Check out the recaps for SOL boys’ soccer teams in action Wednesday. North Penn/CB East photos courtesy of Tracy Valko. Check back for a gallery of photos.
SOL Colonial
Pennridge 1, Central Bucks South 0
Aiden Castle broke a scoreless tie with 23 minutes remaining, and Pennridge won its fourth straight game on Wednesday.
“Ryan Saville threw the ball in on the far corner on their end to his brother Jake (Saville), who was able to slot it across in the box to Aiden Castle, who was able to settle it and rip it for the go-ahead and game-winning goal,” said Pennridge coach Pete Valimont. “It was a nice combination.
“As always in this division, (CB South) coach Joe (Coscia) has a solid team. He’s got some stars all over the place on that field. We scouted them against West and knew this was going to be a chore of a game. To win on the road in these back-to-back games at this point in the season is big.”
CB South’s best chance came in the first half as a shot hit the crossbar with 27 minutes remaining in the first half.
“It was a heck of a shot from about 25 yards out, hit the crossbar, so that got us a little nervous,” Valimont said.
The Rams defense shut the Titans down the rest of the way.
“Our backs, Shane Velez and Tommy McKinney, really stepped up this game and Ryan Saville on the side as well,” Valimont said. “Those three really did a heck of a job. In front of them, Pat Fannon and Nicky Williams really locked down the middle and really did a good job of clogging things up for South and getting us out and giving us some options defensively.”
Pennridge has won four straight since a 2-1 loss to North Penn and allowed just one goal in those four wins.
“These last two playing on the road at Souderton (a 2-0 win) and playing on the road at CB South are never easy at all,” Valimont said. “We got beat up pretty good down here last year – lost 1-3 and didn’t know if our season was over or not.”
Pennridge (5-1-1, 3-1-1 SOL) is back in action Friday when it hosts Harry S. Truman. CB South (3-2-1, 2-2-1) looks to bounce back Friday when it hosts Bensalem.
Pennridge 0 1 – 1
CB South 0 0 – 0
Souderton 2, Central Bucks West 0
Goals 10 minutes apart in the second half were the difference in this one as Souderton blanked CB West on Wednesday night.
Ben Lare opened the scoring in the 65th minute, with assists by Thomas Smith and Nolan Hughes.
In the 75th minute, Joe Sirchia scored off a Hughes assist.
Chris McKenna and Roman Sigafoos split time in goal and combined for the shutout. McKenna stopped a penalty kick and recorded seven saves in the first half, while Sigafoos finished with six saves.
“I thought our goalkeepers were fantastic tonight,” said Souderton coach Matt Benner. “Chris McKenna in the first half and Roman Sigafoos in the second. They filled in for our senior keeper, Aidan McClure, and both came up with some great saves and had a presence on restarts.
“Thomas Smith at center back also had a really solid night in the back for us. Ben Lare and Nolan Hughes provided great energy as forwards. Nolan Hughes as well with some great individual skill and final passes.”
Despite the outcome, West coach Stefan Szygiel saw some things he liked.
“They scored in the (65th) minute, so for 65 minutes, I think we played well and worked hard,” the Bucks’ coach said. “We had a lot of rotation and a lot of guys putting in a lot of energy. We just couldn’t find the back of the net. Their lineup has a lot of really nice technical guys, and they just wore us down. They broke us down twice with what I would call good combinations in the offensive third, and from a soccer standpoint, we just couldn’t keep up.
“I hate losing, but I also think we played with more desire tonight. They have a more experienced lineup at this point. We’re learning every day, and these guys just have to hang in there. We’re in a little bit of a scoring drought, and we don’t have a clear, defined goal scorer, so we have to get it in other ways. We probably generated more chances tonight than every other game we’ve played.
“It’s been a really testing time, but if they stay in this together, it will pay off at some point. I hope everybody stays in. I hope the players, the families, the West soccer community – if they keep supporting these guys, I do think it will pay off. There’s a light at the end of the tunnel. I don’t know how far away it is.”
Souderton (3-1-2, 1-1-2 SOL) hosts Council Rock North on Friday. CB West (1-5, 1-4 SOL) plays at Neshaminy on Saturday.
CB West 0 0 – 0
Souderton 0 2 – 2
North Penn 1, Central Bucks East 0
The game-winner came in the 76th minute for North Penn, as Jim Perrin cashed in, and the Knights earned the shutout win over visiting CB East on Wednesday.
Perrin’s goal came off an assist from Jovani Gonzalez.
The win came on the heels of a 1-0 loss to Central Bucks South on Monday in a game that saw the Knights lose their starting goalie for the season.
“It was an important win coming off a tough loss and with Cameron dislocating his elbow and out for the season,” NP coach Chris DePeppe said. “We showed some character in coming back 48 hours later and beating CB East in their stadium.
“Our conference probably is not going to be decided until the last day (of the regular season), and we know every game will be tightly contested. Nobody is running away with the title this year, so we try to keep the focus on the quality of our play, so it was encouraging to see us control play a bit and create some excellent chances.“
The Knights’ coach went on to credit the efforts of his defense in the shutout win.
“Really, it was our defense that won the game,” DePeppe said. “Ryan Mindick and Brian Scott were outstanding at center back. Two first-time starters made an impact too. Senior Jake Myers at fullback and junior Hayden Wagner at center midfield stepped in and played confidently and lifted the team.
“Hunter Stites and Jovani Gonzalez led the attack, but we have struggled in front of goal in the first few games, so Jim Perrin has to get the game ball for the game-winner. We are starting to enjoy soccer and the chemistry is good, so I’m looking forward to this next stretch of games. We can still play much better.”
Gabe Kemp earned the shutout in goal.
With the win, North Penn is now 3-2 overall and 2-2 in the SOL Colonial Division. It plays at Pennsbury in a key crossover game on Friday. CB East (3-2-2, 2-1-2 SOL) plays at Council Rock South.
CB East 0 0 – 0
North Penn 0 1 – 1
SOL Patriot
Neshaminy 5, Bensalem 0
Jon Lopez scored on a header in the second minute of the game, sending Neshaminy on its way to a 5-0 shutout of Bensalem on Wednesday.
“Everyone on the team got in,” said Neshaminy coach Tom Foley. “We have 23 or 24 field players. Every one of them got a little bit of time today. It was a good team effort. Everyone played really well to preserve the shutout. I’m really proud of the guys. They’re starting to gain some confidence which is good. I’m happy to see that.”
Neshaminy’s two first-half goals came off of corner kicks. Matt Lamb picked up the assist on Lopez’s goal, and Vince DeMaria cashed in off a Joe Joe Maxwell in the 22nd minute.
“Joe Joe Maxwell drilled a low hard one that Vince DeMaria kind of toe-doinked into the net,” Foley said. “It was right near the goal line.
“We clamped down on them pretty well in the first half. We didn’t really give them any opportunities. We had a couple bad touches here and there when things broke down, but overall, we played pretty well in the first half.
“In the second half, we challenged them to see if we could not let them back in the game, and they answered the challenge.”
Jose Rivera (Richie Faul assist), Josh Anderson (Jose Rivera assist) and Ethan Roney (Jacob Doran assist) scored second-half goals. Rivera’s goal in the third minute of the half came on a breakaway.
“We’re finally being rewarded,” Foley said. “We’ve played well where we should have gotten some goals. It’s good that we’re starting to get some confidence and get some goals on our offensive end. We’ve been down on other team’s end most of the time, and it’s a credit to the kids.
“They keep working and pressuring, pressuring, pressuring. That’s what we preach at practice. When you pressure other teams, they have a tendency to give up the ball, and when they gave up the ball in bad spots for them and good spots for us, we weren’t taking advantage of the opportunities. Now we’re starting to bury our opportunities which is a real positive sign for us.”
Logan Glidea and Casey Foley combined for the shutout in goal for Neshaminy.
“Our back line played exceptionally well,” Foley said. “AJ Rivera is just a remarkable player in the back. He’s very composed, he reads the game really well, he never gets himself in really bad positions, and his brother, Jose (Rivera), who plays up top for us, does a great job playing with his back to the goal. He creates a lot of opportunities for us.
“Joe Joe Maxwell had a great game for us today too. He was snake-bitten today. He didn’t bury a couple of chances, but they’ll come for him because he’s creating a lot of opportunities. He’s very clever with the ball, and he’s getting good, clean looks a lot so he’s doing well.”
Neshaminy (4-2, 3-2 SOL), who has won three straight games and has outscored opponents 17-0 in that stretch, hosts Central Bucks West on Saturday in a crossover game. Bensalem (2-4-1, 2-3 SOL) is at Central Bucks South on Friday.
Neshaminy 2 3 – 5
Bensalem 0 0 – 0
Pennsbury 0 Council Rock North 0 (2 OT)
Both teams had chances in regulation and again in overtime, but in the end, these SOL Patriot rivals settled for a scoreless tie on Wednesday.
“We certainly did not play our best,” said Pennsbury coach Tom Stoddart. “It was kind of flat for the fact that you have two teams that are on top of the table. The game itself lacked a little pop. Their guys definitely had a little more energy and were definitely more assertive on the field. We just struggled to find a rhythm. We didn’t lack effort, we couldn’t get the right effort in the right spots, and the game felt a little flat for us.”
Pennsbury goalkeeper Justin Brown recorded another shutout.
“Justin Brown, our goalkeeper, kept us in the game,” Stoddart said. “He just owned the box. They definitely had a plan on how to get in on a restart here and there, but he was very sharp in not allowing anyone to have any clean looks inside the box. He did a great job.
“My back four held up strong under a lot of pressure. We actually lost Tanner Whiteside to an injury in the CR South game, so Evan Soriano started in his place, and then Almin Hadzovic, Cooper Gray and Andrew Prebola.”
After a scoreless regulation, both teams had chances again in the first and second extra periods.
“I thought we made a nice charge in the last overtime, but we just couldn’t get it across the line,” Stoddart said. “With that being said, I thought his (North coach Joe Stackhouse’s) squad made a good charge in the same overtime.
“Defenses were solid, and where there was a couple of mistakes, the goalkeepers each came up with a couple of saves at each end. We’ve got parity pretty much in the league right now.”
First-place Pennsbury (4-1-1, 4-1-1 SOL) hosts North Penn in a crossover game on Friday, while CR North (3-3-1, 3-1-1) looks to keep pace at Souderton.
CR North 0 0 0 0 – 0
Pennsbury 0 0 0 0 – 0
Council Rock South 5, Harry S Truman 1
Gavin Hagan scored two goals as the Golden Hawks jumped ahead early and put the Tigers away in this one.
It was Hagan (Shane Cohen assist) putting the Golden Hawks on the scoreboard. Everett Kurtz (Stepan Kovalov assist), Josh Nikolevski (Frankie Rafferty assist), Hagan (Rafferty assist) and Dave Aquino followed with a goal apiece.
Truman coach George Matwijec saw some positives in Wednesday’s loss.
“The Truman Tigers played a competitive game against Council Rock,” the Tigers’ first-year coach said. “The score was 2-0 at halftime with the Tigers playing a stout defense.
“Goalie Sebastian Hamilton had 20 saves for the Tigers, keeping the game close the majority of the game. Midfielder Ayoub Fast – aside from dazzling the midfield with his stellar play – also scored the lone goal for the Tigers. Defenders Kevin Sides and Umut Akin played tough on the defense for the Tigers.”
The Hawks (4-2, 3-2 SOL) hosts Central Bucks East in a crossover game on Friday. Truman (0-7, 0-6 SOL) plays at Pennridge.
CR South 2 3 – 5
Truman 0 1 – 1
SOL Liberty
Abington 6, Quakertown 1
Pat Capone had two goals and five Abington players ended up scoring as the first-place Ghosts jumped up 5-0 by halftime and won this one easily on Wednesday.
Other goal scorers for Abington included Liam Hartman, Thiago Danielle, Luke O’Donnell and Michael Siravo.
The Ghosts (6-0, 5-0 SOL) play at Lower Moreland on Friday in a matchup of first-place teams in their respective divisions. Quakertown (0-6, 0-5) goes for its first win Saturday at home against New Hope-Solebury.
Abington 5 1 – 6
Quakertown 0 1 – 1
Wissahickon 2, Plymouth Whitemarsh 0
The Trojans received goals from Blake McClintic and Julian Memis, and their stingy defense tossed a shutout at the Colonials in Wednesday’s win.
McClintic’s goal in the 20th minute sent the Trojans into halftime with a 1-0 advantage. The insurance goal from Memis was scored in the game’s final minute.
Memis and Phil Dias each contributed an assist.
Wissahickon (2-4-1, 2-3 SOL) will host William Tennent on Friday, and Plymouth Whitemarsh (2-4, 2-3) will host Cheltenham on Friday.
Upper Dublin 0 0 – 0
Wissahickon 1 1 – 2
SOL Freedom
Lower Moreland 1, William Tennent 0
The Lions got on the scoreboard in the second half, and their defense did the rest, holding the Panthers off the scoreboard for the shutout win.
“They have size, skill and play physical,” LM coach Bob Barnhart said. “They had a lot of set pieces that we had to deal with which was tough, but our back line and goalkeeper Brian Grant played well again.
“They had a handful of shots in the second half that our goalie was able to fight off. I was worried late about a few of their set pieces because of their size, but our guys came through in the end and dealt with it. I was happy to get out of there with the 1-0 win because it could have gone the other way for us today. We are looking forward to the crossover games for the next two weeks as a good litmus test for the second half of our conference schedule.”
Lower Moreland (4-0-1 SOL) will host Abington in a crossover game Friday, and William Tennent (2-3-2, 2-2-1) will host Wissahickon on Friday.
William Tennent 0 0 – 0
Lower Moreland 0 1 – 1
Springfield Twp 4, Cheltenham 1
Riley Martin picked up the hat trick, the third coming on a penalty kick, as Springfield bounced back from a tough loss Monday to get past Cheltenham.
The Spartans went up 3-0 by halftime in this one and never looked back. Martin scored off of assists from Evan Bunting and Nick Marino. Marino also had a goal, assisted by Jack Sharpe.
Ethan Lake scored Cheltenham’s goal.
Springfield (3-1-1, 3-1-1 SOL) hosts Upper Dublin, while Cheltenham (1-4, 0-4 SOL) hosts Plymouth Whitemarsh.
Springfield 3 1 – 4
Cheltenham 0 1 – 1
Upper Moreland 5, New Hope-Solebury 0
The Golden Bears went on the road and recorded the shutout win.
Max Gerlach scored two goals for Upper Moreland to lead the way. Logan Taylor and Chris Heron had one goal each.
Keeper Aaron Snyder recorded the shutout on the defensive side.
UM coach Justin Allegra lauded the strong play of Logan Holman and Ryan Lawler.
With the win, UM improved to 3-0-3 in the SOL Freedom and 5-0-3 overall. It hosts rival Hatboro-Horsham on Friday. New Hope (0-7, 0-5 SOL) plays at Quakertown on Saturday morning.
Upper Moreland 4 1 – 5
New Hope-Solebuary 0 0 – 0
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