Lower Moreland boys’ soccer notched a win in the opening round of the District 1 3A Tournament, and Springfield Twp girls’ soccer earned a win in the District 1 2A Tournament. New Hope-Solebury/Calvary Christian photos courtesy of John Gleeson. Check back for a gallery of photos. CLICK HERE to go directly to Suburban One Sports’ BOYS’ SOCCER GALLERIES.
Boys
District 1 3A opening round
#3 LOWER MORELAND 2, #6 MARPLE NEWTOWN 1
The Lions broke a scoreless tie with a pair of second-half goals on their way to Wednesday’s opening round win.
Lower Moreland coach Bob Barnhart: “We don’t really get to see Central League soccer during the regular season, and it’s a different brand than what we play for the most part in the SOL. I give Joe (DePaolo) a lot of credit…this is the second year we played them, and their identity is similar. They play with a lot of pace and they play physical. Their direct style was something we didn’t see a lot of except when we played Roman Catholic. I think that was a good comparison for us, and we took them to double OT 0-0.
“I thought our guys played really well once we settled into the game. We had a bunch of chances that we were unfortunate not to convert in the first half, and we went into the break 0-0. After halftime, we were able to convert two chances, and our goalie, Sean Greenleaf, played very solid for us again in between the pipes. We are ready to get back at it again tomorrow to get ready for a tough match up against Rustin on Monday.”
Up next: Lower Moreland will travel to #2 West Chester Rustin for a second round game Monday. Rustin defeated #7 Strath Haven 2-1.
Marple Newtown 0-1 1
Lower Moreland 0-2 2
#1 CALVARY CHRISTIAN 2, #8 NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 1
The visiting Lions gave the top-seeded Panthers all they could handle and then some before falling in a tightly contested game in Wednesday’s opening round.
After the Panthers took an early 1-0 lead, the Lions evened the score on a goal by Jayson Cajeria (Devin Heble assist).
The Panthers took a 2-1 lead in the second half when a long volley found its way into the net.
Scoring summary:
First half
Calvary Christian goal
Jayson Cajeria (NH-S) assisted by Devin Heble
Second half
Calvary Christian goal
New Hope-Solebury coach Chris Van Pelt: “This was a really good, tough game. The field was a smaller grass field which we aren’t used to, so, it definitely took us a little bit to settle into the game, and after going down early in the first half, the boys did really well to keep their composure and find a way to get the equalizer right before half.
“Really good individual skill from Devin to make room in the box to cross it to Jayson who did well to get strong enough contact to put it away.
“In the second half I thought we were the better team, unfortunately after clearing a cross a Calvary player hit a 30-35 yard volley into the upper corner, type of goal you see once a season, and unfortunately, we were on the wrong side of it. It’s a really tough way to end a season especially against the team that we lost to last year as well.
“I hope the boys are still proud of this season dispute it’s premature end, it’s a tough task even getting into playoffs for us, having to play 3A and 4A teams all year, so being that we got to this point is an achievement.”
New Hope-Solebury closed out its season with a 6-10 record.
New Hope-Solebury 1-0 1
Calvary Christian 1-1 2
Girls
District 1 2A opening round
#3 SPRINGFIELD TWP 3, #2 MERION MERCY 0
Moments after clinching the first SOL division title in program history earlier this month, the Springfield Twp captains talked about more.
None of the Spartans’ current players had experienced a District 1 playoff win, and despite having to go on the road for their semifinal, they were confident that was going to change this year. Midway through Wednesday’s game, Springfield Twp didn’t have a lead, but the Spartans also didn’t trail as they battled to a 0-0 tie.
Then, as they’ve done plenty of times this season, the attackers broke loose after halftime. The offensive unit wasn’t the only one that stood out, as the back line posted a shutout and the midfield kept Merion Mercy chasing the ball instead of running the play.
Sophomore Ava Brnich scored twice, bookending a tally by freshman Karter Brady, as the Spartans won their first playoff game since 2021 after falling in the first round each of the last two seasons.
That year, Springfield Twp went on to win the district title and advanced to states, something they’ll try to do again on Tuesday.
Scoring Summary
1st Half
No Scoring
2nd Half
ST – Ava Brnich
ST – Karter Brady
ST – Ava Brnich
Springfield Twp coach Chris Tomarelli on the win: “Springfield controlled much of the first half, generating six corners and striking the crossbar but couldn’t find the back of the net. After a few halftime adjustments and a ‘never give up’ mindset, the Spartans came out firing in the second half.”
Attackers find the mark: “Ava Brnich opened the scoring, finishing off a setup from Karter Brady. Brady then found the net herself to double Springfield’s lead. Brnich added her second goal of the night, this time assisted by Caitlin Lewis, to seal the 3–0 victory.”
Back line stands strong: “The defensive unit of Murphy McGranaghan, June Kirk, Anna Hendrzak, and Caitlin Lewis stood strong, keeping Merion off the scoreboard. Goalkeeper Olivia Gatewood wasn’t heavily tested but made key saves when called upon.”
Midfield dictates play: “Maddie Decker, Karly Hartman, Julia Guicheteau, and Liz Hanushchak controlled the tempo and dictated play throughout the match.”
Up Next: Springfield Twp will play for the District 1 2A title and the lone bid to the state playoffs against top-seeded Villa Joseph Marie on Oct. 28 at a site and time to be determined.
SPRINGFIELD TWP 0 3 – 3
MERION MERCY ACADEMY 0 0 – 0
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