Check out the recaps for SOL boys/girls soccer teams in action Saturday.
Boys
Non-league
QUAKERTOWN 1, LANSDALE CATHOLIC 0 (OT)
Five minutes into overtime, Gavin Smith – off an Adam Wunsch corner – turned a Jared Leatherman pass into the game-winner, propelling the Panthers to the thrilling win.
It was the Panthers’ third straight 1-0 game and came on the heels of back-to-back losses to Central Bucks East and Central Bucks West.
“It’s a super win – they’re a solid team, very well coached,” coach Lee Bishop said of an LC team that brought a 7-1-1 record into the game. “They’d only lost one game this season – to North Penn.
“For us to come away with a win in that game was huge. We played really well against CB West midweek. That was a back and forth battle. The CB East, CB West and the Lansdale game – we played really well. We even played today without one of our stalwarts – Glenn Moyer. We really hung in there.”
Bishop had high praise for his defense, which has allowed just two goals in the Panthers’ last three games.
“The last three games our defense has played particularly well,” Bishop said. “Micah Reinford and Jared Leatherman, who play center D, have been playing awesome together.
“I’m very happy for the boys. We only won two games last year, we already won two this year. We should have beaten Norristown, so we should be 3-4. We’re coming around, and hopefully, we can continue to build.”
Quakertown (2-5, 0-4 SOL) will be on the road at Souderton on Tuesday.
Quakertown 0-0-1 1
Lansdale Catholic 0-0-0 0
BENSALEM 3, ARCHBISHOP RYAN 1
The Owls rallied from a 1-0 halftime deficit to cap a highly successful week with their fourth straight win. The Owls – 0-5 one short week ago – are now just a game below .500.
“This has been a great week for the team – we called it the perfect week,” coach Rob Brown said. “After practice last Friday, our goal was to win all four, and we did it. We have been battling a lot of injuries and every player has been on the field this week at some point.”
The Owls found themselves on the short end of a 1-0 score at halftime.
“We gave up a goal in the first half again, but I thought we outplayed them and we got called for a few off-sides calls that negated a goal,” Brown said. “We really worked hard and attacked their flanks. We should have really scored a goal there but Ryan was able to hold defensively.
“I told the boys that this was a position that we were used to, and it wasn’t a big deal to be down a goal. It was nothing new to us, so we came out and worked hard.”
The Owls evened the score on a goal by Brian Gibson.
“We got a foul call about 35 yards out, and Brian Gibson came up to and hit another rocket for the game tying goal,” Brown said. “We really had momentum going and had some near misses.
“Jordan Lee came up, threw a great throw-in into the box, and it went off the keeper and Brian Gibson was able to finish again. The goal that put us up 3-1 was a rebound that Hunter Shay was able to take from about 25 yards out and shot it side netting.”
The Owls’ coach lauded the play of his team’s defense.
“Tonight our back line played awesome, and I thought Kyle Maloney had his best game and Jake Wheaton played a great game too,” Brown said.
Bensalem (4-5, 3-3 SOL) will host Central Bucks East in a non-league game Tuesday. The Owls will travel to Neshaminy on Thursday and then will host Penn Wood in a non-league game Friday.
“It’s gonna be another tough week but we are ready for it,” Brown said.
Bensalem 0-3 3
Archbishop Ryan 1-0 1
NORTH PENN 2, LA SALLE 0
The Knights used a pair of second-half goals to earn a win in Saturday’s non-league contest.
“Every year when we play La Salle – it’s always very competitive,” coach Paul Duddy said. “Every ball is contested. Whether it’s a head ball or a tackle, everybody goes hard.
“It’s just a great rivalry. They’re a great team from the Catholic League, and I think we’re a good team from the Suburban One League.”
The Knights got on the scoreboard four minutes into the second half.
“One of their defenders slipped a little bit and Michael Chaffee was able to strip the ball, dished it right off to Carter Houlihan, and Carter buried,” Duddy said.
It was Houlihan’s 13th goal in seven games. Twelve minutes later, the duo reversed roles and connected on an insurance goal.
“Carter served the ball to Chaffee, and Chaffee knocked it in,” Duddy said. “They returned the favor to each other.”
On the defensive side, Sawyer Meade came up with a game-saving play in the second half.
“After it was 1-0, La Salle had a breakaway – the guy got down the field, and a service came in. It was a head ball – just a bullet the guy hit off his head from close range, and Sawyer got his hand up and tipped it over the bar,” Duddy said. “That could have clearly changed the game if it goes 1-1.
“Sawyer has been very steady for us, and in a tight game against a good team, it was great to see him come up with a very good save.”
North Penn (7-1, 3-1 SOL) will host Pennridge on Tuesday.
La Salle 0-0 0
North Penn 0-2 2
HARRY S TRUMAN 3, ACADEMY PARK 0
The visiting Tigers opened up a 1-0 halftime lead and never looked back on their way to the non-league win.
Mert Yildirium opened the scoring with a feed from Zack Hopely. The Tigers added a pair of second-half goals.
“Wendell Matthews scored a nice header from a Richie Hrouda corner kick,” coach Matt Terry said. “We had many opportunities and were unable to connect.
“Ricky Pierre Toussaint finished the scoring from a well-played ball by Zack Hopely.”
Jan Abarayak and Timmy Tran combined for the shutout in goal.
“Adam Fask, Jon Hamilton, Ayuob Fask, Osvaldo Rodriguez, Artie Dingley, Edwin Rivera, Nnamdi Ofoegbi were solid,” Terry said. “Field conditions were tough, and the keeper was very solid for Academy Park.”
Harry S Truman (3-4-1, 0-4-1 SOL) will travel to William Tennent on Tuesday.
Harry S Truman 1-2 3
Academy Park 0-0 0
NESHAMINY 4, HOLY GHOST PREP 1
Sparked by Mike Albarran’s hat trick, the visiting Redskins erupted for four goals en route to the impressive non-league win over the Firebirds.
“We played our best game of the year tonight,” coach Tom Foley said. “Our defense was smothering, particularly in the second half.
“Our back four of Ian Siwinski, Lou Salmi, Alex Daeche and Dan Nogueira were excellent. Rich Faul was all over the field as our defensive midfielder tonight, consistently stopping Ghost offensive rushes.”
Alex Daeche opened the scoring 40 seconds into the game.
“Manny Weagba flicked a corner into his path, and he knocked it past the keeper,” Foley said.
Holy Ghost Prep evened the score a minute later when Liam Fleming headed a ball past Trevor Rush. In the 30th minute, Albarran picked up his first goal of the night when he tucked in a Daeche flick off a long throw-in, sending the Redskins into halftime with a 2-1 advantage.
Albarran found the net for his second goal and a 3-1 Redskin lead in the 59th minute.
“Mike Albarran collected an Alex Daeche flicked ball at the top of the penalty area and hammered it past the Holy Ghost Prep keeper,” Foley said. “Albarran picked up his hat trick in the 65th minute when he skinned two defenders off the dribble and beat the keeper from 14 yards out.”
Neshaminy (7-1, 4-1 SOL) will travel to Pennsbury for a key rivalry game Tuesday.
Neshaminy 2-2 4
Holy Ghost 1-0 1
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 0, RADNOR 0 (2 OT)
One hundred minutes could not determine a winner, and the Bucks and Raiders were forced to settle for a scoreless tie.
“Both sides worked hard for 100 minutes on a hot day,” West coach Stefan Szygiel said. “I was pleased to see us keep another clean sheet and generate some good chances.”
The Bucks’ coach went on to credit the efforts of several players.
“The back line of Bailey Moyer, Reed Thompson, Cole Young and Conor O’Brien kept us organized and dealt with a lot of dangerous balls from Radnor,” Szygiel said. “James Lutz and Kanishk Nazareth held down the midfield and battled through a lot of tackles.
“Jimi Leder had some good looks up top today as well, just couldn’t find the finish, and Ian Munoz won a ton of first and second balls for us. Goalkeeper Ryan Van Pelt earned his fifth clean sheet and handled crosses and long throws well today.”
Van Pelt made three saves in the shutout.
Central Bucks West (3-3-3, 2-2-1 SOL) will host Central Bucks South on Tuesday.
Central Bucks West 0-0-0-0 0
Radnor 0-0-0-0 0
PENNSBURY 1, DOWNINGTOWN WEST 1 (2 OT)
Nyles Cayemitte scored the Falcons’ lone goal in s non-league contest that saw the two teams settle for a tie.
Pennsbury (7-0-1, 5-0 SOL) will host Neshaminy in a key conference game Tuesday.
UPPER MERION 1, SOUDERTON 0 (OT)
Souderton played in its fourth straight 1-0 game on Saturday, but this one was the Indians’ first loss in the four.
Senior goalkeeper Riley Finger recorded five saves for the Indians.
Souderton (5-2-2, 2-1-2 SOL) will host Quakertown on Tuesday.
Souderton 0-0-0 0
Upper Merion 0-0-1 1
ARCHBISHOP WOOD 4 WILLIAM TENNENT 0
The visiting Vikings opened up a 2-0 halftime lead on their way to the convincing win.
“They outplayed us in every aspect today, and I tip my hat to their players who played fantastic in front of a nice crowd,” Tennent coach Nick D’Andrea said.
William Tennent (3-5, 2-3 SOL) will host Harry S Truman on Tuesday.
Archbishop Wood 2-2 4
William Tennent 0-0 0
Girls
Non-league
PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH 2, HAVERFORD 0
Haverford has posed a formidable foe in the recent past for the Colonials, but on Saturday, PW used a pair of second-half goals to defeat the Fords.
“It was a big win today,” coach Ryan Zehren said. “We have never beaten Haverford since I’ve taken the reins, so it was really nice.”
The two teams were locked in a scoreless tie at halftime.
“We played terrible in the first half – it was one of the worst halves we’ve had all season,” Zehren said. “We just weren’t clicking.
“Against Upper Dublin (a 3-0 win), we played fantastic obviously. Against Upper Moreland (2-1), we had a great game. We couldn’t finish, but we still played great. We weren’t upset with the girls. We just couldn’t finish. It is what it is – it’s soccer.”
The Colonials, according to their coach, caught a few breaks in the first half.
“Haverford had a penalty kick, they missed it,” Zehren said. “They missed a couple of other chances inside the box, and we were really happy to get to halftime at 0-0.
“We had adjustments we were trying to make in the first half, but it was just really hard to communicate it to the girls because they hadn’t faced an offense or the formation Haverford was throwing at us ever.
“They were really good, and what they were doing was really fooling us. My assistant coach, Ryan Kirby, made some adjustments. He told the girls what to do, and they executed it in the second half.”
Ani Shula scored the game’s first goal from 35-40 yards out.
“The ball rolled out to her, she kicked it at the goal, and it went upper 90,” Zehren said. “It was a tough save for the goalie, and we were like, ‘All right, maybe we’re stealing this game.’
“As the game went on, it was like – ‘We’re not stealing the game because now we’re really playing well.’ Whatever happened in the first half was not happening in the second. The chances were pretty even or we had a few more in the second half. I really feel like they didn’t even have a chance in the second half, at least it felt like that. They might have had one.”
A pair of sophomores teams up for an insurance goal when Sophia Kosvitch scored, using an assist from fellow sophomore Fiona Gooneratne.
“Sophia had a tough game the game before, and she shook it off and scored a goal off a corner kick,” Zehren said. “She had the best game of her career. She really played a phenomenal game.
“Fiona Gooneratne had an excellent game. We’ve been putting her out wide, but we finally put her inside, and she tore it up. I couldn’t have asked for more from two younger players – Fiona played our corner kick in, Sophia didn’t let the ball hit the ground, got her foot on it, and it went to the far post and went in. She attacked the ball, put her foot on it – she didn’t kick it really hard, but it went to the perfect spot and went in. Sophomore from a sophomore, and for those two players who don’t start – they connected three or four times this season already. It’s promising.”
The Colonials starting lineup includes eight juniors, one sophomore and two seniors.
“I think the girls are maturing,” Zehren said. “We have some good senior leadership. I only have two seniors that start, but the others don’t sulk about it. Their leadership is what propelled us this week.”
The defense also played a significant role in a week that saw the Colonials outscore their three opponents 7-1 in three straight wins.
“Our defense really played solid in the second half,” Zehren said. “If you look at our scores, defense is a focal point, that’s our thing. If we can play good defense and get a goal or two, we can win the games 1-0.”
Plymouth Whitemarsh (6-3, 4-2 SOL) will host Hatboro-Horsham on Tuesday.
Plymouth Whitemarsh 0-2 2
Haverford 0-0 0
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 2, PERKIOMEN VALLEY 0
The Bucks scored a goal in each half on their way to Saturday’s non-league shutout win.
“We played a good, well-rounded game given the fact we were on a not-so-good grass field,” West coach Mike Moyer said. “It’s extremely hard to possess but we found a way to get the win.”
Mariella Neri put the Bucks on the scoreboard, using a Taylor Moyer assist.
“We had a great buildup on our first goal,” coach Moyer said. “It ended with Taylor Moyer beating her defender and playing a great through ball to a wide open Mariella Neri, who buried her first goal of the season.”
That 1-0 lead held until midway through the second half when Moyer found the net with an insurance goal.
“We came out fast in the second half and had several chances but couldn’t convert,” coach Moyer said. “Then, with about 20 minutes left, Allie Evan played a great ball into the box that Taylor ran onto and just got the slightest touch on it to freeze the goalie to give us the two-goal advantage. We were able to play the game out.”
The Bucks’ coach lauded the efforts of several players.
“I thought captains Tori Albrecht and Erin Fitz were tremendous in the midfield today,” Moyer said. “Tori has been playing great lately and she continues to dominate in the air.
“Shea Lubin, Erin Stranix, and Maggie Hesson were excellent today. It was also nice to see that my defense led by Keely McGlone and Courtney Moylan got us another clean sheet.”
Central Bucks West (6-3, 3-2 SOL) will be on the road at Central Bucks South on Tuesday.
Central Bucks West 1-1 2
Perkiomen Valley 0-0 0
PARKLAND 7, NORTH PENN 2
Eight minutes into Saturday’s non-league contest, Tia Sheehy converted a penalty kick after Parkland was whistled for a handball in the box. The Jaguars answered with a pair of goals to go into halftime with a 2-1 lead.
Parkland converted a PK to take a 3-1 lead 12 minutes into the second half. The Knights pulled to within one when they converted a corner. Riley Saxman’s corner kick was headed by Becca Richardson and poked into the back of the net by Sheehy.
The rest of the game belonged to the Parkland, which reeled off four unanswered goals to close out the game.
North Penn (4-5-1, 2-2-1 SOL) will be on the road at Pennridge on Tuesday.
Parkland 2-5 7
North Penn 1-1 2
WISSAHICKON 4, SPRINGFIELD-DELCO 0
CONWELL-EGAN 2, HARRY S TRUMAN 1
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