Jarrad Saffren recaps Thursday’s SOL boys’ soccer games.
By Jarrad Saffren
Twenty Suburban One League boys’ soccer teams played league games on Thursday. Nine won, nine lost, nobody tied. America.
We are still waiting on one result at this time, that of the Quakertown-Cheltenham game.
The other nine results and recaps are below.
SOL American
Plymouth Whitemarsh 4, Upper Dublin 3 (OT)
Upper Dublin won the Suburban One League American Conference in 2015 and ’16. The Flying Cardinals won their first three 2017 league games by an 18-5 margin. They were the class of the American coming into this game.
But in overtime, PW’s Ryan Heaton stole the ball in the midfield and kicked it up to the offensive third. Alex Lefkowitz settled it, saw the goalie run out and booted it over his head into the net.
The game-winner capped a two-goal, one-assist day for Lefkowitz. It also completed a two-goal comeback by the Colonials.
The comeback catapulted PW into a first-place tie with the Cardinals. Both teams are 3-1 in league play.
“It was a great battle by both teams. It’s a great win,” said PW coach Jeff Heaton. “Upper Dublin has been the cream of the crop in our league. It was the second time this week that we beat an undefeated team in our league.”
PW also beat previously undefeated Springfield Township on Tuesday. Led by Lefkowitz and Jacobe Sandcroft up top, PW looks like a real contender for its first league title since 2014. Sandcroft scored the first two PW goals on Thursday.
“He and Jacobe played up top in the 4-4-2. They were workhorses and were unbelievable all day long,” Heaton said. “He really picked it up from last year. He’s a junior.”
PW (3-1, 3-1 SOL) hosts Hatboro-Horsham on Tuesday at 3:30. Upper Dublin (3-2, 3-1 SOL) welcomes Springfield on the same day and time.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 0-3-1 4
Upper Dublin 2-1-0 3
Hatboro-Horsham 2, Wissahickon 1
In the 70th minute, in a 1-1 game, Hatboro-Horsham keeper Zach Kim punted the ball over the midfield line. It took a big bounce and deflected off a defender. Danny Harmon controlled it, dribbled forward and kicked the ball past the keeper.
The Hatters took a 2-1 lead and held it for the next 10 minutes. Their keeper, Zach Kim, made six saves.
“Zach made all the saves he needed to,” said H-H coach Kyle McGrath. “He punched balls off of restarts and controlled his box.”
Neither team scored in the first half.
“Both teams created some opportunities in the first, but nothing super dangerous,” McGrath said.
Hatboro-Horsham took a 1-0 lead in the 53rd minute. Nick Hatzenbeller scored off an assist from Ryan Cole.
Wissahickon tied the game 10 minutes later. But you know what happened next.
Hatboro-Horsham improved to 3-1 in league play and kept pace with three other 3-1 teams—Upper Dublin, Springfield and PW—in the American.
“Wissahickon and Upper Dublin have been the two top teams in this league,” McGrath said. “We’re still trying to make a name for ourselves in this league and any time you beat one of them it makes a big difference.”
Hatboro-Horsham (4-1-1, 3-1 SOL) plays Archbishop Wood on Saturday night at seven. Wissahickon (3-3, 2-2 SOL) battles Cheltenham on Tuesday at 3:30.
Hatboro-Horsham 0-2 2
Wissahickon 0-1 1
Springfield Township 5, Upper Moreland 0
Springfield got back on track after suffering its first loss on Tuesday. The Spartans are now 4-1 this season.
A lot of Spartans contributed to Thursday’s blowout win. Jacob Friedman, Louis Luongo, Cole Hutchinson, Trevor McCaffery and Caedmon Curry all scored. Chakubuta Tuhenya had two assists. And Leon Mengone added an assist.
Springfield (4-1, 3-1 SOL) hosts Collegium Charter on Monday at four. Upper Moreland (0-7, 0-4 SOL) plays Quakertown on Tuesday night at seven.
SOL Continental
Souderton 1, Pennridge 0
In the 54th minute, Souderton pushed the ball forward and got it behind the Pennridge backline. A defender challenged the ball and knocked it loose. David Hafler kicked the loose ball across the six to Kidane Gebremichael, who tapped it in.
Souderton held its 1-0 lead for the last 26 minutes. “
It was a typical high school soccer game. A lot of guys worked really hard on both sides,” said Souderton coach Matt Benner. “I was pleased with the effort from all of our boys.”
Benner was particularly pleased with his keeper, Mitchell Race, who made six saves. “Mitchell was fantastic. He’s really growing as a keeper and leader,” Benner said. “He made a few early saves that kept the momentum from swinging to Pennridge’s side.”
Souderton (2-1-1, 2-1 SOL) plays Haverford on Saturday at 11 a.m. Pennridge (2-2, 1-2 SOL) travels to Faith Christian on Saturday night for a 7 p.m. start.
Souderton 0-1 1
Pennridge 0-0 0
William Tennent 4, Central Bucks South 1
William Tennent improved to 2-2 overall and earned its first league win of 2017.
Billy Hanratty scored twice for Tennent. Jon Lotrean and Jack Forbes also scored for the Panthers. Sean Metz had two assists.
Tennent (2-2, 1-2 SOL) plays Central Bucks East on Tuesday at 3:30. Central Bucks South (1-4-1, 1-3 SOL) battles Abington on Monday night at seven.
SOL National
Council Rock North 4, Abington 1
The Indians earned an impressive win over a really good league rival, building a 3-1 halftime lead and controlling the second half.
Council Rock North coach Joe Stackhouse scouted Abington on Tuesday. And it made a big difference.
Defensively, Stackhouse figured out how to neutralize Abington’s big scorer, Sean Touey.
“One defender fronted Sean and the other backed him, and if he went to the side a guy would pick him up automatically,” Stackhouse said. “We play a flat zone. The first guy through the zone is your mark.”
Touey did assist on Abington’s only goal. He kicked the ball through the slot to Nevin Bair, who blasted it past the keeper.
“That was the one screw up we had,” Stackhouse said. “Sean is a great player. But our defensive unit of Akash Shah, TJ Grube, Jeremy Smithline and Zach Saifer kept him in check.”
Offensively, Stackhouse figured out how to open space along the flanks.
“There was a huge gap between the backs and forwards. I didn’t see a lot of midfield play. So we flooded the midfield with five guys and had one guy up top,” Stackhouse said. “We held the ball in the midfield, made them come out and slide balls out to the flank. That’s how Justin (Scharf) scored the one time. We basically held the ball back in front of them to make them come out and get us.”
Scharf scored two goals. Conor O’Donnell had a goal and an assist for the Indians. Jon Pugh scored once.
“They (Scharf and O’Donnell) play on the same club team and teamed up real well,” Stackhouse said.
CR North has won four straight since losing its first two games.
“We came out slow. Opening day we were missing four guys. The second game we were missing three,” Stackhouse said. “We are getting healthy now. This is a technical soccer team. Last year’s team was athletic. It’s a different route to success each year.”
CR North (4-2, 4-0 SOL) plays Neshaminy on Tuesday at 3:30. Abington (4-2, 2-2 SOL) hosts CB South on Monday night at seven.
Council Rock North 3-1 4
Abington 1-0 1
Pennsbury 3, Neshaminy 2
Neshaminy took a 2-1 lead into halftime. Jack McCourt and Matt Leonhauser scored first half goals.
“Collectively we played great in the first half,” said Neshaminy coach Tom Foley. “We moved the ball as well as we have all year.”
But Pennsbury scored two goals in the last 15 minutes to steal the win.
“We just got a little disorganized. We didn’t match their intensity late and fell a little short,” Foley said. “They were really on us.”
Pennsbury (4-1, 3-0 SOL) plays CB South on Friday at 3:30. Neshaminy (2-2-1, 1-2 SOL) battles Cumberland Valley on Saturday at 11 a.m.
Pennsbury 1-2 3
Neshaminy 2-0 2
Bensalem 4, Harry S. Truman 1
Bensalem took a 3-0 lead in the first 22 minutes and cruised to its first league win of 2017.
Jon Larbi, Robbie Montero and Ryan Antry scored those early goals. Montero, German Contreras and Eddie Farnsworth assisted on them.
Dennis Lara put the Owls up 4-0 in the 57th minute. Gio Saez assisted.
Ilyas Nashid got Harry S. Truman on the board one minute later.
Bensalem (2-3, 1-3 SOL) plays Church Farm on Friday at 3:30. Truman (3-3, 0-3 SOL) travels to Abington on Tuesday for a 3:30 start.
Bensalem 3-1 4
Harry S. Truman 0-1 1
Non-League
North Penn 2, Council Rock South 1
Luke McMahon scored twice in the first half to put North Penn up 2-0 at halftime. Carter Houlihan and Aidan Jerome assisted on the goals.
Council Rock South answered with 15 minutes left. Justin Segal scored off a Nick Santos free kick.
“Then all of a sudden it became a really good game. They got adrenaline going from the goal. Up to that point we had the better of the game,” said North Penn coach Paul Duddy. “(North Penn keeper) Joey (Lindsay) made some great saves at the end.”
Lindsay stopped five shots in all.
“I thought we played well enough to pull a point but it didn’t happen,” said CR South coach Alan Nicholl. “North Penn’s a good team, so good on the ball. Their midfield is so mobile. And they take care of the ball so well.
“We were very good for the last 15 minutes. We played Abington last week and got hammered and played North last week and couldn’t generate offense. But tonight we played well, so that’s something we can build on.”
McMahon now has three goals in his last two games.
“The first couple games Luke struggled a little bit. But now he’s healthy. He’s getting back to where we hoped he would be,” Duddy said. “The thing we need is for guys other than he and Aidan to step up and get some goals.”
North Penn (3-1, 2-1 SOL) hosts Wilson on Saturday at 10 a.m.
“Wilson is always a good team from another district, so it’ll be a good test,” Duddy said.
CR South (2-5, 1-2 SOL) hosts Pennsbury on Tuesday at 3:30.
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