By Neil Geoghegan
ngeoghegan@21st-centurymedia.com
ROYERSFORD – What West Chester Henderson’s Jason Thankachan went through in the closing moments of the District 1 4A Boys’ Soccer Title Game was a microcosm of what the Warriors endured Saturday against top-seeded Conestoga.
The junior forward had the ball on his foot and a wide open net in overtime with a chance close out the Pioneers, but his shot went just wide. But much like his teammates, Thankachan kept battling and eventually got another chance to secure the championship with a deciding penalty kick. And this time the ball sailed into the back of the net for the win.
“I put my head down when I missed that (overtime) chance and I had to pick my head up and grind it out,” Thankachan said. “And I was able to get the job done.
“It means the world to be able to prove myself on this stage.”
Deadlocked at 1-1 through 80 minutes of regulation and 30 more of overtime, Thankachan’s penalty kick propelled second-seeded Henderson to a 5-4 penalty shootout victory. The Warriors remain a perfect at 22-0 heading into the PIAA Playoffs next week after edging the Pioneers for the second time this season.
“I look at the District 1 Tournament and every team you play is going to be difficult,” said Henderson head coach Chaz Wilson. “We could have easily lost to Owen J. Roberts in our first district game. So for the boys to buckle down and keep fighting, it was truly inspiring.
“It’s been an awesome season and we are just hoping to keep it going for as long as possible.”
Conestoga (18-2 overall) was going for the program’s fifth district crown under head coach Dave Zimmerman. The fact that the Pioneers have already won five state crowns under Zimmerman – including one in 2023 – shows just how difficult a District 1 title really is.
“The biggest factor is that the quality of the soccer in District 1,” Zimmerman said.
“This was about as close as it gets. We’ve been to PKs before on the winning and losing sides of it, and it’s kind of like a coin flip.”
Moments after returning to the field following a yellow card, Pioneers’ senior Josh Jarden delivered a centering pass to teammate Sam Morris, who headed it in with 4:15 to go in regulation. But the officials ruled that the ball had crossed the end line before Jarden’s pass and it was waved off.
“I did not think it was anywhere near out of bounds,” Jarden later said.
“It was odd — it felt like three separate games,” Wilson added. “The first 30 minutes were pretty even, the next 50 was all (Conestoga), and then late in regulation and into the overtime I though it shaded towards us.
“We had a goal taken out of the net, which was frustrating, but they continued to fight and I couldn’t be more proud of them.”
It was the first of four prime late scoring chances for Henderson, along with Thankachan’s miss in the first 15 minute overtime, and a direct kick from Ryan Horenkamp that bounced off the cross bar in the second OT.
“I was a little surprised we did not fare better in the overtime,” Zimmerman acknowledged. “A couple key guys (forward Zuwa Abhulimen and center back Matt Levay) were cramping and out, so that kind of cut back on our depth.”
Each team converted goals in the first three PK rounds, but ’Stoga freshman Andrew Li was thwarted by Warriors’ goalkeeper Dylan Arrison in round four, who made a diving, one-handed deflection.
“(Li’s) been our best at PKs, and he earned it,” Zimmerman said. “We ask our players for a one to 10 rating if they want to take these, he wanted to take it and he’s been lights out. (Henderson’s) keeper did make a good save on that.”
It was 4-4 heading into the Warriors’ fifth and final PK attempt, and that’s when Thankachan ended it.
“Our penalty takers are incredible, so we only needed one save,” said Jarden, who converted in round three.
“(Arrison) is one of the best goalies in the state,” Wilson added. “When you go to PKs, you hope you can rely on that and Dylan came up with an incredible save.
“One of the reasons we picked (Thankachan for the PK) is he is very talented, very skilled and it was important for him to have a positive moments like that.”
The Warriors celebrate with the District 1 4A Trophy on Saturday evening. Photo by Tom Silknitter.
Jarden opened the scoring with a goal midway through the first half off of a throw in. The Warriors, then, survived a late onslaught that included five corner kicks and a slew of scoring chances by ’Stoga.
On one point, the Pioneers had four corners in succession in a six-minute stretch. The most dangerous came when Arrison made a diving save on a direct kick by Conestoga’s Luuk Stewart with 12:17 on the clock. On the ensuing corner kick, Horenkamp stepped up and made a defensive save.
And then with 3:19 to go, ’Stoga junior midfielder Evan Cross looked to tie the score but Arrison made another diving save. In the opening 40 minutes, the Pioneers had a 5-0 edge in corner kicks.
“We finished the first half with a flurry and we wanted to carry that into the second half,” Zimmerman said.
And just three minutes into the second half, Cross scored on a direct kick from about 19 yards out to knot the score at 1-1.
“There were some moments when things didn’t look good, but overall we played better and we wanted it more,” Jarden said.
“Our goal was to show no weakness, and I don’t think we did today. We fought incredibly hard and everyone left it all out there on the field.”
It is Henderson’s eighth all-time district title in boys’ soccer, and first since 2016 when the Warriors topped Conestoga.
“If you want to look for a silver lining, there is some benefit to being in the lower half of the state bracket,” Zimmerman pointed out. “In 2016 we lost to Henderson in the district final and ended up winning the state championship from the bottom half of the bracket.
“We start fresh at 0-0. And in the bottom half of the bracket we won’t have to play tough teams from District 1. We’ll let (Henderson) deal with a team like Central Bucks South.”
Both district finalists will play first round contests in the PIAA Playoffs Tuesday against opponents and sites to be determined.
“It’s been eight years since we last won (a district crown), and it’s an incredible feeling. But our focus now is states. We play Tuesday and we want to get another trophy,” Jarden said.
“We knew inside that we are mentally tough,” Thankachan added. “We’ve created a bond over the years and that’s allowed us to fight at a higher level in the moments that we needed it.
“We never stop. Every time things got tough, we managed to persevere and now we are 22-0 and district champs.”
West Chester Henderson 1, Conestoga 1 (Henderson wins 5-4 on PKs)
W.C. Henderson 1 0 0 0 –1
Conestoga 0 1 0 0 — 1
W.C. Henderson goal: Jarden.
Conestoga goal: Cross.
Goalie saves: Arrison (H) 8; Levine (C) 6.