Check out the recaps for SOL boys’ soccer teams in action. Bensalem/Neshaminy photos provided courtesy of John Gleeson. Check back for a gallery of photos: https://solsports.zenfolio.com/f131331739
SOL Colonial Division
Central Bucks East 3, North Penn 2
After a high-scoring first half that included an hour lightning delay, CB East scored the only goal of the second half, as Nick Bonargo picked up the game-winner from Jack Thiebeault in the 70th minute, allowing the Patriots to maintain their spot atop the SOL Colonial standings with the 3-2 win.
“Jack Thiebeault came in for our left back, who got hurt with about 10 minutes left in the game and just was absolutely excellent,” said Patriots coach Josh Isaacsohn. “He actually provided the assist for Nicholas Bonargo, who scored the game-winning goal.
“Major props to Nick. He’s been working really, really hard for about a year-and-a-half and has just missed some opportunities, and he did a beautiful job of finishing for the game winner.”
The first half had a little bit of everything, including a lightning delay midway through the half.
“It was a dogfight, with a bunch of stoppages because of weather,” Isaacsohn said. “All kinds of ways to make the game not flow. I’m really proud of the guys.
“Sometimes, you have a scrappy, hard-fought win, and that’s what this one was.”
Joey Roth gave CB East the early lead with the assist from Michael Montabana 10 minutes into the game.
North Penn answered to tie it up, as Conor Sullivan hit a shot from the 18, before the weather stoppage.
It then didn’t take the Patriots long to regain the lead after play resumed.
“We wanted to come out of the delay on fire after sitting around a little bit,” Isaacsohn said. “Almost instantly, Michael Montabana scored off a Joey Roth assist.
“Maybe we got a little bit complacent at one point, and we allowed them to tie it 2-2, to their credit. Coach (Chris) DePeppe does a great job. They have a couple really good players up top and in the midfield. (Dimitri Ilovski and Ian Bialisalisa) represented a little bit of a problem for us when we gave them too much space. Once we closed it down, I thought we did a good job.”
Bialisalisa scored North Penn’s second goal off a cross from Ian Labadie.
And the Knights had other chances as well.
“We ran out of time because 3-4 minutes more and we’d have found a third,” DePeppe said. “But East has a rotation of three senior forwards who were relentless and gave us trouble all night. But the goal we gave up after the lightning delay was just a disaster after talking about avoiding exactly that type of mental lapse. Thirty seconds after the restart we bungled an easy clearance and gave them a gift.”
DePeppe also credited Sullivan, a senior, who he said “had his best game in NP blue today, so that was great to see.” The Knights’ coach also credited defender Eion Regan.
“We start four juniors and four sophomores against an East team with eight senior starters,” DePeppe said. “They definitely owned a size advantage, but we went toe-to-toe with East and we moved the ball efficiently and created several quality chances, so I’m taking the long view. We have to have faith in what we’re doing and know that if we keep at it and persevere, the results will come.”
CB East (4-0, 4-1 SOL) next plays Wednesday night, against SOL Patriot co-leader Council Rock South.
North Penn (1-3-1, 1-2-1 SOL) plays at Pennsbury on Wednesday afternoon.
CB East 2 1 – 3
North Penn 2 0 – 2
Central Bucks South 3, Pennridge 0
An early downpour affected this one, but eventually, the Titans settled into the game, building a 2-0 lead before halftime and then adding a goal in the second half in the shutout victory.
“The rain started pouring down exactly at the time of kick off, and it really affected the game at the start,” said CB South coach Kyle Pettican. “Both teams couldn’t really get a handle of possessing the ball because of how slippery it was.
“We decided to try and utilize the wetness and keep trying to put the back line and keeper under pressure hoping we would get a lucky skip or bounce. Luckily, it worked quite nicely. We were up 2-0 within the first 15 minutes.”
Evan Jaskelewicz and Pat Chrzanowski scored CB South’s first half goals.
“After that I rotated a lot of guys and the game settled,” Pettican said. “With 12 to go, lightning struck, and we took shelter for an hour. That really hurt us. We came out flat footed and Pennridge came out firing.”
“I thought we were a completely different team coming out after the delay,” said Pennridge coach Aaron Rapsinski. “I was really happy with how we finished it. We didn’t finish any of the chances we had. We just couldn’t find the back of the net.”
The Rams’ first-year coach tipped his hat to his opponent and also lauded the efforts of several players after the delay.
“Kyle (Pettican) does a good job with the lineup he has,” Rapsinski said. “They got on top of us early and were able to hold it down. Their third goal came with just a minute or two left in the game when we had some numbers forward trying to nab one late. They played a good game. They had a couple of quality finishes even off some unfortunate breaks for us during the stormy part of the game.
“Everyone that got time coming out of that lightning delay played well. Luca Angello made a big change for us, moving from the midfield into the back line. Our other captain, Pat Fannon, just busted his butt all game. Logan Lamaina did a really good job in the middle of the field, and Parker Annan did great on the wing. It was just a completely different team. We have to start to bring it for 80 minutes.”
Luke Fromal scored the third goal for the Titans with three minutes remaining.
“I feel for coach Aaron (Rapsinski),” Pettican said. “Pennridge lost a lot of key guys last year and that’s not easy. He is a great guy and coach, and the future is bright for Pennridge boys soccer.”
CB South (2-2, 2-2 SOL) plays at Neshaminy on Wednesday.
Pennridge (0-4, 0-4 SOL) looks for its first win at Harry S. Truman Wednesday.
CB South 2 1 – 3
Pennridge 0 0 – 0
Central Bucks West 2, Souderton 1
A penalty kick goal by Joey Dowd in the second half was the difference in this one, as the Bucks
won their third straight league game with a solid ‘W’ over Souderton.
“This was easily our most complete performance so far this season,” said CB West coach John Adair. “We’ve played really well in stretches and probably been the better team for at least a half of each game this season, but despite conceding an early goal, we put together a full 80-minute performance tonight.
“Even after we went down, I felt we controlled the game and used the ball really well to disorganize and open them up to create chances. It was just a matter of finding the back of the net eventually, and the boys simply stayed patient and believed our principles would get us out of an early hole and it did.”
Tannor Wiszneski scored Souderton’s goal, assisted by Camern Taylor.
“We scored midway through the first half that started with a brilliant Camern Taylor run and assist to Tannor Wiszneski for a nice finish,” Souderton coach Frank Demas said. “It was a really hard-fought game from both teams.”
Michael Rafalowski scored CB West’s first goal to knot the score 1-1 at halftime.
“We used quite a few guys tonight and each, and everyone stepped up and took their opportunity,” Adair said. “After not getting a ton of minutes early on this season, Nico Propato stepped into the midfield after an injury and didn’t miss a beat.
“Usually, it’s easy to pick one or two guys that had standout moments, but I thought tonight that everyone was at their best and it might not have been fully reflected in the scoreline, but we felt that we were in control from the opening whistle.”
CB West (3-2, 3-1 SOL) hosts Council Rock North on Wednesday.
Souderton (1-2-1, 1-2-1 SOL) will look to bounce back Wednesday against Bensalem at home.
Souderton 1 0 – 1
CB West 1 1 – 2
SOL Patriot Division
Bensalem 1, Neshaminy 0
Jacob Oniate scored 10 minutes into the game, and Bensalem put in a solid defensive effort to get past Neshaminy in a SOL Patriot game on Wednesday.
“It’s finally, maybe, turning the corner,” said Owls’ second-year coach Kevin Bock. “We’ll see. It’s the first time I’ve won two games in a row and it’s my first league (win) outside of Truman. They played well. I’m happy.”
The game-winning goal came off an assist from Oscar Hernandez.
“I thought we had the better of play in the first half,” Bock said. “And whatever the Neshaminy coaches said to their team, Neshaminy came out really good in the second half, and we weathered the storm for the whole second half.”
Neshaminy – shut out for the third straight game – got off to a slow start and that proved costly.
“We didn’t match their intensity in the first half,” said Neshaminy coach Tom Foley. “They took it to us physically, and we gave up a nondescript goal in the ninth minute off a throw-in. Number 22 (Oniate) came in at the top of the 18 and hit a good ball inside panel. It was a nice goal.
“Fortunately, (goalie) Dan Raivitch kept us in the game. He made two or three good saves to keep us at one.
“We played a little bit better in the second half, we moved the ball, we created some opportunities, and their keeper (Zach Letchner) is very, very good. He made three or four very good saves in the second half.
“At the end of the day, it’s all well and good to move the ball well. You have to score goals, and we’re just not doing that very well now. Also, we have to match other team’s physicality, or it’s going to be a long year for us as well.”
The Redskins’ coach acknowledged the strong efforts of several of his players.
“Dan Raivitch played very well,” Foley said of his goalie. “Jack Sexton in the back played another really strong game. He’s our leader, and Owen Beideman really gets up and down the flank and leaves it all on the field.
“Bensalem did a nice job today – just kept us bottled up. They didn’t do much offensively in the first half, but they didn’t have to because I guess they felt comfortable we weren’t going to score, and they were right.”
In the end, the Owls’ defense kept Neshaminy off the board and clinched the win.
“Our goalie, Zach Letchner, made several outstanding saves, the defense held up and we got the win,” Bock said. “In the back, Aaron (Greer), Tommy Hurst and Andrew Leibig played well.
“Josh Garcia had a really good game today. I thought he played well. We played him kind of as a center defensive midfielder, which is a new job for him, and he did a really good job back there, solidifying the back end. We were strong defensively.”
Bensalem (2-3, 2-3 SOL) will travel to Souderton Wednesday for a crossover game at 6:30 p.m.
Neshaminy (1-3-1, 1-3-1) will host Central Bucks South Wednesday at 7 p.m.
Bensalem 1 0 – 1
Neshaminy 0 0 – 0
Council Rock North 3, Pennsbury 0
After a scoreless first half that featured outstanding goalkeeping, it was CR North that broke free with three goals in the second half to maintain its share of first place with the shutout win over host Pennsbury.
Pennsbury’s Ben Bedard made several big saves for his team in the first half, while the Indians’ Calvin Hopkins stopped a penalty kick late in the first half to keep the game scoreless.
Two minutes into the second half, CR North got on the scoreboard with a Ari Pollock goal, off an assist from Logan Adams.
Jack Randolph scored later off of a corner kick, and then Windsor Varady made it 3-0 late for the final goal of the game.
North coach Joe Stackhouse credited the play of his defense – Mike Pihno, Dom Czachor, Darek Miller, Chris Pihno and Jasper Ring.
“David Igval and Isaac Morais had great efforts in the defensive midfield and Corey Brennan, Josh Gould, Landon Lentz and James Reynolds controlled the play in the channel flanks box to box,” Stackhouse said.
Pennsbury had its chances, especially in the first half, but couldn’t cash in.
“Tough one for us today,” said Falcons coach Tom Stoddart. “We were fantastic in the first 40, just failed to convert, including a PK.
“Credit to CR North for keeping us off the scoresheet in the first half and capitalizing on an early second half turnover.”
CR North (5-0-1, 4-0-1 SOL) next plays at CB West on Wednesday.
Pennsbury (3-1-1, 2-1-1 SOL) hosts North Penn on Wednesday afternoon.
CR North 0 3 – 3
Pennsbury 0 0 – 0
Council Rock South 6, Harry S Truman 0
Frankie Rafferty scored a minute into the game as CR South jumped ahead early in this one and remained unbeaten in SOL Patriot play with the shutout win.
“Truman was well organized and didn’t lack effort, but we jumped on them early, so it was a rather uneventful game,” Rock South coach Alan Nicholl said.
Reid Vandermark had back-to-back goals, with assists to Rafferty and Sean Davis, and then Davis scored with Nodari Shinjiashvilli getting the assist. Anthony Abreu scored from Steve Murray to make it 5-0 at the half, and Mike Burns (Rafferty assist) scored in the second half.
Evan Zawodniak and Andrew Freeman shared time in goal for the Golden Hawks, combining for the shutout.
With the win, CR South improved 3-0-1 in the division and 4-0-1 overall. It plays at Central Bucks East in a crossover game on Wednesday.
Truman hosts Pennridge on Wednesday.
CR South 5 1 – 6
Truman 0 0 – 0
SOL Liberty Division
Abington 3, Quakertown 0
Brady Hartman scored a pair of goal as Abington broke open a close game against Quakertown and finished the Panthers off before lightning shortened the game midway through the second half.
“I’ll tell you what, it was one of the best Quakertown teams I’ve seen,” said Galloping Ghosts coach Randy Garber. “They did a nice job. They played extremely well.
“It was only 1-0, and we scored the second goal with less than a minute to go. It was almost like the Wissahickon game where it was 1-0 and we scored a late goal that made the difference. It was a good game.”
Delgado scored Abington’s first goal with Braeden Brownholtz picking up the assist. Hartman scored using a pass from Oscar Hoffmann to make it a 2-0 game, and Hartman scored from Rosario-Martinez in the second half.
“Jose Rosario-Martinez played well,” Garber said. “Brownholtz did a nice job in the field. Braeden Delgado hasn’t scored in a couple of games, and he got one today. It was a good result for us.”
Abington (6-1, 5-0 SOL) plays at Upper Moreland on Wednesday.
Quakertown (1-3, 1-3 SOL) hosts Lower Moreland on Wednesday.
Abington 2 1 – 3
Quakertown 0 0 – 0
Upper Dublin 3, Hatboro-Horsham 0
The Flying Cardinals had their chances but couldn’t cash in early, before scoring late in the first half and then adding a pair early in the second half on their way to the shutout win against Hatboro-Horsham.
“We pretty much possessed the ball the entire first half and dominated the first half, but we just could not find the net,” said Upper Dublin coach Noah Johnson. “I was stressing. I’m not sure what was going on with us today, but we had 32 misses, and I think we were at 20 when Riley McLaughlin scored the first goal. In games like Abington, if we get 20 opportunities to score and don’t bury one of them, we’re going to lose.
“We just missed the net or shot right at the keeper. We were struggling because we just mess around at practice. I try to tell them, ‘You guys are good, but you’re not that good.’ Today was a great example.”
Riley McLaughlin scored late in the first half for the Cardinals, with Brady Hillman picking up the assist.
In the second half, Kyle Spirt scored from Yuraj Lidder, and then Lidder scored himself, with Campbell Heckler picking up the assist.
“We picked it up a lot better in the beginning of the second half, being able to go up two goals right away in the second half to be able to go up 3-0 before it got the halfway point was actually really good for us,” Johnson said. “It takes us some time to get going.”
Upper Dublin (4-1, 3-1 SOL) has a big crossover game Wednesday against Springfield.
H-H (1-3, 1-3 SOL) plays at New Hope-Solebury on Wednesday night.
UD 1 2 – 3
H-H 0 0 – 0
Plymouth Whitemarsh 3, Wissahickon 2
Jeff Schneider scored all three goals for the Colonials, who jumped up on Wissahickon in the first half and held on for the SOL Liberty win.
“After an 0-3 starter, the team has reeled off two (road) wins versus quality teams,” said PW coach John DiCriscio. “While this is a good turnaround, the team knows there is improvement needed and are eager for the challenge.”
Andrew Gajan and Jayden Kim scored three minutes apart, in the 75th and 78th minutes, to get Wissahickon within striking distance late. Lex Agou contributed an assist.
PW (2-3, 2-2 SOL) plays at Cheltenham on Wednesday.
Wissahickon (2-4, 1-4 SOL) hosts William Tennent on Wednesday night.
PW 2 1 – 3
Wissahickon 0 2 -2
SOL Freedom Division
Springfield Twp 7, Cheltenham 0
This battle of unbeatens went well for the Spartans, who opened up a 3-0 halftime lead and rolled to the shutout win.
Goal scorers for Springfield included Chase Rubincam, Kayden Sowell, Riley Martin, Ben Hubley, Justin Whang and Nick Hanuschak. Contributing assists were Hubley, Nick Marino, Bryan Garbarini, Harry Bates, Martin and Roman Corcoran.
The loss was the first of the season after four straight wins for the Panthers.
“Tough loss for us today,” Cheltenham coach Bill Tonkin said. “We just weren’t mentally ready to play, and it showed from the start. We will scrub this from our memories and get ready for Wednesday.”
With the win, Springfield improved to 5-0 overall and 3-0 in the SOL Freedom. It begins crossover play at Upper Dublin on Wednesday.
Cheltenham (4-1, 4-1 SOL) looks to bounce back Wednesday against Plymouth Whitemarsh.
Springfield 3 4 – 7
Cheltenham 0 0 – 0
Upper Moreland 3, New Hope-Solebury 0
In a game shortened to one half because of lightning, Upper Moreland did all the scoring it needed in the first half in blanking New Hope 3-0 on Wednesday.
The win was the first in the division for the Golden Bears.
Jackson Townsend, Diego Melgar and Jackson Steutz each scored goals for UM.
“The defense played well to preserve the shutout,” said UM coach Justin Allegra. “Jackson Costello, Bobby Barrett and Conor Cleary all played well on defense.”
UM (2-3, 1-3 SOL) hosts Abington, first place in the SOL Liberty, on Wednesday afternoon.
New Hope (0-4, 0-4 SOL) hosts Hatboro-Horsham on Wednesday.
UM 3 – 3
New Hope 0 – 0
Lower Moreland 2, William Tennent 1
Aiden Linus scored a highlight reel goal late in the game, breaking a 1-1 tie and giving to give the Lions the hard-fought Freedom Division win Monday night.
“No one knows this, but Aiden Linus, one of our captains, messaged me after one of our recent games about his play and struggle to get on the scoring sheet,” LM coach Bob Barnhart said. “I told him when he lets the game come to him and stops putting so much pressure on himself the goals will come.
“Tonight, he put in the game-winning goal on a diving header. I was so happy for him, and to get the game-winning goal as a senior at a night game was even better to see.
“I thank the fans who showed up even after a downpour early in the night. The student section of the field was loud and help create a memorable evening for our guys.”
Things didn’t look all that promising for either team earlier in the night.
“When I arrived at the field today, the JV was playing in a monsoon, and both varsity teams were huddled under a small pavilion,” Barnhart said. “Coming from the Catholic League, I thought this was unusual because that wouldn’t have happened.
“Midway thought the first half of our game, I turned to my assistant, Scott Schweizer, and said, ‘Their physicality reminds me of an old Catholic League team.’ Angelo and the Tennent teams always play a physical brand of soccer. The first 10-12 minutes we were both trying to get into the flow of the game.”
In the 25th minute, John Kroll put the Lions on the board with a goal, and they took that 1-0 lead into halftime.
“Their keeper, Dennis Zach, played phenomenal tonight and made four or five saves that kept us off the board early and a few more in their push in the second half.
“I told our squad that they were going to come in waves in the first 10 minutes of the second half, and they did. It took 27 minutes for them to get on the board. It was a bit of a miscommunication on a set piece on our end, but Tennent executed on their end, and the game was on from there.”
That set the stage for the dramatic game-winner by Linus, propelling the Lions to the dramatic win.
Lower Moreland (3-1, 3-1 SOL) will travel to Quakertown Wednesday for a crossover game.
William Tennent (1-3, 1-3) will be on the road at Wissahickon for a 7 p.m. contest.
William Tennent 0 1 – 1
Lower Moreland 1 1 – 2
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