Springfield Twp and Central Bucks South advanced to the PIAA state title game in their respective classifications. Springfield Twp/Radnor photos courtesy of Michael Rice, and CR North/Conestoga photos courtesy of John Gleeson. Check back for galleries of both games: https://solsports.zenfolio.com/f131331739
PIAA 3A semifinal
#1-2 SPRINGFIELD TWP 2, #1-1 RADNOR 2 (3-2 PKs)
Owen Hastings stole the spotlight.
The Spartans’ junior goalie made two dazzling saves during penalty kicks. His second – diving to his right – sent the Raptors home for the season and vaulted Springfield Twp into the PIAA 3A title game, setting off a jubilant celebration.
“He was the hero tonight,” Springfield Twp coach Dan Meder said. “He was the hero, without a doubt.”
Hastings – who also came up with a save on a PK in the first half – was an unlikely hero in many ways.
Roll back the calendar to August.
“All summer I worked to be a center back, just playing with my friends,” Hastings said. “A bunch of stuff happened, an opportunity to actually get some play time at goalie. I had played (goalie) a little bit but not too much. I’m definitely happy I did it. There are definitely some ups and downs, but it’s very fun.”
And why did Hastings elect to go back in net?
“It was less me and more just the team,” the junior keeper said. “I’d do anything for them – they’re awesome. They’re a great group of people.”
Meder recalls the Spartans’ situation back in August when Hastings was projected to be a defensive back.
“One of our goalies came in hurt, so he wasn’t able to train for the first four weeks, so we were running with one goalie,” the Spartans’ coach said. “I just asked the team – who’s got any kind of goalie experience? We definitely need a back-up goalie.
“(Owen Hastings) put his hand up and said he had done it in middle school. He said, ‘I haven’t done it in three years, but I’ll do the drills.’ So, we started running him through drills, and it wasn’t long before we knew he had to be the goalie.”
Hastings is undeniably one of the main reasons the Spartans are returning to the state title game for the second time in as many years.
“I’m very excited,” Hastings said. “I wouldn’t want to do it with any other group of guys, best friends.”
It was Hastings setting the tone in penalty kicks when he delivered a brilliant stop on the first PK he faced.
“I just hope for the best – it seems that luck was on my side,” the junior goalkeeper said. “It felt good. I just really wanted to go to bed – I saved it, and it was a huge burst of energy. I think it helped me get through all of them.”
While Hastings was spectacular in goal, his teammates – Riley Martin, Nick Hanushchak and Roman Corcoran – were burying their PKs to give the Spartans the emotional win.
“Last year we felt like our (state) run was a miracle,” junior Ben Hubley said. “We worked so hard to get there. This year coming in we knew that was a hard goal to achieve again, but we worked hard during preseason and throughout the season.
“We had the best record of any Springfield team of all time. We faced (Radnor) in the district final, and we came out flat, and they ended up beating us 2-0. From there, even though we lost, it wasn’t the end for us, and we realized we could still get back to where we want to be. We kept playing hard, and we faced them again. We had a game plan, and we were ready. We came out and just worked hard. I love every single one of these guys. It’s amazing.”
Ten minutes in the game, Martin scored with an assist from Hanushchak. Fifteen minutes later, the Spartans struck again. This time it was Ben Hubley scoring with a Martin assist.
“A lot of times we have a cross in or a ball in – this team is very big, and they’d head it out,” Hubley said. “I was at the top of the box, but this time I decided – I’ll hang back a little bit. They hit it out, it bounces out. I don’t know what happened – I just ripped it, and it went right in. I was at a loss for emotions. I was just running to all my schoolmates and fans. It was just amazing.”
It looked as though that 2-0 lead would hold the rest of the way, but the Raptors had other ideas. With 9:42 remaining in regulation, Jake Bowman scored at the end of a throw-in, and less than two minutes later Andrew Marino scored the equalizer.
Springfield Twp had the better of play in the two 15-minute overtime periods, but the Raptors had a few opportunities of their own. Radnor keeper Jake Barber came up with back-to-back saves in a wild sequence early in the second OT. Neither team could convert their chances, and the stage was set for penalty kicks and Hastings’ heroics.
“Oh my god, I love him,” Hubley said of Hastings. “He was not planning on playing goalie this year. During preseason, he showed what he was capable of, and it’s just amazing to see what he’s done. (Saving) those two PKs in shootouts was amazing.”
Springfield Twp will face District 10 champion Cathedral Prep in Saturday’s state title game.
“The fact that we can get back to that state final is unbelievable,” Meder said. “This was their goal the whole time, and when I told these guys last year, ‘Guys, a lot of things went right for us to get there.’
“So, the fact that we’re back there again – I don’t even think I can believe it, I can’t. They made it happen. To come back against a team that beat us 2-0 in the (district) final and lead most of that game and end up winning it – it’s incredible.”
One person who never doubted the Spartans would be back is Martin.
“I never did,” the senior captain said matter-of-factly. “We have come such a long way, and we have realized we can do it.”
Martin’s resolve never wavered, not even after the Spartans’ fell to Radnor 2-0 in the district title game.
“I think we had more firepower in this game, and I think it was all based on the redemption,” Martin said. “We all thought about revenge – let’s go get them back, and we did it. It was close, but we did it.
“Radnor definitely had momentum (after they scored two goals to tie the game), but I don’t think that affected us one bit. They went a man down, and we said, ‘Okay, we’ve got a chance.’ We got chances in overtime, but it just didn’t work out. We went into PKs, and it’s anybody’s game. The sigh of relief that we get a second chance at what we have all dreamed about – it feels great.”
Springfield Township (21-2-1, 14-1-1 SOL) will face District 10 champion Cathedral Prep in Saturday’s PIAA 3A state title game at Eagle View Middle School (7 p.m.). In the other semifinal, Cathedral Prep handed District 3 champion Hershey its first loss of the season, 1-0 in overtime.
Radnor 0-2-0-0 2 (2)
Springfield Twp 2-0-0-0 2 (3)
PIAA 4A semifinals
#1-6 CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 1, #7-1 NORWIN 0
“It’s surreal.”
That’s how Connor Victor aptly described his team’s remarkable postseason run to Friday’s PIAA 4A state title game. The Titans – the 14th seed out of 28 teams in the District 1 4A Tournament – entered the state tournament as the sixth seed and rode their underdog status to the state’s biggest stage.
“You don’t really realize what happened, but it’s crazy thinking about it,” Victor said. “While you’re playing, it just seems like any other game.”
“It feels great,” Patrick Chrzanowski said. “To be able to achieve something this big for the first time in school history is amazing.”
The Titans’ journey has been one road trip after another for the road warriors – with a trip to Cumberland Valley’s Eagle View Middle School and then back-to-back treks to Chambersburg Area High School. Friday night they will return to Eagle View Middle School.
“It’s crazy,” Victor said. “The bus rides are definitely memorable. It’s been at least two hours every time. The ride there – everyone is just locked in, focused, thinking about the game, but the ride home – that’s just amazing, blasting music, it’s fun.”
If there was a defining moment in the Titans’ journey, it came in the opening round of states when they upset District 3 champion Cumberland Valley in penalty kicks.
“After that first win over Cumberland Valley, we saw how we could play and thought that no matter what team we came up against – we could get a result,” Victor said. “I think the biggest key is us coming together as a team and working together in every possible way, putting everything we can into practice and leaving it out there all on the field.”
There was a small crisis before the game began when both teams showed up wearing white jerseys. South was forced to wear green pinnies.
“At the beginning, there was a bit of concern about the jersey situation, but Coach Kyle told us to not worry about it and to keep our focus on the game,” Chrzanowski said.
Tuesday’s game was a battle, but the Titans got on the scoreboard in the 15th minute on an own goal.
“It was a tough one today, but we got it over the line,” South coach Kyle Pettican said. “We were creating chances and taking opportunities like we normally do, but we managed to make one count from an own goal off a Luke Fromal cross.”
“We got at Norwin very well,” Chrzanowski said. “We were able to create many chances which ultimately led to an early goal.
“Norwin’s known to come back from losing in the first half, so we knew we had to come out with energy as to not let a goal up.”
Neither team scored the rest of the way, and the Titans are one of two teams still standing in Class 4A.
“They’re a good defensive unit, so we knew going into it we would need to get a lot of chances, and hopefully squeak one in, which happened pretty early in the game,” Victor said. “After that, they like to counterattack, so they were moving guys up quick and getting at us.
“In the second half, they got more attacking toward the end, sending a lot of guys up. We just locked down as a team, did everything we could to get the ball away from our goal and held on for the 1-0 win.”
Tuesday’s win was the second shutout in as many games for the Titans, who shut out District 7 runner-up North Allegheny 2-0 in a state quarterfinal contest.
“Our defense as a team won us the game tonight,” Pettican said. “Norwin was a lot better than we expected.
“I think subconsciously the boys went in not as focused. After the North Allegheny game going perfectly, I feel we felt too comfortable. Luckily, we snapped out of it a few minutes into the game. It was not a pretty game at all, and both teams did not create much, but we got the goal we needed, and we managed to keep a clean sheet.”
Added Chrzanowski, “Overall, I think everyone on the squad contributed to this win and stuck with the plan. We need to bring even more energy to the final on Friday.”
Pettican lauded the play of goalie Pat VanLuvanee as well as the effort of Sean Clevenstine in the historic win.
“This is a feeling of succeeding within itself,” the Titans’ coach said of his team’s unexpected journey to the state title game. “Every team starts their season trying to get to the state final. I guess it’s even sweeter that (the state title game) is against my alma mater.”
As for the key to his team’s success, Pettican had a ready explanation.
“The key is the team being united and knowing their roles and responsibilities,” the Titans’ coach said. “No superstars = all superstars. Everyone pulls their weight.”
Central Bucks South (19-5-2, 11-3-2 SOL) will face District 1 champion Conestoga in Friday’s PIAA 4A state title game at Eagle View Middle School at 7 p.m.
Norwin 0-0 0
Central Bucks South 1-0 1
#1-1 CONESTOGA 3, #1-5 COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 0
Conestoga is nationally ranked, and listening to coach Joe Stackhouse tell it, they are every bit as good as their ranking suggests.
“They could beat most D3 college teams,” the Rock North coach said.
The Indians played the Pioneers a whole lot tougher than the final score suggests, keeping them off the scoreboard until Cole Frederick scored with 2:15 remaining in the first half to send Conestoga into the intermission with a 1-0 lead.
That 1-0 score stood until midway through the second half when Michael Haley tacked on an insurance goal. The Pioneers connected for their third goal on a direct kick with just 41 seconds remaining and Rock North’s starting goalie on the sidelines after receiving a yellow card.
“Overall, the effort was good,” Stackhouse said. “The depth that we had all season – we didn’t bring to the table tonight because of different injuries and sicknesses within the group.
“The kids left it all out there. They were by far the better team, but it wasn’t a blowout. Maybe if we connect with one early in the match, it changes the tide of how they play. We chased the game most of the night, and that’s tough.”
Council Rock North closed out its season with the SOL Patriot Division title and an overall record of 19-4-2.
Council Rock North 0-0 0
Conestoga 1-2 3
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