With end of career in sight, Haverford’s Udo-Inyang turns it on to keep Fords alive
HAVERFORD — No matter what happened Saturday, the time remaining in Haverford senior Phil Udo-Inyang’s high school soccer career is measured in days. The mission for the forward is to extend the count at any chance he gets.
So when the Fords, the sixth seed in the Central League playoffs, entered halftime against No. 11 Springfield scoreless despite dominating play, Udo-Inyang wasn’t worried. But he was focused, on making sure the matinee at A.E. Cornog Field wouldn’t become a swansong.
“We knew we were the better team, we just had to finish our chances,” Udo-Inyang said. “So we came out in the second half stronger, looking to get a goal and go from there.”
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The forward made good on that promise, scoring twice within a minute, then assisting on Brady Ring’s goal as the Fords ran out to a 3-0 win.
Haverford advances to Tuesday’s quarterfinals and a date with No. 3 Lower Merion.
It’s a time for Udo-Inyang to reflect. He talked with coach Dave Cassanelli this week about the inflection point in his career, when he was cut from the Fords’ freshman team. With time to reshape his priorities, Udo-Inyang took stock. What emerged is a three-year starter and, as a senior, one of the league’s top dangermen.
“I got cut from the freshman team, and that moment kind of woke me up and gave me a different mindset, going into the next three years ahead of me,” Udo-Inyang said. “That turned on the switch and I started working hard. Sophomore year, they noticed me and gave me that chances, and it just took off from there.”
Udo-Inyang started as a sophomore at outside back for a team that made the District 1 Class 4A playoffs. He’s moved further up the pitch, his attacking sensibilities shining. Born in Nigeria, his game has a flair characteristic of the soccer-mad nation, and his ability to read the game and open space for himself and teammates, on the ball and off, operates a level higher than most.
Saturday, when the Fords peppered Springfield with 22 shots, it seemed inconceivable that Udo-Inyang hadn’t scored by halftime. But by the time the second-half clock read 37:15, he’d rectified that, times two.
Springfield earned its first corner of the game 1:40 into the second half, but that only offered Udo-Inyang space. Center back Duncan Riegler head-manned the counterattack, feeding to Mason Baylis on the right wing. Before the Cougars’ defense could recover, Udo-Inyang flashed across the face of his defender, met the low cross near the penalty spot and, with goalie Rory Travers scrambling to his right, deftly placed the shot back to Travers’ left.
“When the corner happened, (it’s) let’s get in our shape, let’s get defensive, let’s not allow a goal, because we can’t allow any goals,” Udo-Inyang said. “But once the corner got cleared out, it was a shift of energy to just pressure and get up immediately. Once we made those runs, I was in for the goal.”
Udo-Inyang’s next goal was a tad grittier, getting his head to a bouncing ball in the box and absorbing a hit from Travers. But 57 seconds after the opener, the Fords’ lead doubled.
They got a third in the 58th minute, a little trickery on a free kick 24 yards out. Udo-Inyang appeared set to shoot over the wall, but he instead laid off to Ring, who let the wall charge, then fired a dart on the ground into the far corner.
“We scored one in our first game of the season,” Ring said. “… Phil told me he was going to pass it to me, just a little layoff and I just shoot it, and that’s exactly what happened.”
Traffic was one-way most of the game. Haverford held a 22-3 edge in shots and a 7-1 advantage in corner kicks. Travers made four saves, including a sensational denial of Max Hartke 10 minutes in, charging off his line to make himself big as Hartke bore down, Udo-Inyang playing him in.
Udo-Inyang had numerous chances in the first half, dribbling a shot inches wide with Travers out of his net in the 15th minute, then spinning off a defender to meet Devon Runk’s line-splitting ball and firing high in the 23rd. Despite the deluge, Springfield held strong for 42 minutes.
“Just aggression. Our defense is usually really aggressive,” center back Jake Gerzabek said. “… It’s all aggression and the mental aspect. It’s not really the skill aspect on our defense but the aggression and trying hard, going 100 percent the whole game.”
Michael DePalma made two saves for the Fords, both on midfielder Monsif Atify. But the Fords’ control of play manifested in three yellow cards for Springfield, either for dissent or reckless challenges.
Udo-Inyang’s soccer journey won’t end this week; he plays club for the Ukrainian Nationals in Horsham and hopes to play in college, perhaps at Temple, where his father teaches. But however much longer the high school part of his journey, he’s going to relish it.
“It’s a very, very sad feeling that it’s coming to an end,” he said. “Time just flew by, the three months – except this year, which was just two months. It kind of just flew by, but I’m glad that we kept it going and finish strong to increase the games that we have.”
Strath Haven 2, Penncrest 1 >> Nick Dignazio’s deflected shot with less than 15 minutes to play sealed a come-from-behind victory for the ninth-seeded Panthers. It books a date Tuesday with unbeaten top seed Conestoga.
Penncrest led 1-0 at the half, but Andrew Lowman got Haven back on level terms.
Garnet Valley 2, Ridley 0 >> Eric Albright and Kris Henning scored on either side of halftime as the No. 7 seed Jaguars advanced. Matt Ominsky and Matt Bowes had the assists, and Chase Woolard kept the clean sheet to set a quarterfinal at No. 2 Radnor.
Girls Soccer
Mia Valerio volleyed home an over-the-top pass by Ava Hennessey in the dying seconds of the first half to lead No. 6 Springfield past No. 11 Marple Newtown, 1-0.
The win earns a date Monday with No. 3 Radnor.
Olivia Hannah kept a clean sheet for Springfield with four saves. Marple Newtown’s Elodie Prigent stopped nine shots.
Haverford 1, Harriton 0 >> Alyssa Seavey’s goal in overtime led the ninth-seeded Fords, who visit top-seeded Lower Merion Tuesday.
Strath Haven 1, Ridley 0 >> Maggie Forbes’ drive from 22 yards out in the first half made the difference between the sides. The No. 7 Panthers advance to a meeting with second-seeded Conestoga.
