Check out the recaps for SOL boys/girls soccer teams in action Monday. Bensalem/Lower Moreland photos provided courtesy of John Gleeson. New Hope-Solebury/MaST Charter photos courtesy of Karla Donohoe. Check back for galleries of both games. All SOS photo galleries for GIRLS’ SOCCER can be viewed by clicking HERE.
Boys
NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 6, MaST CHARTER 0
The Lions scored three first-half goals and duplicated that output in the second half on their way to the decisive win.
Marcello Santiago scored a pair of goals while Jacob Stein, Jake Lund and Chris Weisbrot each added single goals.
“We moved the ball well through the midfield,” New Hope coach Dave Bachart said. “Arimos Shire and John Wilson held down the back.”
New Hope-Solebury (2-6, 1-5 SOL) will host Abington on Tuesday.
MaST Charter 0-0 0
New Hope-Solebury 3-3 6
Girls
BENSALEM 2, LOWER MORELAND 1
The Owls trailed 1-0 in Monday’s non-league contest but scored a pair of late goals to earn the hard-fought win.
“We constantly preach to the kids that you don’t give up,” Bensalem coach Bob Crawford said. “We weren’t playing up to our standards, but we kept preaching to keep doing the little things, do the things that are right.”
The visiting Lions broke a scoreless tie early in the second half.
“Morgan Pennisi struck another beautiful ball from 20 yards out,” LM coach Todd Hill. “We had several opportunities after that where we did not finish and Bensalem did.”
The Owls got on the scoreboard when Carmen Decaro connected with the equalizer.
“Carmen got open in the midfield, and she scored from 20 yards out – put a nice ball past their goalie,” Crawford said. “Then the game started really getting heated up. It started getting more and more exciting.”
Caitlin Groves found the net with the game-winner, turning a through ball into a goal.
“I was really proud of Caitlin because she really went hard, and the goalie came down hard on her,” Crawford said. “She was still able to put it past the goalie. She was one-on-one with the goalie, and Caitlin knew she was getting it – she got clobbered a little bit, but she hung in there and still put the ball past her.”
Both Bensalem goals, according to Crawford, came in the final 10 minutes of regulation as the Owls received a spark from an unexpected source.
“We put some of our younger players in for a little bit,” the Owls’ coach said. “I was really happy with how some of the younger kids played, and I think they kind of inspired the older kids a little bit that they better get their act together.”
The Owls’ coach tipped his hat to his defense.
“Our goalie Haley Esposito and our defense – Julia Liebig, Devon Bell, Lily Salayda and Vanessa Shay – played lights out again,” Crawford said. “Our goalie got ran over in the first half, and she had a little egg on the side of her head. The trainer cleared her, and she said, ‘I’m not staying out, I’m not staying out.’
“Lower Moreland really played hard – they went hard to every loose ball, they played hard. We didn’t score any goals last week, so it was nice to score goals.”
Monday’s loss was the third in a row for the Lions, who opened the season with four straight wins.
“The rhythms we had in the first part of the season are totally disrupted right now with so many girls sick and injured,” Hill said. “We are having to find new rhythms, and we came out kind of flat today. I am proud of our girls’ finish – they kept battling through adversity and some pretty tough breaks today.
“At the beginning of the season, we looked ahead, knowing there would be challenging times ahead. We are in the middle of those challenging times now, and I am really pleased to be working with this group of girls.”
Bensalem (4-4-1, 2-4-1 SOL) will host Central Bucks West on Tuesday.
“I was looking at the schedule, and we’re exactly halfway through, and we’re 4-4-1. For us, that’s pretty good,” Crawford said. “I hope they come out tough tomorrow. If we don’t, it’s going to be a long game.”
Lower Moreland (4-3, 4-2) will host Plymouth Whitemarsh Tuesday.
Lower Moreland 0-1 1
Bensalem 0-2 2
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 2, VILLA JOSEPH MARIE 0
The visiting Patriots scored a pair of first-half goals and went on to notch a 2-0 win over the defending District One 3A runner-up Jems.
“Good team effort from our kids today in a very good game,” East coach Jake Nesteruk said. “This is always an enjoyable one from the sidelines between Villa and our kids. Rich (Finneyfrock) has done such a great job for so long, and this year’s no different. We learned a good amount about ourselves today.
“We started this game with the right bite, and it made the rest of the game a bit easier from there. Thought our group was very good in possession and happy with how we created chances and defended in key moments.”
Elliot Forney (Sofia Mignon assist) put the Patriots on the scoreboard with a goal that stood as the game-winner. Jessie Bernabe added an insurance goal, using an assist from Gwyn Krystkiewicz.
Aralynn Patterson and Mae Leedy combined for the clean sheet in goal.
“I thought Brooke and Sophie Schorn had two very good games for us, and Grace Craig was excellent in connecting into the attack,” Nesteruck said. “Gwyn (Krystkiewicz) was excellent with her minutes today, just such a program kid willing do the little things right on and off the field. Her ball into Jessie (Bernabe) for the second goal was special.”
Monday’s win came on the heels of a 1-0 win over Bensalem.
“This one had a similar narrative to Bensalem in that we created enough to extend the lead, but just weren’t clinical enough in the final third,” Nesteruk said. “Great team win for us, and we turn our focus to Truman tomorrow.”
Central Bucks East (6-3, 4-3 SOL) will travel to Harry S Truman on Tuesday.
Central Bucks East 2-0 2
Villa Joseph Marie 0-0 0
NEW HOPE-SOLEBURY 3, MaST CHARTER 1
The visiting Lions found themselves trailing early but had an emphatic response.
“MaST Charter fought hard for all 80 minutes and caught us early in the first half to go ahead 1-0,” Lions’ coach Matt Duffey said. “But we found our form and started to move the ball better and scored three quick goals to end the half 3-1.”
Scoring one goal each were Ann-Charlotte Arnould, Lily Marrone and Ellie Gudusky. Ava Marrone contributed a pair of assists, and Mia Usatin had one goal.
New Hope-Solebury (2-6-1, 1-5-1 SOL) will travel to Abington on Tuesday.
New Hope-Solebury 3-0 3
MaST Charter 1-0 1
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