Check out the recaps for SOL boys’ soccer teams in action Wednesday. Neshaminy/CR South photos provided courtesy of John Gleeson. Check back for a gallery of photos.
National Conference
Bensalem 3, William Tennent 0
After a rough start to the season, all the Bensalem Owls have done since is win and win.
On Wednesday, the Owls, playing on their new grass field, picked up their eighth-straight victory by blanking visiting William Tennent 3-0.
Bensalem got off to a great start and scored their first goal in the first 12 minutes as Blain Zavala ripped a shot from about 45 yards out to make it 1-0.
The Owls then got another goal off a corner kick from Hunter Shay. Jon Larbi was able to get on the end of it to deflect the ball into the goal.
The Owls, who started the season 0-5, netted their third, and final goal of the first half as
Ryan Antry went down the sideline and beat his man 1v1 before blasting a shot into the lower left corner of the net.
“It was a great individual effort play from Ryan,” Bensalem first-year coach Rob Brown said. “He had just gone back in after taking a few minute breather. We encourage our players to go with pace to goal. We love when the kids are selfish and try to score. We make sure they understand the moments when they can go to goal or when they should be looking to dish the ball or play a cross.
“It’s all soccer IQ stuff. Most of our players are very smart when it comes to the game. It makes my job easy. I just have to manage the players and the substitutions.”
Bensalem goalie Chris Rowan, who made a great save where he punched a shot over the net in the closing minutes, picked up his third shutout in the last four games.
“Chris has been the man back there and we are very fortunate to have someone we trust back there, no matter what is thrown at him,” Brown said. “He has really grown so much in the past 3-4 weeks. He’s a great kid and a part of our leadership. And Tennent never gave up and kept fighting. They are a tough group and we were happy to get out with the W today.”
The Panthers (4-6, 3-4 SOL) host Council Rock North on Friday while the Owls (8-5, 5-3) – 19th in the latest District One 4A power rankings – play at Pennsbury, also on Friday (3:30 p.m.).
“We know all teams have a hard time with Pennsbury,” Brown said. “Our first game was 8-5 (Pennsbury), but we have grown so much from that. We are looking forward to the challenge.”
William Tennent 0 0 – 0
Bensalem 3 0 – 3
Neshaminy 3, Council Rock South 1
It took some time, but Neshaminy finally was able to finish on offense and utilized three-second half goals to upend host Council Rock South.
“We controlled most of the first half but once we got near the goal we made a poor decision or did connect on that last pass.” Neshaminy coach Tom Foly said.
That was not the case after intermission.
“Mike Albarran scored 30 seconds into the second half when Cole Jackson sent him in on a breakaway and he calmly slid it by the CRS goalie,” Foley said.
Not to be outdone, the Golden Hawks then tied things up as Michael Morini, off a feed from Sean Armstrong, tied things up with a goal about 10 minutes later.
From there, though, it was Neshaminy netting two more goals – one from Justin Lykonov (from Rich Faul) and the final one from Mike Lamb (from Lykonov) that clanged off the post and into the net to make it 3-1.
“All in all, it was a really solid effort today, we felt we played well on Thursday and Friday of last week but didn’t get the result,” Foley said. “It was good to put one in the win column. Rich Faul did a great job in the defensive midfield and sophomores Vince DiMaria and Matt Lamb gave us a spark off the bench.”
For the Golden Hawks, it was a disappointing finish.
“We made too many mistakes today to have a chance at a result,” Rock South coach Alan Nicholl said. “Neshaminy made us pay for some poor decisions, and that’s how it goes in this league.”
Neshaminy (8-4, 5-3 conference) plays at Harry S. Truman on Friday (3:30 p.m.) while the Golden Hawks play at Bensalem on Monday (3:30 p.m.).
Neshaminy 0 3 – 3
Council Rock South 0 1 – 1
Council Rock North 3, Harry S. Truman 1
Host Council Rock North scored a pair of late goals to top Harry S. Truman on Senior Night for the Indians.
After a scoreless first half, Council Rock North’s Justin Paghluigi made it 1-0 only to see the Tigers’ Zack Hopely, on a header, knot the score with a goal a few minutes later.
From there, Council Rock North’s Spencer Berman and Shane Bradley found the net, both in the final 15 minutes of regulation, put the game away for the hosts. Aaron Abraham had a pair of assists in the win.
The Tigers (4-6-2, 0-6-2 conference) host Neshaminy on Friday (3:30 p.m.) while the Indians (6-4-2, 4-3-1 conference) play at William Tennent, also on Friday (3:30 p.m.).
Harry S. Truman 0 1 – 1
Council Rock North 0 3 – 3
Continental Conference
Central Bucks East 2, Central Bucks South 0
A complete effort was the difference for Central Bucks East in its 2-0 win over host Central Bucks South.
“It was one of the most complete games of soccer we’ve played this year,” Central Bucks East coach Josh Isaacsohn said. “Nolan Case is on a three-game goal-scoring streak, which is phenomenal.
“At about the 20th minute right after we took a water break for the heat, I subbed Nolan in, and within 10-15 seconds of subbing him in, he scored. It was from one of my outside midfielders – sophomore Pranav Kuppuswamy – who has really worked on his game and honed it in and is getting more time.”
Case’s goal was the lone one of the first half before freshman Trevor Jopling, off a feed from senior Tyler Okin, concluded the scored about midway through the second half.
“I really felt as the second half went on we had control and just weren’t putting the ball away,” Isaacsohn said. “Eventually, our goalie, Tyler Okin, launched it up to a forward, Trevor Jopling. It was just a great play. There’s a few things we’ve been working on with him, and he was composed and put it in the net. He was very, very composed for a freshman, and we’re psyched about it.”
The Patriots (6-4-2, 5-2-1 SOL) – 17th in the latest District One 4A power rankings – play at North Penn on Friday (4 p.m.) while the Titans (6-4-2, 3-3-2) play at Souderton, also on Friday (7 p.m.).
Central Bucks East 1 1 – 2
Central Bucks South 0 0 – 0
Central Bucks West 2, Souderton 0
A pair of second-half goals spelled the difference for Central Bucks West in its 2-0 win over host Souderton.
Luke Parlee, off a feed from Sam Hauser, gave the Bucks all the offense they would need midway through the second half before David Roy finished off a free kick with 10 minutes remaining in regulation to close out the score.
“We had a throw-in, Sam was able to find a little space to get a flick, and Luke was able to come in and get the finish,” Central Bucks West coach Stefan Szygiel said. “And, on the second goal, we had a free kick from 30-35 out, and Souderton did a good job – they blocked the first one, and luckily, it just kind of bounced down, and David Roy was able to come in and hit a good finish.
The Bucks and Indians battled to a scoreless tie in the early season meeting between the two teams.
“We put in a workmanlike effort tonight, and ultimately, we were able to get the result,” Szygiel said. “It was 0-0 at halftime. I thought both teams had some good runs of play. In the second half, we were able to find another gear. Souderton had a lot of the ball, but we were able to generate some dangerous momentum on set pieces and I was happy to see that.”
Bucks goalie Ryan Van Pelt made three saves to earn his seventh shutout of the season. Riley Finger had six saves in net for the Indians.
The Bucks (4-4-4, 3-3-2 conference) – 21st in the latest District One 4A power rankings – play at Pennridge on Saturday (3:30 p.m.).
“Every one of these games is a district playoff environment,” Szygiel said. “The league is just so darn good, and every single game I genuinely think any of these league teams could beat any of these league teams. It’s just a battle constantly. I love to see it.”
The Indians (9-3-1, 3-3-1 conference) – 12th in the district One 4A power rankings – host Central Bucks South on Friday (7 p.m.).
Central Bucks West 0 2 – 2
Souderton 0 0 – 0
Pennridge 1, Quakertown 0
Pennridge used a goal early in the second half to net a 1-0 win over visiting Quakertown and also made Senior Night a success with the victory.
“All the seniors contributed and played very well,” Pennridge coach Pete Valimont said. “A special thanks to Quakertown for allowing a senior (Kasper Jelski) who is suffering from an injury to start for us and then let us get him off the field.
“We wanted to make sure he had the opportunity to start and that was great that it happened.”
The Rams notched all of the scoring they would need with 10 minutes gone in the second as Carlos Erazo converted off a feed from Dalton Guthrie.
“The ball came to Carlos and he just buried a volley into the back of the net,” Valimont said.
The Panthers (2-9, 0-7 SOL) play at North Penn on Thursday (7 p.m.) while the Rams (9-3-1, 3-3-1) – seventh in the latest District One 4A power rankings – host Central Bucks West on Saturday (3:30 p.m.).
Quakertown 0 0 – 0
Pennridge 0 1 – 1
American Conference
Plymouth Whitemarsh 2, Springfield Township 1
Senior captains Chad McNally and Max Lubas had the goals to lift host Plymouth Whitemarsh to a 2-1 win over Springfield Township on Wednesday.
“It was a good effort from both sides,” Plymouth Whitemarsh coach Richard Kessler said. “Our captains scored goals for us and sophomores Brendan Corpus and Henry Couchara were fantastic in the center of the field controlling the game.”
Matt Leibfreid had the lone goal for the Spartans.
Springfield Township (4-6, 3-6 SOL) hosts Lower Moreland on Thursday (3:30 p.m.) while Plymouth Whitemarsh (4-7, 4-5) plays at Cheltenham on Friday (3:30 p.m.).
Springfield Township 0 1 – 1
Plymouth Whitemarsh 1 1 – 2
Upper Dublin 3, Cheltenham 0
Upper Dublin used a strong effort from start to finish to earn a 3-0 win over host Cheltenham on Wednesday.
“It was another good win in which we showed our growth from earlier in the season,” Upper Dublin coach Andy Meehan said. “In the first game against them, we didn’t play well at the start, and they were able to score two goals before we came back in the second half.
“We didn’t want the same thing to happen again. Our back line has been working very hard and improving every game. Senior goalie Jordan Skversky has really stepped up this year and we were able to get the shutout which was important to us.”
Cardinals junior Sean Seabrook gave his side a 1-0 lead at halftime with an unassisted goal.
“He dribbled past three defenders and was able to slot it into the corner,” Meehan said.
Seabrook scored again in the second half off a through ball by junior Luke Rappaport before senior captain Chris Kenney, off a feed from junior Sam Moss, finished off the scoring.
The Cardinals (7-6, 6-3 SOL) host Abington on Friday (3:30 p.m.) while the Panthers (3-10, 0-9) host Plymouth Whitemarsh, also on Friday (3:30 p.m.).
Upper Dublin 1 2 – 3
Cheltenham 0 0 – 0
Hatboro-Horsham 3, Wissahickon 0
Hatboro-Horsham used another quick start on the way to a 3-0 win over visiting Wissahickon.
The Hatters have scored quickly in their last four games – in the fourth minute last Tuesday against Plymouth Whitemarsh, the second minute against Upper Dublin last Thursday, the 16th minute against Archbishop Wood last Saturday, and in the fifth minute Wednesday against the Trojans (winning all four games). They had a 2-0 lead by halftime against Wissahickon.
“That’s been a key factor for us,” Hatboro-Horsham coach Kyle McGrath said of his team’s quick starts.
Bradan Mallon had both goals in the first half for the Hatters.
“There was a little bit of confusion on whose restart it was, and my guys took a quick free kick, and it kind of caught Wissahickon off guard a bit,” McGrath said of the first goal. “Bradan was able to get in 1v1, and he finished the ball on an angle to the far post to make it 1-0 early again. We emphasize getting off to a good start, which we did.”
The second goal came midway through the first half.
“It was just through the run of play,” McGrath said. “We were able to get the ball to Bradan, he beat a guy, cut inside and slotted another ball far post on the ground to make it 2-0.
“A big moment in the game – Wissahickon had a penalty kick three or four minutes after we made it 2-0, and my goalkeeper, Scott Katherine, stepped up and made a huge save, kept the ball out of the goal, and that gave us a little bit of a momentum boost.
“Credit to Wissahickon. They earned the PK, they hit the post at another point in the first half, they kept playing and kept fighting.”
Vince Buccafuri finished off the scoring with 14 minutes left in regulation off a corner kick.
“Matty Harmon played a great ball into the box, and Vince Buccafuri came up from center back and finished it,” McGrath said.
The Hatters’ coach credited the play of several players in the win.
“Bradan Mallon was on the scoresheet with two goals, and he was effective the entire night,” McGrath said. “Scott (Katherine) saving the penalty kick – the percentages are against him, but he guessed the right way and made a great save. Even toward the end of the game, it was 3-0 with literally five seconds on the clock, and he kept playing and made a fantastic diving save to keep the shutout. It was good to see the guys engaged and want to try and get the shutout at the end of the game.”
The Trojans (4-8, 4-5 SOL) host Springfield Township on Friday while the Hatters (9-2, 7-1-1) – ninth in the latest District One 4A power rankings – play at Upper Moreland, also on Friday (3:15 p.m.).
Wissahickon 0 0 – 0
Hatboro-Horsham 2 1 – 3
Abington 3, Upper Moreland 1
Abington used a pair of second-half goals to pull away from visiting Upper Moreland and post a 3-1 win on Wednesday.
Reese Gibbs had the lone Ghosts goal in the first, which left things tied at 1-1, before Arsene Badu netted a pair of tallies in the second half to secure the win. UM scored its first-half goal on a penalty kid.
The Golden Bears (5-7, 3-6 SOL) host Hatboro-Horsham on Friday (3:15 p.m.) while the Ghosts (10-1-1, 8-0-1), who are sixth in the latest PIAA District One Class 4A power rankings, play at Upper Dublin, also on Friday (3:30 p.m.).
Upper Moreland 1 0 – 1
Abington 1 2 – 3
Non-League
North Penn 3, Holy Ghost Prep 1
North Penn grinded out a 3-1 win over host Holy Ghost Prep in a non-league game Wednesday.
“We ended up leading 2-1 at halftime, but Holy Ghost Prep outplayed us the first half,” North Penn coach Paul Duddy said. “We were just better on the set pieces. They knocked the ball around, they did very well. Credit to them.
“That’s why they’re so good in their league. They can play with anybody, and that’s why we schedule them.”
It was Jamie Stewart who gave the Knights a 1-0 lead early in the first half on a direct kick only to see the Firebirds tie things up midway through the half. However, with five minutes left before intermission, Josh Jones took a feed from Stewart and knocked in what would be the winning goal for the Knights.
Mike Chaffee, from Carter Houlihan, capped the scoring with a goal midway through the second half.
“We played better in the second half,” Duddy said. “Holy Ghost Prep is a typical tough Northeast Philly into the Bensalem area team. They play hard, they come to play, they play good soccer, and they just go after everything.”
The Knights coach lauded the play of junior Josh Jones.
“Josh had an outstanding game as always, winning every ball in the air plus scoring a goal,” Duddy said. “He’s just a great player. He plays our defensive midfield spot, but we always put him forward on every set piece, plus he can go where he needs to go. He picks and chooses his spots.”
The Knights (10-1, 5-1 SOL) – the top seed in the latest District One 4A power rankings – host Quakertown on Thursday (7 p.m.).
North Penn 2 1 – 3
Holy Ghost Prep 1 0 – 1
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