Kropnick, Carrozza help Wissahickon outlast Cheltenham

CHELTENHAM — Thursday night’s Suburban One League American Conference boys soccer game between Cheltenham and Wissahickon had major playoff implications for both teams. The more dire situation was facing the Panthers as they faced a do-or-die game to stay in the District 1-AAA playoff picture.

The contest lived up to expectations as the two teams engaged in a back-and-forth affair with high drama that saw seven goals put on the board with two lead changes and three ties. The Trojans were the team to outlast and survive with a 4-3 win.

“In the end we were pleased to get away with a win,’ Wissahickon coach Stuart Malcolm said.

Things could not have started better for the Panthers. In the third minute, Cheltenham midfielder Gene Han tossed a thrown in toward the box where senior forward Joe Galtman headed the ball which was then headed in by Eli Tomasiac, giving Cheltenham the early lead.

It would be 20 minutes later when Wissahickon got on the board with a goal from senior forward Cole Kropnick. The Kropnick goal was not be the last time Kropnick impacted the game.

A goal from Ryan Becker in the 38th minute gave the Trojans the 2-1 lead at the half.

“We started playing conservative once we got up,’ Cheltenham coach Chuck Gesing said. “At halftime my big stress was get the pressure on them higher up the field, which we did and we countered.’

Cheltenham began the second half similarly to how it started the game. Abe Austin headed a ball at the top of the box and got behind a charging Trojans keeper John Carrozza and was able to finish, out-muscling a Wissahickon defender to tie the game at two.

The lead did last long as Kropnick scored just one minute later on the goal in very similar fashion to Austin’s. Cheltenham fought back again to tie the game at three, but Kropnick delivered the final blow, netting his third goal of the game and again right after — just two minutes — a Cheltenham response.

“We knew we had to at least contain Cole Kropnick,’ Gesing said. “We got real lucky last time, we shut him down (but) I think it was more like we played good defense and Cole had an off day.’

Even the great effort of Kropnick did not prevent Cheltenham from getting a good of an opportunity as it was going to get to tie the game late. With the game in it waning moments a Cheltenham forward was taken down in the box as the Panthers were awarded a penalty kick.

The Panther’s elected Tomasiac to take the shot. Tomasiac got all of the ball as he aimed inside the right post, but Carrozza dove to make a great save and rob Cheltenham of a goal, the game and probably its district playoff hopes.