Four SOL teams earned impressive non-league wins. Check out Saturday’s action.
Boys
COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 2, LA SALLE 1 (2 OT)
La Salle came into Saturday’s game against Rock North ranked sixth in the latest PSCA Angelo’s Corner state poll with a close-to-perfect 12-0-1 record. The Indians took care of the Explorers’ unbeaten streak and – more than likely – its number six ranking, handing La Salle its first loss of the season.
Nikita Ilan has been on fire recently, and that trend continued on Saturday as he scored both of North’s goal, including the game winner with three minutes remaining in the second overtime.
“Nikita, the last couple of games, has really fallen into his own zone,” coach Joe Stackhouse said. “He actually scored the game-winning goal directly off a corner kick. He bent it into the upper corner of the net.
“Right before he went to hit it, I said, ‘Bend it.’ He knew exactly what I meant, and he did it. It was a very entertaining game to watch on both ends of the field.”
Both teams had their chances, and the Indians actually missed on a penalty kick in the opening five minutes of the contest. The Indians trailed 1-0 at halftime, but in the 63rd minute, Ilin connected for the tying goal with an assist from Seumus Crossett, setting the stage for overtime and the dramatic finish.
“We game planned them very well,” Stackhouse said. “We’ve been tracking them for the last couple of weeks, knowing this game was coming up. Myself and a couple of my assistants had seen them play.”
The Indians’ head and his staff knew that Spencer Patton – a returning first team All-PCL selection – was the Explorers’ top player.
“As long as we could keep him and Michael D’Angelo off the scorer’s sheet, we knew we would be okay because we knew certain parts of the field we could attack,” said Stackhouse, who actually played soccer with D’Angelo’s father. “Defensively, we’re playing so well as a group.
“We did a fantastic job of limiting their opportunities in a game that was nip and tuck, but (we) had a greater share of ball possession.”
The Indians have allowed just seven goals in 13 games, and a lot of the credit for that goes to the back line of Akash Shah, Eric Levine, Noah Ehlin and Justin Scharf. When Shah was forced to leave Saturday’s game because of an injury, senior Alan Browning came off the bench and gave the Indians a lift.
“He played very well in the back for us today,” Stackhouse said of Browning.
Both teams took eight shots on goal. Rock North goalie Anthony Caruso was credited with four saves.
Although Saturday’s win was a big one, the Indians’ coach is making certain his players keep it in perspective.
“I always tell the kids – when I had the program at Holy Family University, the last four years, we were in and out of the national poll,” said Stackhouse, whose team was ranked as high as eighth. “I was telling them the story about the time we were ranked 10th and we were playing the number 20 team in the country at the time.
“We go to upstate New York and got beat 5-0. We were manhandled. I said, ‘That’s how easily these rankings change back and forth.’ The other team was on fire, and we played like crap. We went back up there a month later to play in regionals and lost to them 2-1 in double overtime. I tell them, ‘All that stuff, put it aside. It’s great, it’s nice, but you have to stay grounded, you’ve got to stay focused on the game in front of you.’”
The game in front of Rock North (11-1-1, 8-1 SOL) is an important conference contest at Abington on Monday.
Council Rock North 0-1-0-1 2
La Salle 1-0-0-0 1
NESHAMINY 3, DOWNINGTOWN WEST 2
Less than 24 hours after derailing a red hot Ghost squad, the Redskins found themselves back on the field taking on a Whippet squad that is second only to West Chester Henderson in the Ches-Mont’s National Division. The Redskins needed a heroic comeback after falling behind 2-0, but they pulled it off, earning their seventh straight win in dramatic fashion.
In the 16th minute, Chase Hanek finished a Dylan Loaec cross to put the Whippets on the board, and that 1-0 lead held until halftime. The Whippets made it 2-0 when Hanek scored his second goal, finishing a Will Boehmer pass in the 55th minute.
Suddenly, the Redskins were faced with the daunting prospect of scoring two goals in 25 minutes after managing none in 55. They did one better than that, scoring three and cutting the collective heart out of the Whippets.
The comeback started when Chase Rider finished a nice pass from Dan Grindrod in the 60th minute. Jack McCourt scored six minutes later after Dylan McDonald headed a corner off the crossbar, and McCourt knocked in the rebound to knot the score. Grindrod competed the remarkable comeback when he struck a perfect free kick around the wall from 18 yards out.
“Once Downingtown West scored their second goal, we started to play with more emotion and had more control of the midfield,” coach Tom Foley said. “The last 25 minutes we played a real solid game.”
Neshaminy (11-3, 6-2 SOL) will travel to Pennsbury on Monday for a key conference battle.
Downingtown West 1-1 2
Neshaminy 0-3 3
Girls
NESHAMINY 1, DOWNINGTOWN WEST 0
The Redskins notched an impressive non-league win on Saturday, shutting out a Downingtown West squad that shares the top spot in the Ches-Mont National Division standings with West Chester Henderson.
“It was big,” coach Chelsea Lovelace said. “It’s that time of year when everybody’s going to get a little bit tired.
“We’re playing all the SOL teams the second time, so it becomes more difficult. Having these tougher teams on the schedule is a challenge, but it’s good to come out with a win today knowing we played a good team. It was a good team effort.”
The ‘Skins got on the board 8:42 into the contest when Brooke Mullin headed Brianna Tobin’s free kick into the net.
“The free kick was a little bit outside the 18-yard box – Brianna Tobin floated the ball over a group of girls, and Brooke Mullin, who’s usually at the right place at the right time, was there,” Lovelace said. “The ground was wet today. She headed it and it kind of dropped and skipped under the goalie.
“That was huge. We talked about that and we tell the girls, ‘We might only get one chance, one free kick or one corner, and we have to be focused and remember the different things we talk about in practice. We give you ideas, but it’s up to you guys to figure out what play to do and where you think the ball should go.’”
Both teams collected just three shots. Neshaminy goalies Victoria Smith and Riley Spingler combined for the shutout, recording three saves. Downingtown West goalie Delaney Channell was credited with two saves.
“We’ve been stressing the whole year – we haven’t really had a full 80 minutes of 100 percent effort from every girl on the field,” Lovelace said. “Sometimes different people step up, but today everybody stepped up.
“Defensively to hold them off 71 minutes without scoring a goal, that was huge for us. It’s nerve-racking, but our defense did a great job and, really, all over the field because it starts with the forwards up top – they kept pressuring their defense, and we didn’t give them any easy outs. It was a total team effort, but definitely our defensive line – our back four did really well for us today.”
Comprising the Redskins’ defensive line were Maggie Daeche, Genna Obringer. Hannah Stonkus and Fiona McDonald, who filled in at center back in the absence of a starter.
Neshaminy (11-1-1, 6-1-1 SOL) will host Pennsbury in a battle of neighboring rivals on Thursday at 7 p.m.
Downingtown West 0-0 0
Neshaminy 1-0 1
PENNSBURY 6, HERSHEY 3
The Falcons jumped out to a 2-0 lead five minutes into Saturday’s non-league contest and led from wire to wire. Cara Thomas got the ball rolling when she turned a Whitney Roth pass into a goal in the fourth minute. Less than a minute later, Meredith Webber found the net, using a Kelsey Butler assist. The Falcons led 3-0 when Thomas (Roth assist) scored her second goal in the 23rd minute.
Hershey interrupted the Falcons’ tear and threatened to make things interesting with back-to-back goals of their own within a seven-minute span to make it a 3-2 game. Lauren Epler (Olivia Wandzilak assist) scored in the 25th minute, and seven minutes later, Epler assisted on a Hannah Jones goal to pull the visitors to within one.
The Falcons responded with a goal from Webber (Hope Drewes assist) in the 35th minute, but three minutes later, the Trojans made it a 4-3 game when Jones scored, again using an Epler assist. Dani Cady connected on back-to-back goals – the first with a Gabby Zalot in the 40th minute and the second with an assist from Thomas in the 42nd minute. Neither team scored the rest of the way.
Pennsbury (11-0, 8-0 SOL) – ranked first in the latest PSCA Angelo’s Corner state poll and eighth in the USA Today national poll – is off until Thursday when it will travel to Neshaminy for a showdown between the neighboring rivals and conference powers.
Hershey 3-0 3
Pennsbury 5-1 6
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