Abington advanced to the Elite 8 in the PIAA 4A State Tournament with a win over Lower Dauphin while Wissahickon fell in double overtime. Check out the Kwik Goal recaps. Abington/Lower Dauphin photos provided courtesy of John Gleeson. Check back for a gallery of photos.
PIAA 4A State Tournament opening round
#1-2 Abington 3, #3-2 Lower Dauphin 0
The tone for Wednesday night’s state opener was set in a hurry.
And if there were any questions about how the Ghosts would respond after Saturday’s heartbreaking 4-3 loss to Conestoga in the District 1 4A title game, those questions were answered in a hurry.
Midway through the opening half, the Ghosts took a 1-0 lead when Sam Arruda scored his first of two goals. They added a pair of goals in the second half, delighting the large home crowd in attendance.
“Going back to practice Monday, everybody was a little down,” senior captain Sean Westmoreland said. “I was pretty bummed just because I thought we had the game won – we had it in our hands and then we gave it away.
“So, I think the mindset going into today was – it’s my last home game, the seniors’ last home game in the stadium. So many fans came out tonight to see us, which was awesome and was a lot of extra motivation.
“Also, just knowing we had been in that position before where we lost in the district final last year, but knowing we can come back from this and win a state championship – that was definitely important to keep in the back of our minds.”
Westmoreland certainly did his part to ensure Wednesday’s game would start on a high note, setting up Arruda’s first goal – which turned out to be the game-winner – with a remarkable run.
“It started off when I was playing center back at the time, and I had won a 50/50 ball and made a run up the field,” Westmoreland said. “I was on the left side, and I got the ball probably around the 45-yard line or so. I picked my head up, and I originally saw Jaza (Vasquez), but there was a guy on his back, so I just tried to take it down the line.
“I took a big touch around their defender, and I was almost on the track, honestly, just to get away from the defender. Once I’d gotten to the ball, there was green grass in front of me, and I was already at about the 18, so I was thinking to myself – do I shoot it or do I pass it? My next touch – I had sort of set myself up into a 
position where I should pass it, so I just hit it across the box, and Sam (Arruda) was luckily there to finish it.”
If the Ghosts’ confidence needed a boost, that goal was definitely it.
“It was pretty clear we had dominated to that point,” Westmoreland said. “We had so many chances and a lot of pressure, but we hadn’t had the breakthrough yet, so that goal was super important just to give us that breakthrough because there were times this season where we had dominated teams and we didn’t score, so getting that first goal was huge for us. It just gave us a lot of confidence and set us up in the right position to continue on.”
The Ghosts took that 1-0 lead into halftime and added a pair in the second half – the first on Arruda’s second goal, this one with an assist from Vasquez, and the last on a dazzling individual effort by Vasquez.
It all added up to a memorable night in the Ghosts’ final home game.
“I didn’t know exactly how the turnout would be because of our performance over the weekend, but it was amazing,” Westmoreland said. “It was definitely the most packed I’ve ever seen the stadium for one of our games, and there was a lot of amazing energy.
“A lot of kids from the local clubs came out and supported us. It was really neat, and it was a great way to end my home game career. It was awesome.”
Scoring Summary
First half
Sam Arruda from Sean Westmoreland (A)
Second half
Sam Arruda from Jaza Vasquez (A)
Jaza Vasquez (A)
Abington coach Isaac PItkow:
–Bouncing back: “It was a really heartbreaking loss on Saturday. We really thought we had them after it was 2-0 at halftime and then we got a third goal shortly into the second half, and we were thinking, ‘All right, that’s it. We finished them,’ and to come back and lose 4-3 after that was really tough.
“But it was almost déjà vu to where we were last year before we won the state championship. It was the same type of game at Haverford last year when Haverford just outplayed us in the district final. They just had our number, so this year with Conestoga we were up but gave up the lead, so we’re thinking as a coaching staff and a team – how are we going to recover from that emotionally to then go make a push in states? I think in the back of our mind – knowing we won states last year after losing in the district final and just going into this game – I think a lot of teams would have been rattled by the circumstances, but just having been exactly there last year, we just came out with so much confidence today.
“I think our team knew we had missed a major opportunity to win a district title, which would have been a legendary thing for us to do, but we always knew we could compete for a state championship again this year, so they just turned the page and knew that it was time to start again. They knew it was their last home game, and I think that was a major motivating factor for them. They’re just so experienced with all the huge games they played in districts this year, states last year and districts last year. They just have so much experience. They’re almost like seasoned veterans with how they deal with that. There was never a doubt from anybody, especially coming out of practice yesterday – they had such a good practice, and they were just ready again.”
–The game: “The whole thing this year has been – two of our best players are Kyle Kretschman and Sean Westmoreland. What position do I put them in? Do I put Kyle up top, Sean in the back, Sean in the midfield, 
Kyle in the back. So, tonight, Kyle’s up top, and Sean’s in the back, and Sean’s just itching to go forward. He made this unbelievable run on the first goal where he’s coming out of the back from center back, dribbles past three or four guys and then crosses the ball to Sam Arruda for his first goal. It was Sean Westmoreland at his finest, just setting up Sam, and Sam just being the goal scorer that he is, being the box ready for the ball. At halftime, it was 1-0.
“Ten minutes into the second half, we got our second goal, and the third one came shortly thereafter. The second goal was a corner kick, and it bounced up to the top of the box. Owen Gesing played it wide to Jaza (Vasquez), and Jaza just put a beautiful cross into the box that Sam headed home for his second goal.
“The third goal was all Jaza, who had a guy one v one in the corner, beat his man, beat another guy and then comes in on the keeper and finishes near post. It was an unbelievable individual goal from Jaza for the third one.
“Lower Dauphin did have some moments. They had a couple moments where they came at us with a little bit of pressure, just putting balls in the box. On our home field, it can be a very back and forth game, a sloppy game, but it was all us for the most part.”
–Props: “Sean (Westmoreland) was just unbelievable coming out of the back and carrying the ball as far as he did and then setting up Sam (Arruda). There was kind of a little scuffle in front of the box, and then Sam eventually hit it home, but it was all Sean on the setup, which was awesome.
“A shoutout to our goalkeeper, Dom (Veitz), who did his job and was really solid. Carter (Shannon) in the back 
was just super solid as always, and the end of the game was the most notable for me. We moved Kyle (Kretschman) to center back at the end, and Kyle was just dictating play from center back and starting attacks, and Sean was in the midfield, and just the attacking play from Sean, Sam, Owen and Jaza, and just how they were all just combining with each other. They knew it was their last home game, and all of them were so hungry to just put on a show. It was just a great, beautiful display of their desire to put on a show.”
–Playing for the home crowd: “We’ve had so many games where we’re just playing after school against whoever in our league, and no one’s there. Just to see a state home playoff game coming off last year’s state championship – everyone knew it’s our own home playoff game. The cheerleaders were there, so many people form the community. We probably had at least 500 people at the game, and the boys were so pumped up to just put on a show one last time at home, and it was beautiful. It really was.”
Abington senior captain Sean Westmoreland:
–The strong finish: “The end of the game tonight gave me flashbacks of our senior night just because at that point in the game there were probably nine or 10 seniors on the field at the time, and some of the guys who don’t get that much game time – they were able to go in and create chances, and it was just a great way to sum up the home game careers of all the guys. To see all the seniors together one last time playing together on the home field was really neat.”
–Moving on: “I haven’t been able to watch film or anything like that, but tonight’s win was so important to us just to give us confidence, and after Saturday, it was really important to get us back on the front foot.”
Up next: Abington will face District 7 champion Seneca Valley in Saturday’s second round contest. It is a rematch of last year’s state semifinal game – a 4-1 Abington win. In Wednesday’s opening round, Seneca Valley defeated #3-4 Conestoga Valley 3-2.
Lower Dauphin 0 0 – 0
Abington 1 2 – 3
#11-1 Northampton 3, #1-4 Wissahickon 2 (2 OTs)
The Trojans came up just short in their bid to win the program’s first ever state tournament game, falling in double overtime when – with just 4:03 remaining in the second OT – Jacob Fallenstein connected on his second goal of the night.
“We had an amazing season,” said Wissahickon assistant coach Brendan Hill, who was filling in for coach Stuart Malcolm. “It didn’t end the way we hoped, and But there is so much to be proud of for this team.
“We competed until the end, and in my opinion, we deserved a better outcome than a loss, but this is sports and sometimes it can be really cruel. Northampton is a good team, and we wish them the best, but this one hurts a lot. We had a chance to do something that Wissahickon has never done, which is win a state playoff game, but tonight it just wasn’t to be.”
The Trojans struck first when Aidan Siemion scored his first of two goals on the night, this one with an assist from Nolan Reilly. Five minutes later, the Konkrete Kids evened the score, and the two teams went into halftime deadlocked 1-1.
Early in the second half, Siemion gave the Trojans a 2-1 advantage when he connected on an unassisted goal, but again, Northampton had an answer, evening the score on a free kick by Fallenstein with 11:10 remaining in regulation and setting the stage for overtime.
“We are so proud of our guys, especially our seniors,” Hill said. “For them, this is their last game, and we know that they’ll go on and do great things. This is a tough night, but the program has really taken a step forward and we have young players coming through that we are really excited about. We know that we can get back here again next season. We hope we set a new standard for Wissahickon soccer.”
Scoring summary
First half
Aidan Siemion from Nolan Reilly (W)
Joseph Gonzales (N)
Second half
Aidan Siemion (W)
Jacob Fallenstein (N)
First overtime
No score
Second overtime
Jacob Fallenstein (N)
Wissahickon closed out its successful year with a 17-6-2 record and the SOL Liberty Division title.
Wissahickon 1 1 0 0 – 2
Northampton 1 1 0 1 – 3
Tuesday, Nov. 10
PIAA 3A Tournamdn opening round
#1-2 SPRINGFIELD TWP 3, #2-1 DALLAS 0
Adam DiBattista and Brendan Noonan both had a hand in two goals to lead the Spartans to the decisive win in PIAA 3A tournament action.
DiBattista scored a goal that stood as the game-winner in the 53rd minute, breaking a scoreless tie and using a Porter Brookes assist.
Noonan followed with a goal 10 minutes later, benefitting from a DiBattista assist, and Noonan’s second goal of the game was assisted by Lorenzo Bedard and gave the Spartans their final margin of victory.
Scoring summary
First half
No score
Second half
Adam DiBattista from Porter Brookes (ST) 53rd minute
Brendan Noonan from Adam DiBattista (ST) 63rd minute
Brendan Noonan – Lorenzo Bedard (ST) 73rd minute
Springfield Twp coach Riley Woron:
–The game: “We brought the intensity tonight. Something that was lacking last game. Every 50/50 was fought for and usually won. We trusted ourselves and trusted our teammates to move the ball quickly and make the right supporting runs.
“Dallas has a very talented striker that we were able to stay in front of for the majority of the game. Even when he got past one defender, another guy was stepping up to recover.
“I’m thrilled that our guys continue to get chances to show their commitment to each other and their combined goal of doing whatever it takes to win. We believe in our guys to fight for 80 minutes against any opponent. We’re looking forward to a rest day tomorrow and an opportunity to cheer on our girls’ team in their playoff game before focusing in on our next game Saturday.”
Up next: Springfield Twp will face District 12 champion Holy Ghost Prep in a PIAA 3A quarterfinal contest on Saturday
Springfield Twp 0 3 – 3
Dallas 0 0 – 0
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