PAC Boys Soccer Final Four Preview: Phoenixville-Upper Perkiomen, Spring-Ford-Owen J. Roberts

The boys kick off the annual Pioneer Athletic Conference Final Four night at Owen J. Roberts Tuesday.

No. 1 seed Phoenixville, the first team to go 13-0 in current league format, takes on upstart Upper Perkiomen, a familiar Frontier Division foe on Wildcat Stadium in one semifinal. It’s an all-Liberty battle in the other semifinal on Wildcat North with No. 2 seed Spring-Ford and No. 3 seed Owen J. Roberts, also at 5 p.m.

The winners square off in the PAC championship game on Thursday, 5 p.m., back at Owen J. Roberts.

Phoenixville (1) vs. Upper Perkiomen (4)

Records >> Phoenixville: 10-0 PAC Frontier, 13-0 PAC, 16-1-1 overall, Frontier champion, No. 1 in District 1-3A rankings; Upper Perkiomen – 8-2 PAC Frontier, 8-4-1 PAC, 11-6-1, No. 6 in District 1-3A rankings

Head-to-head >> Phoenixville defeated Upper Perk 3-1 on Sept. 7 and 3-2 on Sept. 23 for a regular-season sweep. Nate Stewart had a goal and an assist in the first meeting; Efe Ulcay supplied two goals in the second.

PAC Playoff history >> Phoenixville returns to the PAC postseason for the first time since 2017, the same year it won its only conference title. It’s made the Final Four 10 times, reaching the finals once. … Upper Perkiomen is making its first trip to the PAC playoffs since 2004, when it was a league finalist the year prior to the start of the Final Four era. Upper Perk has won two PAC titles, the inaugural 1986 title and in 2003.

Phoenixville at a glance >> This year’s Phantoms are the first team to record a perfect PAC campaign since the current format (10 divisional games + three crossovers) was adopted in 2017. That’s a fitting year to mention because these Phantoms are bringing up memories from coach Mike Cesarski’s previous PAC championship team with its sizable senior class.

Just like the past champ, leading the way is a Division I senior midfielder who happens to be a high-school soccer rookie. Navy recruit Nate Stewart, who previously played with the FC Delco MLS Next team, has taken a first-year starring role for the Phantoms, much like former All-Area Player of the Year Kyle Tucker (Drexel) did in 2017.

Senior forward Efe Ulcay has racked up the goals while fellow seniors Evan DesMarais and Ricky Kaniewski and freshman Jack Illig have also been regulars on the scoresheet for a team that has scored 104 goals in 18 matches. The lineup also features seniors Xander Bernal, CJ Jahn, Max Khazen, Michael Sposato and goalie Jason O’Neill.

Upper Perkiomen at a glance >> Upper Perk was a win away from ending its PAC playoff drought last year and completed the breakthrough this campaign, earning the second wild card via a tiebreaker (District 1 power points) with Boyertown (also 8-4-1 PAC). Coach Kyle Fisher’s program has been on the rise and berths in the PAC and District 1-3A postseasons serve as proof.

The Indians are a senior-heavy but balanced squad. Senior captains Mateo Schneidt, Vincent Durrant and Jimmy Friedman lead the charge alongside classmates Nick Durrant, Aiden Heiser and goalie Austin Farrington. Junior Logan Watkins and sophomore Matthew Fisher have been consistent goal scorers while Ethan Barr has also factored in that department. Juniors Luke Gerstenberg and Theo Deskevich are other contributors.

Matchup >> Phoenixville and Upper Perkiomen bombarded the rest of the Frontier Division but had their hands full with each other. That said, Phoenixville’s results in those matchups and their overall body of work is undeniable as proven by its current 14-game winning streak.

There’s no PAC playoff pedigree for either squad to lean on; instead, it’s a huge opportunity for one upperclassmen-led team to put their stamp on the 2022 season few of their predecessors could. The Phantoms will have to ratchet up the intensity considering they’ve had one competitive fixture in their last six games, but they’ve got the firepower to do it. … Phoenixville 3, Upper Perkiomen 1

Spring-Ford (2) vs. Owen J. Roberts (3)

Records >> Spring-Ford – 7-1-2 PAC Liberty, 10-1-2 PAC, 11-2-4 overall, Liberty champion, No. 9 in District 1-4A rankings; Owen J. Roberts – 7-2-1 PAC Liberty, 9-3-1 PAC, 12-5-1 overall, No. 17 in District 1-4A rankings

Head-to-head >> OJR dropped Spring-Ford 3-0 in their first meeting on Sept. 10 at home; the teams played to a 0-0 draw on Sept. 30.

PAC playoff history >> Spring-Ford has won two PAC titles, its last coming in 2013. The program has reached the final three times since (9 times overall) … Owen J. Roberts has won 7 PAC championships (1998, 2004, 2006-08, 2011, 2014). Its last trip to the final was 2014.

Spring-Ford at a glance >> The Rams started the year a bit slow (1-2-1 through four games) but first-year head coach Mark Chambers’ methods have taken hold and the team returned to the top of the PAC Liberty after finishing last in 2021. With shutouts in 10 of their last 12 outings, the Rams have the finest defensive record in the PAC (11 goals against).

Controlling the midfield is central to that record and senior captains Luca Carboy and Joey Ricevuto are the central figures, along with senior Leo Aguilar. Senior left back Jonah Wuertz completes the captain trio and is joined on the back line by George Neatherly, Noah Holland and CJ Giles while PJ Pozniak holds down goalie duties. The attack is led by senior center forward David Alban, and junior wide attackers Max Exeter and Cole Preschutti.

Owen J. Roberts at a glance >> The Wildcats ran afoul with slow starts in recent years, which they capably remedied in the first year under new head coach Joe Youngblood to earn a trip to PACs. It hasn’t been the perfect run into the postseason for OJR after finishing 2-2-1 in the second round of the Liberty schedule, but it is 4-1-1 in their last six (dating back to Sept .27), which is nothing to feel down about. OJR also has a defensive record worth touting, allowing 18 goals on the year.

Leading the defense is senior goalkeeper Andrew Keddie and center back Joey Kish, both captains, alongside Finn Purtle, Braeden Matthews and Garrett Harlow. The other OJR captains, Ethan Williams and Stephen Mullen, are the main men in the attack and midfield, respectively. Williams, a dynamic wide forward, is joined up front by junior Nick Gambone, senior Isaac Stephenson and junior Daniel Damon. Sophomore Mason Wiedl joins Mullen in the midfield.

Matchup and prediction >> After being beaten 3-0 in their first meeting, Spring-Ford sought ‘revenge’ in the return match on Sept. 30. It didn’t happen (0-0 draw), so the Rams looked forward to a potential PAC playoff rematch. They get that wish in what is primed to be an exciting semifinal. The scoreless draw appears more tepid than it was, in reality an up-tempo struggle that didn’t lack for scoring chances.

The judge’s scorecards have the series at a game apiece so this a true rubber match and it feels like either team’s to win. Spring-Ford showed more quality across the entire lineup in their last meeting, but the Wildcats have dynamism with their pace on the counterattack. OJR must solve what SF did last time out to limit Williams and Gambone while the Rams must do better maximizing the chances they create.

PAC semifinals are often low scoring, but something here says it’s against trend and ready for fireworks – and the home side finding the most joy … Owen J. Roberts 3, Spring-Ford 2 OT