Check out the recaps for SOL boys’ soccer teams in action Thursday.
SOL Patriot Division
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 6, BENSALEM 1
It was a night to celebrate Council Rock South’s 13 seniors, who stole the spotlight in the decisive win with five of the team’s six goals scored by seniors.
The Golden Hawks opened up a 3-0 halftime lead and never looked back.
“Tonight was a good win for us,” Rock South assistant Zach Orenstein said. “I am very proud of all of our guys for a strong regular season.”
Rock South is 16th in the latest District 1 4A power rankings.
Scoring summary
First half
Sean Davis (CRS)
Jake Baniewicz from Adrian Cardone (CRS)
Owen Lubieski (CRS)
Second half
Chase Esposito (B) from Jordan Posten.
Reid Van Demark (CRS) from Tristan O’Neill
Adrian Cardone (CRS) from Tristan O’Neill
AJ Renshall (CRS)
Council Rock South assistant coach Zach Orenstein:
–Senior Night: “Tonight was a special evening as we recognized 13 seniors and their families for all they have done for our program over the last four years. It has been a long time since we have had such a large number of seniors. It is easy to see the lasting impression that these young men will leave on our program. These guys just love to be on the field and to be together. I have known most of our seniors since they were in middle school and taught a handful of them in seventh grade. It has been incredibly rewarding to watch them grow up and mature into the young men that lead their teammates today. We are very proud of them and know that they will be successful in whatever they choose to do.
“To Reid Van Demark, Sean Davis, Josh Coehlo, Ryan Conway, Adrian Cardone, Brody Kushner, Jake Baniewicz, Owen Lubieski, Nodari Shinjiashvili, Tim Grabowski, Diego Soto-Pinzon, Darius Degregorio, and Tristan O’Neill – thank you for everything.”
Up next: Council Rock South will return to action Tuesday in the opening round of the District 1 4A Tournament. Bensalem close out its season with a 4-14 record.
Bensalem 0-1 1
Council Rock South 3-3 6
SOL Freedom Division
LOWER MORELAND 2, WILLIAM TENNENT 0
The Lions took care of business in Thursday’s regular season finale, earning a 2-0 shutout win of the visiting Panthers.
With the win, the Lions clinched a share of the SOL Freedom Division title with Springfield Twp. Both teams boast identical 9-1 records in division play.
Up next: Lower Moreland – the third-seeded team in the District 1 3A rankings – will open district play on Wednesday. William Tennent is the 22nd in the latest 4A district rankings.
Non-league
NESHAMINY 4, GARNET VALLEY 2
The Redskins broke a 2-2 halftime tie with a pair of second-half goals on their way to the non-league week on Senior Night Thursday.
Ten minutes into the second half, Dean Goodwin headed in in Brody Collins’ cross on a corner, a goal that turned out to be the game-winner. Damien Castro buried a penalty kick to give the Redskins their final margin of victory.
Earlier, the Jaguars took a 1-0 lead, but Zach Hargraves answered with a goal for the Redskins. Connor Choi’s goal put the ‘Skins on top 2-1.
“Connor Choi, in a total hustle play, beat the goalkeeper to the ball, flicked it around him over his head and ran it into the goal,” Neshaminy coach Tom Foley said. “Stephen Buczek passed it into the box.”
The Jaguars evened the score just before halftime when they converted a penalty kick. The second half belonged to Neshaminy.
“Overall, it was a good team win,” Foley said. “The last two games we scored nine goals, which is good because goals have been hard to come by for us.
“Hopefully, going into the playoffs, we’re a little more confident in the box and can put some in.”
Scoring summary
First half
Garnet Valley goal
Zach Hargraves (N) from Dean Goodwin
Connor Choi (N) from Stephen Buczek
Garnet Valley goal – Penalty kick
Second half
Dean Goodwin (N) from Brody Collins
Damien Castro (N) Penalty kick
Neshaminy coach Tom Foley:
–On the game: “Garnet Valley is a real physical team. They picked up four yellows and tacked on a fifth for a soft red, so they got a lot of yellows for fouling, and it was a physical game. We fell into the trap of fouling unnecessarily in our end. One thing they were really dangerous with is serving balls into the box and getting on the end of balls. That’s how they got their first goal. They had a good service into the box, created a lot of confusion, and they tucked it in. I was glad we responded really well in that we got the equalizer and the go-ahead goal pretty quickly. Then an unnecessary foul in the box – we were sliding in the box, which we usually don’t do, and they got a PK out of that.
“Again, we responded well at halftime and managed to batten down the hatches, so it was really good.”
–Player of the match: “Dean Goodwin was our Player of the Match. He was very, very good. He played center in the back, and he headed all the balls out. They played a lot of long balls, and he must have headed 30 head balls back up the field, and he obviously headed the goal in there, so he was outstanding for the night.”
–Tribute to the seniors: “Connor Triano did a nice job on the flank when he started tonight. He served a couple real nice balls. We just missed converting them.
“Ryan MacMullen – over his last two games – continues to excel. He did a really nice job getting forward for us and served a couple nice balls into the box.
“Our one captain, Damien Castro, was a monster in the middle again tonight. He’s just an all-world defender and plays hard all the time.
“Chase Melhuish was really strong at left back tonight. He played a really strong 35 minutes.
“Chris Reed has been a rock in the back all year. He just comes to every game ready to play.
“Jake Duckworth – ‘Ducky’ – had a couple near misses at goal today.
“Gavin McDevitt was real strong in the middle, heading balls up the field in his time out there.
“Mark Andreyeu was the runner-up player of the year last year, and he tore his ACL. We got him on the field for the tap. Garnet Valley was nice enough to kick it out of bounds. We got him off, so he could at least get on the field for his senior year. It was really nice. He’s a super solid player, and we miss him tremendously this year, so at least we could do that for him for his senior year.
“It was good they all got in, and they all did a nice job when they were in tonight.”
Up next: Neshaminy – 18th in the latest District 1 4A power rankings – will return to action Tuesday in the opening round of the district tournament.”
Garnet Valley 2-0 2
Neshaminy 2-2 4
HARRITON 3, WISSAHICKON 1
PENNSBURY 2, HOLY GHOST PREP 1
Wednesday, Oct. 15
SPRINGFIELD TWP 8, CHELTENHAM 2
The Spartans put a damper on the Panthers’ Senior Night game at Arcadia University, turning 2-1 halftime lead into an 8-2 win. With the win, Springfield Twp clinched a share of the SOL Freedom Division title.
Jack McCleary scored a pair of goals to lead the Spartans while Harry Bates, Brendan Noonan, Cody Natali, Eden Ha, Adam DiBattista and Jonah Hiestand each added one goal.
Scoring summary:
Harry Bates (Adam DiBattista)
Brendan Noonan (Tyler DePolo)
Cody Natali (Harry Bates)
Eden Ha (Brendan Noonan)
Adam DiBattista (Harry Bates)
Jack McCleary (Robin Kester)
Jack McCleary (Tyler DePolo)
Jonah Hiestand (PK)
Up next: Springfield Twp – sixth in the latest District 1 4A power rankings – will return to action in the second round of the district tournament next Thursday Cheltenham closed out its season with a 6-12 overall record.
Springfield Twp 2-6 8
Cheltenham 1-1 2
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