Phoenixville 1, Upper Merion 0 >> Phil Meszaros scored the game’s lone goal off a feed from Patricio Perez to lift the Phantoms past the Vikings in PAC play.

Meszarosplaced a shot in the far corner from the top of the box for the decider. Phoenixville keeper Mitchell Coll made six saves in the shutout.
Reading 4, Daniel Boone 0 >> Edwin Navas led the Red Knights past the Blazers with two goals and one assist.

Juan Guzman had two assists for Reading as Giovanni Zavala and Juan Olivares scored goals in the shutout. Stephen Williams’ 10-save goaltending was the highlight for Boone.

RIDLEY >> It’s not difficult to pick out Sam Brown on the soccer field, not just because he’s rarely far from the ball. There’s also what’s on the head — think a darker-hued version of wild-haired international star of the past Carlos Valderrama — that helps the Penncrest forward stand out from the crowd.

Younger brother Max, thanks in part to a new haircut, is slightly more inconspicuous. But the sophomore is just as instrumental to the Lions’ early success. That was evident Thursday in a comprehensive 4-0 Central League win over Ridley, one where the two pieces of the puzzle named “Brown” fit together nicely.

Penncrest’s Mike Iannucci dribbles away from Ridley’s Nathan Warwick during a game between the teams Thursday. (Digital First Media/Anne Neborak)

Sam Brown scored twice, one on a penalty kick. Max Brown pulled the strings from deep in midfield, his incisive service and defense-softening shots from distance, though errant, providing forwards with lanes to run through.

It would be convenient to draw parallels between their games and choice of hair styles, Sam sporting the ostentatious style of someone who relishes taking on defenders one-v-one; Max the more conservative, stay-at-home midfielder.

For as well as their framed manes complement, it’s tempting to think they arose by design playing alongside each other.

But it’s a tactical coincidence that the Browns gravitated toward different areas of the pitch. (And, for the record, the hair is just an attempt by Max, a sophomore, to “look a little different” than his corkscrew-coiffed brother).

“I guess we play well together because I like to play more holding and pick out passes, and Sam likes to go at people and he’s a finisher, too,” Max said. “It’s a pretty good combo.”

Penncrest’s early season success would concur. Max Brown played the over-the-top ball that led to the first goal, when Ridley goalie Zach Ritz pawed away a shot by Sam Brown, but Nate Rodgers was first to swoop to the rebound deposit it into the net for Penncrest (4-2, 2-1).

Sam Brown on a PK. Christian Evans drew it in the box. 3-0 Penncrest. pic.twitter.com/uaFzP8OvoG

— Matthew De George (@sportsdoctormd) September 15, 2016

Sam Brown supplied the next two markers — first weaving through several defenders, losing the ball, recovering it and burying a strong low shot in the 33rd minute, then stepping to the spot after Christian Evans was felled in the box to nonchalantly power home a penalty in the 52nd.

With that lead in hand, the brothers turned to what they do best: Dictating the game as a central midfield pairing for the first 20-some minutes of the second half. With Evans and Colby Schnyder, who scored the fourth goal, bombing forward at will on the wings, the Browns dropped to form a wall that reinforced the Lions’ wide edge in possession, alternating who jumped into attack to maintain team shape and balance.

Ridley’s Brandon Zepp dribbles the ball while Penncrest’s Sam Brown joins the action Thursday in a game won by the Lions 4-0. (Digital First Media/Anne Neborak)

“I just think we have good chemistry together,” said Sam, a Loyola Maryland commit. “And if one goes, then the other one knows to stop and come back and track back, especially when we have a lead.”

It’s the second straight game in which Ridley has fallen behind 2-0 at halftime. Tuesday against Radnor, a game that featured two PKs surrendered, the Green Raiders shut off after the break and capitulated seven goals.

Thursday, at least, things didn’t devolve to that level. Part of the reason was Ritz, who made nine saves, including a pair of significant denials on point-blank chances inside the box.

Ridley’s chances were few and far between. Meese Tobey had a pair of shots blocked in dangerous positions as the seconds ran down on the first half, with Max Brown and Freddie Potts providing interventions. Outside of that, chances were hard to come by for a team that features just two seniors and is trying to navigate significant growing pains.

“Everyone’s young,” senior midfielder Nick Boexckx said. “Everyone’s not used to varsity, the Central League. Everyone in the Central League is so good, and they’re not used to it. … Everyone’s got to communicate and pick each other up.”

The Green Raiders didn’t record a shot on goal, with Penncrest goalie Pat Hughes hardly touching the ball. One instance preceded Schnyder’s goal, when Hughes charged out to cover a long ball into the box, then launched a punt that bounced over a defender and allowed Schnyder space to bury a shot inside the post.

Great save by Ridley’s Zach Ritz off a Penncrest corner. pic.twitter.com/oaWbwQdF82

— Matthew De George (@sportsdoctormd) September 15, 2016

Also in the Central League:

Garnet Valley 2, Harriton 0 >> Matt Moore notched the game-winner off a Matt Marino feed with 17 minutes to play, and Max Marini scored a minute later as the Jags, sponsored by M&Ms apparently, stayed unbeaten in the Central League.

Tyler Tracy protected the shutout with two saves for GV (5-1, 3-0).

Haverford 1, Upper Darby 0 >> Sean Cannon set up Josh Cunningham for the winning goal as the Fords picked up a win.

Conestoga 2, Radnor 0 >> Ben Toomey made two saves for Radnor, but he was beaten in the first half by Nick Jennings and Mason Miller as the Pioneers won.

Lower Merion 1, Strath Haven 0 >> Dixon Damico made seven saves, but the Panthers fell in double-overtime.

In the Del Val League:

Interboro 1, Academy Park 0 >> Josh Little scored the overtime game-winner, and Brandon Welden made eight saves to keep the shutout for the Bucs.

Ismael Americain made eight saves for Academy Park in the setback.

Chichester 10, Glen Mills 4 >> Harun Abdulliah and Matt Dwyer each recorded hat tricks in an offensive affair.

In nonleague action:

Penn Wood 8, Pottstown 0 >> James Nmah recorded a hat trick among six goal-scorers, and Goodwill Agbaadem posted a shutout with two saves as the Patriots (2-0) led 7-0 at halftime.

Daniel Boone 5, Garden Spot 1 >> The Blazers scored four-unanswered goals in the final 44 minutes to take a non-conference win over the Spartans.

Greg Blume led the way with a hat trick while Jamie Burns had a pair of assists in front of Stephen Williams’ five-save showing in net. Ayoub Mouhou had a goal and an assist while Carter Ferguson had the game’s opening score in the fifth minute.

Hatboro-Horsham 3, Boyertown 1 >> The Bears dropped a non-conference matchup against the Hatters.

Hatboro saw Nick Hatzenbeller, Danny Bateman and Zach Flaville register goals.

Pottsgrove 1, Perkiomen Valley 0 >> Germann Larmond scored in the fourth minute on a feed from Tyler Rolando as the Falcons held off the Vikings in a Pioneer Athletic Conference crossover matchup.

Pottsgrove outshot Perk Valley 12-5 with Liam Abdalla making four saves in the win. Andrew Daubenspeck finished with nine stops in the PV goal.

Owen J. Roberts 9, Pottstown 0 >> Taurean Lee and Andrew Siana each scored a pair of goals in the Wildcats’ shutout win over the Trojans.

Graham Pugh had a goal and a pair of assists while Tyler Stonebraker and Cory Wright combined for the shutout in goal. Beckett Houck, Logan Storti, Ben Sbei (assist) and Gavin Brown each scored once.

Spring-Ford 2, Upper Merion 2, OT >> Neither team could get anything across during the extra periods as the Rams and Vikings finished in a draw.

Spring-Ford struck twice in the opening half as Michael Hyduke scored twice. Kyle Allan made four saves while SF outshot UM 13-6. Lorenzo Mancino and Trevor Looby each scored with an assist from Josue Perez. Dylan Castillo and Kyle Roberts combined for nine saves in goal for Upper Merion.

Methacton 3, Pope John Paul II 1 >> Three first-half goals sent the Warriors to the PAC crossover win against the Golden Panthers.

Goals were scored by Eric Kihle, Vince DeLisi and freshman Parker Stevenson, who also had an assist. Other assists came from Brent Jabbour and Mike Kerkering while keeper Matt Kenwood made seven saves.

HORSHAM >> Joe Larouche didn’t know his shot in overtime was going to go in.

“My vision was blocked by the defender and the ball,” he said.

But once he saw his shot hit off the crossbar and bounce straight down, he knew there was a pretty good chance.

And when it bounced into the net, Hatboro-Horsham’s boys soccer team had a 3-2 victory over Plymouth Whitemarsh and a leg up on its potential competitors in the Hatters’ new home in the Suburban One League’s American Conference.

“Beating PW and Wissahickon, who have been two of the top teams in this conference over the last few years, is a good sign,” said Hatters head coach Kyle McGrath. “We’re trying to establish ourselves in this new conference, so beating those two programs kind of shows us where we are.”

The Hatters didn’t make it easy on themselves.

PW grabbed the lead in the match’s first 2:00 on a goal by Andrew Stricklin.

And while the Hatters knotted things up on Colin Bateman’s penalty kick some five minutes later, they would never own the lead until Larouche ripped one in off the post early in the second OT.

“Joe gets a lot of chances,” McGrath said. “And if you’re going to draw up a game-winner, that’s what you want it to look like.”

Even at a goal apiece at the break, the Colonials again took the lead when Brandon Cohen batted in a crossing pass from Dillon Johnson in the second half, and the Hatters had to re-start the chase.

The chase paid off when Larouche got the match even with a goal that slid past Colonials keeper Patrick Corpus about two-thirds of the way through the second half.

From there on, the two sides may as well have been in overtime, as it became obvious the next goal was going to be the match-decider.

After a relatively calm first overtime, the Hatters got busy, using a tact that had worked so well for them earlier this season when they had to come back three times to defeat Upper Moreland.

“In that match we all stayed positive,” Larouche said. “After each goal scored against us, we told ourselves we were going to come back, we didn’t get down. We just kept fighting”

So in the second OT, when the ball came to Larouche, about 25 yards from net, in the middle of the pitch, he knew what he was going to do.

He just couldn’t see what he had done.

“I was actually blinded by the ball,” he said with a wide smile. “Finally, when the defender cleared and I saw the ball go off the crossbar …”

“It was good that we battled back,” McGrath said. “Being in this conference for the first time, we’re trying to make a name for ourselves.

“So this was a big win for us.”

Souderton 5, Cardinal O’Hara 0 >> Robert Shea collected the hat trick as the Indians coasted to the win on Monday.

Souderton 5, Cardinal O’Hara 0
Cardinal O’Hara 0 0 — 0
Souderton 4 1 — 5
Goals-assists: S, Kyle Russell 1-0; Ethan Bell 0-1; Cameron Hart 1-0; Ray Ricci 0-1; Robert Shea 3-0; Aiden Emery 0-1; Danny Marculo 0-1.
Upper Merion 2, Spring Ford 2 >> Lorenzo Mancino and Trevor Lobby scored as Upper Merion battled to a tie on Monday.
Norristown 3, Upper Perk 2 >> Jesus Hernandez-Alcala and Moises Rojas-Lopez collected goals for Norristown in Monday’s win.
Norristown 3, Upper Perk 2
Goals: N-Jesus Hernandez-Alcala; Moises Rojas-Lopez, own goal; UP-Raymond, Costanzo. Assists: UP-White.
Shots: Norristown 13; Upper Perk 9.
Friends Central 4, Academy New Church 0 >> Friends Central got a goal each from four different players in the Friends League victory Tuesday.
Xander Pendleton made seven saves for ANC (2-3 overall, 0-1 in the league). Jonah Anderson made three saves to get the shutout for Friends (6-2 overall, 1-0 in the league).
Friends Central 4,
Academy New Church 0
Friends Central 2 2 — 4
Academy New Church 0 0 — 0
Goals: FC-Carson Lonner, Asa Bell, Dale Decatur, Chris Annas.
Saves: Xander Pendleton (ANC) 7; Jonah Anderson (FC) 3.

LANGHORNE – Council Rock North found itself in a 1-1 deadlock with Suburban One National League rival Neshaminy Tuesday afternoon (Sept. 20) in Langhorne, with the Redskins launching multiple scoring attacks in the waning moments of the first half.

What’s more, by the intermission, the Indians’ top forward Nikita Ihlin was being tended to by a trainer after a midfield collision with Neshaminy senior Dylan MacDonald. Ihlin came off the bench in the second half, however, to score a pair of goals – his first two of the season – to help unbeaten Rock North to a 3-1 triumph over the ‘Skins.

“That’s his first two of the year so that’s a big thing for us,” said Indians head coach Joe Stackhouse. “We needed to get him off the schnide, as they say.

“He’s our guy.

“We don’t have a natural forward in this group but he’s plays in that spot and he’s done it for two years now and he’s done it well.”

Ihlin shook off the injury in time to take a feed from junior Ryan Pave with 18 minutes left in the second half and tally the game-winner. With 2:24 remaining, Ihlin struck again, this time, taking a feed from classmate Grant Bonas on a 2-on-1 break to register a much-needed insurance goal.

While MacDonald had to leave the game after crashing into Ihlin, the CR North senior got bandaged up and returned. Stackhouse thinks that tipped the scales in his team’s favor.

“That collision with (Dylan) and Nikita opened the game up for us,” said Stackhouse.

“Taking (MacDonald) off the field left them vulnerable. Luckily, Nikita didn’t have a head injury; it was just a cut under the eye.”

Stackhouse says Ihlin is tough. Ihlin says he gets a lot of that toughness from his father, who was once a Russian boxer. The coach said his forward might need a stitch after the game but Nikita wasn’t so sure.

“Back in the day in Russia, they would just use an eggskin peel and just put it on the bump and that would heal it right up.”

The Indians had to endure a lot more than a facial injury to its top forward to win this one. The moment Ihlin scored his first goal of the season, CR North goalkeeper Anthony Caruso was flagged with a yellow card for some over-exuberant language.

Luckily, the Indians covered Caruso’s tracks long enough to make up for his 6:50 minute absence from the goal. Earlier in the contest, it was Caruso covering up for some defensive lapses committed by the Rock.

With nine minutes to go in the first half, Skins senior midfielder Dan Grinrod blasted a shot from the top of the box that had goal written all over it. Using a full extension of his body, Caruso flicked the ball out with two hands only moments before it hit would have hit the back of the net.

With less than three minutes left in the first half, Neshaminy junior Jack McCourt took possession of the ball behind a defender and blasted it from 12 yards out. Somehow, Caruso reacted in time to kick it out of harm’s way.

Opening up the scoring in this one was Skins junior forward Vince Hosephros, who took a feed from sophomore midfielder Emil Leplau and top-shelfed it to the right side corner of Rock’s net 10 minutes into the contest.

The Indians tied things up however in the 19th minute of play when senior midfielder Nick Guarna took a feed from Ihlin and put the equalizer into the back of the net.

Contact Steve Sherman at ssherman@21st-Centurymedia.com or @BucksLocalSport on Twitter

Council Rock North 3, Neshaminy 1

(Sept. 20 at Neshaminy)

NESHAMINY 1 0 – 1

CR NORTH 1 2 – 3

FIRST-HALF GOALS: N — Vince Hosephros, from Emil Leplau, 10th minute, CRN — Nick Guarna, from Nikita Ihlin.

SECOND-HALF GOALS: CRN — Ihlin, from Ryan Pave, 52nd minute, Ihlin, from Grant Bonas, 58th minute.

Owen J. Roberts 1, Pottsgrove 1 >> Jacob Spotts brought the Falcons back from an early deficit to an eventual draw with the Wildcats in their PAC contest.

Spotts scored for Pottsgrove in the second half, negating Roberts’ first-half goal by Graham Pugh. Liam Abdalla had 12 goalkeeper saves for the Falcons, with Tyler Stonebraker making two stops for OJR.

Barrack Hebrew 4, Perkiomen School 1 >> Will Wang accounted for the Panthers’ offense in their Tri-County League loss to Barrack Hebrew.

Wang was assisted on his tally by Daniel Jang.

Chris Rose came through in overtime Tuesday.

Rose converted a pass from Sean Cannon to lead Haverford to a 2-1 win over Radnor in Central League action.

Cam Morse equalized in the second half for the Fords, pegging back a first-half goal by Ryan Peter. Ben Verbofsky assisted on that tally.

Also in the Central League:

Strath Haven 3, Upper Darby 0 >> Joe Shiiba scored twice, and Dixon Damico turned aside four Upper Darby shots to post the shutout. Will Huestis also scored for Haven.

Garnet Valley 2, Springfield 0 >> Max Marini scored in the first minute of the second half, and Matt Moore tacked on an insurance tally as John Scott posted the shutout for the Jags (6-1, 4-0).

Michael Charlone made eight saves for the Cougars.

Lower Merion 6, Penncrest 2 >> Sam Brown paired a goal with an assist, but braces from Erez Potok-Holmes and David Novacich helped the Aces down the Lions (5-3, 2-2).

In the Del Val League:

Penn Wood 7, Glen Mills 0 >> James Nmah recorded a hat trick, and Eric Kamara scored twice as the Patriots (3-1, 2-0) blitzed the Bulls with five second-half markers.

Abdulia Barrie added two assists for the Patriots.

Academy Park 6, Chichester 2 >> Yohann Chawicky led the way with two goals and an assist, and Owen Ede also scored twice for the Knights.

Lansana Doumbouya dished two assists, and Ismael Americain made four stops for the Knights (2-5, 1-1).

In the Bicentennial League:

Delco Christian 1, MaST Charter 0 >> Daniel Nichols’ first-half marker set up by Dante Felice proved to be the difference, backed up by three saves from Brody Veleber in goal.

In nonleague action:

Haverford School 3, Holy Ghost Prep 0 >> Caleb Clothier scored the opener off a feed from Kyle Wagner, then set up Nick Pippis to double the lead as the Fords (2-3-2) claimed the victory. Nik Golz joined them in the goals for the Fords.

FRANCONIA >> It was the start of a very big week for the North Penn boys soccer team and the Knights wanted to make sure they got it started the right way and quickly.

They certainly accomplished that. A seemingly endless wave of runs and passes forward struck from all over as North Penn rattled host Souderton 6-0 Tuesday afternoon. Six different Knights scored with senior Nate Baxter setting the pace with his opening tally and a pair of assists.

With big matches against Central Bucks South (Thursday) and La Salle (Saturday) yet to play, it was the start the Knights wanted.

Souderton’s Nick Marculo and North Penn’s Mike Kohler battle for possession during their game on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2016. (Bob Raines/Digital First Media)

“Our speed up top was a factor and we moved the ball pretty well to be able to break them down,” North Penn coach Paul Duddy said. “We got a couple early goals and that just makes a huge difference.”

It would be remiss not to mention the Knights’ (5-1-0, 3-1-0 Suburban One League Continental) defense, which pitched its fifth shutout of the season and has allowed just one goal all year. With its center back tandem of Noah Kwortnik and freshman Carter Houlihan covering a lot of ground, the Knights kept Souderton’s shifty forwards from getting in behind them.

Houlihan, whose older sister Riley is a four-year starter on the girls soccer team, has been a breakout player this season, teaming with the towering Kwortnik, who seems to win just about every ball in the air.

“We didn’t want to let them turn and play through the ball,” Houlihan said. “We wanted to make sure we stepped to them and got on their backs. We have a lot of chemistry back there, we all know each other’s style of play and know how to work with each other.”

After about 12 minutes of feeling the game out, the Knights broke it open with a three goal spree in less than nine minutes of game play. A shot by Mike Kohler was stopped by Souderton keeper Mitchell Race, but Baxter was right there in the box to hammer home with 27:40 left in the first half.

The second came seven minutes later when Kwortnick headed down a Knights free kick into the Souderton box and it made its way to Jack Johnston, who fired from an angle to the far post. The final strike of opening volleys came when Baxter won his way onto a through ball and found Luke McMahon, who had made a great run, and McMahon carried it the rest of the way for the finish.

“We wanted to come out quickly, get that early goal and put (Souderton) down,” Baxter said. “I wouldn’t say it’s just me and Luke, it’s all of us up there. We all know how each other play, like the defense does, and we can play well around that.”

BOYS SOCCER 20:19 1st half: North Penn 2, Souderton 0
Jack Johnston doubles the lead pic.twitter.com/pDOw55NNpW

— Andrew Robinson (@ADRobinson3) September 20, 2016

Souderton (3-3-0, 1-3-0), has had some good results this season but could only watch Tuesday as its attack was stifled by the Knights. A couple of tantalizing moments by senior Nick Marculo only yielded half-chances in the first half.

“They were outstanding, and I’ve known that for a while. I’ve seen North Penn play a couple times this year and they’ve got size, they’ve got speed and technique, they’re a great team and Paul has them playing really well,” Souderton coach Matt Benner said. “A lot a respect, a lot of praise goes out to them but it definitely was not our best showing. We came out a little slow out of the gates, lacked a little bit of the normal passion and giddy-up we have.”

North Penn’s Matt Murphy tries to clears the ball past Souderton’s Drew Breuning and Reece DiRenzi during their game on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2016. (Bob Raines/Digital First Media)

Leading 3-0 at the break, the Knights didn’t want a let-down in the second half and they didn’t get one. Kohler added a goal with 30:43 to play when he won a ball just past midfield, race past the back line, touched around Race and then slotted in from an angle.

Baxter set up the team’s fifth goal with a gorgeous cross off the left side to the far post that winger Aidan Jerome was able to pounce on and hammer home.

“We’ve been changing it around a little bit but (Baxter) is getting it,” Duddy said. “Whether he’s playing the No. 11 or the No. 10 spot, we flip him around a little bit with Luke and we’re doing alright with it.”

North Penn’s final tally came with 15 minutes left when reserve Matt Farrell, on his birthday, was able to turn and fire inside the box.

Duddy said he expects Souderton to be a factor in determining the Continental race and didn’t want to overstate his team’s performance. But it was a good start to an important week and both Houlihan and Baxter said they were looking forward to the challenge the rest of the week holds.

“It’s a big win for us,” Baxter said. “Our defense played well again and we’ll need them to keep doing that.”

North Penn 6, Souderton 0
North Penn 3 3 – 6
Souderton 0 0 – 0
Goals: NP – Nate Baxter (Mike Kohler) 13’, Jack Johnston 20’, Luke McMahon (Baxter) 22’, Kohler 50’, Aidan Jerome (Baxter) 57’, Matt Farrell 65’
Shots: NP – 9, S – 6. Saves: NP – Bobby Dean 2, Tyler Rothmann 4; S – Mitchell Race 3. Corners: NP – 7, S -3.

Top Photo: North Penn’s Noah Kwortnik heads the ball away in front of his own goal during their Knights’ game against Souderton on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2016. (Bob Raines/Digital First Media)

SPRINGFIELD >> In the early going in the Philadelphia Catholic League season, Roman Catholic has set the pace as the team to beat. La Salle might have a little something to say about that.

The Explorers easily defeated the visiting St Joseph’s Prep 3-0 Tuesday afternoon, improving their record to 7-0, 4-0 in Catholic League play.

“We felt good, we finished well in the first half, would have liked a couple more in the second but keeping a clean sheet is key for us,” La Salle coach Tom McCaffery said.

La Salle converted ball possession and quality looks into goals in the first half. Nicolas Hammel got the scoring started for La Salle in the fourth minute as his back post run off a corner play netted the beautiful cross from Spencer Patton from the set piece.

“We knew yesterday watching St Joe’s play Roman that the crosses were going to be there,” McCaffery said. “The restarts were going to be important to us and we really trained on it yesterday. It was a great ball in by Spencer, he got it to the back post and (Hammel) did a really nice job of making sure to stay on top of the ball and finish.”

Patton would finish the scoring in the first half as he worked a give-and-go with Zach Hogan to ensure a 3-0 halftime lead for the Explorers.

“It was huge for us to get that goal before halftime,” McCaffery said. “You never want to go into the half 2-0 because it gives them a chance at the first goal in the second half. That third goal really set us in a good spot for the second half.”

As the second half rolled, around La Salle kept the pressure on the Hawks. The forwards continued to generate quality looks at the Prep net. Defensively the Explorers were tight.

“St Joe’s has shown they can score with the best of them,” McCaffery said. “We told our guys at halftime to keep going. When you look at the teams in the league you cant back off.”

The Hawks got a couple of nice looks at the La Salle net but were  unable to sustain the kind of pressure they needed to score. James Natale held things down for La Salle leading the defensive unit and keeper Brett Werner cleaned up anything the defense didn’t pick up.

While there is still plenty of action to determine how the Catholic League is going to shake out but La Salle is putting itself in the conversations as one of the teams to beat.

“We are in a good spot,” McCaffery said. “We are taking care of the teams that are in front of us. As we move forward that’s all we can do.”

The Barrack Hebrew Academy boys’ soccer team defeated Perkiomen, 4-1, Tuesday. Abe Wachs scored twice and had one assist, while teammate Bailey Moshal dished out two assists. Cougar goalie Simon Gordon had six saves.
The Cougars defeated Kohelet, 6-0, Sept. 18. Ben Jacobson scored two goals, and Noah Maltzman dished out two assists and scored a goal.
Barrack defeated Delaware Valley Friends, 5-1, Sept. 15. Barrack goals were scored by Noah Maltzman (assist Zach Lipstein), Jordan Naim (assist Abe Wachs), Abe Wachs (assist Noah Maltzman), Ben Jacobson (assist Abe Wachs) and Zach Lipstein. Barrack goalie Hayden Ufberg had four saves.

In other Main Line high school boys’ soccer action:

Episcopal Academy improved its record to 6-2-2 with a 2-0 win against Friends’ Central Sept. 16. Brandon Sheppard had an unassisted goal and an assist, and Spencer Higgins tallied a goal. EA golaie AJ Marcucci posted four saves for his fifth shutout of the season. Friends’ Central goalie Nolan McGrann recorded seven saves.
One day earlier, EA defeated Germantown Friends, 1-0. Quinn Dudek scored on a penalty kick, and EA goalie AJ Marcucci posted his fifth shutout, making three saves.
Friends’ Central (5-2) defeated St. Andrew’s (Del.), 3-0, at the Mid-Atlantic High School Jamboree held at Hill School Sept. 18. FCS goals were scored by Asa Bell and Matt Blackman (two). Nolan McGrann had his first shutout of the year.
The Phoenix defeated Penn Charter, 3-2, Sept. 13. Matt Blackman broke the scoring ice with an unassisted goal, and 10 minutes after FCS fell behind 2-1, the Phoenix scored twice in two minutes to retake the lead. It was the first goal of the season for senior Zayn Carey, and Asa Bell put in the game-winner to secure the win.
Haverford School (2-3-2) defeated Holy Ghost Prep, 3-0, Tuesday. Goals were scored by Caleb Clothier (assist from Kyle Wagner), Nick Pippis (assist from Caleb Clothier) and Nik Golz (assist from Dean Manko). Will Baltrus had one save in goal for Haverford.
The Fords their first win of the season Sept. 18 with a 2-0 victory against Lansdale Catholic at Hill School. Goals were scored by Solomon Dorsey (assist from Nik Golz) and Griffin Wada (assist from Caleb Clothier). Will Baltrus got the shutout in goal, making four saves for the Fords.
Malvern Prep lost to LaSalle, 3-0, Sept. 18. Friar goalie Jake Hodlofski made eight saves.
One day earlier, Malvern defeated Kiski School, 3-0. Billy Coyle scored twice and Val Badalamenti dished out three assists. Malvern goalie Michael Sheridan recorded seven saves, and Logan Cattie scored the Friars’ third goal. Nate Albergo also had a standout game for Malvern.
Radnor lost to Haverford High, 2-1, in overtime Tuesday. For Radnor, Ryan Peter scored a goal, assisted by Ben Verbofsky. Haverford got goals from Cam Morse and Chris Rose (assisted by Sean Cannon.) Radnor goalie Ben Toomey recorded two saves.
The Red Raiders defeated Penn Wood, 4-0, Sept. 17. Goals were scored by Phil Reagan (assisted by Miles Maesaka), Cal Congleton (two goals, one assisted by Jack Miller) and Miles Maesaka (assisted by Phil Gilbert). Radnor goalie Ben Toomey had two saves.
Two days earlier, Radnor lost to Conestoga, 2-0, as Red Raider goalie Ben Toomey made two saves.

POTTSTOWN >> Warning: anyone with sensitive hearing should not attend a Germantown Academy boys soccer game.

Germantown Academy’s Zander Foglia, facing, is congratulated by Michael Capone (7), Oliver Buck (4) and James Thatcher (23), who had the assist, after scoring in the second half against Hill School Wednesday. (Austin Hertzog – Digital First Media)

The Patriots bring the noise.

The constant stream of sound begins with high-energy, first-year head coach Brendan Sullivan, whose chatter is constant from opening whistle to after his post-game team talk.

Then there’s senior forward Zander Foglia.

“He’s definitely the loudest player on our team,” senior Frankie Koons said of Foglia. “He always gets us motivated before games.”

Foglia had the mightiest roar Wednesday afternoon at The Hill School early in the second half after he scored a breakthrough goal that proved to be the game’s lone score in a 1-0 Patriots’ win over the Blues.

PHOTO GALLERY: Germantown Academy at The Hill School

“I like hyping up my players when we score, yell and have a good time. They do the same for me,” Foglia said. “I think we definitely have been playing like this, holding our ground and then we strike. We get an opportunity and we capitalize on it.”

Germantown Academy’s Michael Roman (15) and The Hill School’s Phillip Bell compete for the ball during Wednesday’s game. (Austin Hertzog – Digital First Media)

Germantown Academy improved to 4-0-2, a very promising start from a team that finished 2-5-1 in the Inter-Ac last year.

The Hill School (3-3) was left frustrated after being unable to find the equalizer and only truly testing GA in the final 10 minutes. Longtime head coach Chris Drowne said that was uncharacteristic of his team that’s had quality wins (2-1 over Kiski, 2-0 over last year’s Inter-Ac champ Haverford School) and had only been previously beaten by nationally-ranked opponents Pennington School and South Kent (Conn.), the No. 1 team in the Top Drawer Prep rankings.

“First half we got too comfortable. Second half we came out soft and then they got one right away,” senior midfielder Jake Fetterman said. “Then they parked the bus and it was just hard to get anything in. It was a tough loss. I’m sure it’s not going to happen again.”

Foglia’s goal came seven minutes into the second half. James Thatcher looked to play a through ball for Foglia, which a Hill defender only got a piece of while playing a high line, putting Foglia free on goal. With so much real estate, Hill keeper Aidan Perry was left with little chance as Foglia rolled it into the left side.

Hill nearly leveled things in the late stages when Bo Dlamini hit a shot through traffic that struck the left post. Hill totaled nine shots to four for GA, each with two on target.

The GA defense, including Frankie Koons, Ian Lugossy, Bradley Palmer, Brendan Hasson and Andrew Luo, were key in throwing in blocks on Hill shots to protect goalkeeper Jackson Sternberg (two saves).

Fresh Start >> Sullivan has provided an obvious jolt to the Patriots after previously serving as an assistant for six years at St. Joseph’s Prep, his alma mater.

Germantown Academy coach Brendan Sullivan. (Austin Hertzog – Digital First Media)

“Our new coach really made us feel good. It’s definitely a fresh start,” Koons said. “It’s in our minds that we’re a good team and every single game would be a match. We thought we’d be here (with such a good record) and we’re happy about it.”

“Coach sees a lot of potential in us and that’s a really good thing,” Foglia said. “I think we can really bring it to the Inter-Ac, and show them what we have.”

Middle Men >> The Hill School midfield features Fetterman, in his second year at Hill after three years at Pottstown, and Toni Adewole, a two-time All-Mid-Atlantic Prep League first team choice from Ashton, Md.

“I’m usually a more attacking player but in this team I fit in as a holding midfielder position. It’s almost like a third center back,” Fetterman said. “I like playing there a lot. It unlocks other key roles for our players, like Toni can play attacking mid instead of center defensive mid because he’s a great attacking player.”

Hill School’s Jake Fetterman sends the ball long under pressure from Germantown Academy’s Michael Capone Wednesday. (Austin Hertzog – Digital First Media)

Adewole, who is getting a handful of Division I looks, started three years ago at Hill as an outside back on the PAISAA championship team. By moving into an attacking role he hopes to spark the Blues’ scoring, which was a challenge at times in last year’s 10-6-3 season.

“We been pretty successful attacking but it was one of those games we couldn’t score. It’s maybe bad luck because last year we had the same issue,” Adewole said. “But we’ll definitely work on it.”

Beyond Fetterman, The Hill roster also features local players Euan Forrest (Douglassville), younger brother of past All-Area Player of the Year Mark Forrest (Lehigh), Will Macy (Elverson), Devin Murray (Pottstown), who transferred from Owen J. Roberts, Ethan Norton (Collegeville), Aidan Sullivan (Pottstown), Alex Tullman (Chester Springs) and Greg Zimmerman (Elverson).

Caleb Robinson had the scoring touch as The Christian Academy cruised to a 4-0 Bicetennial League victory over Valley Forge Military Academy.

Robinson netted TCA’s first three goals for a hat trick, including two in the first half. Grant Sareyka notched a goal and an assist, while Tyler Skaer dished two helpers.

Andre Jones made two saves in net as the Crusaders (4-1, 4-1) posted their third consecutive shutout.

Also in the Bicentennial:

Lower Moreland 3, Delco Christian 0 >> Brody Veleber made 15 saves, but the Knights couldn’t find a breakthrough on offense.

In nonleague action:

Episcopal Academy 6, Archbishop Carroll 1 >> Ramon Gallegos scored twice and Quinn Dudek posted a goal and an assist to lead the Churchmen (7-2-2) to an easy win over the Patriots.  AJ Marcucci and Matt Freese each made two saves in the cage.

UPPER DUBLIN >> At the outset of Thursday’s match against visiting Hatboro-Horsham, Upper Dublin head soccer coach Derek Priest felt his club could win.

By match’s end, he and his Cardinals were content with a 1-all draw as the Hatters continued to impress in their first go-round in the Suburban One League’s American Conference.

The Cardinals’ Jerry Bardol in the first half and the Hatters’ Danny Harmon, in the second, exchanged goals as the conference’s two top clubs maintained their respective positions in the standings.

Upper Dublin’s Jose Palomeque and Hatboro-Horsham’s Nick Hatzenbeller battle for the ball during their game on Thursdya, Sept. 22, 2016. (Bob Raines/Digital First Media)

“That was just two good clubs battling,” said Hatters head coach Kyle McGrath after the carpet settled. “Playing our second overtime match in three days (Hatboro outlasted Plymouth Whitemarsh in double overtime Tuesday) was a challenge, but our guys battled and fought to the end.”

It was the Cardinals who first sullied the scoresheet after being thoroughly outplayed in the contest’s first 20 minutes.

“We could have easily been down, 3-0, after 20 minutes,” said Priest. “Hatboro really took it to us, and we had to get better in the challenges. They were coming up on us hard, and we needed to be looking up and making faster decisions.”

Despite the Hatters’ pressure, it was Upper Dublin (7-0-1, 5-0-1 conference) that took the lead when Bardol, after a long run, got past Hatters keeper Stephen Doney and slipped a shot past a diving Hatters (6-1-2, 4-0-2) defender to put the home team on the scoreboard.

The match stayed that way until early in the second, when the Hatters’ Harmon was sent in by a teammate and got his shot past a sliding Cardinals goaltender to even the match.

“All I remember was the ball coming to my feet at the 50 (yard line) and having a lot of space,” Harmon said.

That goal held up, although both sides had good opportunities to win in the closing minutes of regulation and especially in overtime.

Hatboro-Horsham’s Nick Hatzenbeller sends the ball forward from midfield surrounded by Upper Dublin players Jose Palomeque, Collin Muth and Kevin Devlin during their game on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2016. (Bob Raines/Digital First Media)

In fact, the Cardinals nearly won it late in the second overtime when Doney fought off a header off a Cardinals corner, then watched helplessly as Bardol’s rebound strike caromed off the football goalpost above the net.

By match’s end, both sides were spent, and both sides were praising their opponents.

“Having Hatboro in our conference is a good thing for the conference,” Priest said, “Getting another team in here that has  a good chance of going to the district playoffs can only make our conference better.

“Sometimes, I think, our conference has a tendency to be overlooked.”

“I think we were a little bit better today,” McGrath said, “but we didn’t do a good enough job finishing our chances.

“But Upper Dublin is a strong team, and we look forward to playing them again.”

“Our goal, since we lost our first game, was to go the rest of the season without losing again,” Harmon added. “And we’ve been playing pretty well.”

Top Photo:  Upper Dublin’s Jerry Bardol beats Hatboro-Horsham’s Colin Bateman on a head ball during their game on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2016. (Bob Raines/Digital First Media)

TOWAMENCIN>> Early in the second half of Thursday’s match against Central Bucks South, North Penn midfielder Nick Terchek sprinted nearly two-thirds of the field just to get in the way of the Titan with the ball at his foot.

It’s just something Terchek and his fellow holding midfielder Jack Johnston have been doing all season. Being the blue collar guys in the center of the park isn’t always the most glamorous of roles and it doesn’t pay off with a lot of goals, but it’s absolutely vital to a team’s success.

And with the Knights now 6-1-0 (3-1-0 SOL Continental) after Thursday’s hard-fought 2-1 win over CB South, that work is clearly paying off.

“We’ve done well winning head balls in the middle and switching the field is, I think, one of our strentghs,” Terchek said. “We have a lot of speed on the outside so whenever we switch the field, defenses have a lot of trouble keeping up with us.”

Knights senior Mike Kohler draws a lot of praise and attention and rightly so, as there aren’t many who can match what the senior does as he navigates his way around defenders. But without the guys like Terchek and Johnston in behind and guys like Aidan Jerome out wide, the Knights offense wouldn’t go anywhere.

A holder’s role is to hold back a little bit. Sure, they’ll get some cracks at goal and Terchek had a few good rips from distance on Thursday, but their primary goal is to provide cover, whether that be for the back line or to fill gaps when Kohler starts to press forward.

North Penn has scored some really good goals this season but just as critical, it hasn’t given them up. Thursday’s hit by Titans midfielder Jake Helwig marked just the second goal allowed all year and the midfield guys feel a part of that effort.

“It’s definitely something we take pride in, the minimal amount of goals,” Johnston, a junior, said. “It’s a lot of that tracking back and playing defense back there.”

It’s a position that involves a lot of work, running back and forth between the boxes, getting mixed up in a lot of tackles, taking hits going up to win balls out of the air but it pays off.

“It’s just knowing that while we may not get as many goals as we want, we can’t let up too many goals,” Johnston said.

Jerome, only a sophomore, has likewise been a key piece of the puzzle. He controls the right flank while the team’s strikers, Luke McMahon and Nate Baxter, tend to interchange between the left side and up top.

He’s been involved heavily in the attack, netting some goals and assisting some others.

“We’ve been communicating really well,” Jerome said. “Through practice we’ve gotten to know each other really well and we’ve bonded really well.”

“Whenever we have the ball, we’re definitely looking to find Luke,” Terchek added. “Luke has the skill and speed to beat almost any defender in the league. Obviously we’re also looking for Mikey because he beats a lot of guys.”

Johnston said it’ll be different next year without Kohler but said the senior does such a good job of creating outlets and finding opportunities for the rest of the attacking unit.

The Titans brought a very high-energy and up-tempo style to North Penn’s turf on Thursday and it asked a lot of Terchek and Johnston, as well as the rest of the squad. With an excellent back line behind them, the midfielders are able to go into a tackle with confidence that even if they don’t outright win the ball, the guys behind them will finish it up.

As a team, the Knights are very adept at winning headers, always a tough task and risky proposition. Rare is the uncontested header, especially in the midfield, so getting to the ball first often comes down to will.

“I don’t know much skill is put into it, it’s how much effort,” Johnston said. “If you’re going in for it and you put all the effort into it, you know you can win that ball.”

The Knights have a measuring stick match Saturday morning with unbeaten La Salle with the SOL calendar nearing the midway point. Johnston said he thinks the team is playing well and Terchek agreed, adding they can still keep pushing to get better.

North Penn has a great balance of upperclassmen and younger guys across the field. Seniors like Noah Kwortnik, Kohler, Terchek and Nate Baxter complement guys like Jerome, Johnston and freshman defender Carter Houlihan.

The Knights are not a one-man show by any means. While they have a midfielder any team would love to have, the other guys in that middle third of the field can more than hold their own as well.

“They’ve done great,” Knights coach Paul Duddy said. “They’ve stepped up. When it’s time to give us possession, they’ve given us possession. When it’s time to knock it around and play it, we can and every once in a while, we just go fast and go quick.”

James Nmah scored nine minutes into overtime to lift shorthanded Penn Wood to a 2-1 Del Val League boys soccer victory over Interboro Thursday.

The Patriots played the final 25 minutes down two men because of yellow cards.

James Nmah converted a pass from Habib Toure for the winner. Andrew Nmah gave Penn Wood (4-1, 3-0) a 1-0 lead in the first half. Ryan Barker tied the game in the second half for Interboro.

In the Central League:

Radnor 3, Harriton 2 >> Goals from Andrew Boujoukos, Peter Miller and Phil Regan powered the Raiders to a come-from-behind victory.

Radnor scored twice in the second half to erase a 2-1 deficit.

Garnet Valley 3, Ridley 0 >> Matt Moore, Michale Buchy and Mark Kuhn provided the offense for the Jaguars (7-1, 4-0), while the defense did not allow a shot on goal.

Conestoga 3, Strath Haven 2 >> Josh Mason had one goal and one assist for the Panthers. Gavin Birch had the other goal for Haven.

Upper Darby 4, Springfield 0 >> Daniel Willie scored twice in the first half and Mohammed Camara did the same in the second half. Daniel Lista stopped two shots for the shutout.

Penncrest 2, Haverford 1 >> Max Brown scored the game-winner in the 62nd minute off a feed from Christian Evans, who scored the first goal for the Lions (6-3, 3-2). Pat Hughes made eight saves in net.

Indie Zimmerman scored off a feed from Chris Rose for the Fords.

In the Bicentennial League:

Christopher Dock 2, Christian Academy 0 >> Praise Zoegar and Austin Kratz scored for Dock. Andrew Jones had two saves in goal for the Crusaders.

In the Ches-Mont League:

Downingtown East 1, Sun Valley 0 >> Keeper Brendan Skwirut made nine saves as the Vanguards (1-7, 1-4) suffered their fifth loss by one goal. Adam Revak, Ian Roland, Jake Benz and Cheeks McDonald were outstanding on defense.

The Spring-Ford boys soccer team can’t seem to do anything without an extra bit of emphasis.

Spring-Ford’s Mike Hyduke, center, is congratulated by Nathan Alban, left, and Johnny Guimaraes after scoring his opening goal in the first half Friday against Pottsgrove. (Austin Hertzog – Digital First Media)

First it was a 5-0 statement victory over Owen J. Roberts last Saturday, then a 14-0 clinic days later. So Friday at Pottsgrove, the leader in the Pioneer Athletic Conference Frontier Division, the Rams just couldn’t walk away with a business-like one-goal victory.

In the final two minutes, Mike Hyduke – the scorer of the Rams’ first two goals – turned distributor with a smooth pass and fabulous finish from Johnny Guimaraes before goalkeeper Kyle Allan made a penalty kick save moments later to punctuate a 3-1 victory over the Falcons Friday.

PHOTO GALLERY: Spring-Ford at Pottsgrove

The Rams (4-0 PAC, 6-1-2 overall) remain unbeaten against PAC competition and have continued to announce their return to the top of the league after a couple lean seasons.

“We’ve been down and out the last couple years but we’re out to prove Spring-Ford is on top and we proved that here today,” said Allan, a St. Joseph’s recruit.

Spring-Ford goalkeeper Kyle Allan dives left to save a penalty kick from Pottsgrove’s Will Kaiser in the final minute of Friday’s game. (Austin Hertzog – Digital First Media)

“The past couple years the talent was there but maybe the work ethic wasn’t always there,” junior Ronnie Minges said. “This year we’ve come out with a lot of rising juniors and seniors and we really believe that we can make our mark this year. It’s been three years since we won a PAC championship and this year we rally want to win it and we’re going to do everything we have to.”

The two big moments at the end were emphatic yet ultimately academic. But the three goals leading up were anything but. Germann Larmond put Pottsgrove up 1-0 within one minute of the opening whistle on an excellent solo take.

All the Falcons’ good work was undone one minute until halftime when Nathan Alban played Hyduke down the left side. The senior forward struck it well across goal to beat Pottsgrove keeper Liam Abdalla to level the game 1-1 and grab a huge slice of momentum.

The swing resonated all through halftime and into the second half, which was owned by the Rams. Their midfielder pressure left little chance for Grove to build play and earned their reward on a corner kick eight minutes into the second half. Abdalla could only get his finger tips to the sailing cross and it pinballed toward the far side and onto the boot of Hyduke, who hit it cleanly out of the air for the 2-1 lead.

Pottsgrove goalkeeper Liam Abdalla leaps to catch the ball over Spring-Ford’s Mike Hyduke Friday. (Austin Hertzog – Digital First Media)

“We needed to get our intensity up and want to him more. And I think we brought that out in the second half. We brought the intensity; getting those early chances ultimately led us to the win,” said Minges, who was man-marked throughout by Falcons midfielder Tyler Rolando.

“We knew they were going to be tired because they have low numbers and don’t have many off the bench so we tired them out in the first half and the second half came around and we had all the energy,” Allan said.

Spring-Ford allowed just one shot on goal in the second half and led the overall total 6-5 and in corners 7-3.

Both sides remain unblemished in the league standings with Spring-Ford at 4-0 in the Liberty and Pottsgrove at 5-0 (7-2-1 overall) after the PAC crossover.

Lansana Doumbouya  had a hand in 60 percent of Academy Park’s offense as the Knights rolled over Phelps, 10-0, in nonleague action.

Doumbouya scored three times and assisted on three other goals. Tahjay Swaby added three goals and one assist, while Owen Ede contributed two goals and one assist.

In other nonleague action:

Wissahickon 2, Radnor 1 >> Phil Regan converted a pass from Jack Miller for the Raiders’ only goal.

In the Catholic League:

Lansdale Catholic 3, Bonner & Prendergast 0 >> Matt Notti, Noah Saba and Josh Yurasitis tallied one goal each for the Crusaders. Tony Harper made eight saves in goal for the Friars.