Abington and Central Bucks West were winners and will meet in Saturday’s District One 4A title game. Abington/Unionville photos provided courtesy of John Gleeson. Check back for a gallery of photos.
District One 4A Semifinals
#1-4 ABINGTON 3, #1-9 UNIONVILLE 2
Prior to Tuesday night, the Ghosts and Indians had allowed one total goal in five combined playoff games.
Naturally, they played a high-energy offensive game featuring five goals that easily could have seen more.
"We made it a little interesting and a little sloppy toward the end," Abington coach Randy Garber said. "The conditions were bad, the field was very slick, but you play all year to have a high seed so you have the opportunity to play at home. This year, for whatever reason, everything worked to our advantage."
That reason would include Abington's ability to score goals and, at least up until Tuesday, its ability to prevent them.
Abington wasted little time showing its scoring prowess. An early corner kick led to a service by Nevin Baer that found defender Liam Campbell in the six-yard box for an easy finish not even two full minutes in.
"It's the pressure we put on people right from the beginning," Garber said. "Tonight, they had a long trip, so we had to put high pressure on them and see if we could pinch an early one. When you travel that far, getting off the bus, warming up and playing a game, it takes a little bit out of you."
Jack Failing, a senior leader at defensive midfielder, scored a wonderful goal to push Abington's lead to 2-0 just 12 minutes in. A ball popped out to Failing about 30 yards out and he unleashed a wicked curler that took enough of a late bend to ping the inside of the post at the upper corner and nestle into the goal.
"Jack is a playmaker. The goal he scored, I don't think he could have thrown it any better than he kicked it," Garber said. "That was one of the better goals we scored all year and it came as a very good time. Jack is a foundation guy, Nevin runs the whole show in the midfield and of course Sean (Touey) up top is a kid who can play one-on-one."
Abington's defense was very busy all game, as Unionville never relented and only turned up its pressure after going down. The Indians had a lot of success drawing set pieces and most of them ended creating some kind of danger.
"Alex (Haycock) has 14 shutouts and when we score goals, we're usually successful," Garber said. "We kind of relaxed and got ourselves in trouble. I thought we played well enough to win."
The back line of Campbell, Reese Gibbs, Vince Carosella and Nate Rose did a solid job for most of the game containing Unionville in the final third. Still, they couldn't stop the Indians from pulling a goal back early in the second half when Michael Hewes tapped in a rebound off a Haycock save.
Sean Touey had been knocking and finally kicked in the door with a half-hour left. The senior scored one of his patented goals, turning with the ball, blitzing through a double team and thumping home a shot for the eventual game-winner.
"We have a lot of the pieces of the puzzle this year and we're taking advantage of that," Garber said. "It's no secret the style we play. We played direct tonight and put defenses on their heels. We scored a lot of goals this year and have people who can score. Sean can score at any given time and we're not sitting back and playing defense. We're not good at sitting back and playing defense bunkered in, we're going to play you straight up."
Touey was unlucky not to grab another, but the same could be said of a few Unionville chances.
The Indians did catch the Ghosts napping late, when a shot clanged off the post and nobody in maroon reacted, allowing Kyle Ketterer to boot home the second-chance opportunity with six minutes left. A frantic finish followed, but when time ran out, the Ghosts remained up a goal and onto the district final.
Abington will challenge for its first District I title since the 2012 season on Saturday, when it faces Central Bucks West at 6 p.m. at Upper Merion.
"To get there is very difficult, there's no question about it," Garber, who coached the 2012 team, said. "I don't care who's favored or who is seeded higher, it's a matter of who goes out and performs. You're going to have good players who play well in big games. There are players from West and Abington who will have big games because that's the type of kids they are.
"Someone is going to end up being a hero from one team or the other by putting a goal in or stopping a goal that is going to make their team the winner."
Abington 1-2 3
Unionville 0-2 2
Goals: A – Liam Campbell, Jack Failing, Sean Touey
#1-6 CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 1, #1-2 SPRING-FORD 0
The Bucks continued their magical postseason run, winning a tight one for the third time in as many district playoff games. A goal by Jimi Leder midway through the first half proved to be the difference in the game.
“We put on a lot of early pressure,” West coach Stefan Szygiel said. “We were playing in a 4-5-1 formation, and we were trying to connect a few passes, got some pressure on.
“They were really dangerous on the counter. We had to be on our toes defensively at all times because they’ve got a lot of speed up top. They have runners coming, and you’ve got to constantly check your shoulder. Dylan (Smith) did a great job, the defenders did a great job. We knew they were going to get chances, and they got chances, but we were able to put one away. Maybe on a different day it goes a different way.”
Leder’s game-winner came off a clearance with 18:34 remaining in the first half.
“We were trying to connect more passes in the midfield tonight, but we ended up with a longer clearance,” Szygiel said. “Jimi was able to get on the end of it. He hit a really nice one from outside the box and was able to beat the keeper with it.”
Szygiel and his players knew that holding that 1-0 lead would not be easy.
“It was what we talked about – from there, we’ll probably have to absorb pressure,” Szygiel said. “We’re going to bend a little defensively.
“A team like Spring-Ford you’ve got to get pressure high up the field. They do a nice job, they connect a lot of passes, they’re very dynamic when they have time and space on the ball, so we did our best. We had to defend them a ton the second half. Again, defensively, a great job across the board. By defensively, I mean everybody, not just Dylan and the defenders – the midfield defending, the offensive third defending. I think we worked hard. Tonight was a good team win.”
The win vaulted the Bucks into Saturday’s District One 4A title game against Abington. Last year, the Bucks fell to Council Rock North in the district semifinals in penalty kicks. This year they went a step further.
“We had this opportunity last year, and we ended up going into the third-fourth place instead where we played a fantastic Council Rock North team,” Szygiel said. “I think we came into this one with a little different mentality – we don’t want to be content with – ‘Hey, good job, you qualified for states.’
“No, we genuinely wanted to win this one tonight and have an opportunity to play in the district final. We don’t want to overlook anything. We’re going to play a really good Abington team.
“I’m interested to see how the game goes, and then preparation continues for the state tournament next Tuesday. It’s odd because you have to refocus – win or lose on Saturday – and prepare for the state tournament.”
Central Bucks West (18-2, 11-1 SOL) and Abington will square off on Saturday at Upper Merion High School at 6 p.m.
Central Bucks West 1-0 1
Spring-Ford 0-0 0
Playback games
#1-5 LOWER MERION 2, #1-16 COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 0
The Indians saw their dream of a return trip to the state tournament come to an end in Tuesday’s playback game. The two teams battled to a scoreless halftime tie, but the Aces scored a pair of second-half goals to earn the win.
“Our lack of depth in the midfield showed with injuries to Vinny Colon and Matt Cobos,” coach Joe Stackhouse said. “Sean Finneyfrock led the charge up top.
“North ended a ‘smoke and mirrors’ season with a lot of great memories.”
The Indians closed out the year with a 15-6-1 record and an SOL National Conference title (11-0-1 SOL).
Council Rock North 0-0 0
Lower Merion 0-2 2
#1-7 RADNOR 1, #1-3 NORTH PENN 0
The visiting Raiders scored with 30 seconds remaining in regulation to eke out the win, bringing the Knights’ season to a heartbreaking end.
North Penn – the SOL Continental Conference co-champions – closed out the year with an 18-3 mark (11-1 SOL).
Radnor 0-1 1
North Penn 0-0 0
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