All four SOL boys’ soccer teams in the state tournament picked up wins in Tuesday’s PIAA openers. Abington/Manheim Twp photos provided courtesy of John Gleeson. Check back for a gallery of photos: https://solsports.zenfolio.com/f131331739
PIAA Class 4A opening round
#1-2 ABINGTON 2, #3-2 MANHEIM TOWNSHP 0
With neither team able to find the net and the potential of overtime looming on the horizon, Brian O’Neill took matters into his own hands, scoring on a strong individual effort with 9:24 remaining in regulation.
“Brian O’Neill took on two defenders and just absolutely beat them clean and just slotted the ball in the back of the net where the goalkeeper wasn’t, and it was the difference in the game,” Abington coach Randy Garber said. “He received the ball wide, and we’re trying to get him into the box because he’s very clever with the ball.
“He just got in the box from the right hand side and came across the goal and just beat the first guy and then the second guy. They both kind of dove in, and he was 12 yards out, and he just slotted the ball on the floor, and the goalkeeper didn’t have a chance.”
Brandon Murataj found the net with an insurance goal to put the Ghosts on top 2-0.
“It’s 1-0, it’s less than 10 minutes – I think they might have pushed up a guy immediately, and we got the ball down in the box, threw it in the mix,” Garber said. “The ball’s bouncing around in the mix, and Brand Murataj just volleyed the ball in the back of the net from maybe six yards out. There were so many people in the box. It hit the side panel, and before you know it, it was 2-0.”
The Ghosts received a lift from several some unexpected sources.
“Sebastian Morina played the entire game, and he’s usually a kid that gets a couple minutes here and there,” Garber said. “He played the outside back and did a heck of a job.
“(Brandon) Escobar played the other back, and he did an excellent job. As a matter of fact, he was under the weather the whole entire week, and he toughed it out.
“And Nicky Gray is one of the guys the whole entire season was in a boot because he had a fractured ankle, and he just came back a week ago, and because of the injuries, he got a starting spot, and he did a nice job in the middle for us.”
The Ghosts’ veterans also came up big in Tuesday’s win.
“(Braeden) Delgado was absolutely magic,” Garber said. “He just turned people inside out – he did so many good things. They were going – ‘Wow, wow!’ A lot of alumni are coming to games because the team’s doing so well. There’s a lot of soccer history from way back when that still enjoys it.
“Daniel Oliveira and Jose Rosario-Martinez were brilliant in the middle, and our goalkeeper – Justin Waterfall – did a nice job. He made a couple of real good saves early on. The first 10 minutes, they were all over us. They came out fast, and Justin made a real key save in the first 10 minutes, and he shut them out.”
“It’s a special group. The kids like each other, they’re always together.”
In Saturday’s quarterfinal round, Abington (21-3, 15-1 SOL) will face District 7 champion Norwin, a 1-0 winner over a Warwick team that brought an 18-1-1 record into the state tournament.
Manheim Twp 0-0 0
Abington 0-2 2
#1-5 COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 2, #11-1 EMMAUS 1
The Indians kept their impressive postseason run alive with a win over the District 11 champions, opening up a 2-0 lead and holding on for the road win at Emmaus.
“It’s been so much fun because it’s my senior season, and it’s nice to advance far into states,” Rock North senior Keertan Palayam said. “Throughout my four years of high school, I’ve never had this chance of playing in states yet.
“This is really an amazing opportunity. I’m happy to have gone this far with this amazing team.”
With the win, Rock North – the fifth seed from District 1 – is one of eight teams still standing in the state and will compete in Saturday’s quarterfinal round.
“That’s surreal to think about it,” Palayam said. “I think we always knew we had it inside of us to make it this far, but until we’ve actually done it, it’s good to see it happening right in front of us.”
The Indians got on the board midway through the opening half when sophomore Logan Adams scored with an assist from senior Michael Pinho.
“It was a long throw and nice head ball flick by Logan,” said Rock North coach Joe Stackhouse, whose team took that 1-0 lead into halftime.
They added a goal 10 minutes into the second half to go on top 2-0 when Ari Pollack converted a penalty kick.
In the second half, Adams was taken down hard and was lost for the remainder of the game. Emmaus made things interesting when – with 23:46 left in regulation – senior Ryan Kiernan connected on his 22nd goal of the season.
“They were pressing us,” Stackhouse said.
The Indians, however, would not be denied, holding on for the hard fought win.
“We just played how we usually play, communicating well with each other – that’s what is most important,” Palayam said. “We ignored the fans on their side shouting at us. Their student section was very loud, but we just tuned all that out and played our best.”
Stackhouse liked what he saw in Tuesday’s win.
“Defensively, we played really well again,” the Rock North coach said. “Michael Pinho has just played phenomenal over the back end stretch. He’s one of our senior captains, and he has led by example.
“Dom Czachor in the back has played really well for a sophomore. It was funny – (goalkeeper) Calvin Hopkins came up to me at halftime and said, “Mr. Stacks, I haven’t touched the ball yet.’ I said, ‘Well, the first time you touch the ball – you better make it a good one.’ Well, sure enough, the first time he touched the ball he came up with a big save, and he had two or three good ones in the second half.”
According to Stackhouse, his team’s success didn’t just happen.
“These kids have been out since the second Monday in June – every Monday and Wednesday throughout the summer until we go to camp,” the Indians’ coach said. “The thing I think that’s going to be (hard) – God forbid when it ends -the camaraderie between them, the chemistry between them.
“There are no bad bones. The culture – our kids are very respectful of the game, they give everything they’ve got, and they just love being together.”
Palayam offered a similar sentiment when asked the key to the team’s success.
“He’s been pushing us because he knows we can play to our potential,” Palayam said. “We just keep grinding every single game and just keep wanting to get that next win and advance further.
“As a team, we all have very good chemistry with each other. We all play with such amazing confidence because we know we can play very well if we keep our heads up and not let anything push us down.”
Council Rock North (18-3-2, 12-2-2 SOL) will face District 12 champion La Salle, a 2-1 winner in overtime over District 1’s third-place team, West Chester Rustin.
Council Rock North 1-1 2
Emmaus 0-1 1
#1-6 CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 1, #3-1 CUMBERLAND VALLEY 1 (3-1 PKs)
Patrick VanLuvanee makes it sound almost easy when asked about the unenviable task of facing opponents in winner-take-all penalty kicks.
“I try and make myself as calm as possible because I feel confident going into PKs,” the Titans’ junior goalkeeper said. “I know what I need to do, and I just focus on my job in that situation.”
VanLuvanee not only makes it sound easy, he made it look easy, With his team’s season on the line, the junior keeper stood tall, turning away two penalty kicks and giving his team a chance to escape with the emotional win.
“A lot of it, I like to think, is getting the player to go one way, kind of making them second guess themselves a little bit,” VanLuvanee said. “They have a way they want to go, and as a goalkeeper, I try and put them off a little bit.”
While VanLuvanee was making the clutch saves, teammates Connor Victor, Evan Jaskelewicz and Anthony Bice were burying their PKs to propel the Titans to the victory as their memorable postseason run continues
“There’s a lot of nerves going into the game, and in the game, there’s a lot of adrenaline flowing,” VanLuvanee said. “During the game, you’re trying to focus on your job and trying to keep the team focused and keep their minds clear on what the goal is of the game, which is pretty much fighting for one another for 80 minutes and just getting that result at the end of the day.”.
“A lot of it is just consistency with players. It’s a lot of hard work that goes in off the field – spending time off the field with one another and putting in the work. All of that really plays a part in how we’re doing this season.”
The Titans found themselves in a battle with a Cumberland Valley team that captured the District 1 4A title and also the Mid-Commonwealth Division crown. Neither team got on the scoreboard in the first half.
“We knew going into this that every team in states is going to be incredibly difficult in their particular way of playing,” South coach Kyle Pettican said. “We knew Cumberland Valley is a very good technical team – honestly, the best we’ve probably seen this season at getting the ball down and knocking it about. We knew we had to avoid letting them do that. Each team had their moments of being the team on top. I think we dominated the majority early on.”
In the 46th minute, the Titans were awarded a penalty kick after a hand ball. Nate McLeod slotted it home.
“Cumberland Valley then changed things up and upped the intensity,” Pettican said. “I give them a lot of credit. They had to take risks, and they snuck one past us when there was a scramble in the box and it popped up for them to header it home.”
Chayse Snyder scored the equalizer in the 71st minute.
“Right down to the wire, both teams were getting tired, getting their chances in OT but nothing could separate us,” Pettican said. “In PKs, we always felt confident when we have Pat VanLuvanee in goal. The guys shooting just have to get it on net, and Pat will take care of the rest. Huge credit to all, but this was a game for Pat to get big credit.”
“It’s a great feeling,” VanLuvanee said. “Winning is a great feeling in general, especially when it’s a close game like it was tonight. Just pulling through with a win against another really good team, it feels really good.”
While some may be surprised by the Titans’ success, the junior keeper is not in that number.
“I think anything’s possible,” VanLuvanee said. “At the end of the day, it comes down to hard work, and it’s really about players staying focused. If I were to be told this at the beginning of the year, I’d say – ‘Yes, it’s definitely possible, for sure.’”
Central Bucks South (17-5-2, 11-3-2 SOL) will face District 7 runner-up North Allegheny in Saturday’s quarterfinal round. North Allegheny defeated District 6 champion State College.
Central Bucks South 0-1-0-0 1 (3)
Cumberland Valley 0-1-0-0 1 (1)
PIAA Class 3A opening round
#1-2 SPRINGFIELD TWP 4, #12-1 ARCHBISHOP RYAN 0
Showing no ill effects from their loss to Radnor in the District 1 3A title game, the Spartans notched an impressive bounce-back win against PCL power Archbishop Ryan. The game – Ryan’s home game – was played at Holy Family University.
“These guys, especially bouncing back after a loss, they were intense – we played with intensity, and composure,” Springfield Twp coach Dan Meder said. “We won the ball, and when we won it, we did something positive with it. They looked great, they were ready to go.”
The Spartans got on the scoreboard in the 29th minute when Shaun Bleeker passed the ball to Riley Martin, who delivered the finish to give Springfield Twp a 1-0 lead. Six minutes later, the Spartans were awarded a penalty kick, and Nick Hanushchak converted, scoring on the PK to send the Spartans into halftime with a 2-0 lead.
“They definitely had chances – they’re a good young team,” Meder said. “They only started two seniors. They do have some really good young players, and they had some good chances, but I think we controlled the game.”
Three minutes into the second half, Martin blasted a free kick from close to 22 yards out for a goal that put the Spartans on top 3-0. Connecting on the fourth and final goal late in the game was freshman Nate Lewis, who came off the bench to make an impact.
“We brought him up for the playoffs,” Meder said. “He was a jayvee guy all season, but he was one of the best – it not the best guy on jayvee, which is why we brought him up. He was terrific.
“Ezra Parks had an assist. Nick Hanushchak was really good in the run of play. Chase Rubincam was really good.”
The Spartans’ coach gave a special shoutout to Shaun Bleeker.
“Shaun Bleeker came off the bench, and he’s heating up,” Meder said. “He starts the season slow. He did the same thing last year in our playoff run.
“He finally gets into soccer mode by the end of the regular season. He really, really played well, and he assisted the first goal. When we put him in, he took over and put a beautiful ball in. He played well the whole time.
“Everybody played well – we scored a goal when we subbed guys in. Those guys played really well.”
Springfield Twp (19-2-1, 14-1-1 SOL) will face District 3 runner-up Conrad Weiser in Saturday’s state quarterfinal round. Conrad Weiser defeated District 2 champion Mount Pocono 3-1.
Springfield Twp 2-2 4
Archbishop Ryan 0-0 0
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