Check out the recaps for SOL boys’ soccer teams in action in the District One 4A Tournament.
CLASS 4A District Semifinals
#1 CONESTOGA 3, #5 ABINGTON 0
Don’t be fooled by the final score.
This one was a whole lot closer than the score suggests. Neither team scored in the first half, and it was a scoreless game until the 60th minute when the Ghosts suffered an uncharacteristic miscommunication. It marked the beginning of a seven-minute stretch that saw the state’s top-ranked team score three unanswered goals.
“It’s high school soccer, and it’s mental mistakes,” Abington coach Randy Garber said. “They played 60 minutes of hard-nosed brilliant soccer to keep it 0-0.
“One goal is fine. We can still pinch a goal in 20 more minutes, but it was like someone took all the air out of them. We gave away a silly corner kick that they would have never, ever gotten if it was a 0-0 game. It really wasn’t a 3-0 game, but they’re a very good team, and that’s why they’re number one in the state and nationally ranked.
“They’re big, they’re strong, they’re athletic, and (coach Dave Zimmerman) doesn’t miss a beat when he throws four kids in at a time subbing. It just wears down the other team. I said to him, ‘You’re like Strath Haven in the 90s when no one could hang with them.’ They were a factory, and he’s got a great thing going at Conestoga. He just reloads every year, and they keep at that level.”
The Ghosts were very much in the game until the 60th minute.
“They’ve got that kid that launches the ball 40 yards, and we spent most of the time defending that,” Garber said. “If he thew it in once, he had to throw it in 25 time in the box, and it was tough to get on offense because we had to bring 10 players back to defend that.
“That’s a huge part of their game. I’m not taking anything away from them, but they break down teams because of mistakes. Their first goal was created by a lack of communication. That goal in the 60th minute – like all the other teams we play, they don’t let up. Next thing you know they get a corner kick, the ball comes across, the guys let their guard down and stopped playing the way they were playing for 60 minutes.”
Abington (17-3-1, 13-2-1 SOL) – which has already clinched a state berth – will host Council Rock South in the third place game on Friday.
Abington 0-0 0
Conestoga 0-3 3
#2 LOWER MERION 1, #19 COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 0
The Golden Hawks and Aces found themselves locked in an epic battle
And if there were those who weren’t sure whether the 19th-seeded Golden Hawks could stay with a highly regarded Aces squad, that question was answered rather quickly.
Neither team could find the net in a contest that featured limited scoring opportunities for both sides. Finally, in the 65th minute, the Aces capitalized on a rare opportunity to score a goal that turned out to be the game-winner.
“The goal came on a deflected ball that got behind the defense, and the forward slotted it in the corner,” Rock South coach Alan Nicholl said. “There wasn’t much separating the two teams – neither giving up much.
“I’m not sure I saw three shots all day. All the game’s chances came on corner kicks, free kicks and big throw-ins, but neither team could unlock the other’s defense. We were very strong physically and didn’t allow Lower Merion to get into any rhythm. We limited the amount of time and space their midfield could play in and didn’t allow their playmakers to settle on the ball.”
The Golden Hawks’ coach lauded the efforts of his defense.
“My back four – Isaac Burenga, Lex Lenoir and the Cohen brothers (Shane and Garrett) – were excellent in keeping their forwards under wraps and shutting down their set pieces,” Nicholl said. “I think (Lower) Merion scored on their first shot on goal, and that was with 15 minutes left. We worked hard today, and that has become our signature this season.
“So even in a loss, we know we – at the least – made our opponents work for their win. We certainly didn’t give anything away for free today, and I’m pretty sure Lower Merion knows it. I’m proud of the boys today – they showed up, battled for 80 minutes and went 15 rounds with the district’s best. We’ll lick our wounds and look to get back on track for states.”
Council Rock South (15-6-1, 10-5-1 SOL) will travel to #5 Abington for Friday’s third place game.
Council Rock South 0-0 0
Lower Merion 0-1 1
District Playback
#7 NORTH PENN 1, # 6 BOYERTOWN 0
The Knights broke a scoreless tie nine minutes into the second half, and that goal stood as the game-winner, allowing the Knights to keep their season alive in a bid for the final state berth.
“The ball was delivered into the box, and it was flicked on with a head,” NP coach Chris DePeppe said of the game-winner. “It looked like an opportunity, and somehow Boyertown was able to get it out of trouble, but they didn’t really clear it, and it came rolling to Alex (Stewart) at the top of the box, maybe 20-25 yards. He struck it, it looked like he hit it hard, but immediately within five yards, it deflected off Hunter (Stites). It kind of looped over the keeper from there.
“We didn’t create as many really good chances as I thought we would, but we did enough. I could feel a goal was coming, but man, after we scored, they had two or three really good chances, and we got lucky to hang on or we could still be there, taking PKs in the dark.”
The Knights’ coach lauded the standout effort of his defense.
“I have to give credit to Gabe Kemp in goal on a day when obviously the ball was skipping and hopping and not the best surface to get a shutout,” DePeppe said of Kemp’s 10th clean sheet.
“Ryan Mindick played well,” the Knights’ coach continued. “We were missing Brian Scott who is out to injury. Alex (Stewart), Hunter (Stites) and Jake Myers all did shifts in the back and were very good. Beckett Wenger, their forward, is a handful, and we had different players keep an eye on him, and we were able to contain him.
“Achilles Triantafyllos on the left back was also good, and everybody in the back played very well. Jimmy Perrin on the top was a really good defensive forward, winning balls back and keep possession. We’re getting a lot of seniors who are digging in at this point, which is good to see.”
North Penn (16-5, 13-3 SOL) will host Pennridge in a battle for the final state tournament berth on Friday at 3 p.m. The two teams split their two regular season meeting.
“We’re happy to be going home,” DePeppe said. “The last two games we’ve been on a small, very narrow turf and on wet grass, so it’s nice to be back on the turf at home. We’re obvious pretty even and we both know a lot about each other, so it should be a barnburner.”
North Penn 0-1 1
Boyertown 0-0 0
#8 PENNRIDGE 2, #13 HATBORO-HORSHAM 1
The Rams scored a pair of goals in the final 15 minutes of the contest to keep their season alive while the Hatters saw their season come to an end.
“Hatboro was fantastic,” Pennridge coach Pete Valimont said. “Coach Kyle (McGrath) and his staff had them ready. I think the weather, the rain played into it a little bit against us in the sense the ball was skipping a lot. The first touch wasn’t great for most of the game, and they took it to us.”
Neither team scored until Aiden Castle found the net with 13:17 left in the game.
“Aiden got a ball from Shane Velez, put a perfect lead ball through from the back up to the forward area, and Aiden did the rest,” Valimont said. “He cut up the last defender and was able to put a ball past their goalie, who played fantastic.”
Two minutes later, the Rams tacked on an insurance goal, thanks to the efforts of Castle and Jared Hess.
“They were high pressing pretty much to try and get a tying goal,” Valimont said. “We were fortunate to get behind them, and Aiden Castle was able to slot a ball across from the left to the right to Jared Hess, and Jared Hess was able to one-time it in the back of the net outside the six.”
With 53 seconds remaining in regulation, the Hatters broke up the Rams’ shutout bid.
“They threw everything and the kitchen sink at us and were able to get one in,” Valimont said. “Credit to my guys, we had some things happen – we had an injury, and we had to rearrange our roster in the second half to adapt to it, and guys stepped up. Guys filled in their spots, they played their hearts out, and we get an opportunity to play for states on Friday.”
The Rams’ coach went on to commend the efforts of several players.
“Nicky Williams really stepped up tonight and did a fantastic job for us,” Valimont said. “CJ Dimmick in the back and Jake Saville and Aiden Castle – they just really worked well off each other, creating chances. Jared Hess’s goal – that kid’s engine never stopped. He was complete exhaustion tonight for us, and it was huge.”
It’s been 24 years since Pennridge last advanced to the state tournament – Valimont was a junior on that squad. Pennridge (15-3-3, 11-2-3 SOL) will travel to #7 North Penn on Friday for a 3 p.m. contest. The winner will advance to the state tournament, the loser goes home.
“It’s like the soccer gods are looking down and this is what they wanted,” Valimont said. “Each one of us won at the other’s place. I think .006 separated us in the rankings. They’re obviously a very good team and it’s at their place. They’ll be ready and hopped up. We’ll be ready as well.”
Hatboro-Horsham 0-1 1
Pennridge 0-2 2
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