Central Bucks West boys’ soccer – the tournament’s 23rd seed – earned the final PIAA 4A state berth with a win in PKs over Unionville. In girls’ soccer, CR South won its fifth place game.
Boys District One 4A Playbacks
Fifth place
#23 CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 0, #4 UNIONVILLE 0 (4-3 PKs)
The postseason has been one road trip after another for Central Bucks West. It’s what happens when you’re the 23rd seed in a 24-team field, and it’s one of the reasons 23rd seeds don’t have a long life expectancy in the postseason.
Unless, of course, you happen to be CB West.
The Bucks, who are the very definition of road warriors, made the long trek to Unionville and did what they’ve been doing this entire postseason – they found a way to win, edging the Indians in penalty kicks and doing what no 23rd team in recent memory has done. They earned a coveted state tournament berth.
“It’s remarkable,” West coach Stefan Szygiel said. “Over the past month as we get late in the season and all the things you hear about the seedings and the record and ‘West doesn’t have a goal scorer this year’ – no one knows what’s really going on except the people that are actually part of it.
“We had our sights set on doing something, and we got into the district playoffs knowing every single game is going to be on the road. We said, ‘Fine, so be it.’ The only way you can qualify for states is by qualifying for districts, so once you’re in, you’re in. Reset your minds, reset the seedings. It doesn’t matter anymore. Just try and win a game at a time. To do this through the playbacks as well – over the past two weeks, I fell in love with this group.”
“There were things that we knew were in there, but they didn’t all come out during the regular season at the same time. Now we’re starting to see the right things come out with the right players in the right position, and that’s when you become a dangerous team. Your record doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter if you have a goal scorer. None of that matters. The dudes genuinely believed they could qualify for states. They did, and now they believe they can keep going. There’s nothing to lose.”
Regulation and two overtime periods could not determine a winner in Friday’s fifth place game at Unionville.
“I thought it was a well fought game,” Szygiel said. “In the first half, you had a little bit of wind to deal with, and they had the wind at their back to start. They had two really good looks that just went wide, so we escaped a little bit there.
“In the second half, I was just so pleased with how we played. I thought we were relentless going forward and energetic. We played with desire, we played for each other, we played with heart – I loved it. It was a group of West kids playing like West kids.”
The overtime periods, according to Szygiel, were evenly played with limited chances for both squads.
“In the second half, when we had the wind at our back, we had more of the pressure,” Szygiel said. “Literally, we put our foot on the gas a little more. They had a goal line stand essentially – a ball served in, we had a second look at it, and they cleared one off the line.
“In overtime, we had one really good look, and Jimi (Leder) was able to get through on the left side, and he had a shot from 8-10 yards out. It was a tough angle, left-footed, but the keeper did make a good save. Those were probably the two best chances of the second half and second overtime.”
With neither team able to convert in the two overtimes, the stage was set for penalty kicks. Both sides buried their first three kicks with James Lutz, Ben Danzis and Jayden Morris all finding the back of the net for the Bucks.
Keeper Ryan Van Pelt came up with the big save on Unionville’s fourth shooter and then David Roy connected on his shot, giving the Bucks a 4-3 lead. Van Pelt delivered a save on the Indians’ fifth shooter, and the dramatic win was in the books.
Bailey Moyer would have been West’s fifth shooter, but the outcome was already decided.
“The kid’s a special player,” Szygiel said of Moyer. “He’s a competitor, he’s a gamer, he’s a leader. It’s been a pleasure coaching him but also watching him this year – people say, ‘Bailey doesn’t have the stats,’ and this is what I love about the kid and the program – we don’t care.
“Do you think he cares about that? Bailey just helped this program qualify for a third straight state tournament. That’s what matters to us.”
Van Pelt was credited with six saves en route to his 10th clean sheet.
“James Lutz and Ian Munoz were absolutely Warriors for us today dealing with Unionville’s speed and technical ability,” Szygiel said. “Player one through 37 – it doesn’t matter if they’re on the field or not. They’re part of what we’re doing, they know they’re part of it.
“We don’t have anyone complaining about playing time right now. We don’t have anybody doing any of that. They’re just loving being a part of it and knowing that if your number is called, you better be ready to contribute, every single dude. We’re having a blast, and I’m super proud of them.”
Friday’s win marked the third year in a row that West has won its state-qualifying game on the road in penalty kicks. Seniors Bailey Moyer, Alan Zlotin and Kanishk Nazareth have played key roles in all three state runs.
Central Bucks West (11-7-5, 5-4-3 SOL) will face the District 3 champion in Tuesday’s PIAA 4A opener. Top-seeded Dallastown will face third-seeded Central Dauphin in Saturday’s District 3 title game. Last year, the Bucks – fresh off winning the District One 4A title – fell to Central Dauphin 2-1 in an opening round state game.
“The district title was absolutely fantastic for the program, but then we turned around and we got beat in the first round of states last year,” Szygiel said. “That was a bit shocking to all of us.
“I think the guys that were a part of that group, both on the field and on the bench last year – it was in the back of their minds, and it’s very much in the back of their minds moving to the front of their minds now that we have unfinished business, and we need to finish what that group started over the past few years.”
Central Bucks West joins conference rival North Penn as the SOL’s lone representatives in the state tournament.
“North Penn plays in the district final tomorrow – there are so many players on that team that our program loves and respects,” Szygiel said. “We wish them nothing but the best. We want to see them bring home a district title and go back-to-back Suburban One Continental – that would be just fantastic.”
Central Bucks West 0-0-0-0 0 (4-3 PKs)
Unionville 0-0-0-0 0
Girls District One 4A Playbacks
Third place
#3 CONESTOGA 3, #13 NORTH PENN 1
The Pioneers scored a pair of goals in the final 10:25 of the opening period to go into halftime with a 2-0 lead. The visiting Knights made things interesting when Emily Schurr turned a Grace Sacchetti free kick into a goal just over nine minutes into the second half. That’s as close as the Knights would get as Conestoga added a goal to earn a 3-1 win in Friday’s third place game.
“Conestoga is a great team and is so dangerous up top that we knew they would be tough to contain, and when they got opportunities, they finished them,” North Penn co-head coach Mike Rio said. “I think the toll of our fourth playoff game and the difficult schedule leading up to the end of the regular season showed a little on the field tonight. We didn’t start off the game with the same energy and they took advantage.
“I thought in the second half, our midfield and defense stepped up which allowed our forwards to create more chances. Grace Sacchetti hit a fantastic free kick that Emily Schurr was able to head home – a lot better energy and emotion and it was good to end the game on a positive as we move into the state tourney next week.”
North Penn (12-9-2, 6-4-2 SOL) will take on District 2 champion Williamsport in Tuesday’s opening round of the PIAA 4A State Tournament.
“The three days of rest until our next game will be great for the girls,” Rio said. “I’m just very proud of this team – not a lot of people expected us as the 13 seed to still be here, but the girls have fought and battled and played really great soccer to prove that this is something they deserved and earned.
“As a group, we are excited about our game coming up on Tuesday and look to continue building on what we have the past couple weeks.
North Penn 0-1 1
Conestoga 2-1 3
Fifth place
#9 COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 3, #7 UNIONVILLE 1
The Golden Hawks – who trailed 1-0 at halftime – should be forgiven for what may have been a slower-than-usual start. They not only endured the long bus trip to Kennett Square, they also waited out a lengthy delay when the boys’ game – the opening game of a doubleheader – was decided in a shootout.
“The teams exchanged chances in the first half, and I thought we let them dictate the style of play,” coach Nick Heim said. “Their press led to a goal and we entered half down 1-0.”
The second half – that was another story entirely as the visiting Golden Hawks reeled off three unanswered goals. Jordi Rubakh set up all three goals.
“At halftime, we stressed playing our style and not theirs,” Heim said. “In the first eight minutes of the second half, Jordi Rubakh found Madison McDowell for two separate beautiful goals.
“With under ten left, Rubakh found Sammy Jones in the box, and she was able to spin a defender and finish a great shot far post to seal the victory.”
The Golden Hawks’ coach lauded the play of his defense in the second half.
“Our defenders settled in well and were able to keep a high pressuring dangerous team off the scoreboard in the second half,” Heim said. “Sydney Mandel came up with big saves for us in goal as well.
“Carly Irvin, Dana DeDominicis, Karly Wunder, Skylar Nowmos, Kim Speiser, and Emily Davis all contributed to the good defensive showing.”
The Golden Hawks’ win in Friday’s fifth place game was their second since falling to top-seeded Pennridge in the district quarterfinals.
“It was a great win,” Heim said. “I talked to the captains before the game and said obviously we want to keep momentum rolling heading into states and they agreed we should attack the game as we would any other.
“I told the girls at half it’s great practice for Tuesday. It was a good team and we were challenged to come from behind and they answered that challenge.”
Council Rock South (15-5-1, 9-3 SOL) will take on the winner of Saturday’s District 11 game pitting seventh-seeded Freedom against eighth-seeded Nazareth. The district’s top two seeds – Parkland and Emmaus – were both upset in the quarterfinals.
Council Rock South 0-3 3
Unionville 1-0 1
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