Council Rock North, Central Bucks South & Springfield Twp were winners in Saturday’s quarterfinal round of the PIAA Tournament. CR North/La Salle photos courtesy of John Gleeson. Check back for a gallery of photos: https://solsports.zenfolio.com/f131331739
PIAA 4A quarterfinals
#1-5 COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 2, #12-1 LA SALLE 1 (2 OT)
Windsor Varady was the man of the match.
The Rock North junior brought Saturday’s PIAA 4A quarterfinal game at Central Bucks West to a dramatic end when – with 13:23
remaining in the second overtime – Varady found the net for the game-winner, picking off an attempted pass back to the goalie.
“All I remember is they hit it back, I read it and I tapped it past the goalkeeper,” Varady said. “We just try to stay composed, we try to stay calm, and we try to do what we know how to do. This feels amazing.”
Windsor’s heroics were hardly a surprise to coach Joe Stackhouse.
Earlier, in the first OT, the Indians’ coach – with a silent nod – called Varady over before he subbed back into the game.
“He actually said that he thinks I’m going to be the one who scores the game-winning goal tonight, and that’s what happened,” Varady said.
“I told him he was going to get the game-winner,” Stackhouse said. “He’s only a junior, so he’s got another year, but he’s a fantastic player.
“In the rotation today, he got a heck of a lot more playing time than he has in the past because of Logan (Adams) being hurt,
and we still didn’t get Darek Miller back yet, so we had to piece things together.”
Saturday’s game was yet another advertisement for the Indians’ depth.
“It comes down to our bench,” senior David Igval said. “Our bench is so deep. Our coach has been saying that all year. When our subs come on, there’s no drop off. Everybody plays to the level we know we’re all capable of.”
Varady’s goal, which vaulted the Indians into the state semifinals, set off an emotional celebration.
“It felt like heaven, honestly,” said senior Jack Randolph. “I could have never guessed at the beginning of the season that we’d be here.”
“It was a dream,” Igval said. “I remember when I first moved to this area when my parents were telling me Rock North had a good soccer team. I was like, ‘All right, maybe I’ll play.’ I never imagined going into the semifinals of states with this team.”
He wasn’t alone.
“At the beginning of the season, my goal was to make states with this team,” Varady said. “I didn’t expect us to make it this far, but now that we’re here, it feels great.”
The Indians will meet a familiar opponent in Tuesday’s semifinal round when they will face a nationally-ranked Conestoga team that sent Rock North home last season with a 2-0 win in the second round of districts.
“My goal was to make the third round of districts because we lost to Conestoga last year in the second round of districts,” Rock North junior goalkeeper Calvin Hopkins said. “I never thought I’d be playing in the final four of states against one of the best teams in the country next game. It feels really good.”
Hopkins also turned in a heroic performance for the Indians. He recorded nine saves including back-to-back saves in a dazzling sequence after a direct kick for the Explorers in the closing seconds of regulation, preserving the tie and setting the stage for overtime.
“I’m just trying to stay as composed as I can, anything to save my team is the most I can do,” Hopkins said. “I always give my all on the field, keep everyone’s energy up. My role on the team is to make saves, get everyone going, talk to the team.
“The scoring part is them, that’s all of them. Saves is what I work for.”
The Indians’ junior keeper has had plenty of experience coming up with big saves.
“We’ve been to PKs two times this year, overtime multiple times,” Hopkins said. “In two years on varsity, we have never lost in overtime. I had full faith.
“I’m super proud of Windsor. We’ve been waiting for his goal all year. He’s had a couple of goals, but that overtime goal meant so much to the team. “
Goals were hard to come by for both teams, and the Explorers – thanks to a goal by Mark Mizzoni midway through the first half – held a 1-0 lead until Isaac Morais scored in the middle of a wild scrum in front of goal with 26:26 remaining in regulation. That tie held until Varady’s game-winner that kept the Indians’ magical postseason run alive.
Rock North advanced to the state quarterfinals in 2016 and 2017, but this is Stackhouse’s first trip to the state semifinals. A key, according to the veteran coach, is the team’s chemistry.
“They believe in one another,” Stackhouse said. “They work well off one another, they’ve worked hard all year.
“My personal opinion is they have no pulse and no fear. They’ve got each other’s backs.”
Randolph also pointed to the team’s chemistry.
“We just do so much outside of soccer together,” he said. “We’re almost a family at this point. We spent nights together just hanging out.
“Sometimes it’s even just playing soccer video games just to get ready for the season during the summer, just figuring everything out. We love being around each other.”
Beyond the chemistry, according to Igval, is the team’s passion.
“I think our passion is above all other teams,” he said. “Every tackle, every shot, every time we pass the ball – we just believe in it. Everyone cheers each other on – our bench is so loud.”
Listening to Hopkins tell it, the team has the added motivation of playing for its seniors.
“In our overtime speeches – we have five seniors, and they’re all starters, and we always say we want to keep this run going,” the junior keeper said. “Everyone is fully aware if we let in an
overtime goal, then their soccer career is over. We don’t want that. We get in fifth gear when we hit overtime, and we just want it even more because we know how much is at stake.”
While it might be easy for underclassmen to say, ‘There’s always next year,’ that is not the case on this Rock North squad.
“We love our seniors, we respect our seniors – it’s just something we value,” Randolph said of the program’s culture.
Stackhouse credited the efforts of several players in a game that once again represented the consummate team effort.
“Will Kamp has played outstanding,” the Indians’ coach said. “He’s got to be one of our most improved players over last year.
“We were solid across the back – Dom (Czachor), Mike Pinho, Jasper Ring, and Christopher Pinho came in when Dom got a card. Calvin had a very good game in goal. He stood on his head a couple of times.”
Council Rock North (19-3-2, 12-2-2 SOL) will face District 1 4A champion Conestoga in Tuesday’s semifinal round at a site and time to be determined.
“This puts us in a position against a team that beat us out last year,” Randolph said. “We want to win, we’re back for more.”
Council Rock North 0-1-0-1 2
La Salle 1-0-0-0 1
#1-6 CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 2, #7-2 NORTH ALLEGHENY 0
The Titans have saved their best for last.
The 14th seed in the District 1 4A Tournament after finishing second to Central Bucks East in the tough SOL Colonial Division, they were the sixth of six teams advancing to the state tournament. They wasted little time before making their presence felt in the state tournament, and they are one of four teams still standing in Class 4A.
“I knew as a team that we could do it,” South senior midfielder Luke Fromal said. “We just put all the hard work in the offseason, and once we got into states, I think we knew that we could make a run at it.
“Today we played really well as a team. Our defensive unit shut them down.”
What has been the key to the team’s impressive run?
“I think it’s just the energy we bring to each game,” Fromal said. “If (anyone) would ever come to one of our games, they would be able to hear our bench from the other sideline. We’re always loud, we’re always cheering each other on, making sure that everyone knows we’re here and we’re ready to play.
“It’s just been a great time. As a senior, this is the first year we’ve ever made a run at it, and it’s just been a great opportunity. We’re all just really glad to have this opportunity to make a run at it.”
On Saturday, the Titans made the trek to Chambersburg High School to take District 7’s second place squad.
“Going into the game, we knew that North Allegheny was not to be overlooked,” South coach Kyle Pettican said. “We knew they had a few really top players. They have five guys who made their league’s first team with one of those making the all-state team.
“We knew we had to be perfect in every aspect – shut down their key guys and take them away from being involved. They are a team that likes to get it down but play forward and direct very quick. We just needed to be switched on. Our defense was.”
Game stats underscored the Titans’ dominance in this contest.
“I believe the announcer said we had 12 shots and they had zero, which I could not believe,” Pettican said. “Of course, when coaching and the ball is getting toward your goal, you’re always worried or think more happens, but it shows me the defense was focused.”
The Titans scored the only goal they would need four minutes into the contest when Oleksandr Sokol found the back the of the net, using an assist from Anthony Bice.
“Anthony Bice hit a cross and Oleksandr Sokol was there to slot it home around the PK spot,” Pettican said. “As the game went on, they struggled to make things happen, and it began frustrating their players. They would start losing their positions and trying too much with the ball. It was 1-0 at the half, and not much needed to be said.”
The Titans tacked on an insurance goal midway through the second half.
“Nathan Monser pressed their center back and goalie, and a loose ball found itself to Christian Canally who slotted it home,” Pettican said. “The game continued on pretty much in the same fashion.”
The Titans’ coach called the win another team effort.
“Honestly, I would give our bench props today,” Pettican said. “They have been incredibly supportive. We couldn’t do it without them.”
Central Bucks South (18-5-2, 11-3-2 SOL) will face District 7 champion Norwin in Tuesday’s PIAA 6A semifinal round.
Central Bucks South 1-1 2
North Allegheny 0-0 0
#7-1 NORWIN 1, #1-2 ABINGTON 1 (5-3 PKs)
Sometimes the bounces just don’t go your way.
That was the case for the Ghosts in Saturday’s state quarterfinal game at Chambersburg High School.
“It was one of those games – it could have gone either way, but we fell short,” Abington coach Randy Garber said. “We had more chances than they did.”
Freshman Sean Westmoreland scored late in the first half to spot the Ghosts a 1-0 lead, capitalizing on a Brian O’Neill corner kick.
“It was just thrown in the mix,” Garber said. “It was bouncing around. The ball landed maybe eight yards away, and he just volleyed it into the back of the net.
“It was 1-0 at halftime, and we felt pretty good. We told the defense – if they play good defense and didn’t foul around the box, the score would end up being 1-0.
“Midway through the second half, they got a restart about 20 yards out on the left-hand side. We set up a five-man wall, and the kid just knocked it over the wall into the top corner. He couldn’t have thrown it in better.”
That 1-1 tie stood through the end of regulation and two overtime periods.
“We had multiple chances to score goals,” Garber said. “We dominated the play, but we couldn’t put the ball in the back of the net. Their goalkeeper was very active, very good. He made a lot of great saves, kept them in the game. Their team never gave up. They just worked hard and just frustrated us.
“Our goalkeeper, Justin (Waterfall), made some good saves over the course of the game. We dominated, and the bottom line was – I didn’t want to go to penalty kicks. No one likes to win and lose a game like that.”
The Ghosts missed on a pair penalty kicks with Braeden Brownholtz and Daniel Oliviera both converting theirs. Jose Rosario-Martinez would have been the fifth to take a PK, but Norwin already had a two-goal lead.
“We had quite a few injuries, and we definitely missed Oscar Hoffmann, who is out for the season,” Garber said. “We definitely missed our other forward, Brady Hartman. Brady had a bunch of goals this year, and Oscar came in late and played up top. He scored some key goals for us in the run.
“Peter Cleary didn’t train for the two or three practices prior to the last game we played because of a back injury. We were banged up, but it’s no excuse. You’ve got to stay healthy. We just fell a little bit short.”
Abington closed out its successful season with a 21-4 record, an SOL Liberty Division title and a District 1 4A runner-up finish.
Norwin 0-1-0-0 1 (5)
Abington 1-0-0-0 1 (3)
PIAA 3A quarterfinal
#1-2 SPRINGFIELD TWP 4, #3-2 CONRAD WEISER 0
Amazing what success does to a program’s expectations.
Three years ago when this year’s seniors were freshmen, the postseason was not even on the radar for a Spartans’ squad that had only one win in a COVID-shortened season. Last year, just two short years later, the Spartans captured the SOL Freedom crown, the District 1 3A title and advanced to the state title game where they fell in overtime.
On Saturday, the Spartans took care of business with a no-doubt-about-it win over District 3’s second place squad, Conrad Weiser. It’s the second straight 4-0 win for Springfield Twp in the state tournament.
While some might be taking the program’s recent success for granted, Dan Meder is not in that number.
“I keep trying to explain to people – I think they’re starting to take for granted that this is a normal thing,” the Spartans’ coach said. “I think the fact that I’ve been here for so long – I can appreciate it.”
In Saturday’s quarterfinal game at Coatesville High School, the Spartans took care of business in a hurry – scoring three goals in short order in the first half and never looking back.
Junior Kayden Sowell scored the game’s first goal 17 minutes into the contest, using a Riley Martin assist. Three minutes later, Martin scored with a Nick Hanushchak assist, and Hanushchak capped a lethal eight-minute tear with a goal that was assisted by Roman Corcoran. The Spartans took that 3-0 lead into halftime.
Martin scored the game’s only second-half goal on a penalty kick.
“We played well,” Meder said. “We did a little bit of everything well. We won the ball, we played under control when we had the ball. That’s a good team, and they had a couple of good opportunities. Owen Hastings, our goalie, made a few really good saves.
“Jack McKittrick played really well for us. He plays a few different positions, and he was just great. He didn’t have any statistics, but he was outstanding. Chase Rubincam was great again. Those defenders don’t get as much attention, but I know we’re not the same without him. Roman Corcoran had an assist, and he was great today. It was his first start really – he normally comes in off the bench. Shaun Bleeker was great today.”
Springfield Twp (20-2-1, 14-1-1 SOL) will face a familiar foe in Tuesday’s state when the Spartans take on Radnor in a rematch of the District 1 3A title game, a 2-0 Raptors win.
Conrad Weiser 0-0 0
Springfield Twp 3-1 4
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