Check out the results for SOL boys’ soccer teams in action on Tuesday. To view photos of the CB South/Souderton and Bensalem/Truman games, please visit the Photo Gallery.
SOL National
PENNSBURY 1, ABINGTON 0
The Falcons have found themselves in plenty of battles this season, and Tuesday afternoon was no different.
All but one of the Falcons’ contests this season had been decided by one goal or ended in a draw, so it was only natural that Pennsbury found itself in another close match with Abington. Despite facing a squad that had scored 10 goals in its last three matches, the Falcons’ defense shone, shutting out the Ghosts by a 1-0 decision.
“We played extremely well,” said Falcons coach Tom Stoddart. “We’ve got to get better at finishing, but it’s a big win.”
“We really played with great rhythm,” he added.
The victory improved the Falcons to 5-1-1 on the year and 4-1-1 in the SOL National. The midway point in conference play comes Thursday night against still undefeated and first-place Neshaminy.
“We have a big game Thursday night at Neshaminy,” Stoddart said. “The league is the definition of a grind. Every game is going to be a grind.”
The Falcons earned the only goal of the contest in the first half. Colin Marks assisted on a shot by Keon Randolph that found the back of the net for the eventual game winner.
Eric Gagliardi didn’t get too much work but still earned his fourth shutout of the year for Pennsbury. The Falcons also got a great effort from their defense, which features middle backs Enid Curvac and Jerry Lan, as well as Corey Heil and Tyler Rost.
It was the third straight match won by the Falcons by a 1-0 final.
“Every game, you just have to play your best and hope you get through it,” said Stoddart.
Abington dropped to 5-5 on the year with the setback and next hosts Bensalem Friday.
Pennsbury 1 0 1
Abington 0 0 0
TRUMAN 4, ACADEMY PARK 1
It was a game the Tigers needed.
Truman had just fallen three games under .500 on the heels of losing four straight matches by a single goal in league play. A contest against non-league foe Academy Park seemed to be just the remedy for the disappointment.
As it turns out, it was, and despite a slow start, the Tigers put together an impressive second half to down Academy Park by a 4-1 count.
“It was nice for us to get a win. We went in there knowing that we should win that game,” said Tigers coach Bill O’Neil, whose team is now 3-5-1 “It’s always nice to put the ball in the back of the net.”
The Tigers struck often in this one, starting with a tally by Stephan Sitnik set up by Pete Worthington to open the scoring. Truman couldn’t add to that advantage before halftime, but keeper John Lopez and the defense kept Academy Park off the board going into the final 40 minutes.
That’s when the offense really got going. Mateus Souza fed a ball to Edgar Rodriguez, who buried the Tigers second goal. Surkan Celik followed suit with a goal set up by Jeremy Bees, and David Rodriguez added the final nail in the coffin in unassisted fashion.
Fernando Mendez came on to play goalie in the second half. Both he and Lopez had two saves apiece.
“It’s always nice to put the ball in the back of the net,” O’Neil said. “Now, our focus goes to [William] Tennent.”
That is who the Tigers will face next at home Thursday night. Win that, and they will be 2-5 at the halfway point of the league schedule.
“We’re right in it. We get a win here and there in the league, and things could turn around for us,” said O’Neil, who wants his team to have more urgency when attacking offensively. “We get knocked down, we get right back on the horse and compete.”
Truman 1 3 4
Academy Park 0 1 1
NESHAMINY 1, COUNCIL ROCK NORTH 0
For Neshaminy, it was about the whole squad Tuesday afternoon in Newtown. Their combined efforts paid off to the tune of a 1-0 victory at Council Rock North to keep them undefeated on the year.
“After a fairly even first half, Neshaminy put forth its best team half of the year,” said Neshaminy coach Tom Foley. “Everyone who went into the game today had positive impact on the game.”
The deciding tally came in the second half off a loose ball sent into the box by Dan Fox. The ball was controlled by the Redskins James McCourt, who sent a shot at Indians keeper Ben Goodman. He finished with several tough saves, but couldn’t stop McCourt’s direction changer, which went in for the eventual winner.
The Redskins are now 6-0-2 on the year and 4-0-2 in the SOL National, while the Indians have lost four straight by a single goal. They are 2-5 on the season.
Neshaminy 0 1 1
Council Rock North 0 0 0
WILLIAM TENNENT 2, COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 0
Bryan Note and Johnny Ciarlante both notched goals for William Tennent as the Panthers pulled away to a 2-0 home victory over the Golden Hawks. The win bumped the Panthers to 2-3-1 in the SOL National, while CR South dropped to 1-3-2.
William Tennent 1 1 2
Council Rock South 0 0 0
BENSALEM , TRUMAN (Monday, Sept. 23)
John Averona set up Chris Juergensen for the first and only goal of the match in the Owls’ 1-0 victory over the visiting Tigers Monday afternoon. The Owls have now won four in a row, stand at 4-2 in the SOL National (6-2 overall) and have a chance to add to those numbers Friday afternoon against Abington.
Continental Conference
CENTRAL BUCKS SOUTH 1, SOUDERTON 0
The Titans and Indians battled to a scoreless draw through 80 minutes of regulation in Warrington Tuesday afternoon. That trend continued through the first 10 minutes of overtime as CB South finally broke through when Dean Helwig scored quickly in the second extra session.
His goal gave the Titans another important Continental victory, their third of the season. They are now also on a three-game winning streak and back over .500 at 5-4 overall. Souderton, meanwhile, dropped to 2-6-1 on the season and has lost two in a row.
Central Bucks South 0 0 0 (OT 1) 1 (OT 2) 1
Souderton 0 0 0 (OT 1) 0 (OT 2) 0
HATBORO-HORSHAM 1, QUAKERTOWN 0
The Hatters got back to the .500 mark at 4-4 (2-4 in the SOL Continental) with a win over Quakertown Tuesday evening.
The difference makers were the defense, keeper Ehrlich with seven saves and an individual effort by Selvin Cordero. In the 15th minute, Cordero maneuvered to create a shot on goal that beat the Panthers’ keeper for the eventual game winner.
“It was a great individual play by him to create the goal,” said Hatters coach Kyle McGrath. “I thought it was a great game. Both teams created some opportunities.”
“As always, our league is very challenging,” he added. “Hopefully, we can build some momentum and play well again tomorrow.”
The Hatters will battle CB West Wednesday. Quakertown fell to 4-5 with the loss and is now 2-3 in the SOL Continental. The Panthers, however, were playing without star striker Kyle Woulfe and center back Bobby Harlow and have now been shut out in three straight matches.
“Missing those two is deadly for us,” said coach Kevin Woulfe. “It makes it very challenging.”
Hatboro-Horsham 1 0 1
Quakertown 0 0 0
CENTRAL BUCKS EAST 2, PENNRIDGE 1
The Rams took a 1-0 lead into halftime, thanks to an unassisted goal by Justin Csaszar. In the first nine minutes of the second half, Broock Weis turned a Ryan Gleason pass into a goal, and with under five minutes remaining in regulation, Kyle Clow connected for the game winner, again using an assist from Gleason.
“It was a good game,” East coach Mike Gorni said. “I didn’t think either team played particularly well, but both teams played hard.
“It was an even game like every game in the Continental Conference. We’re glad to get the three points.”
Gorni acknowledged the strong play of several players.
“Ryan Gleason and Evan Vare have been terrific,” the Patriots’ coach said. “Coming into the season, people were wondering what was happening with our goalkeeper. Right now Dan Chilson has been great. We’ve given up five goals in eight games.”
The Patriots (6-2 overall, 4-2 SOL) will host CB South at War Memorial Field on Thursday night while the Rams (5-5, 2-4) will travel to North Penn.
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 2, NORTH PENN 2 (From Sept. 23)
The Knights and Bucks battled to a 2-2 tie after 100 minutes of action was not enough to produce a winner.
CB West took a 2-0 lead on goals by Joel Klapper and Ethan Acaster. But the Knights came alive offensively with 20 minutes to go when Mike Kohler struck a ball past Redd Brown to cut the advantage to 2-1. Then with just eight minutes to play, Dylan McMahon tied things up for good.
Brown made 10 saves for the Bucks, while senior midfielder Kyle Schechter had an assist. CB West is now 5-2-1 on the year, while North Penn remains undefeated at 7-0-1.
Central Bucks West 1 1 0 (OT 1) 0 (OT 2) 2
North Penn 0 2 0 (OT 1) 0 (OT 2) 2
American Conference
UPPER DUBLIN 3, PLYMOUTH-WHITEMARSH 2 (OT)
Whatever was said at halftime in the Upper Dublin locker room must have resonated.
When the first half horn sounded, the Cardinals were facing an uphill climb. Two Plymouth-Whitemarsh goals allowed the Colonials to build an early advantage, and given that no squad had scored more than one goal in a match against them so far, that 2-0 lead appeared to be insurmountable.
“It was really a lousy first half for us,” said Upper Dublin coach Rick Schmidt.
Yet, the Cardinals rallied, and in a big way. A goal by Cole D’Andrea got things going, and with under five minutes to play, Zach Arnold tied things up with a goal that ultimately forced overtime. Not long after the start of the extra session, Arnold was at it again, as he scored the golden goal to give the Cardinals a thrilling 3-2 road victory.
“In the second half, we made some adjustments and turned things around,” said Schmidt. “They weren’t physical adjustments. They were mental adjustments.”
“It was the kind of game that coaches don’t want to have too many of in the season, because it puts us in the hospital,” he continued.
Keeper Scott Wexler earned the win for the Cardinals, who improved to 6-3 overall on the year. They are 6-0 in the SOL American, alone atop the conference standings.
“They came out differently in the second half and they went at them,” Schmidt said about his team. “Not our best performance, but in the end, they stuck it out and did what they needed to do.”
The Colonials fell for the first time this year, but at 5-1 in the SOL American (6-1-1 overall), they are still in the mix for the conference title.
Upper Dublin 0 2 1 (OT 1) 3
Plymouth-Whitemarsh 2 0 0 (OT 1) 2
UPPER MORELAND 3, SPRINGFIELD (MONTCO) 2
Something had to give for Upper Moreland.
In the Golden Bears last six games, they had scored a combined total of three goals, and not surprisingly, that led to losses in each of those contests. Five of those were against SOL American foes, meaning that Tuesday’s match with Springfield (Montco) really needed to end in better fashion.
And it did. A fantastic crossing pass from Tyler Kleinert to Ricky Meehl allowed the winning goal to be scored as the Bears earned their first league triumph of the year by a 3-2 count.
“It was a long time coming,” said Upper Moreland coach Jack Knauss.
“We’re very young,” he continued. “It’s going to take a little while, but we’re not giving up.”
The Bears used their wide passing and field spreading attack with lots of success in this one, and it led to a pair of first half goals by Brendan O’Donnelly and Nick Perkins. That gave the Bears a 2-1 edge at the break despite a Springfield tally from Corey Cattone.
Upper Moreland held a 3-1 lead with 20 minutes to go after Meehl’s goal, but Riley Woron cut the advantage to a single goal when he scored soon after. Keeper Bobby Dell (4 saves) and the Bears defense kept the Spartans from getting the equalizer before the final horn sounded.
Upper Moreland is now 2-8 on the season while Springfield fell to 2-5 and 2-4 in the SOL American. The Spartans assists came from Ben Wiley and Ben Woron.
“They’re hanging in close enough,” said Knauss, who is missing three starters due to injuries. “Once they learn how to win and how to keep a lead, they’ll be fine.”
Connor O’Hagen also made seven first-half saves for the Bears, who are playing three freshmen in the starting lineup. One of those is left outside halfback Brendan Costello, who Knauss praised for an excellent match at his post.
Upper Moreland 2 1 3
Springfield (Montco) 1 1 2
UPPER MERION 2, CHELTENHAM 1
A bounce back performance was much needed for Upper Merion when Cheltenham came to town Tuesday afternoon.
After starting the season 4-0, the Vikings had fallen in two straight matches to arguably the top squads in the SOL American, namely Plymouth-Whitemarsh and Wissahickon. Even worse, Upper Merion had been shut out in those games, including a 6-0 setback to Wissahickon last Friday.
That said, the Vikings needed a spark, and they got it against the Panthers. A first-half goal finally got them on the board, and a strong second half helped them finish a 2-1 victory.
“After coming off a very difficult loss to Wissahickon 6-0 on Friday, the team bounced back in getting a nice result against Cheltenham,” said Vikings coach Thomas Dodds.
The momentum could have changed at halftime, as the Panthers scored their only tally to even things up at the half with just two seconds to play before intermission. The Vikings, though, answered right off the bat to open the second half when Gerardo Medina set up Brendan Steiner for the go-ahead shot.
The other Viking goal came courtesy of Leonard Lamina, who was set up by George Dhima to open the scoring. The victory moved the Vikings to 5-2 on the season and 4-2 in league action, while Cheltenham fell to 1-7 with the loss.
Upper Merion 1 1 2
Cheltenham 1 0 1
WISSAHICKON 3, NORRISTOWN 2
Sometimes, shot totals don’t tell the whole story in soccer.
Wissahickon outshot Norristown by a 24-7 margin Tuesday, but even that almost wasn’t enough. The Trojans were forced to rally from two deficits, but ultimately were able to win, surviving a scare from the Eagles by a 3-2 score.
Matt Knittel’s goal in the 60th minute proved to be the difference maker in this match. Three minutes earlier, the Trojans were trailing, but Sam Hunt found the back of the net on a shot of his own to tie things at two.
Prior to that, Norristown had broken a 1-1 halftime deadlock when Efrain Guzman was awarded a penalty kick and beat Wissahickon keeper John Carozza with the go-ahead goal. The Eagles’ first-half tally came from Brendan Kelley, while the Trojans’ Cole Kropnick scored 25 minutes in.
Earning assists for Wissahickon were Sam Hunt, Shane Fallen and Neal Guaglianone.
Carozza stopped four shots in the win but was outdone by Enrique Escobedo, who made 12 saves for Norristown.
The Eagles dropped to 2-6 on the year with the loss after beating Academy Park by a 2-0 score the previous day. The Trojans improved to 6-2 (4-2 in the SOL American) with the win and have now won three straight matches.
Wissahickon 1 2 3
Norristown 1 1 2
NORRISTOWN 2, ACADEMY PARK 0 (Monday, Sept. 23)
The Eagles received goals from sophomore Joe Morello and senior Anthony Giovinazzo. Sophomore keeper Enrique Escobedo earned the first shutout and first varsity win.
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