Reporter/Montgomery/Times Herald boys soccer teams reloading with title chases in mind
The fall of 2018 certainly didn’t lack for drama with area boys soccer teams and ended with quite a few holding trophies.
From late winners to spot kick shootouts, it felt like every time Reporter/Montgomery/Times Herald squads met with something on the line, the matches delivered. District I 4A champion CB West and PCL champion Archbishop Wood headline the returning champions and both have to replace plenty of senior contributors.
Most teams have at least a few spots to fill, but there’s no doubt in the talent stockpile waiting to do it.
A theme for the fall was rematches in the SOL Continental. Conference co-champions CB West and North Penn met three times, the last a shootout thriller in the district playoffs while the Bucks also met Pennridge in three one-goal battles. All three sides lost terrific senior classes but have shown an ability to retool quickly.
Defending district champion CB West will be led by seniors Bailey Moyer and Jimi Leder, both multi-year starters. The Bucks were terrific in close matches last year, but lost four-year starting keeper Dylan Smith to graduation so there will be some changes on the back end.
North Penn’s high-energy attack lost a couple key cogs, but the Knights have one of their top players back in senior midfielder Carter Houlihan, a Lafayette recruit. Junior Josh Jones is back to anchor the defense while Jamie and Ryan Stewart are also back to add a dynamic element.
The Rams likewise lost some superb players in each third of the field, but have plenty of guys back ready to seize the opportunity in front of them and keep the program’s standard going. Pennridge comes into the season with confidence after a strong showing in the Lehigh Valley summer league, finishing second out of 30 squads.
It’s also never safe to count out the rest of Continental, with CB East and CB South usually fielding tough sides and Souderton banking on a host of experienced players upping their goal totals from last season.
In the PCL, the regular season saw plenty of great matches that built up into a dramatic playoff. Archbishop Wood emerged with the hubcap trophy, but only after surviving shootout wins over La Salle in the semifinals and Roman Catholic in the final. All-state pick Koty Taylor and goalkeeping hero Connor Ford along with plenty of other good seniors, graduated from Wood but the Vikings have talent in the wings ready to get back at it.
Roman and St. Joe’s Prep are always in the mix, as is Father Judge so La Salle will again face a tough road in the 4A end of the PCL. Coach Tom McCaffery again has to reload a roster hit hard by graduation but that’s not going to stop the Explorers from playing their usual rugged non-conference schedule along with the PCL grind.
Lansdale Catholic is now under the command of Casey Farrell, who moves up from the JV bench but he has a solid core back on the defensive end with keeper Kellan Ward and defenders Sean Cole and Owen Webster. All-everything man Matt McDonald graduated but LC has some players ready to step into the various shoes he filled on the pitch.
Abington’s first season in the SOL American ended with a conference title and a trip to the district final and state quarterfinals. The Ghosts will have to find a new scorer after finishing expert Sean Touey graduated and took his three seasons of 20-plus goals to Holy Family but senior Nevin Baer is back to power the team with his dynamic style.
The Ghosts will have to fend off a challenge from Hatboro-Horsham’s senior-heavy class while Upper Dublin is looking to bounce back off a down year and contend for another conference title. Wissahickon lost 15 seniors, but coach Stuart Malcolm’s teams usually save their best soccer for the end of the season while Upper Moreland is looking for back-to-back District I 3A playoff bids.
A youthful Germantown Academy team took its share of lumps in the always tough Inter-Ac last season, but with many of its top players, and a few more coming in healthy off injury, the Patriots will look to be a factor in the league this fall.
Faith Christian continued its run of success in Class A, winning a third straight district title and advancing to the state semifinals. The Lions graduated 10 seniors but had a large junior class capable of filling in, although last season’s district final opponent in The Christian Academy also returns a lot of key players.
ABINGTON
2018 Record: 21-3 (13-1 SOL American)
Coach: Randy Garber
Notable Losses: Sean Touey, Vincent Carosella, Liam Friel, Liam Campbell, Jack Failing, Alex Haycock, Nate Rose
Players to Watch: Nevin Baer (Sr, M), Reese Gibbs (Sr, D), Michael Burnstein (Sr, D), Gavin O’Neill (Jr, M), Bryce Lexow (Jr, M), Shawn McConnell (Sr, M), Antonio Ditri (Jr), Andrew Kulynin (Sr), Sam Dumas (Sr), Luke O’Donnell (Fr), Liam Hartman (Fr)
Outlook: The Ghosts must replace the prolific scoring of Sean Touey along with key contributors in the midfield and defense. Nevin Baer is a dynamic player and the Ghosts will go as he goes. “Should be a good year, lot of returning players, a lot of high level club experience. Looking to compete in Suburban One.”
ARCHBISHOP WOOD
Coach: Hugh Kelly
Notable Losses: Koty Taylor, Bobby Hennessey, Connor Ford, Joe Trodden, Christian Petro, Sean Kerchack, Joe Trodden, Joe Baranoski, Zach Wheatley
Players to Watch: Ryan Morgan (Sr, F), Matt Murphy (Sr, D), Shane Collier (Sr, M), Brandon Gyza (Sr, F)
Outlook: The Vikings had a terrific 2018 as a large senior class finished things out in style. While numerous lineup positions need to be filled, Wood has a hard-working group of seniors back to solidify the midfield while younger teammates fill in around them.
CENTRAL BUCKS WEST
2018: 19-3 (11-1 SOL Continental)
Coach: Stefan Szygiel
Notable Losses: GK Dylan Smith, D Nick Centenera, M Carson Snyder, M Reed Sturza, M Colin Burn, D Luke Fehrman, M Kyle Holt, D Michael Redfield
Players to Watch: Bailey Moyer (Sr, D), Jimi Leder (Sr, M), James Lutz (Jr, D), Ryan Van Pelt (Sr, GK), Alan Zlotin (Sr, F), Reed Thompson (Sr, D), David Roy (Sr, D), Ian Munoz (Sr, D), Ben Danzis (Sr, M), Kanishk Nazareth (Sr, M), Sean Billemeyer (Sr, M), Blake Bensing (Sr, M), Krris Vellayappan (Sr, F)
Outlook: “The Bucks will look to compete for a 2019 PIAA AAAA State Tournament berth.”
FAITH CHRISTIAN
Coach: Ryan Clymer
Notable Losses: William Bolla, Josh Forker, Isaiah Robinson, Chase Peev
Players to Watch: Korey Schuster (Sr/M), Garrett Mikula (Sr, F), Max Schultz, Travis Harwick, David Brownell
Outlook: The Lions are looking to make it four in a row as they chase another District I A title. While they must replace 10 seniors, FCA had a large junior class last season and worked some underclassmen into the mix as they also try to take the next step off last season’s PIAA semifinal exit.
GERMANTOWN ACADEMY
2018 Record: 3-14-2
Coach: Kurt Wetzel
Notable Losses: Grant Giampalmi, Drew Budinsky, Jake Kotik
Players to Watch: Brendan Hasson (D), Shane Connolly (D), Connor Wetzel (D), Blake Battisto (D), Ryan Fairlie (GK), Christian Combs (F), Chris Hackley (M)
Outlook: “With much of last year’s young squad returning, maturity and growth will play a key factor in how well the Patriots fair this The coaching staff has a positive outlook on the season and expects an increased number of wins as well as a stronger showing in the Inter-Ac. We have seen a side during preseason that is more focused and confident in their abilities and we are looking forward to the start of the upcoming season!”
HATBORO-HORSHAM
2018 Record: 11-8-1 overall (8-5-1 SOL American)
Coach: Kyle McGrath
Notable losses: Ryan Cole, Andrew Hurrell, Zack Kim, Jason Czaplicki
Players to Watch: JD Mallinder (Sr, M), Matty Harmon (Sr, F), Vince Buccafuri (Sr, D), Bradan Mallon (Sr, F), Jake Weiss (Jr, D), Caleb Hudson (So, D), Michael Cordero (Sr, M), Tyler McElrath (Sr, F), Fran Moio (Jr, D), Jake Freedman (Fr, M)
Outlook: “We return a strong senior class that has experience in tough games against good opponents within the league and outside of the league. We are replacing our starting goalkeeper of two years, where are goals going to come from? We are excited to get this season started as we look to compete for a league title and a berth in districts. The group has experience in the district playoffs the last three years as well as high level club games. Our seniors will be an important piece of our success!”
LA SALLE
Coach: Tom McCaffery
Notable Losses: Owen Ranck, Nicolas Hammel, Chris Metzler, David Stenbach, Jack Kennedy, Edward Loftus
Players to Watch: Jake Crawford (Sr, M), Brendan Curran (Jr, F), Joe Cole (Fr, D), James Barton (So, F), Sean McCallum (Sr, M), Derek Hammel (Sr, D)
Outlook: The Explorers saw their season end in the PCL semifinals and despite graduating several multi-year veterans, will be looking for another Catholic League title. Joe Cole and Derek Hammel return to anchor a usually stout defensive unit. A young attacking core will have to replace all-league forward Chris Metzler.
LANSDALE CATHOLIC
Coach: Casey Farrell
Notable Losses: Matt McDonald, Kyle Kane, Danny McFadden, Steve Esterle, Ray Royds
Players to Watch: Kellan Ward (Jr, GK), Jimmy Alff (Sr, F), Matt McDougal (Jr, M), Owen Webster (Jr, D), Sean Cole (Sr, D), Alex Kulp (So, D)
Outlook: Casey Farrell, last season’s JV coach, takes over a LC team that has a strong group of returning defensive players. The Crusaders will have to replace Matt McDonald’s scoring and overall utility but the goal as always will be to qualify for the PCL playoffs and secure a state playoff bid.
LOWER MORELAND
2018 Record: 11-7-1
Coach: Bob Barnhart
Notable Losses: Andrew Buss, Andrew Gonzalez, Jake Himmelstein, Noah Diaz
Players to Watch: Devon Robinson, Ethan Horn, Emmett Cousins, Bennet Durand, Adam Aloush, Colin Clark, Javin Cooper, Braden Alicea
Outlook: “As the 2019 season kicks off under third year head coach Bob Barnhart, the Lions of Lower Moreland will have a different look this year on the pitch. The Lions graduated 10 seniors all who saw the field in different rolls for the squad over the last few seasons. The Lions will look to a handful of other returning Sophomores and a few talented Freshman to fill holes left by the graduating seniors from last season. This will be the third year for a hand full of seniors on the varsity field and they are eager to help the Lions return to the postseason.”
NORTH PENN
2018 Record: 18-3 (11-1 SOL Continental)
Coach: Paul Duddy
Notable Losses: Luke McMahon, Christian Snyder, Chris Caputo, Aidan Jerome, Jared Hudak, Brett Schwengels.
Players to Watch: Carter Houlihan (Sr, M), Josh Jones (Jr, D), Ryan Stewart (Sr, M), Jamie Stewart (Sr, D), Michael Chafee (Sr, F) Jake Sinn (Sr, D), Dan Sanchez (Sr, M), Pat Chester (Sr, M/F), Jonathan Durkin (Sr, D)
Outlook: “Should be good going forward; we need to solidify the defense. Goals like usual are to win conference, districts and states. Carter, Josh, Jamie, and Ryan are some of the most exciting players in our area.”
PENNRIDGE
2018 Record: 13-5-2 (6-4-2 SOL Continental)
Coach: Pete Valimont
Notable Losses: Matt Stevenson, Aidan Link, Marco Grenda, Jack Taplett
Players to Watch: Dillan Natitus (Sr), Carloz Erazo (Jr), Dalton Guthrie (Jr), Ryan Cook (Jr), Aidan Castle (So), Shane Velez (Fr)
Outlook: “Graduated a tremendous core of seniors in 2018. 2019 squad is talented all over the field and hungry to get back to where we left off in 2018 and finish the job. Our team goals never change; compete for a Continental conference league title, qualify for district 1 playoffs, qualify for PIAA state tournament. Team took second overall out of 30+ HS teams in the Lehigh Valley summer league competing against top teams from district XI.”
SOUDERTON
2018 Record: 3-13-2 (3-8-1 SOL Continental)
Notable athletes lost: Luke Atiyeh, Mitchell Race
Players to Watch: Conor Kellough, Reece DiRenzi, Levi Gross, TJ Hibsman, Brody Emery, Thomas Smith, Dillon Barbieri, Tyler Bovell, Riley Finger, Anthony Palonis, Sage Scarlett
Outlook: “This year’s Souderton group returns a lot of varsity experience from a year ago and looks to build on that experience to finish higher in the SOL Continental. The group will need contributions from all grade levels as they hope to score more goals and right some of the close results that went against them last season.”
SPRINGFIELD-MONTCO
2018 Record: 4-11-3 (1-11-2 SOL American)
Coach: Dan Meder
Notable Losses: Senior class
Players to WatchCole Hutchinson, Paul Richardson, Evan Hincapie and Anthony Forgione, Pierson Rubincam, Ian Short, Matt Leibfreid
Outlook: “Springfield hopes to improve our record from last year and qualify for District I playoffs.”
UPPER DUBLIN
2018 Record: 6-11-1 (4-9-1 SOL American)
Notable Athletes lost: Colin Asper, Pat Roller, Matt Yoon, Alex Goldenberg
Players to Watch: Jordan Kahny, Chris Kenney, Nate Hillman, Oliver Berman, Giovanni Astorino, Luke Rappaport, Josiah Kutai, Sean Seabrook, Ethan Hill
Outlook: “This season we are looking to rebuild after 17 seniors left from our 2018-19 roster. With our current group of seniors eager to set-up into the limelight and some exciting young prospects, we are looking to rebuild quickly and hopefully compete for a conference title.”
UPPER MORELAND
2018 Record: 7-9-3 (5-8-1 SOL American)
Coach: Matt Duffey
Notable Losses: Justin Mull, Christian O’Donnell, Ryan Cannon, Jake Navarra, Max Hernandez, Samuel Brown
Players to Watch: Dylan Swedberg, Jack Cowden, Greg Wiley, Travis Slear, Joe Kane, Josh Henderson, Mateo Infante, Tyler Holman
Outlook: “Our team improved by an additional five wins last year over 2017 and qualified for district playoffs losing to eventual state runner-up Strath Haven. Several core players have returned which gives our team good overall experience and depth. Addition of new younger players adds more to our depth and gives our team the ability to place players in different positions depending on what other teams are doing against us. We are looking to improve on our win total but it will be difficult as the overall league looks to be tough again this year.”
WISSAHICKON
2018 Record: 10-7-2 (9-3-2 SOL American)
Coach: Stuart Malcolm
Notable Losses: David Goldstein, Trey Schwartz, Jun Yuh, Liam Weiss, Eddie Fortescue
Players to Watch: Christian Vorcheimer (Jr, M), Jake Slackman (Jr, F), Leo Morales (Sr, M)
Outlook: “The team lost 15 seniors to graduation and returns only one starter. Due to the many changes in the varsity program, I am interested to see how the first half of the season goes. Looking forward to see the team develop.”
WILLIAM TENNENT
2018 Record: 8-9-1
Coach: Nick D’Andrea
Notable Losses: Max Schulze, Matt D’Ambra, Jon Lotrean
Players to Watch: Sean Zolk (Sr, F) Colin Hires(Sr, D), Ben Weir (Jr, D), Sean Metz (Jr, F), Dan Higgins (Sr, F), JT Stone (Jr, M), Mike Liddy (Jr, F), Joe Roller (Sr, F), Pat Corley (So, GK), Pat Molz (Jr, M)
Outlook: “Most talented team fielded at Tennent under current coaching regime. Looking to build on last year’s record and contend for a playoff berth.”
