Domsohn scores hat trick, power Shanahan past Upper Perkiomen
DOWNINGTOWN >> There are soccer players who can score goals, and then there are the truly special ones who are renown as ‘goal scorers.’
It’s kind of hard to explain, but you know it when you see it. And Bishop Shanahan’s Zane Domsohn is the real McCoy.
The senior has all of the skill and intangibles when it comes to putting the ball into the net: the athleticism, the footwork, the mentality and the nose for the ball. And on Wednesday in the District 1 3A Quarterfinal Round, he exhibited it all by notching the hat trick and leading the Eagles to a 3-1 win over visiting Upper Perkiomen.
“Zane just knows how to score, and he scores in critical moments,” said Shanahan head coach Jim Kalavik.
“He’s a big, strong fella,” added Indians’ head coach Kyle Fisher. “(Domsohn) attacks like he wants it, and three times he got it. He’s got a bright future.”
Now 15-4 overall, the third-seeded Eagles advance to Friday’s semifinal to take on No. 2 Lower Moreland. The sixth seed, Upper Perkiomen’s season ends with a 12-7 mark.
“I definitely think we have a chance,” said Shanahan senior defender Evan Cunningham. “We play good competition all through the season. If we play our style of play, we can go far in the postseason.”
Domsohn entered the postseason with 33 goals this fall, so it’s safe to say that every team slants its defense his way. The Indians certainly did, but in the end it wasn’t enough. Domsohn’s game-winner early in the second half was spectacular, and so was his insurance goal in the final two minutes of regulation.
“When you score 36 goals in a season, there is bound to be some spectacular ones mixed in there,” Kalavik said.
“It was obvious early that (Upper Perkiomen) knew who they needed to mark on the field. But Zane is a top player. You can scout him all you want, but he is still going to find the back of the net.”
Clinging to a 1-0 halftime lead, the Eagles had a great chance to get another when a pass from junior Paul Ziegler was headed by Domsohn toward an open net, but Indians’ goalkeeper Matthew Wanamaker made a great diving save.
About three minutes later, however, Ziegler and Domsohn teamed up for a memorable tally and a 2-0 lead. This time the pass had pace and was several feet off the ground, but Domsohn somehow found a way to collect the ball and direct it.
“I took it down with my left foot and then volleyed it top-corner with my right,” Domsohn explained.
But Upper Perkiomen never gave up, and with 15:39 on the clock freshman Matthew Fisher notched a goal on his team’s first shot on goal. Clearly inspired, the Indians proceeded to turn up the pressure offensively the rest of the way in a desperate bid to get the equalizer.
“There is a lot of fight with this group, so I am not surprised at all that they made it a game and came back to make it interesting,” Fisher said.
“We thought if we could hold (Shanahan) defensively then we could change tactics and get a little bit more offensive later in the game, which is exactly what we did.”
Upper Perk never did get another goal, and Domsohn made it 3-1 when he harassed Wanamaker, forced a loose ball, and deposited it just inside the near post with 1:47 to go.
“Colin Deal headed the ball into a dangerous area and I got my foot on it, the goalie lost control of it and I just tracked it down and was able to tap it in,” Domsohn recalled.
The Eagles had all of the shots on goal (six) and corners (two) in the first half, but didn’t take the lead until Domsohn hit pay dirt with just over two minutes on the clock. Once again it was Ziegler delivering a centering pass that glanced off a defender, found its way to Domsohn in the goal mouth, and he made sure the shot counted.
“Zane finds ways to score against any team and any defense,” Cunningham said.
“I’ve joked with him that he’s like Premier League players where even if he isn’t having his best game, it doesn’t matter. If there’s five minutes left and we need a goal, he will do it.”
When asked about the mindset of a ‘goal scorer,’ Domsohn talked about his overwhelming determination to see the ball in the opponent’s net. But he also mentioned a major motivational figure in his life: Dave, his dad.
In the previous century, Dave Domsohn scored more than 100 goals during his playing career at Coatesville High School.
“I’ve seen a bunch of the old newspaper clippings about my dad and how he scored a lot of goals, and it just motivates me to try to be like that,” Zane said.
Shanahan finished with an edge in shots on goal (16-2) and corner kicks (4-1). But afterwards, Fisher wanted to credit his seniors for four years of work.
“This senior class won the most regular season games as any group I’ve had, and it’s the most in about 15-16 years,” he said.
Bishop Shanahan 3, Upper Perkiomen 1
Upper Perkiomen 0 1 — 1
Bishop Shanahan 1 2 — 3
Upper Perkiomen goals: Fisher.
Bishop Shanahan goals: Z. Domsohn 3.
Goalie saves: Wanamaker (UP) 13; B. Domsohn (BS) 1.
