Check out the recaps for SOL boys’ soccer teams in action Monday. Cheltenham/New Hope-Solebury photos provided courtesy of John Gleeson. Check back for a gallery of the game. CLICK HERE to go directly to Suburban One Sports’ BOYS’ SOCCER GALLERIES.
SOL Patriot Division
Council Rock North 1, Pennsbury 0
It wasn’t ideal playing conditions, but the result was just what CR North was looking for.
With a David Morais goal in the 46th minute, the Indians picked up the win and clinched the program’s fourth straight Patriot Division championship.
“When you take it into account, we lost 17 kids off last year’s team – 14 graduated, one kid went to FC Cincinnati, one kid aged out, and one transferred out,” said coach Joe Stackhouse. “I’m glad that they bought in to what we asked them to buy into, and they’re a good bunch of kids too.”
CR North, which went into the day No. 12 in the District One power rankings, has only allowed four goals in Patriot Division play, and has recorded six shutouts.
Scoring Summary:
Second Half –
David Morais (CRN) from Andrew Foulke, 46th minute
CR North coach Joe Stackhouse:
–The goal: “It was a couple of nice passes and then Andrew Foulke fed David Morais, and he put it in the back of the net from 18 out.”
–The Game: “They had chances. Elias Berman made three or four very good saves, and their kid actually made two very good ones as well.
“Gotta give both teams credit for playing in that mess. The wind wreaked havoc both ways. Luckily, we had it in the second half.”
Pennsbury coach Tom Stoddart: “It was a tough 1-0 loss tonight on the road at CR North… We played with a ton of energy and created a lot of very good scoring opportunities. Hats off the Council Rock North for keeping us off the board. I’m very pleased for the way we are playing coming down the stretch.”
Up next: Council Rock North will travel to Harry S Truman Tuesday (6pm), and Pennsbury will host Council Rock South on Wednesday (7pm).
Pennsbury 0 0 – 0
CR North 0 1 – 1
Neshaminy 5, Harry S Truman 0
Zach Hargraves and Monty Jawawdeh each had two goals in the second half, and Neshaminy broke open a close game with four in the second half on the way to the shutout win. Jawawdeh’s hat trick led the Redskins.
“It’s one of those worrisome games,” said coach Tom Foley. “We’ve had tough luck with them the last couple of years, so I’ll take it.”
Neshaminy entered the game No. 20 in the District One power rankings, with two games remaining.
Scoring Summary:
First Half –
Monty Jawawdeh (N) from Damien Castro
Second Half –
Zach Hargraves (N) from Damien Castro
Monty Jawawdeh (N) from Damien Castro
Zach Hargraves (N) from Stephen Buczek
Monty Jawawdeh (N) from Connor Choi
Neshaminy coach Tom Foley:
“Overall, we were a little sluggish in the first half, and then we came out a little bit better in the second. Everybody got in, everyone contributed to the game, so it was a good team win.”
Up next: Neshaminy will be on the road at Bensalem Wednesday (7pm), and Harry S Truman will host Council Rock North Tuesday (6pm).
Truman 0 0 – 0
CR North 1 4 – 5
SOL Colonial Division
Central Bucks South 5, Pennridge 0
CB South took over first place in the Colonial Division, with just one game remaining, with a solid 5-0 Senior Night win over Pennridge on Monday night.
With CB East’s loss to CB West, the Titans now sit alone in first with a 7-2 division record, while East is second at 6-2-1. With a win over Souderton Wednesday, South would claim the division championship.
Five different players scored goals for the Titans Monday.
Scoring Summary:
First Half –
Rowan McDonald (CBS) from AJ Okoniewski
Andriy Popelnytskiy (CBS) from AJ Okoniewski
Josh Dozier (CBS) from TJ Jaskelewicz
Nate Monser (CBS)
Second Half –
Luka Jonjic (CBS) from Andriy Popelnytskiy
CB South coach Ed Brnardic:
“Two minutes into the game, AJ Okoniewski delivered the corner kick, and Rowan McDonald drilled a perfect header into the back of the net. Midway through the half, AJ Okoniewski set Andriy (Popelnytskiy) through on a breakaway, and he beat the Pennridge keeper to put us up by two. A few minutes later TJ Jaskelewicz sent a ball through to Josh Dozier who had a nice re-direct into goal. And with a few minutes left in the half, Nate Monser collected a loose ball and scored the fourth goal.
“In the second half Andriy slipped a ball into Luka Jonjic who got behind the defense, turned and immediately slid the ball under the keeper into the far bottom corner to complete the scoring. Ryan Wiener earned the clean sheet.
–Memorable Night: “The rain came down quite strong for parts of the match, but several surprises made it a memorable night.
“First, we had our famous PA announcer Larry Bowler come back for one night to announce the game. Larry was the voice of the Titans for the last 20-ish years, and he retired last spring. It was great to see (and hear) Larry again, and that gave our guys some extra energy when they heard his voice.
“Then we had another surprise when former alumni Angie Colantonio came to sing the opening National Anthem. We all had goosebumps, and it had nothing to do with the rain. Angie was amazing, and we are honored that she was able to share her beautiful voice with us for our Senior Night.
“And then our alum Brennan Franklin (currently playing at University of Rochester) came out for the game and delivered the pre-game speech to the team which fired them up. It would have been difficult to script a better night.”
–Props:
Nate Monser – “One of our key seniors (Dylan Lynch) had broken his hand a couple weeks ago and required surgery and is out for the season. We had talked about putting Dylan in for the kickoff and then subbing him off immediately to give him a moment. The issue is that we would need a senior to give up their spot in the starting lineup to give Dylan this chance. Without hesitation, Nate Monser stepped up and offered to give up his starting spot on senior night.
“With all the rain, we decided against the plan, but Nate volunteering speaks to his character. He is always the one who is there for his teammates, and this is why he is a favorite of everyone in our program. The good Karma took care of Nate tonight when an errant ball deflected to him – he was able to make a beautiful play by collecting the ball and cutting inside before delivering a perfect strike into the bottom corner from the top of the box. It was a fantastic goal.”
Luka Jonjic – “The best moment of the night was when senior Luka Jonjic scored his first varsity goal. During halftime, everyone asked to put Luka up top for the second half. Luka turned on a pass from Andriy and slipped the ball past the keeper and the entire bench cleared to celebrate his goal with him. Luka comes to practice and works hard, always wanting to learn and improve. He is a high character person, and the team was excited to see him score.”
––Pennridge: “I coached a few of their senior players in club ball so it was special for me to wish them well as they close out their high school careers. But I couldn’t help myself watching this team and watching all these young guys that have gained some valuable minutes, and I’m thinking about how strong they are going to be in the future. Coach Rapsinski is doing a great job with them, and they gained some experience tonight that is going to prepare them well.”
Up next: Central Bucks South will be on the road at Souderton Wednesday (6:30 pm), and Pennridge will host Central Bucks West Wednesday (7pm).
Pennridge 0 0 – 0
CB South 4 1 – 5
Central Bucks West 1, Central Bucks East 0
In a huge rivalry-game upset, CB West spoiled CB East’s hopes to clinch the SOL Colonial Division title Monday night, as a second-half goal by Andres Reyes was the difference in the Bucks’ 1-0 win.
“Despite the miserable weather, tonight’s one of those nights that reminds you of what got you into coaching in the first place, why you continue doing it,” said Bucks coach John Adair. “Seeing the players get the outcome they work so hard for and the joy it brings them – it’s one of the greatest feelings.
“We’ve played East tight over the past couple seasons, and there were a couple games that we felt we were good enough to get a result, but to see what it meant to the group to get over the line tonight was great.”
With the loss, the Patriots slipped back into second place in the standings behind CB South, and will need a win Wednesday and a South loss to claim the title.
Scoring Summary:
Second Half –
Andres Reyes (CBW)
CB West coach John Adair:
“It was a difficult night for anyone to play at their very best, but we were so solid at every line of the field. Our back line of Xan Dickinson, Kieran Thompson, and Ethan DeHaven gave nothing away and gave us the platform that we needed to be aggressive.
“Our midfield of John Vrettos, Michael Rafalowski, and Paolo Leiva did such a terrific job of not allowing East to play through us, but they were also dangerous playing forward.
“Our forwards Andres Reyes and Jameson Durie were relentless all night, and Max Bandurski gave us some really good big minutes tonight with a handful of absences.
“While I don’t want to mention every single player that played tonight, I absolutely could because they were all terrific. Our game is often a “weak link” sport – you find the opposition’s weakness and you exploit it. I didn’t think we showed any real weaknesses tonight regardless of who was on the field.
“On a night where you almost expect mistakes to happen due to the conditions, our group showed so much focus and positivity which probably helped us get through despite missing a handful of key guys.
“This season has had its ups and downs, but we’ve always felt when we are truly focused and give nothing away easily, we can compete with and beat anybody. Tonight is just another example of that.”
–Props: “A special mention for Paolo Leiva tonight as well. We’ve demanded a lot out of him this year despite being just a sophomore, and he’s had his ups and downs, but the game he played tonight shows why we’ve challenged him so much. He was an absolute difference-maker.”
Up next: Central Bucks East will host North Penn Wednesday (7pm), and Central Bucks West will be on the road at Pennridge Wednesday (7pm).
CB East 0 0 – 0
CB West 0 1 – 1
North Penn 1, Souderton 0
North Penn needed a win and picked a great time for it, as the Knights celebrated Senior Night by beating Souderton 1-0 on Monday night.
“An hour before the game, Fionn Regan, our senior captain and a stud center midfielder who has been out for three weeks with what we thought was a season-ending thigh injury, informed me that he felt good enough to possibly play a bit 
tonight,” said North Penn coach Chris DePeppe. “I thought he was joking until I watched him warming up.
“This was Senior Night too, by the way. So, I gave him the first 15:00 or so and took him off to check on his leg. He gave the thumbs up, had a quick drink, went back on and scored the game-winner before halftime, finishing a cross from the right by Matthew Bakir.”
The seniors recognized Monday night included Fionn Regan, Matt Haines, Ryan Smith, Carson Schell, Aidan Berhle, Aidan Green, Cole Miller, Sarik Dahal, Oliver Etienne, Will Groff, Manuel Torreb, Brady Schwengels, Gavin Keijzer, Chen Yue, Chase Taylor and Andrew Evans.
The Knights are now the No. 27 ranked team in District One for the upcoming 28-team Class 4A district playoffs.
Souderton is No. 20.
Scoring Summary:
First Half –
Fionn Regan (NP) from Matthew Bakir
North Penn coach Chris DePeppe:
“(Regan’s goal) turned out to be all we needed because we defended so well tonight. The four backs who started tonight were senior Cole Miller and freshman Leo Biase in the middle with Karam Alkoudsi and Caleb Kalitsi on the corners, and it may have been the first game they’ve all played together. But we were secure on every restart, we sensed the danger well and made a few vital blocks and tackles. Leo, in particular, was a beast. He won every header but more impressively, for a freshman, he is playing with incredible maturity and making great decisions on the ball.
“Junior Matthew Bakir is a rising star and when we lost three senior captains, it was Matthew who took control of games and ignited us.
“But this win at this moment is a just reward for a team that is coming off a devastating month of injuries and bad news. We weathered the storm and hopefully we’re getting some wind in our sails.”
–The shutout: “Posting the shutout tonight was huge, and I have a stellar trio of great senior goalkeepers that all contributed to this win: Brady Schwengels, Manuel Torres and Andrew Evans. What a luxury to have a #3 keeper that would start on most of the teams we have faced. No hyperbole. Andrew and Manuel deserve so much credit for being world class teammates. Their families should be very proud of them for their strong character and their selflessness.
“We are lucky to have such great people supporting our program.”
Souderton coach Frank Demas:
“Tough result for us tonight. We definitely had a flat first half. Had a few chances early that we didn’t put away. And gave up a really unlucky own goal to go down 1-0.
“Second half, I’m really happy with the response and desire we showed. We played a lot better and had some clean looks on goal that we just couldn’t put away. But that’s the game sometimes. Credit to North Penn. They all worked incredibly hard tonight and defended really well.”
Up next: Souderton will host Central Bucks West on Wednesday (6:30pm), and North Penn will be on the road at Central Bucks East Wednesday.
Souderton 0 0 – 0
North Penn 1 0 – 1
SOL Liberty Division
Upper Dublin 1, Hatboro-Horsham 0 (OT)
Jackson Bryan scored in the 89th minute, with one minute remaining in the first overtime, as Upper Dublin blanked Hatboro-Horsham in a nailbiter on Monday afternoon.
The Flying Cardinals started the day at No. 22 in the District One power rankings.
Scoring Summary:
First Overtime –
Jackson Bryan (UD) from Tyler McLaughlin, 89th minute
UD coach Noah Johnson:
–The game: “We scored off a free kick right on the edge of the 18. Tyler played a ball on the ground, it went through the box, and Jackson put it past the keeper.”
“The key today was honestly passing the ball, getting back to playing in our culture but just in a different shape. I felt in a lot of games this season we got away from things that we’re really great at, and today, for the most part, we did a really good job of possessing the ball and really just trying to find somebody to step up and be the man of the show for our team to try and help us as we get ready for the playoffs.
“It was definitely an important win to keep us in the hunt for positioning in the playoffs or even staying in it.”
–Props: “Jackson Bryan and Adriano Roman played well, and besides those two, everyone played very well. Our back line – Kaleb Abebe, Duncan Boyd and Dom Bova – did a good job today keeping them away from the goal.”
Up next: Upper Dublin will host Plymouth Whitemarsh Wednesday (7pm), and Hatboro-Horsham will travel to Wissahickon Wednesday.
H-H 0 0 0 – 0
UD 0 0 1 – 1
Abington 4, Plymouth Whitemarsh 1
For one half, the Colonials were able to keep the Ghosts off the scoreboard, battling the Liberty Division champions to a scoreless halftime tie.
The Ghosts scored four second-half goals while the Colonials connected on one – a counterattack from Dom Lorenti that made it a 2-1 game.
Kyle Kretschman’s two-goal effort led the Ghosts. Jaza Vasquez added a goal and an assist, and Zach Yurchyshyn also had a goal.
Abington sits in the No. 6 spot in the district power rankings.
Scoring summary
First Half – No score
Second Half –
Zach Yurchyshyn (A) from Jaza Vasquez
Kyle Kretschman (A)
Dom Lorenti (PW)
Kyle Kretschman (A)
Jaza Vasquez (A) from Owen Gesing
Plymouth Whitemarsh coach Toni Washington:
–On the game: “Given the wet conditions, we played a decent first half against a better team, and we were able to keep them 0-0. Then, unfortunately, in the second half, they were able to break apart our defense with their dangerous corners, a breakaway, and an unfortunate PK.
“We were able to answer for one and get through on a counterattack from Dom Lorenti to make it 2-1 at one point in the game. He played a great game, helping us keep it competitive on the defensive and offensive end. That kid has a bright future and will be truly missed next year.”
Up next: Abington will host Quakertown in its regular season finale Wednesday, and Plymouth Whitemarsh will be on the road at Upper Dublin Wednesday (7pm).
Abington 0-4 – 4
PW 0 1 – 1
Wissahickon 5, Quakertown 0
Charlie Fortescue scored four goals, as Wissahickon went on the road and picked up a big victory over Quakertown on Friday night.
The Trojans currently are ranked in the No. 25 in the District One Class 4A power rankings for the upcoming 28-team district tournament, with one regular season game remaining.
Scoring Summary:
First Half –
Charlie Fortescue (W) from Luca Sinopoli, 3rd minute
Charlie Fortescue (W) from Malachi Hodges, 8th minute
Lex Agou (W) from Jackson Horvat, 12th minute
Charlie Fortescue (W), 33rd minute
Second Half –
Charlie Fortescue (W) from Jackson Horvat, 53rd minute
Up next: Wissahickon will host Hatboro-Horsham on Wednesday, and Quakertown will be on the road at Abington Wednesday.
Wissahickon 4 1 – 5
Quakertown 0 0 – 0
SOL Freedom Division
Cheltenham 1, New Hope-Solebury 0
Emile Chanoine’s goal with 20 minutes left off a free kick was the difference in this one as Cheltenham emerged with the hard-fought shutout win over New Hope on Monday afternoon.
Scoring Summary:
Second Half –
Emile Chanoine (C) from Ean Justice
Cheltenham coach Danny Shields:
–The game: “The breakthrough today finally came midway through the second half. Ean Justice delivered a long free kick from inside his own half. Emile Chanoine rose again to meet it, slotting the ball home from close range. The goal gave Cheltenham a deserved 1-0 lead with about 20 minutes to play.
“From the opening whistle, it was clear Cheltenham came into the match with purpose. A focused pregame team talk set the tone, and the Panthers played with composure and discipline throughout a physical 80 minutes.
“The first half was a midfield battle, with both teams struggling to create clear scoring opportunities. Cheltenham’s defense stood strong, consistently shutting down New Hope’s attacking efforts and keeping goalkeeper Wolf Brown relatively untested. The best chance of the half came just before the break when Ean Justice launched a long throw-in from the left. Emile Chanoine rose above the defense to meet it with his head, but the effort flew just over the crossbar. The teams entered halftime scoreless.
“The second half saw an increase in tempo, with both teams pressing higher and pushing for a breakthrough. Cheltenham was forced to make several substitutions due to injuries, but the bench stepped up admirably. Judah Britton, Zander Forbes, Ben Sappington, Jayce Howard, and Harry Ruben-Reynolds all entered the match and provided crucial minutes, helping to maintain the team’s energy and organization.
“New Hope’s most dangerous moment came from a corner on the right side. The cross bounced dangerously near the goal line, struck the far post, and deflected back across the face of goal before Wolf Brown gathered it—keeping the Panthers level.”
–Props: “Emile Chanoine – Dominated in defense, sparked multiple attacking plays and scored winning goal.
“Ean Justice – Delivered pinpoint set pieces and held firm in the back.
“Alan “Roberto Carlos” Fazio – Brought relentless energy.”
Up next: Cheltenham will host Springfield Twp Wednesday, and New Hope-Solebury will be on the road at William Tennent (7pm).
Cheltenham 0 1 – 1
New Hope 0 0 – 0
About the Author
