Stewart takes charge as North Penn outlasts CB South
TOWAMENCIN >> By the time North Penn got its act together Tuesday afternoon, it was down a pair of goals.
Fortunately for the Knights and less fortunately for teams that will have to deal with them when the postseason begins next week, they can score goals and in a hurry. North Penn bagged three goals in less than six minutes to take a halftime lead and just kept adding on after halftime.
Central Bucks South played like the more determined team early, but the Knights’ firepower prevailed in a 5-3 North Penn win Tuesday.
“I don’t think we had a great warmup and it led into our slow start,” Knights midfielder Josh Jones said. “On one of the corners, we huddled together and said we needed to pick this up and get a goal quick, then we got three in six minutes.”
North Penn already locked up the SOL Continental title but they’re still trying to secure the top seed in next week’s District 1-4A tournament. The Titans on the other hand, are simply trying to get in and entered play in the No. 22 spot with the top 24 continuing their season.
Even injury-depleted, South played with something to prove. Corey Bethel, normally a holding midfielder, gave his all filling in at center back and helped drive the Titans’ early-match lead.
Bethel put the visitors up 1-0 four minutes in when he drove home a free kick from the left flank. His corner kick with 17 minutes left in the first half turned into a 2-0 lead when Owen Davis ripped home a rebound off the initial service.
“He’s a big game player and likes living in that moment,” South coach Joe Coscia said of Bethel. “I had to drop him back to center back but he commands it really, really well back there and finds the opportunities to get forward on set pieces and create for us.”
Much like Bethel was the catalyst for South, senior Ryan Stewart stepped up as the man of the match for North Penn. Playing spells in the back, midfield and up top, the senior scored three goals and assisted another that easily could have been a fourth goal on his register.
Stewart’s corner kick with 5:30 left in the first half got the Knights on the board when Jonathon Durkin got the slightest of touches on in front of net to tip it home.
That opened the gates for North Penn.
“I know other players are going to get me those scoring opportunities, I just have to be in the right position,” Stewart said. “I was just there today.”
North Penn plays its best when it minimizes touches and gets the ball forward quick, which the Knights did once they got themselves into the match. Jones played a terrific ball up the channel to Carter Houlihan, who did the rest on a superb finish to tie it 2-2 with two minutes to play in the half.
The Knights got the lead thanks to Stewart in the final half-minute of play. A free kick from twin brother Jamie was tipped to the far post, where senior Mike Chaffee headed it back across goal and Ryan Stewart hammered it in from the line.
“It just makes us a lot more dangerous,” Stewart said. “You don’t know what side we’re going to go to. We have the players on either side to get up the field and create those chances.”
South missed a chance to knot the match early in the second half when it failed to convert on a penalty kick and Stewart would then double the Knights’ advantage with 20 minutes left in the game. A quick pass from Jones found Stewart in space, allowing the senior to take a touch then rip a shot to the far post for a 4-2 edge.
Bethel influenced a third goal for his guys when his corner kick came out to the far side, allowing Kyle Rychlak to hit it brilliantly back in for a goal to cut the lead back to one with 16 minutes left. South hosts CB West on Thursday to conclude its regular season.
The teams played to a 0-0 draw in their first meeting.
“I think we played an excellent match against probably the best team in the east side of the state right now so I think we’re playing the good teams well,” Coscia said. “We have to take care of business regardless of who the opponent is, so West is big for us.”
Stewart finished his day with another well-hit blast, this time off a cross from Houlihan for the final margin with 15:50 to play.
“The less touches we take in the final third, the better,” Jones said. “We’re all very unselfish and being able to share the ball with each other, I think it helps us finish better in the final third.”
North Penn finishes its regular season with a road game at Pennridge on Thursday.
“We know any one of us that gets the ball can score,” Stewart said. “We just believe in our teammates and put those chances away.”
NORTH PENN 5, CB SOUTH 3
CB SOUTH 2 1 – 3
NORTH PENN 3 2 – 5
Goals: NP – Jonathon Durkin (Ryan Stewart), Carter Houlihan (Josh Jones), Ryan Stewart (Mike Chaffee), Stewart (Jones), Stewart (Houlihan); CBS – Corey Bethel, Owen Davis, Kyle Rychlak
