Check out the results for SOL soccer teams in action on Friday.
NORRISTOWN 0, CHELTENHAM 0 (2 OT)
The Eagles received a standout performance from freshman goalie Will Baltrus, who – according to coach Jared Elias – kept his team in the game.
“His finest moment was saving a well-hit PK to keep the score tied at zero,” Elias said.
The Eagles’ coach went on to praise the standout defensive efforts of senior Efrain Guzman and juniors Carlos Chavez, Tom Detwiler and Shane Hammer.
“They played solid in the back and kept (Cheltenham) scoreless,” Elias said.
Both teams are are 1-2-1 in league play after Friday’s tie.
Cheltenham 0-0-0-0 0
Norristown 0-0-0-0 0
PENNSBURY 8, HARRY S TRUMAN 0
The Falcons took a 2-0 lead into halftime and then blew the game wide open with six goals in the second half. The win just might have been the definition of a team effort as seven different players contributed goals and five others chipped in with assists.
Alex Kardos led the way with a pair of goals while teammates Lee Melamed, Colin Marks, Dan Rottenborn, Salvatore Ficarotta, Eric Kersten and Keion Randolph each added a single goal. Austin Bossio had two assists while Tyler Williams, Matt Lynch, Zachary LoBasso, Biagio Lazaric and Melamed each added one assist.
According to coach Tom Stoddart, Melamed jumpstarted the Falcons in both halves, contributing an assist on the first goal of the game and scoring the first goal of the second half to spark a 6-0 Falcon tear.
The Falcons upped their record to 3-1 in league play (3-2-1 overall) while the Tigers fell to 0-3 in the league.
Pennsbury 2-6 8
Harry S Truman 0-0 0
COUNCIL ROCK SOUTH 4, WILLIAM TENNENT 1
The Golden Hawks opened up a commanding 3-0 halftime lead on their way to the conference win. Jake Shefski, Reid Czapor, Dylan Schwartz and Brent Weinstein each scored single goals. Schwartz also had a pair of assists.
Coach Alan Nicholl acknowledged the standout defensive performances of Dave Spivey and Mark Jurewicz in a win that evened the Golden Hawks’ record at 1-1 in league play (3-1 overall). The Panthers are 2-2 in the league (3-2 overall).
William Tennent 0-1 1
Council Rock South 3-1 4
WISSAHICKON 2, NESHAMINY 1 (OT)
Cole Kropnick’s header off a Shane Fallen free kick in the 82nd minute propelled the Trojans to the dramatic win over the previously unbeaten Redskins.
“We were thrilled,” Trojans’ coach Stuart Malcolm said. “We had a great game Tuesday against PW. Unfortunately, on that occasion, we were on the wrong side of overtime.
“The boys responded well on Thursday (with a 3-2 win over Upper Merion). I was thrilled in terms of the effort, and they got something out of it.”
Did they ever.
With the district seedings now based on power rankings, Friday’s non-league win loomed large for the Trojans.
“That’s why it was huge,” Malcolm said. “With the way they started – they were 5-0 before today.”
Both teams were missing players in Friday’s match, but the Trojans, who boast a squad of 18, were especially shorthanded. They had just two subs and started several players who had not seen much action this season.
“We were very thin, to say the least,” Malcolm said. “We moved some people that played all season to the back line. We set ourselves defensively and looked to get counterattacks.”
Anchoring the defense were Fallen, who has played midfield but moved to left back, central defenders Alex Escude and Alec Schwartz and right back Ryan Becker. Becker had to leave the game at halftime to catch a flight to Atlanta for baseball. Alex Chiodo-Ortiz, the Trojans’ right midfielder who has been playing up as a striker, filled in at right back in the second half.
“My assistant and I just kind of looked at each other at halftime and said, ‘What else could happen?’” Malcolm said.
Instead of using their short bench as an excuse to fold, the players pulled together.
“Literally, I think that was one of the reasons why the players talked more and bonded more in terms of saying, ‘Look, the coaches are doing everything they can with what they have. We just have to go out and play as hard as we can,’” Malcolm said. “In the end, they got a huge result.”
Standing tall in the win was keeper John Carrozza, who was credited with nine saves and allowed the Trojans to battle the ‘Skins to a scoreless deadlock at halftime.
“He stepped up,” Malcolm said. “He took a break from his club team, and he’s finding his feet again. He really put in a terrific performance today to keep us in the game.
“He was very commanding in terms of coming out for cross balls and commanding the back. All the way across the back – I think in the end there were six of them that were involved in it. They did a good job, but even in front of that, the players just worked so, so hard in the midfield. We tried to make it as difficult as we could for Neshaminy.”
The ‘Skins broke a scoreless tie when Eric Schaffer (John Albarran assist) scored in the 63rd minute. It took the Trojans just two minutes to answer with a goal of their own when Alex Escude (Kropnick assist) scored the equalizer in the 65th minute.
“Getting a goal back so quickly after they scored was huge,” Malcolm said. “It gave us the confidence we could get a goal.
“At that point, it put them back on their heels, but they got their feet again and had a couple of opportunities.”
The Trojans scored the game winner when Fallon took a free kick from the halfway line and crossed the ball over the Redskin defenders into the 18-yard box where Kropnick headed it into the net. The win capped a remarkable week for the senior standout, who scored four goals and assisted on another.
The game’s shot count showed Neshaminy with 15 and the Trojans with six shots.
“We could have ended up losing 2-1, 3-1 or 3-2, but that’s soccer,” Malcolm said. “They missed some opportunities. On any other day, they would have had a couple of goals.
“We had a defensive plan in mind, and what was really good for us to see – they realized the pinch we were in with having a very short bench, and there was much, much better communication all over the field than I have seen so far this season. If we had lost the game 1-0, we would have still felt we made progress.”
Both the Trojans and Redskins boast identical 5-1 records.
Neshaminy 0-1-0 1
Wissahickon 0-1-1 2
NORTH PENN 2, LANSDALE CATHOLIC 0
The Knights scored a pair of first half goals, and that would be the extent of the scoring for either team. The game winner came off the foot of Brad Deckel, and Liam Parker added an insurance goal. The Knights are 4-2 on the season.
North Penn 2-0 2
Lansdale Catholic 0-0 0
Girls
SPRINGFIELD (MONTCO) 3, CHRISTOPHER DOCK 2
Senior Katelyn Gillinger connected for the hat trick to propel the Spartans to a thrilling 3-2 win over the defending District Class A champions. It was their third overtime game of a grueling week for the Spartans, who earlier in the week tied Cheltenham and then edged Upper Moreland in OT.
“They’re dead, and I don’t really have depth,” coach Suzette Wolf said. “We were just playing two-touch, we were shutting down their players, and we did all the little things right.
“We received the ball well, we were moving without the ball, we weren’t holding the ball too long, we were using each other because they were tired, so they had to think. They didn’t have the energy they normally have because of the overtimes this week.”
Three years ago, the Spartans absorbed a 7-0 beating at the hands of Dock, and Friday’s overtime win was a testament to just how far the Spartans have come since then.
“This year’s seniors were freshmen then,” Wolf said. “It was nice.”
Gillinger (Cameron Calanan assist) put the Spartans on the scoreboard in the first half, and they took that 1-0 lead into halftime. Dock came out of halftime and scored back-to-back goals to go on top 2-1, but Gillinger headed a corner kick by Caroline Pape into the equalizer, setting the stage for overtime.
Also coming up big for the Spartans was goalie Katie Fitzpatrick.
“She just had three nice overtime games,” Wolf said. “She positions herself really well. She doesn’t do anything superstarish – she just saves the ball. She doesn’t draw any attention to herself. She just does what she has to do.”
The Spartans are 3-1-1 overall.
Christopher 0-2-0 2
Springfield 1-1-1 3
PENNRIDGE 7, CHELTENHAM 1
The Rams sprinted out of the gate to a 4-1 halftime lead on their way to the big win. Jess Milligan (Savanna Harrison assist) put her team on the scoreboard, and the Lady Rams were off and running. Kennedy Peace scored her first of three goals on the day with an assist from Dani Meenan, and then it was Mia Bevilacqua using a Peace assist for the score. Katie Fischer (Olivia Fernandez assist) added a goal for the Lady Rams before Carly Waldman scored Cheltenham’s lone goal in the 40th minute.
In the second half, Bevilacqua connected for her second goal, and Peace completed her hat trick with an unassisted goal. Lyon turning a Megan Hirschbuhl pass into a goal to close out the scoring. Kaitlyn Moran earned the win in goal.
The Lady Rams upped their record to 4-0-2 on the season while the Lady Panthers are 1-3-1.
Pennridge 4-3 7
Cheltenham 1-0 1
LOWER MORELAND 3, UPPER MORELAND 0
The Golden Bears (0-6) trailed by just one at halftime but never could get on the scoreboard in a non-league game against their neighboring rival. Bridgette Alexander scored a pair of goals for the Lions, and Jordyn Cohen added a single goal.
Upper Moreland 0-0 0
Lower Moreland 1-2 3
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST 1, BOYERTOWN 0
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