Springfield Twp edged second-seeded Radnor 1-0 to earn a spot in Thursday’s District 1 3A final. Check out the Kwik Goal recap. Photos provided courtesy of Greg Powell. Check back for a gallery of photos.
Class 3A semifinal
#3 Springfield Twp 1, #2 Radnor 0
It had to feel like old times for Springfield Twp’s veterans, going against Radnor in a district semifinal. Two years ago, the Spartans – due to their success – were moved up to the large school division. This year, they dropped back down to 3A and waiting for them in Monday’s district semifinal was second-seeded Radnor.
“If you take away the two 4A years, this probably would have been the fifth year in a row we’ve played Radnor in districts,” Spartans’ coach Riley Woron said.
It was a rematch of the 2023 District 1 3A title game, a 2-0 Radnor win.
“The boys were excited about it,” Woron said. “We’re really excited about moving forward. They’re a really good team. They’re big, they’re physical, and their fans show up, so the atmosphere is pretty electric. They make sure to let you know they have that home-field advantage.”
The Spartans didn’t let Radnor’s home field advantage impact Monday’s rematch, edging the tournament’s second seed 1-0 on a late goal by Adam DiBattista with an assist from Matt Corcoran.
Monday’s high stakes game not only propelled Springfield Twp into Thursday’s District 1 3A final but also punched their ticket to the state tournament.
Scoring summary
First half –
No score
Second half –
Adam DiBattista from Matt Corcoran (S)
Springfield Twp coach Riley Woron:
–The game: “The whole game was close, but the first half we were definitely a little nervous because they had a lot of good chances. There were a couple that hit off the crossbar.
“It’s one of those games where, a lot of times in high school, if you can just get the ball in the box and it’s bouncing around, anything can happen. At that point, you’re just hoping the bounce goes your way.
“In the first half, we had a couple that went our way, and our defenders were able to step up and get in front of it, or our goalie, Josh Garbarini, made some really good saves.”
–The goal: “Matty Corcoran played a really nice ball where he found Adam behind the line, and he was able to bury it. He’s done that a lot for us this year. He’s not the leading goal scorer, but when he scores, it’s usually in games that are pretty big, and he helps push us over the line.”
–Facing Radnor: “This was one that I’m sure was on a lot of guys’ radar at the beginning of the season. Typically, if we’re going through districts, we’re probably going through Radnor. They’ve got a really good team, and they win a lot of games.”
–Props: “Ryan Lewis played excellent for us. He’s a sophomore, and he’s played a ton of minutes for us this year. He’s often found himself in the mix, whether he’s playing defense, midfield or up top. He’s all over the field. He’s one of those guys that if it’s a 50-50 ball, you know for sure he’s at least going in hard. He’s not one to be shy or scared of the ball. If he sees the ball close to him, he’s going through it. He wants to get it, help support his team and find the good passes.
“Danny Caruso, our captain, definitely held us down in the back, being that last man back and chasing them down.
“Joe Lattawiec, another sophomore, has been phenomenal for us with his speed. Anytime the other team has a fast winger or a fast striker, we know Joe’s going to be able to keep up with them, if not outrun them. That helps settle us in from a backline standpoint.
“Dylan Gray is a ball winner, and he’s definitely grown over this season. He was a ball winner last year, and we kept saying, ‘Listen, it can’t just be six out of 10 that you win. We need you to win 10 out of 10. We need you to go up there and assert dominance.’ He’s definitely gotten to that point and built confidence as well. Going from not too many minutes on varsity to all of a sudden being a starter and being the guy, they get a lot more comfortable as they see more playing time. That’s been awesome to see from him.”
Up next: Springfield Twp will face fourth-seeded Strath Haven at Upper Merion High School for Thursday’s District 1 3A final (5pm). Strath Haven sent top-seeded West Chester Rustin home with a 2-1 win.
Springfield Twp 0 1 – 1
Radnor 0 0 – 0
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