SOL District Boys’ Soccer Preview (Opening Round)

Jarrad Saffren previews Tuesday’s District One AAA Tournament games featuring SOL boys’ soccer teams.

By Jarrad Saffren

It was a very successful season for the Suburban One League boys soccer teams. Thirteen of 24 made the 28-team District One Class AAA playoff field. That includes five from the National Conference, five from the Continental, and three from the American.

Some, like 22 seed Neshaminy (7-2 in its last nine games) and 24 seed Pennridge (seven straight wins to end the season) stampeded into the playoffs with furious rallies.

Others, like top seed Central Bucks East (18-0-0) and six seed Pennsbury (12-4-2), looked like title contenders from the first week of the season.

Still others, like 10 seed Upper Dublin and seven seed Abington, dramatically improved their seeds by winning their conference titles in the last week of the season.

Of course there were still teams, such as CR North (15), CB West (19), CB South (20), Wissahickon (21), and Bensalem (23) who fell in the final power rankings because of late season losses.

But none of that matters now. All that matters is the next 80 minutes. Win or go home.

Twelve of the SOL 13 begin their playoff runs Tuesday. CB East has a bye and will open its much-anticipated pursuit of perfection and a state championship on Thursday. Only two SOL teams—Bensalem and Upper Dublin—play each other in the first round, meaning there is a chance that 12 could still be alive in the round of 16. But only six of the 12 teams playing on Tuesday are higher seeds.

No matter what happens, the championship runs through the SOL. If the district tournament is anything like the National and American conference races, it should be a barnburner. Stay tuned.

#1 Central Bucks East (Bye)
Central Bucks East

18-0-0 overall
First undefeated, untied regular season in 21 years under coach Mike Gorni
14-0-0 Suburban One League Continental Conference champions
Tenth SOL Continental Title in 12 years
8-0 against District One Class AAA playoff teams
Senior forward Evan Vare scored 32 of team’s 64 goals
Vare had four hat tricks and three game-winning goals

#17 Unionville at #16 Plymouth Whitemarsh
Plymouth Whitemarsh

12-3-2 overall
9-3-2 Suburban One League American Conference third place
Ended season on three-game winning streak
2-2 against District One Class AAA playoff teams
2-0 versus Wissahickon, 0-2 against Upper Dublin
Gave up 11 goals in 17 regular season games

Unionville

13-5 overall
9-4 Ches-Mont American Division champions
Second straight league title
Qualified for districts in 16 of the last 18 seasons
Seniors Peter Ferraro and Mike Kosuth combined for 20 of team’s 41 goals

#25 Strath Haven at #8 North Penn
North Penn

12-4-2 overall
9-3-2 Suburban One League Continental Conference second place
Started season 8-1
All three league losses were by one goal (CB East twice, Pennridge)
5-3-1 against playoff teams
Wins over #5 Owen J. Roberts (2-1), #19 CB West (2-0, 2-1), #20 CB South (4-0), and #24 Pennridge (4-1)

Strath Haven

10-6-3 overall
6-4-1 Central League seventh place
Gave up 19 goals in 19 regular season games
Finished with exact same regular season record in 2014
Lost first round district playoff game to 20th-seeded Methacton 2-1

#24 Pennridge at #9 Boyertown
Pennridge

11-7 overall
7-7 Suburban One League Continental Conference fourth place
Seven-game winning streak to end season
Six shutouts during that streak
Lost by a combined three goals in two games against CB East
2-5 against playoff qualifiers
Wins versus North Penn (2-1) and CB West (4-2)

Boyertown

15-3-1 overall
10-2-1 Pioneer Athletic Conference Liberty Division first place
Beat fifth-seed Owen J. Roberts to win PAC-10 Liberty Division
12th in Southeastern Pennsylvania Soccer Coaches Association Poll

#20 Central Bucks South at #13 Harriton
Central Bucks South

11-6-1 overall
9-4-1 Suburban One League Continental Conference third place
Started season 3-2 overall and 1-2 in league play
Went 6-0-1 over the next seven games
Lost twice in last two weeks to drop from eighth to 20th in the district power rankings
Four wins against playoff teams
Wins over Neshaminy (5-2), Pennridge (2-1, 3-0), CB West (2-0)

Harriton

11-6-1 overall
6-4-1 Central League sixth-place
Scored 27 goals and allowed 22
Played seven overtime games (3-3-1)
2-0 against SOL teams
Wins against Abington (2-1) and Upper Merion (2-1)

#21 Wissahickon at #12 Downingtown West
Wissahickon

11-5 overall
11-3 Suburban One League American Conference second place
Led conference for more than a month
Fell out of first-place in the last week of the season
Seeded below PW despite finishing ahead of the Colonials in the league
Lost twice PW (2-1, 2-1)
0-2 in non-league games
Seven one-goal wins

Downingtown West

13-4-2 overall
11-1-1 Ches-Mont National Division second place
Only 17 goals allowed
0-2 against SOL teams
Losses to Pennsbury (2-1) and Neshaminy (2-1)

#18 Radnor at #15 Council Rock North
Council Rock North

11-5-2 overall
8-4-2 Suburban One League National Conference third-place
Shut out opponents in 10 of 11 wins
Keeper Billy Storm recorded eight shutouts
Keeper Anthony Caruso had two
3-5-2 against playoff qualifiers
Wins against Wissahickon (3-0), Abington (1-0), and Bensalem (1-0)

Radnor

10-6-2 overall
7-3-1 Central League fourth place
Outscored opponents by 21 goals (43-22)

#26 Garnet Valley at #7 Abington
Abington

14-4 overall
10-4 Suburban One League National Conference first-place
First league title since 1996
Trailed Pennsbury and CR North until the second-to-last week
Ended season on six-game winning streak
Outscored opponents by 28 goals (47-19)

Garnet Valley

8-8-2 overall
2-7-2 Central League ninth place
Scored the most goals (51) of any team in the Central League

#23 Bensalem at #10 Upper Dublin
Bensalem

7-7-2 overall
5-7-2 Suburban One League National Conference sixth place
2-5-2 against playoff teams
Wins over Abington (2-0) and CR North (5-3)
Started season 6-2
1-5-2 in last eight games

Upper Dublin

12-4-1 overall
12-2 Suburban One League American Conference first place
Trailed Wissahickon until final week of season
6-0-1 in last seven games
Outscored opponents by 31 goals (46-15)
Scored three or more goals in eight of 12 wins

#19 Central Bucks West at #14 Marple Newtown
Central Bucks West

12-6 overall
8-6 Suburban One League Continental Conference fourth place
Started season 5-0
Went 7-6 in last 13 games
Keeper Dylan Smith recorded 10 shutouts

Marple Newtown

14-4 overall
8-3 Central League second place
Outscored opponents by 21 goals (46-25)
Hunter Dyson and George Lambritsios combined for 31 goals (17, 14)
Program never made district playoffs before 2010

#27 Great Valley at #6 Pennsbury
Pennsbury

12-4-2 overall
9-3-2 Suburban One League National Conference second-place
Led SOL National for most of the season
Went on two four-game winning streaks
Outscored last four opponents 17-3
Three players—Colin Marks, John Griffin, and Zach LoBasso—with seven goals or more (11, 7, 7)
Scored 48 goals as a team

Great Valley

9-7-2 overall
8-5 Ches-Mont American Division second place
Five one-goal losses
Four wins by three goals or more

#22 Neshaminy at #11 Lower Merion
Neshaminy

9-8-1 overall
7-6-1 Suburban One League National Conference fourth-place
Went 7-2 in last nine games
Wins against Bensalem (2-1), Wissahickon (4-0), CR North (2-0), and Pennsbury (1-0) during that stretch

Lower Merion