Check out the recaps for SOL boys’ soccer teams in action Friday. Wissahickon/Upper Moreland photos provided by Keith Clemens Photography. Check back for a gallery of photos. All photos for BOYS’ SOCCER can be viewed by clicking HERE.
SOL Patriot-Colonial Division Crossover
Pennridge 3, Pennsbury 0
This matchup between one division leader and the other in a three-way tie for first had all the makings of a heavyweight title fight.
On the road, on a grass field, Pennridge (6-2, 5-2 SOL) took a first-half advantage, then put the game away with two in the second half to maintain its share of the Colonial Division lead with a convincing victory.
“The fact that they were first in their division first time through,” said Pennridge coach Pete Valimont. “We read their goalkeepers got Goalkeepers of the Week, and we knew about their number 17, the real shifty (Josh) Rodriguez kid up top. They’ve got talent all over the place, and they’ve been playing well.
“Credit to our guys. We had a rough week last week on the road on the grass.”
Jack Bruno scored the game’s first goal off an assist from Shane Velez with 16 minutes left in the first half.
“Shane Velez put a ball across the box, and Jack Bruno was on the back end to finish it to make it 1-0 at halftime,” Valimont said.
Velez and Bruno hooked up two more times after halftime as both accounted
Two minutes into the second half, Velez scored on a header off a Bruno corner kick. Later, they did it again, with Bruno getting the assist on a corner that Velez got a head on.
“Just overall a really good job,” Valimont said. “It was pretty even for the most part. They had a couple of chances, one good one early on that we got lucky it went wide. But overall, pretty even run of play for both teams in the first half. In the second, half we just jumped on them.
“Jhoa Hernandez, Andrew Parlee, Tommy McKinney, and Shane (Velez) – their offense has scored (11 goals) in six games, so our challenge to them was to see if we could get an egg out of them, and they did.
“They took (Rodriguez) pretty much out, which was great, and then our guys were able to cycle up top. Jared Hess kept working, Zac Curran kept working, and Jack (Bruno) and Shane (Velez) just had a heck of a day. I’m not sure there’s much that can compete with Shane up in the air, and Jack is just putting balls on a rope when he’s hitting them into the box for us.
“Overall, a great win. We’re set up for a tough week next week. We got against Neshaminy Tuesday at home – always a chore of a team to deal with. We’ll refocus and get ready for them on Monday.”
Pennsbury (5-2-1, 5-1-1 SOL) plays at Souderton on Tuesday.
Pennridge 1 2 – 3
Pennsbury 0 0 – 0
Central Bucks East 6, Bensalem 0
Four first-half goals set the tone early for Central Bucks East, which earned the shutout win to remain in a three-way tie for first in the SOL Colonial.
“I’m really happy with the way they came out,” said Patriots’ coach Josh Isaacsohn. “We’ve been talking a lot about really pressuring the other team and taking control of the game right away, and that’s what we did.
“Credit to Bensalem. They really hung in there and played hard. Their keeper made a couple of really, really good saves. They have a nice squad, and all due respect to their coaches, but I felt we possessed the ball better than we have been.”
Four different players scored for East in the first half—Michael Montabana, Joey Roth, Jared Needles, and freshman Daniel Frye. Needles had two assists, while Montabana added one.
In the second half, Frey scored his second off a Montabana assist, then Trevor Jopling added the sixth goal from Jack Sullivan in the 73rd minute.
“Again, we just kept up the energy level for all 80 minutes,” Isaacsohn said. “And we were able to get some guys in for more time than they would normally get, and what I was so proud of was those guys were able to hold the shutout and still move the ball around well, and basically put into plan all the different things we have going on. So we really kept to task, and I’m just very proud of all the boys.
“We just have a really wicked sickness going through the senior class at East in general and especially the soccer team. We literally had about eight kids fighting off coming out of being sick or just really bad colds. It’s been a bit of a rough week around East.”
The Patriots (6-3, 5-2 SOL) host Harry S Truman on Tuesday night, while Bensalem (1-6, 1-5 SOL) plays at Central Bucks West on Tuesday.
Bensalem 0 0 – 0
Central Bucks East 4 2 – 6
Central Bucks South 2, Council Rock North 1
Scoreless at halftime, Central Bucks South connected first in the second half and used that to pull away for this key crossover victory on Friday afternoon.
“It was a very 50/50 game the whole game, quite literally,” said Titans’ coach Kyle Pettican. “The ball was often found loose or in the air and both teams battling for it. Both teams were extremely defensively solid. Both teams were very hard to break down, hence not much action by the goal.”
Thijs Popma broke the scoreless tie on a penalty kick in the second half.
Brayden Roach later “chased a ball to the open corner where he crossed it in and an own goal occurred,” Pettican said.
North applied the pressure later, but the CB South defense and keeper Mikey Nemec were up to the task. The Indians scored their only goal of the game with 10 seconds remaining.
Pettican credited Popma, Jeremy Salazar, Nemec, and Mike Monser for their standout efforts for the Titans (6-2, 5-2 SOL), who play at Council Rock South Tuesday afternoon.
Council Rock North (5-1-2, 4-1-2 SOL) looks to bounce back at home against North Penn on Tuesday night.
Council Rock North 0 1 – 1
Central Bucks South 0 2 – 2
Council Rock South 2, Central Bucks West 1 (2 OT)
Garrett Cohen knocked in the game-winner in overtime, as visiting Council Rock South gave its coach a thrilling birthday present by knocking off Central Bucks West on.
“It was a great win against a very, very good CB West team,” Golden Hawks’ coach Alan Nicholl said. “I thought we had the better run of play in the first half, even into the second half, but as the game wore on at zeroes, CB West came into the game. I thought it was going to be one of those games where we were going to get punished for not taking the chances we had early in the game.”
It was also a game that the Bucks had a chance to win as well. With seven minutes remaining, West went up 1-0.
“They scored on a set piece that bounced back in behind us,” Nicholl said. “Their kid got behind the defense and finished.
“I was concerned, for sure. At the end of the week, you get concerned about fatigue, and I was concerned we wouldn’t be able to respond. They toned it down, they got together, they figured out what to do and they tied it up. It was brilliant.”
With four minutes left in regulation, Frank Rafferty scored off the assist from Tyler Dobson to force overtime.
“It was only three minutes after they scored to take the lead,” Nicholl said. “It was a terrific response. That’s the kind of stuff you look for. A team with experience, a team with great leadership and just really good team belief. I was so impressed.”
In overtime, the Golden Hawks got a big break when CB West was forced to play a man down after a Bucks player was assessed a red card.
“They were very unlucky to take a red card in their overtime, so they had to go down to 10 men,” Nicholl said. “It was unfortunate because it was a very good game. It was just back and forth. Any team could have taken it. It was a very evenly played game. Both teams were very much up for it. The red card, it took the teeth out of them a little bit because now you really have to make up for that extra bit of work to make up for that extra man.
It was Cohen who finally ended the game in the second overtime frame.
“We finally got the winner off a cross ball,” Nicholl said. “Garrett Cohen just met the ball on the far post and hammered it in. It was a terrific finish.
“It was a great win because it was a game that could have gone either way. Two teams trying to hunt down a result. It was a great result away from home on a Friday, a nice little birthday present Garrett Cohen wrapped up for me.”
The way his team battled back impressed Nicholl.
“Being a goal down with seven minutes to play, I have to give it to the team,” he said. “It was a team effort. Oftentimes, it can take a lot out of the guys, particularly on a Friday afternoon at the end of a long week. I thought with seven minutes on the clock, it could have been the end of us, if I’m being honest, but maybe it’s a little bit left over from last year. We had a lot of success last year, and they hunkered down and got the job done. I think they believed we were still in it.
“I thought the work rate was there for the entire game. I was very impressed with their ability to show a little bit of character, show a little bit of resolve and really just go chase the game and get something for it. I was very happy with it.”
With the win, and Pennsbury’s loss to Pennridge, CR South (5-2-1, 5-1-1 SOL) is now tied for first in the Patriot Division. The Hawks are back in action Tuesday at home against Central Bucks South. The Bucks (3-5-1, 3-4-1 SOL) return to action Tuesday evening when they host Bensalem.
Council Rock South 0 1 0 1 – 2
Central Bucks West 0 1 0 0 – 1
North Penn 1, Neshaminy 0
Having lost three straight games by a combined 8-1 count, North Penn needed a win in a bad way to get back into the race in the Colonial Division.
The Knights did just that, with Kyle McKeever netting the only goal of the game in the 73rd minute to lift the Knights to a 1-0 win over Neshaminy on Friday.
“We failed to clear it, and it got into a physical battle, which we lost,” said Neshaminy coach Tom Foley. “He collected the ball on the left corner of the 18 at the top of the box, and he hit a real nice ball into the upper corner. It was a real sharp goal.
“It was a deserved result for (North Penn). They were the better team today. We didn’t compete. Our first touch, our completion, and our desire let us down today, so they were certainly the better team today.”
Despite Neshaminy dropping its third straight game, Foley was able to find a few bright spots.
“Kaleb Raymond continued to do really well as our center back, and Joe Joe Maxwell worked his butt off,” Foley said. “Those two guys stood out, but other than that, we laid an egg today. North Penn deserved to win, no doubt.”
North Penn (3-5-1, 2-4-1 SOL) plays at Council Rock North on Tuesday. Neshaminy (1-5, 1-5 SOL) visits Pennridge Tuesday afternoon.
North Penn 0 1 – 1
Neshaminy 0 0 – 0
SOL Liberty-Freedom Crossover
Hatboro-Horsham 1, Lower Moreland 0 (OT)
It took 88 minutes to break a scoreless tie, and it was a long, looping blast from Tony Kuhner in overtime that gave Hatboro-Horsham a key 1-0 victory over Lower Moreland in this crossover game.
“It was a back-and-forth game,” said H-H coach Kyle McGrath. “I thought we probably had the better of play but maybe not necessarily the better chances.
“Enrico Romano was doing a great job all day, getting to the end line and being a destructive force for us offensively. He was able to pick a ball up maybe 25 yards out, played a ball over to Tony Kuhner centrally, and Tony took a touch out of his feet and hit a left-footed curling shot that looped over the goalkeeper into the side netting from 20 yards out.”
Lower Moreland went into Friday tied for the lead in the Freedom Division. Against an upper-half team in the SOL Liberty, the Lions had their chances as well.
“It was a battle, that’s for sure,” McGrath said. “They’re very good, and obviously, Bob (Barnhart) does a very good job there. We knew it was going to be a challenging game. We have some guys banged up that didn’t play. They have some guys that are banged up and didn’t play.
“I thought collectively as a group we played very well today. Any time we can go on the road and get a victory, it’s always a good thing.”
McGrath was happy with how his team played on the defensive end.
“My back four played the entire game on a hotter day than maybe we expected,” he said. “Jake Freedman and Paul Guevara both stepped up and played the entire game. We got some contributions from guys that haven’t been playing much but gave us good minutes today—Matt Duggan, Sean Reilly, and Sean Yi.”
The Hatters (6-2, 5-2 SOL) take on Freedom Division power Springfield Twp at home on Tuesday. Lower Moreland (5-2, 5-2 SOL) looks to bounce back Tuesday at Plymouth Whitemarsh.
Hatboro-Horsham 0 0 1 – 1
Lower Moreland 0 0 0 – 0
Upper Dublin 3, William Tennent 0
Two days after its first loss of the season, Upper Dublin jumped up early and took care of business Friday against visiting William Tennent, blanking the guests by a 3-0 count.
“The main thing for us was just going out and closing the week off on a strong note,” said Flying Cardinals’ coach Noah Johnson. “It’s like a weight off our shoulders. Obviously, no one ever wants to lose, but for us, we can look forward a little bit more to focus on other things other than playing scared and worried about losing or messing up the undefeated streak. It’s nice to be able to sit back now and take a little bit of pressure off us as far as trying to finish up the season.”
Zach Gallagher scored early for UD on a shot from 35 yards out, followed by a Tommy Clayton goal to make it 2-0 at halftime. Erik Petushi added one in the second half for the 3-0 final.
Gabe Loza started in goal and picked up the shutout.
Upper Dublin (6-1-1, 5-1-1 SOL) visits Upper Moreland on Tuesday. Tennent (2-5, 2-4 SOL) hosts Quakertown on Tuesday afternoon.
William Tennent 0 0 – 0
Upper Dublin 2 1 – 3
Wissahickon 2, Upper Moreland 0
Jeevan Jouhal scored in the 32nd minute off a corner kick to give the Trojans a lead they would never relinquish, adding a second-half tally to roll to a 2-0 win over Upper Moreland on Friday.
Michael Om, who assisted on Jouhal’s goal, scored in the 56th minute for Wissahickon.
“Michael Om had a great game with an assist and a goal,” Wissahickon coach Stuart Malcolm said.
Trojans’ goalkeeper Eric McEvily recorded three saves to pick up the shutout – his first of the season.
Wissahickon (4-4, 3-4 SOL) plays at Cheltenham on Tuesday, while Upper Moreland (4-4, 3-4 SOL) hosts Upper Dublin Tuesday.
Wissahickon 1 1 – 2
Upper Moreland 0 0 – 0
Plymouth Whitemarsh 4, New Hope-Solebury 1
Mason Clatterbuck scored two goals and added an assist as Plymouth Whitemarsh shook off a slow start and pulled away from New Hope-Solebury for a 4-1 victory on Friday.
PW also got goals from Zach Small and Corey Metzger.
“New Hope converted a penalty in the second half to get on the board,” said PW coach Rich Kessler. “They defended well and never gave up on the game.
“We got off to a very slow start but were able to get it together and leave with a win on the road, which is good enough for now. We’ll be looking forward to a tough few games next week.”
PW (4-3-1, 4-3 SOL) hosts Lower Moreland on Tuesday, while NHS (1-6, 1-5 SOL) has a nonleague game Monday afternoon against MaST Charter.
Springfield Twp 2, Quakertown 1
After knocking off previously unbeaten Upper Dublin on Wednesday, Springfield Twp saw itself trailing Quakertown at halftime Friday afternoon. But goals by Harry Bates and Riley Martin in the second half rallied the Spartans to the win.
Ben Hubley and Bryan Garbarini added assists for the Spartans. Alex Jalbott scored Quakertown’s lone goal.
Combined with Lower Moreland’s 1-0 loss to Hatboro-Horsham, Springfield (7-1, 6-1 SOL) is now in first place in the Freedom Division standings.
The Spartans will look to continue their winning ways when they play at Hatboro-Horsham on Tuesday. Quakertown (0-7, 0-7 SOL) looks for its first win Tuesday at William Tennent.
Springfield 0 2 – 2
Quakertown 1 0 – 1
Abington 7, Cheltenham 1
Sparked by the two-goal, two-assist effort of Luke O’Donnell, the Galloping Ghosts scored five goals in the first half and never looked back, maintaining their top spot in the Liberty Division standings with the decisive 7-1 pounding of local rival Cheltenham.
O’Donnell scored the first two goals of the game – the first with a Liam Hartman assist and the second with an assist from Braden Delgado. Brian O’Neill turned an O’Donnell pass into a goal and a 3-0 Abington lead. Hartman – who had two goals and one assist – scored with an O’Donnell assist, and another goal by O’Neill sent the Ghosts into halftime with a 5-0 lead.
Braeden Brownholtz and Hartman each added a goal in the second half.
Abington (7-1-1, 6-0-1 SOL) plays at New Hope-Solebury on Tuesday. Cheltenham (0-7, 0-7 SOL) hosts Wissahickon on Tuesday.
Abington 5 2 – 7
Cheltenham 0 1 -1
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