Continuing its tradition of excellence in soccer, the SOL will send two of its teams into Wednesday’s District One Class AAA semifinals.
Sixth-seeded Central Bucks East – a 2-0 winner over Strath Haven - will face second-seeded Conestoga. The Pioneers were extended to penalty kicks by an upstart Central Bucks South squad (1-1, 6-5 PKs).
Pennsbury, the tournament’s ninth seed, shocked top-seeded Wissahickon 4-0. The Falcons will face fifth-seeded Lower Merion, which brought an end to 13th-seeded Pennridge’s season (0-0, 4-1 PKs).
#9 Pennsbury 4, #1 Wissahickon 0
By Scott Huff
Pennsbury punched its ticket to the PIAA Class AAA state tournament and at the same time earned a spot in the District One semifinals with a 4-1 quarterfinal win over host top-seeded Wissahickon.
The Falcons (#9) have a date with Lower Merion (#5) next Wednesday. The Aces eliminated Pennridge (#13) in the quarterfinals 0-0 (4-1 PKs).
“We played an almost perfect game on the road against a good team in a hostile environment,” said Pennsbury head coach Tom Stoddart. “We played tough games on the road at the beginning of the season against Strath Haven and Downingtown West, and those games really helped us get ready for Wissahickon.”
The disappointing loss was the very first of the season for Wissahickon (18-1-1) – and the defeat also ended a marvelous Trojan season.
“I really thought that we were going to make a little more noise in the playoffs,” said a disheartened Trojan head coach – Stuart Malcom. “I thought that we had more chances than them, but it is not the chances you get in a game, but the number of chances that you finish off.”
Pennsbury finished off a direct kick early in the game to secure the lead. Falcon senior Ryan MacDonald kicked a laser into the back of the Wissy net to give Pennsbury a 1-0 lead at the 32:10 mark.
“It was great to get that scoring chance early in the game,” said MacDonald. “It really helps to score first – it takes a load of pressure off of the entire team.
“We have had some trouble scoring this year,” added MacDonald. “I think that now maybe we are over the hump.”
Pennsbury added a second goal in the first half to extend its lead to 2-0.Falcon junior Sawyer Waters redirected a kick into the goal at the 11:57 mark. And that two-goal lead appeared as though it would be the score at the half.
Wrong.
Wissahickon scored with just 8.9 seconds left in the half on a goal by senior Brandon Irvine. The score was a reward for a half of controlled play by Wissahickon.
“Anyone who was watching the game could see that we controlled the field,” said Malcom. “And when we got the score to 2-1 at the half, we came out in the second half with the idea that we were in the game.”
“When they scored that goal, it gave us a chance to refocus on what we had to do to win the game,” said MacDonald. “We knew we had to get back into our game.”
“If we went into the half up two goals, we might have played a little more defensively,” said Stoddart. “But after that goal, we decided that we were going to stay in our offensive formations.”
Pennsbury took a 3-1 lead when MacDonald scored on a breakaway from midfield. The goal came at the 23:40 mark of the second half.
Wissahickon had two wonderful chances to slice the lead to 3-2. A goal was nullified on an off-sides call at 18:26, and the Trojans missed a point blank shot at 6:58.
The Falcons closed out the scoring with six minutes remaining when Jason Hyman fired the ball into an open net.
And Pennsbury would celebrate soon after.
“It is easier being the hunter than the hunted,” said Stoddart in reference to the Trojans #1 seed. “We talked all season about being able to play with the best.
“I would have to say that we are playing our best soccer of the season,” added Stoddart. “We are right where we want to be.”
“One of our goals at the beginning of the season was to get to states,” said MacDonald. “But we still have other goals to reach.”
All aboard.
Pennsbury 2 2 - 4
Wissahickon 1 0 - 1
P: Kyle MacDonald
P: Sawyer Waters
W: Brandon Irvine
P: Kyle MacDonald
P: Jason Hyman
#6 Central Bucks East 1, #14 Strath Haven 0 (OT)
Miguel Diaz scored the game winner four minutes into the first overtime to propel the Patriots to the big win.
“Ben Marks sent a through ball to the outside, and Miguel beat two people running along the end line and fired a beautiful low shot past their keeper,” coach Mike Gorni said of the game winner. “We’re unbelievably excited.
“We came off a phenomenal game with Rustin (a 3-1 win) in the last round, and I was worried how much energy we would have. We played very, very well. It was just two teams back and forth.”
The win sets up a semifinal showdown against second-seeded Conestoga, and just as importantly, it vaulted the Patriots into the state playoffs.The Patriots are the lone District One Class AAA squad that has been to the district semifinals and state tournament in each of the last four years.
Downingtown West’s string of three straight years was broken this year, leaving the Patriots alone with that distinction.
“It’s hard to get there one time, let alone going back consecutively,” Gorni said. “It’s been an amazing ride for four years, but this year has been ridiculously great.
“I think what’s happening is the players are developing an attitude – they don’t want to be the first ones not to go, and they fought tooth and nail. It hasn’t been easy, but we’ve stayed with things long enough and legitimately got some really big wins.
“This is not a team with superstars. This is a team with a lot of really good, hard-working players. Miguel had a magic moment at the end today and a brilliant individual effort on that goal, but it was absolutely a team effort.”
That being said, it’s impossible to ignore the standout effort of East’s defense – Kris Davis, Mike Gleason, Ken Haug and Steve Fedele – as well as goal keeper Shane Donovan. Saturday’s win was the 12th shutout of the season for Donovan, who has close to 30 over the last two seasons.
“Our defense has really been a rock for us,” Gorni said. “They have just been so terrific, and it enables everybody else to play in front of them.
“They kind of epitomize the effort and the number of injuries we have had - even today, Lee Sandquist suffered a head injury at the end of the first half, but he just stayed and played with it covered and didn’t go for stitches until after the game. That’s kind of what this team has done all year long.”
#5 Lower Merion 0, #13 Pennridge 0 (4-1 PKs)
The Rams saw a memorable season come to a close in heartbreaking fashion when – for the third consecutive year – they lost in penalty kicks.
It is the second time in as many years they lost in the quarterfinals after falling in the opening round two years ago.
“It’s frustrating, but it is what it is,” coach Pete Valimont said. “We played a great game today against the number five team in the state and held them to nothing on the board.“We had good offense – they had good defense. We hit the cross bar, we hit the post probably four or five times.”
In the second half, Pennridge junior Michael Gaito scored but saw the goal waved off by an off-sides call.
“It was a very physical game,” Valimont said. “They were big and strong. Our guys were big and strong. It was nothing that we didn’t expect.
“We possessed a bit more – probably 70-30 to put it in percentages, so we had a lot of possession. They had big backs, and our crosses would get cleared, and we literally hit the cross bar three times. Two inches one way or the other and we don’t go to overtime and we don’t go to PKs.”
Conestoga’s goalie stopped the Rams’ first PK and the second hit the cross bar.
“All the momentum switched to them,” Valimont said. “Our goalie made one save, but we couldn’t ask him to make three in a row.”
Valimont had nothing but good things to say about his team’s performance this season.
“They stepped up,” he said. “Our conference had three teams in the elite eight and is as tough as it gets.
“We had a great regular season and a good district playoff, knocking off #4 (Council Rock South) the other night – they were number eight in the state, and we took the number five team in the state to penalty kicks today.
“I hope we get the respect we’re due. Back-to-back quarterfinals – I would hope Pennridge would get a little bit of respect here. It’s a great area for soccer, and we have kids that are hungry. Our kids are really good, and they step up at the right time.”
#2 Conestoga 1, #23 Central Bucks South 1 (6-5 PKs)
A memorable post-season run came to an end for the Titans, but not before the tournament’s 23rd-seeded team threw a scare into a Pioneer squad that was seeded second in the district and ranked second in the state.
“We played really well – we really did,” coach Don Brady said. “Conestoga is a fabulous team. They’re the best team we’ve faced all year.
“They just have everything – experience, strength. I like playing them. They play soccer – it’s not a kick ball game. It was very exciting throughout.”
The two teams were deadlocked 0-0 at halftime, and then the lights went out.
Literally!
With 22 minutes remaining in the second half, Berwyn suffered a power outage.
“Everyone asked me if I ever had this happen before,” Brady said. “No, I never had that happen before.
“The lights were out for about 20 minutes.”
Eight minutes after play resumed, the Pioneers got on the scoreboard, but three minutes later, South’s Stephen Pieri knotted the score with a head ball goal (Connor Stackhouse assist), setting the stage for overtime.
“It was a great sequence from the midfield into the attack,” Brady said. “Connor Stackhouse drove a ball across the box, and Stephen got on the end of a head ball.
“I thought at that point we were holding up pretty good, but Ricky Pieri’s groin went on him. He’s kind of been nursing it the last couple of weeks.
“I asked him if he wanted to come out, and he said, ‘No, definitely not,’ but he’s our fastest guy. I have six really good defenders, but he solidifies everything.”
Two 15-minute overtimes could not determine a winner.
“Maybe in the first overtime they had the better of play, but we countered back and gave them some fits as well,” Brady said. “As a matter of fact, we thought we had the game winner in the first overtime going into the wind.
“Colin Buckley got in, and everyone thought it went in, but it just went aside of the post. There was definite excitement there, but they also had two or three chances going with the wind.”
Although the Titans took a quick 2-1 lead in PKs, the two teams found themselves deadlocked 3-3 after the first set of five.
“We were going for 3-1, but it gets saved,” Brady said.
The Pioneers closed it out on the second set of PKs, eking out a 6-5 win.
South goalkeeper Drew Sutliffe turned away 15 shots in a standout effort.
“He has come up big at the end of the season,” Brady said. “Everyone has.
“Between Ricky Pieri and then Keith Crews scoring 22 goals – a new school record for our program and Drew just coming up big as well – it’s been great leadership for us along with the young guys that are very technical and doing a nice job.
“This should pay us dividends.”
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