1 corner kick edge to help in making their big night.
“I’m just happy to be a part of it,” Landgraff said.
“But it’s all these guys,” continued Landgraff. “They’re highly motivated players.”
“They’re very confident. They don’t know any differently. They like to win. It’s a lot of fun coaching a group like this and I’m enjoying every minute of it,” he added. “We find ways to score, and defensively, it’s been outstanding.”
Another win could mean a date with undefeated and top-seeded Great Valley in Saturday’s quarterfinals with a spot in states on the line. It also would guarantee Plymouth Whitemarsh at least two more games due to qualifying for playbacks.
The Colonials, who won a share of the SOL American championship with Upper Dublin, improved to 15-2-2 on the year. Harriton’s season concluded at 8-7-2.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 0 1 1
Harriton 0 0 0
#9 BENSALEM 5, #24 SUN VALLEY 1
The Colonials, though, will have a challenge in Bensalem, which jumped out to an early 2-0 lead before allowing Sun Valley to close the gap to 2-1 in the second half. The Owls, however, were not to be denied, as they turned on the speed and ran past visiting Sun Valley by a 5-1 decision, earning their first postseason win since 1995.
“We started off strong and then we kind of went through a lull for a while,” said Owls coach Joe Leone. “Once we relaxed, we started to put more goals in.”
As he has throughout the season, forward Chris Juergensen had another big night. He led the Owls with a pair of goals, the first of which was the eventual game winner off a feed from defender Kim McDowell. The other helped spark a three-goal second half and was assisted by midfielder Elan Fingles.
Outside midfielder Eric Corry got Bensalem going with a goal set up by another defensive player in Alec Rosenfeld. McDowell, his brother Greg Rosenfeld, Avery Nyekan and Ricky Molz anchored the Owls defensive effort. Keeper Chris Kilcoyne was also outstanding in pulling down 10 saves. The only shot he couldn’t stop was a goal by Sun Valley’s Brett Hollenback.
“The entire back line played well,” praised Leone.
Forward Brian Kilcoyne added the fourth goal on a shot assisted by Jack Lee. That allowed Leone a chance to give some bench players action, and Nuri Siuri, who was called up from the JV squad, took advantage. A midfielder, he set up forward John Averona for the final goal of the night.
Midfielder Omar Luviano also had a good showing for Bensalem
Sun Valley, which took fourth in the Ches-Mont Conference’s American Division, saw its season come to an end with an 11-8 final mark. The Owls won their 15th match of the year and will next trek to Plymouth Whitemarsh Thursday. They are now 15-3 overall.
“We have to prepare for the match,” Leone said. “There’s no room to lose. We have to come out winners.”
“It’s big to get their first playoff game,” continued Leone. “Just try to build off of that and try to get some momentum going. Hopefully, everything turns out well.”
Bensalem 2 3 5
Sun Valley 0 1 1
#22 WILLIAM TENNENT 3, #11 UPPER DUBLIN 1The numbers didn’t favor the Panthers, but as they say, that’s why the game is played.
Indeed, William Tennent fell behind early on in its opening round District I Class AAA playoff match at Upper Dublin Tuesday afternoon. But behind great play from the Ciarlantes, the Panthers put together a great rally and eventually pulled ahead of the Cardinals for good in a 3-1 upset.
“It was a team effort and we got contributions from a variety of players,” said Panthers coach Luke Gibson, whose team had been victorious in just one of their last five matches.
Thirteen minutes into Tuesday’s district opener, SOL American co-champion Upper Dublin flexed its muscles with a goal from Zach Arnold, which was set up by Alex Browndorf.
With five minutes remaining before intermission, Tennent had an answer in the form of Johnny Ciarlante. He beat Upper Dublin keeper Scott Wexler, who finished with four stops, on a shot set up by Bryan Note that evened things up at one going into the second half.
Things remained that way until the 57-minute mark when Fran McCalister found Tony Ciarlante for a shot that beat Wexler and put the Panthers ahead for good. The game remained tight, but behind goalie Ben Zeitz’s seven saves and a solid defensive performance headlined by Jason Knox, the Cardinals couldn’t get an equalizer.
In the final minute, Tony Ciarlante ended any remaining doubts with an unassisted goal.
With the win, Tennent moves on to face Souderton on Thursday and improved to 9-7-2 on the year. Win that match, and a date with SOL National rival and third seeded Neshaminy could be in the works on Saturday, depending on if the Redskins can eliminate West Chester Rustin in the second round.
A great Upper Dublin season, meanwhile, came to an end with a final mark of 13-5.
"I'm very happy with what Upper Dublin was able to accomplish on the season and am proud to be able to say I was part of that," coach Rick Schmidt said.
William Tennent 1 2 3
Upper Dublin 1 0 1
#16 WISSAHICKON 1, #17 PENNSBURY 0
It may not have been their best game, but it was enough, especially defensively, for the Trojans to get it done Tuesday night.
A unit featuring John Carrozza, Jason Bugis, Matt Knittel and Zach Scannapieco helped Wissahickon limit Pennsbury to seven shots in the teams’ first round district playoff tussle Tuesday night. Goalie Neal Guaglianone made all three necessary saves to make a 12th minute goal by Cole Kropnick stand up in a 1-0 home triumph over Pennsbury.
“Really, the whole defense played well, making it very difficult for them to have any good scoring chances,” Wissahickon coach Stuart Malcolm said.
“We actually started off very well,” he added. “We seemed to lose our way a little bit after the goal.”
Even so, the Trojans defense came through despite several giveaways that could have led to a potentially disastrous Pennsbury counter rush. Falcons goalie Eric Gagliardi, who had two saves, kept his team in it, but they were never able to connect offensively for a tying tally.
“We got organized and the players did a nice job of limiting the opportunities for them,” said Malcolm.
The Falcons saw a 9-7-2 campaign, which included a third place showing in the SOL National, conclude.
“We struggled to find our rhythm early, which had been an issue throughout the season,” Falcons coach Tom Stoddart said. “I am very proud of how we kept our composure and played hard throughout the second half.”
“Tonight, Wissahickon was the better team and deserved the win,” Stoddart continued. “I am graduating a great group of boys and look for them to be very successful in the paths they choose in life.”
Ryan Becker earned the assist on the game winner for the Trojans, while Shane Fallen also had a solid effort from his left midfield position. Wissahickon advanced to the round of 16 for the second straight year with the win and jumped to 14-5 overall.
In 2012, the Trojans year came to an end in the round of 16 on penalty kicks in an 11-10 heartbreaker. To advance further this year, they will have to be the first team to take down top-seeded Great Valley and must do so on the road.
“We’ve just got to limit their chances, and whatever opportunities we get, we have to take them,” Malcolm said.
Wissahickon 1 0 1
Pennsbury 0 0 0
#10 CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 1, #23 RADNOR 0
It finally came.
Central Bucks West had battled for over 70 minutes, the first 40 of which saw the Bucks outplayed by underdog Radnor Tuesday afternoon at home. But coach Stefan Szygiel and his players rallied at the half and started taking over in the final 40 minutes.
At last, just seven minutes before sudden death overtime, the Bucks struck. Midfielder Chris Van Pelt helped lead an attack on net and proceeded to find Joel Klapper, who beat the Radnor keeper for the only tally of the match for either squad.
“Chris Van Pelt was a good player for us in the midfield area,” praised Szygiel
In a match that the pressure was on them, Van Pelt and fellow midfielders Kyle Schechter, Thierry Bergere and Jared Kelly, who also mans a forward spot, delivered for CB West. Schechter did so with his physical play and challenges, Kelly with his speed and Bergere with attacking in one-on-one situations.
“Kyle Schechter was an absolute beast in the midfield,” said Szygiel “He’s done it all season long. He’s easy to rally around when he plays like that.”
“He’s a guy that when he gets into space, he’s extremely dangerous,” Szygiel added about Kelly. “He creates all kinds of mismatches when he’s off the ball.”
They also helped the Bucks put together an outstanding defensive effort that was led by backs Jason Douple, Brady Boylan, Cameron Dukes and Conrad Urffer. Whatever got past them didn’t beat goalie Redd Brown, who stopped three shots to earn the shutout.
“We were composed,” Szygiel said. “We kept working. We kept creating.”
With the win, CB West will host Ridley Thursday night. Barring a major upset, the winner of that match will journey to still unbeaten Lower Merion for Saturday’s quarterfinal round. That could be a tall task, but winning on Thursday would mean at least a spot in playbacks for a chance at fifth place and a state playoff berth.
The Bucks improved to 11-5-3 on the year, while Radnor’s season concluded at 10-5-3.
“At this point, it sounds cliche, but it’s a one game season,” said Szygiel.
Central Bucks West 0 1 1
Radnor 0 0 0
#18 DOWNINGTOWN WEST 2, #15 CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 1 (2 OT)
The Titans came within four minutes of a date with second seeded and undefeated Lower Merion in the round of 16.
But that’s when the tide changed. Downingtown West’s Cameron Young connected with Evan Hermanns, who popped a shot past Titans keeper Matt Weigner to even the score and force overtime.
The game remained that way until the final two minutes of double overtime when, just before penalty kicks, Luke Maruca found the net to lift the Whippets to a road win over the Titans by a 2-1 score.
It was a disappointing ending to a solid year for the Titans, who took the lead just six minutes into the match on a goal Dan Busichio. But that was all they could muster in a game that saw Downingtown West outshoot them, 12-4.
Weigner kept the Titans in it with 10 saves. CB South saw its season end at 10-8-1 overall, while the Whippets advanced to challenge Lower Merion Thursday afternoon.
Downingtown West 0 1 0 (OT 1) 1 (OT 2) 2
Central Bucks South 1 0 0 (OT 1) 0 (OT 2) 1
#26 RIDLEY 2, #7 NORTH PENN 1 (RIDLEY WINS 5-4 IN PENALTY KICKS)
Another stunner took place at North Penn Tuesday night, where 26th-seeded Ridley earned an early goal and made it hold up enough to get to penalty kicks despite the Knights evening the score.
There, Ridley took advantage of one North Penn errant shot, which was hit high the Knights fifth kicker. The Raiders’ Jonah Schiavo proceeded to bury the ensuing attempt to wrap up a 5-4 penalty kick decision and send the Knights home early.
Drew McMenamin tied the game off a free kick shot in the second half and later gave the Knights the lead on the first penalty kick. Dylan McMahon, Kevin McKenna and Milan Szilagyi all connected as well, but the Raiders followed suit each time with conversions of their own before Schiavo’s heroics. Timothy Rudy scored the lone Ridley goal in regulation.
Ridley, which improved to 13-4-2, will now visit CB West Thursday with a spot in the district quarterfinals, and the season, on the line. The Knights, who finished second in the SOL Continental behind CB East, wrapped up their season at 14-3-2.
Ridley 1 0 0 (OT 1) 0 (OT 2) 5 (PKs) 2
North Penn 0 1 0 (OT 1) 0 (OT 2) 4 (PKs) 1
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