Check out the recaps for SOL boys’ soccer teams in action Thursday.
SOL National Conference
Pennsbury 2, Council Rock South 0
Pennsbury snapped a two-game losing streak – a 3-2 loss to Holy Ghost Prep Saturday and a 1-0 defeat to William Tennent Monday – with a 2-0 victory over host Council Rock South.
Evan Reichard put the Falcons ahead 1-0 early in the first half off a feed from Nyles Cayemitte.
“It was probably a little bit against the grain,” Pennsbury coach Tom Stoddart said. “Council Rock South was pretty sharp on their own field, so they probably had the better of it.
“We had a couple of opportunities, and the goal was just a really nice piece. Nyles (Cayemitte) got the ball with speed and then pushed the ball all the way across the back post, and Evan (Reichard) was able to finish it off full volley, so that was really well done.”
In the 50th minute, Pennsbury’s Joe Ficarotta closed out the scoring with his first goal of the season off a pass from Cayemitte.
“He’s been a little snake-bitten, especially over the weekend,” Stoddart said of Ficarotta. “I think Friday, Saturday and Monday he had opportunities he couldn’t get in. Obviously, last year he was always scoring big goals for us in big spots. It was just really refreshing for him – it wasn’t a difficult shot. It was just a tap-in on a ball that Nyles crushed, but I think it was really important not only for him but for us to get him going.”
The Falcons find themselves in a dogfight for the conference crown heading into the final week of the season.
“In general, I thought this was the first game that we were able to go deep into our bench, and they were able to really put in some good, hard minutes for us,” Stoddart said. “We obviously have another big game tomorrow (against New Hope-Solebury). We’re really needed that game out of our bench today, and I thought they did a great job.
“We kind of stayed in control the whole game. In all honesty, I thought we built on the really good things we did against William Tennent. In most ways, I think our game against William Tennent was as good as we’ve played all year. We just didn’t get the result. They played well too, so it was a fun match to be a part of.”
For the Golden Hawks, it was another disappointing result.
“We played a great first half but little to show for it,” Rock South coach Alan Nicholl said. “We just didn’t respond when Pennsbury scored their second goal.”
Pennsbury (10-3-2, 7-2-1 SOL) will host New-Hope Solebury on Friday at 3:30 p.m. The Golden Hawks (5-9-1, 2-7-1) host Lansdale Catholic on Saturday (10:30 p.m.).
Pennsbury 1 1 – 2
Council Rock South 0 0 – 0
Neshaminy 2, William Tennent 0
Neshaminy notched its fourth straight win, a win that has made the race for the conference title quite interesting.
There’s now a logjam at the top as Pennsbury (7-2-1 conference) plays Harry S. Truman on Tuesday and Neshaminy on Thursday. Neshaminy is 8-3 (SOL) with only Pennsbury on its conference schedule. If Pennsbury defeats Truman, the winner of the Pennsbury/Neshaminy game wins the title. Bensalem is 7-3-1 and could also be in the equation.
“I didn’t see that coming two weeks ago, that’s for sure,” Neshaminy coach Tom Foley said. “Pennsbury was running away with it, and we were just trying to jockey for playoff position. We just kept plugging away and getting some wins, and we put ourselves in a good position.”
Neshaminy, which scored both of its goals in the first half, received its first one from senior Alex Daeche at the 15-minute mark.
“Mike Albarran had a long throw, Jonaton Lopez shot the ball, and the goalkeeper gave a rebound, and Alex Daeche was there to knock in the rebound,” Foley said.
Ten minutes later, it was Cole Jackson finishing off the scoring for the hosts.
“Cole Jackson intercepted a pass at midfield and had lots of open space,” Foley said. “He took about 20 yards of space and cranked a laser from 25-30 yards out that went in.”
Foley praised the play of his midfielders and defenders.
“We had them pretty much bottled up most of the night,” Foley said. “They like to play their sweeper, and we tried to eliminate him. When we eliminated him, things kind of bogged down for them.
“My two central midfielders – Cole Jackson and Connor Steele – really did a good job cutting off the midfield. My back (line) – Mike Albarran, Alex Daeche, Dan Nogueira, Lou Salmi and Ian Siwinski – played a real strong game.”
Neshaminy (11-4, 8-3 SOL) plays at Downingtown West on Saturday (10 a.m.).
William Tennent 0 0 – 0
Neshaminy 2 0 – 2
Bensalem 4, Harry S. Truman 1
Host Bensalem took care of business quickly by scoring a pair of goals in the first five minutes on its way to a 4-1 win over Harry S. Truman on Senior Night.
The Owls started 11 seniors and were able to get on the board just 14 seconds into the game on a goal by Ryan Antry off a great pass from Ryan Fadako.
Less than five minutes later it was 2-0 as Elliot Cifuentes, off an assist by Jordan Lee, found the net.
“I was very happy with the play of our seniors,” Bensalem coach Rob Brown said. “We had 12 seniors play tonight and we were able to score two goals and have a lot of fun with them on the field.
“Senior Eric O’Driscoll was able to be a target striker and have a great time in one of his last high school games.”
Bensalem came out after halftime starting their normal lineup, and the Owls scored just over nine minutes into the second half on a goal was by Brian Gibson off an assist from John Larbi.
“Truman was able to score to make it 3-1,” Brown said. “They never gave up and fought hard, and they made us earn our goals.”
Bensalem scored its final goal with 21:41 left in the game. This one was by Larbi on an assist by Hunter Shay.
“The highlight of the night was seeing how much the team likes each other and how passionate they are,” Brown said. “Most of the seniors were crying at times throughout the night, but the memories will last forever. I am happy to be in their lives this year and I will always be there to help any of them if they need it.”
The Tigers (5-8-2, 0-8-2 SOL) host Central Bucks South on Saturday (11 a.m.) while the Owls (8-5-2, 7-3-1) play at Council Rock North on Tuesday (3:30 p.m.).
Harry S. Truman 0 1 – 1
Bensalem 2 2 – 4
Continental Conference
North Penn 3, Central Bucks West 1
North Penn used a furious late second-half attack to post a 3-1 win over visiting Central Bucks West.
The victory clinched the fourth-straight conference crown for the Knights.
“This is always a goal every year for our team, so credit to our guys and our coaching staff,” North Penn coach Paul Duddy said. “We try to win the conference, which I believe is one of the toughest conferences not only in the area but in the state, so that’s the first piece, but we have more to go.”
After the Bucks took a 1-0 lead to halftime it was all North Penn after the intermission as the Knights knocked in three goals in the span of seven minutes to secure the victory.
“They had the wind in the first half – it was one of those games where the wind was just coming through our place,” Duddy said. “They had the wind, they played extremely well and they got an early goal about six minutes into the first half.
“They played great. In the second half, to their credit and to (Central Bucks West coach) Stefan Szygiel’s credit, they strategically held us off the board. They were playing smart.”
Hunter Stites tied the game for the Knights off a feed from Josh Jones with nine minutes left in regulation.
“We had a nice goal on a restart,” Duddy said. “Josh Jones headed the ball. Hunter Stites basically flicked the ball off Josh’s header – he redirected it actually. That tied the game up, and it changed the momentum of the game.”
Four minutes later, it was Jamie Stewart putting the hosts up for good with an unassisted tally that made it 2-1. Stewart closed out the scoring with two minutes left in regulation as he scored his second goal of the contest.
“Jamie Stewart made a great run of about 25 yards and hit a shot low to the corner to make it 2-1,” Duddy said. “Jamie had another great goal.”
Moving Stewart up top from central defender paid big dividends.
“West matches up with us so well, so we changed some things around, plus we had the wind in the second half, so we were able to go on the attack a little more,” Duddy said. “West is very good. Stefan does a great job. Tactically, they handled the game great. Once we got the first goal, it switched things around. All of a sudden, we had momentum, we were at home and we had the wind.”
Duddy was pleased with the work of several of his players.
“Of course Jamie Stewart,” Duddy said. “Hunter Stites didn’t have to hit a great shot – all he had to do was deflect.
“Sawyer Meade had a great game in goal for us. He made some great saves and he just played very smart. Jack Durkin is one of our central defenders, and when we moved Jamie (Stewart) up, Jack kind of held down the defense. He played great.”
Central Bucks West (5-5-4, 4-4-2 SOL) plays at Great Valley on Saturday (10 a.m.) while the Knights (14-1, 9-1) host Archbishop Wood, also on Saturday (10 a.m.).
Central Bucks West 1 0 – 1
North Penn 0 3 – 2
Pennridge 3, Souderton 1
Pennridge opened up a 2-0 lead en route to a 3-1 win, avenging an early season 1-0 loss to the Indians.
“Overall, it was a fantastic effort,” Pennridge coach Pete Valimont said. “Everyone got in the game and contributed to the successful win.”
The Rams struck first as Bobby Brashear scored off a long throw in that deflected off the Indians defense and found the net.
Souderton came right back to knot the score shortly thereafter before the Rams’ Aidan Castle corralled the ball out of a scrum in the penalty area and knocked it home to give the hosts a 2-1 lead at intermission.
Pennridge’s Nicky Williams closed out the scoring with a goal in the closing minute of regulation.
“Nicky beat two defenders and sealed the game with an upper 90 far bar rip with 20 seconds left,” Valimont said.
TJ Hibsman accounted for Souderton’s first-half goal, finding the net in the 27th minute.
Souderton goalkeeper Riley Finger was credited with six saves.
The Indians (6-7-2, 3-6-2 SOL) host Boyertown on Saturday (11:30 a.m.) while the Rams (10-5-1, 4-5-1) play at Central Bucks East on Tuesday (4 p.m.).
Souderton 1 0 – 1
Pennridge 2 1 – 3
Central Bucks East 2, Quakertown 0
Timely scoring and a strong defensive effort keyed Central Bucks East’s 2-0 win over host Quakertown.
“Jackson Russell, Nino Barbati and Ethan Green had solid defensive games,” Central Bucks East coach Josh Isaacsohn said. “They helped keep us grounded.”
The Patriots took a 1-0 lead early in the first half on a goal from Jacob Bing-Zaremba at the 10-minute mark, Trevor Jopling (from Peter Moore) provided an insurance tally with about 15 minutes gone in the second half.
The Patriots (8-5-2, 7-3-1 SOL) host Hatboro-Horsham on Friday (4 p.m.) while the Panthers (3-13, 0-10) play at Central Bucks West on Monday (7 p.m.).
Central Bucks East 1 1 – 2
Quakertown 0 0 – 0
American Conference
Upper Moreland 1, Springfield Township 0 (2 OT)
Logan Taylor’s goal with less than a minute left in the second overtime proved to be the difference as Upper Moreland edged host Springfield Township 1-0.
Taylor, from about 25 yards out, placed his shot into the upper left-hand corner to give the Golden Bears the victory.
Upper Moreland (6-8-1, 4-7-1 SOL) hosts Interboro on Monday (3:45 p.m.) while the Spartans (5-9, 3-9) host Bishop McDevitt, also on Monday (3:45 p.m.).
Upper Moreland 0 0 0 1 – 1
Springfield Township 0 0 0 0 – 0
Hatboro-Horsham 1, Cheltenham 0 (2 OT)
Hatboro-Horsham made sure head coach Kyle McGrath had a happy birthday as the host Hatters edged Cheltenham 1-0 in two overtimes Thursday.
“It’s my birthday – they like to make things entertaining on my birthday,” McGrath said. “We played well – we just weren’t clicking in the final third, making poor decisions when we got inside the box, shooting when we should have been passing, passing when we should have been shooting.”
The Hatters won the game when Matt Harmon converted a penalty with three-and-a-half minutes left in the second overtime.
“I was talking to (Cheltenham coach) Bill (Tonkin), and that’s the best I’ve seen Cheltenham play this year,” McGrath said. “I’ve seen them a lot from scouting and watching them play.
“They were fantastic today. They defended great, and they did everything they needed to do to get a result. Fortunately, we were able to squeeze one out at the end.”
McGrath had effusive praise for Cheltenham goalie Lou Liodtka.
“Cheltenham has a very good goalkeeper – he’s one of the best goalkeepers in the area, I think,” McGrath said. “He made the saves that he was supposed to make, he made some saves on good opportunities for us and we weren’t executing the best. He saved a penalty kick halfway through the second half to keep it 0-0.
“We just continued to press. Cheltenham was very dangerous on the counterattack, and ultimately, in the second overtime, we were awarded another penalty kick. Matty Harmon stepped up and buried it for the game-winner. Matty stepping up in overtime to hit the penalty kick was what we needed from our captain.”
McGrath was also pleased with the work of his defense as it recorded its 11th shutout of the season.
“My back four – I know I always come back to them – had another shutout,” McGrath said of Vince Buccafuri, Zach Joachim, Jake Weiss and Caleb Hudson. “Cheltenham has some dangerous players with speed up top that we were able to control for the most part.
“We’ve been defending very well. Scott (Katherine) has been great in goal. That was his sixth shutout already this year. If we can shut the other team out, we give ourselves a very good opportunity to win, and that was the case today.”
The Panthers (3-13, 0-12 SOL) host Springfield Township on Tuessday (7 p.m.) while the Hatters (12-2-1, 10-1-1) are at Central Bucks East on Friday (4 p.m.).
Cheltenham 0 0 0 0 – 0
Hatboro-Horsham 0 0 0 1 – 1
Upper Dublin 2, Plymouth Whitemarsh 0
Upper Dublin netted a goal in each half on the way to blanking host Plymouth Whitemarsh.
The Cardinals’ goal in the first half came from senior Giovanni Astorino, who corralled a rebound and knocked it home.
“He was in the right spot at the right time and was able to slot it in the back of the net,” Upper Dublin coach Andy Meehan said.
Upper Dublin junior Sean Seabrook iced things off a feed from fellow-junior Josiah Kutai.
“Sean Seabrook poked it by the keeper off a through ball from Josiah Kutai,” Meehan said. “That gave us a 2-0 cushion.”
Upper Dublin (9-6-1, 8-3-1 SOL) hosts Wissahickon on Monday (7 p.m.) while the Colonials (5-9, 5-7) play at West Chester Rustin, also on Monday (7 p.m.).
Upper Dublin 1 1 – 2
Plymouth Whitemarsh 0 0 – 0
Abington 2, Wissahickon 0
Abington remained in second place in the conference thanks to a 2-0 blanking of visiting Wissahickon.
The Ghosts, who trail only Hatboro-Horsham in conference play, grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first half on a penalty kick from Reese Gibbs before Steve Fajardo closed out the scoring in the second half when he volleyed home a rebound to make it 2-0.
The Trojans (6-9, 6-6 SOL) play at Upper Dublin on Monday (7 p.m.) while Abington (12-2-1, 10-1-1) hosts Council Rock North on Friday (3:30 p.m.).
Wissahickon 0 0 – 0
Abington 1 1 – 2
Non-League
Faith Christian 2, Central Bucks South 1 (OT)
Host Faith Christian scored on a penalty kick in overtime to notch a 2-1 win over Central Bucks South.
“There were several occasions today where one official would have one call and the other two would call something different,” Central Bucks South coach Joe Coscia said. “It was just very frustrating, especially for my players.”
The Titans lone goal also came on a penalty kick as Corey Bethel connected midway through the second half to tie the score.
“Kyle Rychlak’s cross led to the PK,” Coscia said. “And Corey was able to convert it for us.”
The Titans (8-5-2, 5-3-2 SOL) play at Harry S. Truman on Saturday (11 a.m.).
Central Bucks South 0 1 0 – 1
Faith Christian 1 0 1 – 2
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