SOL Boys’ Soccer District Preview (10-26-21)

Check out the preview capsules for SOL boys’ soccer teams in the District One 4A Tournament that begins Tuesday.

CLASS 4A

#5 ABINGTON (Bye)

15-2-1 overall
13-2-1 SOL Liberty Division champions
Junior forward Liam Hartman (21g) and senior forward Thiago Danielle are a dangerous duo. Danielle, who has double-digit goals, has 19 assists, most of them to Hartman.
Defense is anchored by junior goalkeeper Kevin Kretschman and central defender Drew Paxson.
Other key contributors include senior midfielder Pat Capone (7g), who is also the placekicker for the football team, senior captain Jimmy Marino, who is steady at outside left back, and senior Michael Lyou, who wins balls in the air at center back.
Senior captain Steven Fajardo, a second team all-league player last fall, has been seeing playing time after being sidelined with an injury.
Ghosts scored 55 goals and allowed 14
Swept season series with #22 Plymouth Whitemarsh (3-2, 3-1)
Split with #13 Hatboro-Horsham (2-1, 0-1)
Wins over Class 3A #4 Springfield Township (3-0) and #8 Upper Moreland (3-2)

#7 NORTH PENN (Bye)

14-4 overall
13-3 SOL Colonial Division champions
Knights won four straight conference games to close out the season – all four were one-goal games.
Senior captains Hunter Stites, Alex Stewart & Ryan Mindick were on the 2019 district and state championship team, and their leadership has been a key to the team’s success.
Hunter Stites (6g, 5a) is a versatile midfielder/defender, center mid Alex Stewart (2 g, 4a) is the Knights’ driving force in the midfield and an impact player box to box, and center back Ryan Mindick has anchored the back for nine shutouts.
Senior forward Jovani Gonzalez leads the Knights with 10 goals and six assists, and senior forward Jimmy Perrin has five goals and a knack for game-winners.
Senior keeper Gabe Kemp, who has nine shutouts, is athletic and fearless.
Senior fullback Achilles Triantafyllos has contributed two goals and three assists.
Swept season series with #16 Central Bucks East (1-0, 1-0) and #18 Souderton (2-1, 1-0).
Split season series with #8 Pennridge (2-1, 0-1)
Win over #19 Council Rock South (3-2)

#8 PENNRIDGE (Bye)

13-2-3 overall
11-2-3 SOL Colonial second place
2020 District One 4A runner-up
Senior Jake Saville (13g, 10a) leads an attack that also features Aiden Castle and Jared Hess.
Nicky Williams is a key player at center mid, and Shane Velez anchors a strong back line in front of standout keeper CJ Dimmick for a Rams’ squad that has nine shutouts.
The Rams boast a deep bench with plenty of players who have seen varsity minutes
Split season series with #7 North Penn (2-1, 1-0).
Notable late season win over #16 Central Bucks East (4-0) after settling for a 1-1 tie in the initial meeting. Defeated #18 Souderton 2-0 in early season meeting and tied 0-0 in the final week of the season.
Win over #19 Council Rock South (4-1)

#20 HARRITON at #13 HATBORO-HORSHAM (Tuesday, 7 pm)

Hatboro-Horsham

12-6 overall
11-5 SOL Liberty Division second place
Junior Noah Schlosser boasts 11 shutouts in goal and has allowed only 12 goals in 18 games
Ryan Toporowski and Caleb Hudson are key members of the center midfield and back line.
Senior center mid Tommy Harmon (5g, 4a), senior forward Jack Elwell (5g, 2a), senior forward Nick Katherine (4g, 3a), senior forward Nathan Scavo (4 g) and center mid Jack Freedman (1g, 5a) are also major contributors.
Notable wins over #16 Central Bucks East (2-0) and Class 3A #2 Lower Moreland (2-1) & #8 Upper Moreland (2-0)
Split season series with #5 Abington (1-2, 1-0), #22 Plymouth Whitemarsh (2-0, 1-2)

Harriton

#17 KENNETT at #16 CENTRAL BUCKS EAST (Tuesday, 3:45 pm)

Central Bucks East

10-5-3 overall
9-4-3 SOL Colonial Division third place
Senior Casey Prajzner, who has eight shutouts, anchors the defense in goal. Trevor Jopling, Luke Christmas, Ethan Green and Nick Knepp comprise a solid back line in front of Prajzner.
Outside mids Josh Daniels Toby Senior and Michael Frye have been major contributors both defensively and offensively.
Notable wins over #19 Council Rock South (1-0) and #18 Souderton (2-1) after battling the Indians to a 1-1 tie early in the season.

Kennett

12-4-2 overall
Closed out regular season with six straight wins, including a 3-1 win over Class 3A #3 Bishop Shanahan in its regular season finale
Senior Gavin Seele is a standout midfielder
Notable 5-1 win over Class 3A #7 Penncrest

#18 SOUDERTON at #15 STRATH HAVEN (Tuesday, 6:30 pm)

Souderton

10-5-3 overall
9-4-3 SOL Colonial Division fourth place
Defense is anchored by senior goalkeeper Aidan McClure with eight shutouts.
Leading the Indians are senior defender Thomas Smith (4g, 7a), junior forward Nolan Hughes (8g, 5a), junior midfielder Ty Quintois (4 g, 4a), senior forward Brandon Fornall (4g, 2a) and senior midfielder Dillon Barbieri (2g, 5a)
Tied #8 Pennridge 0-0 in final week of the season after falling to the Rams 2-0 earlier this season.

Strath Haven

#19 COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH at #14 SPRING-FORD (Tuesday, 7 pm)

Council Rock South

12-5-1 overall
10-5-1 SOL Patriot Division champions
Strength of team is balance, and anyone, on any given day, can be the hero.
Providing leadership are captains Kieran Barry, Shane Cohen and Gavin Hagen
Team’s improvement over the course of the season is underscored by the Golden Hawks seven-game unbeaten streak to close out the regular season. During that span, the Hawks scored 27 goals and only allowed four. The unbeaten streak came on the heels of an eight-game stretch that saw the Hawks go 4-4 with a plus-1 goal differential.
Center back Isaac Burenga and goalkeeper Kieran Barry have been key to the Golden Hawks’ strong finish.
Notable win over #18 Souderton (2-1)

Spring-Ford

10-7-1 overall
3-6-1 PAC Liberty Division
Attack led by senior Justin Russell and junior David Alban
Defense anchored in goal by Logan Hyduke
Notable wins over #4 West Chester Henderson (2-1) & #22 Plymouth Whitemarsh (4-2)
Split season series with #12 Perkiomen Valley (1-3, 4-2), #23 Norristown (6-3, 2-0) & #24 Owen J Roberts (3-0, 0-2)
Lost five of seven to close out regular season but won finale over PV.

#22 PLYMOUTH WHITEMARSH at #11 DOWNINGTOWN EAST (Tuesday, 3:45 pm)

Plymouth Whitemarsh

10-7 overall
10-6 SOL Liberty Division third place
8-3 in final 11 games.
Colonials are led by senior captains Brendan Corpus (center back) and Dean Allen (center mid)
Junior forward Mason Clatterbuck is the team’s leading scorer with 11 goals.
Senior center defensive mid Henry Couchara is also a key player.
Split season series with #13 Hatboro-Horsham (0-2, 2-1)
Notable wins over Class 3A #2 Lower Moreland (2-1) & #4 Springfield Township (4-3)