Check out the results for SOL boys’ soccer teams in action Monday. To view photos of the North Penn/Souderton game, please visit the Photo Gallery.
Photo by Keith Clemens
By Jarrad Saffren
The final week of the Suburban One League boys’ soccer season began with 11 games Monday night. Some teams edged closer to the district playoffs, others toward a conference title, and one toward an undefeated, untied season. The results and recaps are below.
American Conference
Upper Dublin 2, Wissahickon 1
Both teams entered this showdown tied in first place and the two hottest teams in the SOL besides CB East.
The Trojans entered on a six-game winning streak and the Cardinals on a five-gamer. Wissahickon also beat Upper Dublin by one goal in the first meeting between the rivals. But Upper Dublin exacted revenge, killing Wissahickon’s winning streak and taking over sole possession of first place for the first time all season.
"I try not to put expectations on the season as a whole," said UD coach Derek Priest, whose team was 6-6-2 in conference play last season. "What I did think going into the season was that we would be competitive in every game. I've learned from a lot of years of coaching there's more to winning a game than are we better than them or are we technically stronger.
"We do have a very good group of players, and we go pretty deep. What I've emphasized even before preseason was the team. It's all about the team, and we do have very good team spirit."
Jake Rosen put the Cardinals up 1-0 in the eighth minute and Upper Dublin rode that lead into halftime. Ten minutes into the second half, Darien Williams tied the game for Wissahickon. Neither team scored again in regulation.
"When we were up in the first half and when Wissahickon came back to equalize, I think maybe last year we could have folded under the pressure," Priest said. "This year, the guys are very much together as a team and mentally tougher."
Fifteen minutes into overtime, Kevin Hoxha netted the game winner on an assist from Justin Greene, giving the Flying Cardinals a win that clinched at least a share of the conference crown."
"It's fantastic," Priest said. "The guys were so happy. The worst we could be now is co-champions, so just to see the joy on their faces was great for me as a coach. It's a really nice thing."
Priest acknowledged the play Hoxha.
"We played well as a team, but he epitomized and worked hard when Wissahickon put us under pressure, just battled hard and did lots of running," the Cardinals' coach said of his center middie.
Brad Schwartz made eight saves for the Trojans, Thomas Juelke stopped six shots for the Cardinals. The Cardinals outshot the Trojans 10-6.
Upper Dublin (11-4, 11-2 SOL) can clinch the conference title Wednesday with a win or a Wissahickon loss. The Cardinals play Springfield on the road. Wissahickon (10-5, 10-3 SOL) battles Cheltenham at 3:30 p.m.
Upper Dublin 1-0-1 2
Wissahickon 0-1-0 1
Plymouth Whitemarsh 4, Cheltenham 1
Plymouth Whitemarsh pummeled Cheltenham in the second half to put this game away. The Colonials led 1-0 at halftime and scored twice in a five-minute span after the break. Cheltenham scored a goal with 12 minutes left, but by then, the outcome had long since been decided.
Austin Betterly netted two goals and Gavin Hendrick and Richard Veon added one each.
Leading 3-1, PW punctuated the blowout win with a penalty kick goal at the very end.
“It was a tough loss,” said Cheltenham coach Chuck Gesing.
Joel White scored Cheltenham’s only goal.
PW controlled the ball for most of the game and allowed just four shots on goal. Keepers Matt Gatta and Zach Zygmunt combined to make four saves. Gatta had three and Zygmunt, one.
PW (11-3-2, 8-3-2 SOL) plays Norristown Wednesday afternoon. Cheltenham (7-7-1, 6-6-1 SOL) buses to Wissahickon for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 1-3 4
Cheltenham 0-1 1
Upper Moreland 3, Norristown 1
Upper Moreland bounced back after a shutout loss to Cheltenham last Thursday while Norristown lost its second straight after winning three games in a row.
John Sandoval scored the first goal of the game. He dribbled inside the box, cut past a defender, and buried the ball next to the far post.
“It was a great solo effort,” said Upper Moreland coach Dan Mannella.
On Moreland’s second goal, Jake Winter chested the ball to Randy Meehl, who one-time volleyed it off the far post and into the net.
In the second half, Jimmy Perkins scored the only goal for the Eagles and cut the Moreland lead to 2-1. Perkins took a crossing pass, juggled the ball in the air, and rocketed a volley into the net.
“Our keeper barely moved,” Mannella said. “It went through the goal and into the fence. We were like, ‘It had to go in and maybe it was so hard it broke the net.’”
But with 10 minutes to go, Upper Moreland’s Brendan O’Donnell darted past three defenders in the box and blasted the ball in. That made it 3-1 and put the game away.
Upper Moreland (5-10-1, 4-8-1 SOL) clashes with Upper Merion Thursday at 7 p.m. Norristown (4-12, 3-10 SOL) meets PW Wednesday afternoon.
Continental Conference
Central Bucks East 1, CB West 0
A minute and a half into the first overtime, CB East’s Will Eisold floated the ball over West’s defense. A familiar face, Continental leading scorer Evan Vare, headed it into the net.
“It took us a little longer to score than we would have liked,” said CB East coach Mike Gorni. “(CB West keeper) Dylan Smith was outstanding. He made four or five really nice saves.”
Gorni said both teams struggled to generate chances until the last 10 minutes.
“They played a real good game and had some nice opportunities, though not as many as we did,” the Patriots’ coach said.
The Patriots barraged West late and peppered shots on goal but could not break through. Smith made 10 saves for the Bucks.
CB East improved to 17-0 overall and is one win away from an undefeated, untied regular season. The Patriots have pulled out a lot of close games like this one over West.
“We are 17-0 but it has not been an easy 17-0,” Gorni said.
CB East (17-0, 13-0 SOL) goes for perfection Wednesday night against Souderton. CB West (11-6, 7-6 SOL) hosts CB South Thursday at 7 p.m.
Central Bucks East 0-0-1 1
Central Bucks West 0-0-0 0
Pennridge 1, Hatboro-Horsham 0
In the second half, Pennridge freshman Matt Stevenson corner kicked to Cayce Giblin in the box. Giblin leaped and headed the ball past the keeper.
Stevenson to the seniors has been a potent combination for the Rams of late.
“Every goal seems to be him to Cayce or him to Cameron Sheva or Dylan Henry,” said Pennridge coach Pete Valimont. “If Matt’s not the best freshmen in our league, he’s one of the best. He has really gotten going in the second half of the year.”
So have the Rams.
Pennridge has won four straight games overall and three straight in the league. Valimont’s team moved from 35 to 31 in the district power rankings this week but only 28 teams make the playoffs.
“We just have to go day by day this week,” Valimont said. “Our last game is Saturday, and we’ll find out if we make the playoffs 12 hours later. It’s going to be exciting.”
Rams keeper Brody Giblin stopped eight shots and stepped up late against Hatboro-Horsham.
“They shot one to the far post and Brody somehow reached out with his hand and knocked it away,” said Valimont.
Pennridge (8-7, 6-7 SOL) plays at Quakertown Wednesday night. Hatboro-Horsham (7-10, 5-8 SOL) welcomes North Penn at 3:30 p.m.
Pennridge 0-1 1
Hatboro-Horsham 0-0 0
North Penn 3, Souderton 2
In the second overtime, North Penn booted the ball into the Souderton zone off a midfield restart. Souderton failed to clear the ball and it bounced around inside the box. Kyle Shue settled it and whistled it home.
North Penn led 1-0 at halftime, thanks to an unassisted Matt Richardson goal in the 30th minute.
But Souderton answered after the break, scoring twice to take a 2-1 lead. Spencer Nice netted the first in the 46th minute and John O’Keefe followed in the 68th. Nick Marculo assisted O’Keefe.
North Penn sent the game to overtime when Owen Nakatani scored with seven minutes to go. The Knights finally put Souderton away in the second extra stanza when Shue delivered the game winner. The win avenged a tie at the hands of the Indians in the initial meeting between the two teams.
Kevin Dustin made nine saves in goal for Souderton.
North Penn (11-4-2, 8-3-2 SOL) battles Hatboro-Horsham Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. Souderton (2-13-1, 2-10-1 SOL) is the last team standing between CB East and perfection. That showdown takes place Wednesday.
North Penn 1-1-0-1 3
Souderton 0-2-0-0 2
Central Bucks South 3, Quakertown 0
CB South scored one in the first half and two in the second to improve to 8-2-1 in its last 11 games.
In the 22nd minute, Colin Fagan found Nick Tobar, who booted the ball into the net. Fagan scored himself in the 75th minute, and Tobar notched his second – this one unassisted – in the 77th minute.
The Gorman cousins – Billy and Matt – combined for the shutout in goal.
CB South (11-5-1, 9-3-1 SOL) plays CB West Thursday night. Quakertown (2-15, 0-13 SOL) locks horns with the Rams of Pennridge Wednesday evening.
Central Bucks South 1-2 3
Quakertown 0-0 0
National Conference
Abington 2, Council Rock North 1
Abington held onto first-place four days after taking over the spot for the first time in 2015. CR North dropped from a second-place tie with Pennsbury to third.
Matt Bachman scored both goals for Abington, including the game winner. Jared Scharf blasted the only goal for North.
“It was a two half game as Abington had the better of the play in the first half and North the second,” said CR North coach Joe Stackhouse.
Abington’s win took Rock North out of the title hung. Pennsbury is one point behind Abington and would need the Ghosts to lose or tie to have a shot.
Abington (12-4, 9-4 SOL) travels to Harry S. Truman Tuesday to play the Tigers. CR North (10-4-2, 7-4-2 SOL) hosts Bensalem Wednesday at 5 p.m.
Pennsbury 2, Council Rock South 1
After halftime, Pennsbury broke a 0-0 tie, CR South tied it, and the Falcons scored the game winner with 12 minutes to go.
Peyton Salonick scored the first goal for Pennsbury and Colin Marks netted the clincher.
Pennsbury is one point behind Abington and needs help from the Ghosts to win the conference title.
The Falcons (10-4-2, 8-3-2 SOL) end their regular season at William Tennent Wednesday night. CR South (5-10, 4-8 SOL) hosts red-hot Neshaminy at 3:30 p.m.
Pennsbury 0-2 2
Council Rock South 0-1 1
Neshaminy 8, Harry S. Truman 1
Truman scored first but Neshaminy answered 30 seconds later and never looked back.
Jack McCourt and Matt Worth netted two goals each and Eric Schaffer, Mike Mandia, Brandon Parker, and Dan Grindrod each got on the board once. Six Redskins—Mandia, Schaffer, DJ Pierson, Jon Albarran, McCourt, and Chase Rider—recorded an assist. Mandia racked up three.
“It was Senior Night and everyone played tonight for a complete team win,” said Neshaminy coach Tom Foley. “Mike Mandia played a fantastic game in the midfield tonight.”
Neshaminy won for the seventh time in eight games and have been rewarded for their late-season surge in the power rankings, moving from 35 last week to 16 this week.
Neshaminy (9-7-1, 7-5-1 SOL) goes to CR South Wednesday afternoon to play the Golden Hawks. Harry S. Truman (1-12, 1-11 SOL) battles Abington Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
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