Check out the men’s soccer preview that features several teams and includes the SOL’s Super Seven as well as players to watch from each team.
SOL Men’s Soccer Preview: Perennial favorites clash with up and comers
By Jarrad Saffren
The 2015 Suburban One League boys soccer season kicked off Friday with 14 non-league games. All 24 SOL teams begin league play on Tuesday or Wednesday.
Plymouth Whitemarsh, the defending SOL American champion, is again the favorite in 2015. The Colonials beat Quakertown 1-0 in their season opener, putting 26 shots on goal. The great American question is which team will challenge PW? Wissahickon returns just three starters and lost its best player, midfielder Sam Hunt, to an ACL tear in February. Cheltenham also lost its best player for the season.
SOL Continental coaches touted Central Bucks East as the team to beat, and for good reason. The Patriots won the Continental and reached the state tournament in nine of the last 11 seasons. Mike Gorni’s team returns nine starters, including six senior captains. North Penn and CB West finished second and third last season, and while the Knights lost 14 seniors to graduation, the Bucks return nine seniors.
Neshaminy has not lost an SOL National match since 2012 but faces three experienced challengers in 2015. Pennsbury, William Tennant, and Abington all finished .500 or better last season, and all three squads bring back at least 15 seniors.
American Conference
Panthers going with youth - Cheltenham has finished between third and sixth in the American Conference for five straight seasons. The Panthers finished third last season but lost most of their midfielders to graduation.
Despite the losses, coach Chuck Gesing was confident heading into the 2015 season because midfielder Owen Deitcher, a college prospect, was coming back. Unfortunately, during a college ID camp in the offseason, Deitcher tore his ACL, MCL, and meniscus while stretching for a ball. Just like that, on a non-contact play, Cheltenham lost its captain and best player for the season.
“Up until then I was pretty optimistic,” said Gesing. “Now we are relying on underclassmen to pick up the slack.”
Two sophomores, Cameron Carty and Wesley Paik, will replace Deitcher at center mid. Both are new to varsity along with outside midfielders Jake Ruckett and Jacob Margasek.
Cheltenham is also young in goal, where freshman Justin Garvey will start. Garvey impressed Gesing in the preseason, allowing just one goal on 12 shots in a scrimmage against perennial power La Salle.
To leapfrog PW, Cheltenham will have to rely on offense. All three starting forwards, Eli Tomasic, Brendan Chaplin, and Josh Ryan, are seniors and returning starters.
Continental Conference
Rams looking to rise - Pennridge was 2-8-4 in conference play last season. But coach Pete Valimont is optimistic going into 2015.
“There’s not one team that’s looking at us as a threat,” Valimont said. “However, I know the seniors have the best chemistry we’ve had in four years.”
Valimont chose four senior captains who have played on varsity since their sophomore year. Forward Dylan Henry, goalkeeper Brody Giblin, and midfielders Cayce Giblin and Cameron Sheva learned how not to lead under past captains.
“Younger guys didn’t feel a part of the team because older guys ignored them,” said Valimont.
Two freshmen and four sophomores will start for Pennridge, and the seniors have welcomed them with open arms.
“These captains communicate in positive ways with the younger guys,” said Valimont. “They high five them and don’t scream at them.”
The seniors even hang out with the underclassmen off the field, hosting them for sleepovers.
The captains are also leading on the field. The Rams crushed Southern Lehigh 4-0 on Friday and Henry, Cayce Giblin, and Sheva combined to score all four goals. Brody Giblin, of course, did not allow one.
National Conference
Truman has won five conference games in the last three seasons combined, finishing last each year. But a new coach and a new system offer hope in 2015.
John Kinloch took over the boys program after three seasons as the girls’ soccer coach at Truman. He examined the team’s recent seasons and determined the most glaring issue: defense, or lack thereof.
The Tigers allowed 23 goals in their first four league games last season.
“Cutting that down by two thirds probably isn’t even enough,”said Kinloch. “We need to set up a system and get the right players in that system. That’s an absolute priority.”
The system uses five defenders and two lines of defense, three in the back, two in front.
“It’s like we have two extra mids,” Kinloch said.
Kinlock has also found two of the right players, sophomores CJ Weed and Badr Faske.
“They cover a lot of ground and are bigger kids,”said Kinloch of Weed and Faske, who are playing in front of the back three.
The new system has worked so far. Truman gave up just one goal combined in a scrimmage and its regular season opener. But the Tigers did not score in either game.
“If we can get to halftime 0-0, there’s no reason we can’t get to 80 minutes 0-0,” Kinloch said. “We are not going to play for ties, but I’m not sure if we are going to score many goals.”
2015 SUPER SEVEN
Austin Betterly, senior midfielder/forward, Plymouth Whitemarsh: A four-year varsity player, the senior captain was sidelined for four games but still scored eight goals and had three assists last season for a PW squad that captured sole possession of the SOL American Conference crown. Betterly was a first team all-league selection last year after earning second team honors as a sophomore.
Coach Devon Landgraff says: “Austin has been playing varsity since he was a freshmen and played a key role in PW's conference titles the past two seasons. Over the past two season, Austin has emerged as a phenomenal leader for this program. His game has transformed over the past couple years into a more dynamic goal scorer and playmaker. Austin has tremendous athleticism and speed as well as a passion for the game and willingness to always improve and work hard.”
Mike Kohler, junior midfielder, North Penn: An attacking midfielder, Kohler contributed eight goals and nine assists as a sophomore attacking midfielder for a Knight squad that finished second to Central Bucks East in the SOL Continental Conference.
Coach Paul Duddy says: “Technically and tactically, he’s just a very good player. His touches on the ball - either with the ball or running off the ball –he just always knows where to go. We felt real confident just letting him run our attack last year. He’s one of those types of players that just loves being on the field playing soccer. He’s a great kid.”
Zach LoBasso, junior striker, Pennsbury: A first team all-league selection, the junior striker had a hand in 25 goals last season, contributing 10 goals and 15 assists.
Coach Tom Stoddart says: “Zach is a natural goal scorer. Not only does he have the physical talent, but he can read the game faster than most kids at this level. He definitely has the physical speed and the technical ability on the ball, but his ability to read the game and react faster than everyone else is what separates him.
Dylan McDonald, junior midfielder, Neshaminy: As a sophomore, the center midfielder contributed 10 goals and six assists for a Redskins squad that captured the SOL National Conference crown. The first team all-league selection is the placekicker for the football team as well.
Coach Tom Foley says: “He was a real solid defensive midfielder, and he gets forward. He’s very good in the air in the box and probably scored five or six goals just taking balls out of the air off his head. He gets guys in motion for us, and he’s a good ball winner. He’s a versatile player. There might be a point in time when we pull him back and play sweeper for us too.”
Austin Prime, senior goalkeeper, Central Bucks East: A second team all-league selection, Prime had 12 shutouts last season, including a 1-0 blanking of Great Valley in the District One AAA title game.
Coach Mike Gorni says: “I don’t think we have the season we had last year without Austin Prime in goal. He had his best performances in the district playoffs, allowing an average of less than a goal-against a game average in the games that were meaningful and was a catalyst for everything we did last year on the defensive side. We only gave up more than one goal twice last year. His big game performance was his shutout in the district final against Great Valley.”
Evan Ware, senior forward, Central Bucks East: Vare earned a lengthy list of postseason honors, earning first team all-league, PA All-state, NSCAA (National Soccer Coaches Association of America) Regional All-American and was named the Phildelphia Inquirer Scholastic Player of the Year. The senior forward closed out a dazzling junior year with 29 goals and 13 assists. He scored the game winner in every district game leading up to the team’s district title game against Great Valley when he assisted on Brian Gilligan’s game winner in the Patriots’1-0 win.
Coach Mike Gorni says: “Evan is just a complete player at this time. For as many goals as he scores and all the things he does positive on the attacking side, he’s an equally good passer, and he can play multiple positions, although he only plays forward for us. He’s also one of the best players in the area in the air –he’s just a tremendous player in terms of heading the ball. His highlight game was when he scored four goals in a 12-minute span in the second halfin the district semifinal against Unionville.”
Connor Weiss, senior midfielder, William Tennent: A two-year captain, Weiss is a three-year starter who can play numerous positions. He scored five goals last year as a defensive midfielder and earned first team all-league honors.
Coach Ryan Todt says: “Connor is a very fierce competitor. He’s a great leader, and he’s a very physical, fundamentally sound player. He has a very high soccer IQ, and he definitely thinks on the level of a leader. He coaches up the players on the field, and he’s very verbal, and his experience really shines through being a four-year varsity player.”
Others to Watch:
Abington: Connor Gallagher
Bensalem: Omar Luviano, Ricky Nolz, Ryan Nolz
Central Bucks East, JR Eisold, Will Eisold, Brian Gilligan, Justin Chomik
Central Bucks South: Ian Betts, Colin Fagan
Central Bucks West: Brandon Morris, Jack Tilley, Joel Acaster, Sam Winderman, Brady Boylan
Cheltenham: Brendan Chaplin
Council Rock North: Nick Guarna, Billy Storm
Council Rock South: Dylan Schwartz
Harry S Truman: Fernando Mendez, Ed Worthington
Hatboro-Horsham: Eduardo Romero
Neshaminy: Dan Grinrod, Eric Schaefer, Jack McCourt
Norristown: John Gonzalez
North Penn: Jordan Katz, Kyle Shue
Pennridge: Cameron Sheva, Brody Giblin
Pennsbury: Colin Marx, Justin Chapius, Matt Lynch
Plymouth Whitemarsh: Skyler Goldstein
Quakertown: Ryan Leatherman, Steven Hippauf
Souderton: Nate Verso
Springfield: Corey Cottone, Zach Harley
Upper Dublin: Justin Greene, Jake Woodruff
Upper Merion: Abdu Bakillah, Alan Castillo, Ben Tirjan
Upper Moreland: Ryan Lowry
William Tennent: Stephen Testa
Wissahickon: Tom McHale, Alex Escude
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