By Neil Geoghegan
ngeoghegan@21st-centurymedia.com
MALVERN – Season openers are often an extension of preseason workouts. The Malvern Prep and Devon Prep soccer squads used Thursday’s non-league clash to further develop, and learn a little more about themselves.
For the shorthanded Friars, the 3-1 victory was a bonus because it came in an otherwise competitive battle against the visiting Tide.
“To be honest, I don’t think we looked great,” said Malvern head coach Susan Barr. “But it’s building blocks. We learn a little bit from each game.
“We got a lot of guys in the game today. It was almost like a tryout.”
Despite actually having a narrow 10-9 edge in shots on goal, Devon fell behind 3-0, but never stopped working. In fact, the Tide played much better in the second half, and finally ended the Friars’ shutout bid in the waning minutes.
“We are very young. We have 10-15 freshmen and sophomores,” said Devon head coach Jamile Green.
“With youth there are going to be nerves and mistakes. Experience will change that.”
Malvern opened the scoring midway through the first half when sophomore Luka Burkholder converted a free kick from near midfield by teammate Declan Abromavage. It was the Friars’ first shot on goal.
“My teammate, Max Utain, told me to go far post, so I did that,” Burkholder explained. “The ball came in and nobody was marking me, and I left-footed it into the bottom right.”
About 10 minutes later, additional chaos in front of Devon’s goalmouth resulted in another tally. This time a cross from junior Lorenzo Vennera was loose in the box and it resulted in an own goal as a Tide defender inadvertently directed in.
“This was a good test for our first official game,” Burkholder said.
“When we started connecting on passes, we really started to control the game. We are really trying to get ready for the Inter-Ac (season).”
Devon came out more forceful in the second half, but failed to turn several prime chances into a goal. The biggest came when Malvern goaltender Ryan Delrossi made a kick-save during a breakaway by the Tides’ Scott Cunningham in the early going.
Senior Matt Lofgren eventually made it 3-0 by converting another centering pass from Vennera with 8:13 on the clock, following another scramble in front of the Devon goal.
“A two-goal lead is, basically, a coach’s nightmare because it’s close enough to keep an opponent hungry and in the game,” Barr pointed out. “That third goal gave us a little bit of a cushion.”
The Tide finally cashed in with 5:26 to go when sophomore Nathan Palermo buried a rebound off the Friars’ crossbar.
“At halftime I had to remind them how we play and what we stand for, and they played better,” Green said of the second half.
“And with that goal, we deserved something for how hard we played today.”
Malvern was without three key players, who are out with injuries but are expected back at some point: junior Vincent Uglow, sophomore Logan Rae and senior captain Michael Guardiola.
“We are clear on our mission: to win games,” Barr explained. “But I can’t go from the world of developing to only coaching to win. Anytime we can get guys into the game, and make sure they are part of something, we are motivated to do that.
“Everybody wants to win. But I am seeing that the guys are executing on that desire. Doing what it takes to win rather than just wanting. That’s not enough.”
The Friars finished with a slight edge in corner kicks (4-3), but all three of Devon’s came in the second half.
“I was impressed with Devon Prep,” Barr said. “I thought the way they were defending gave us some problems. It was good that we had a response to that once we figured out what was happening.
“Decisions are made on the field, so they are getting better at solving problems themselves.”
Malvern Prep 3, Devon Prep 1
Devon Prep 0 1 — 1
Malvern Prep 2 1 — 3
Devon Prep goal: Palermo.
Malvern Prep goals: Burkholder, Lofgren.
Goalie saves: Fisher (D) 6; Howard (M) 4; Delrossi (M) 5.
