Pennridge bests Bensalem in District 1-4A first round

EAST ROCKHILL >> The Pennridge boys soccer team held a 1-0 lead at halftime but Ben Scary was certain more was needed in the next 40 minutes for the Rams to survive Bensalem as the District 1-4A tournament got off to a soggy start.

“We knew they were going to come out strong cause it could possibly be the end of their season,” the junior midfielder said. “So we knew we had to come out and double what intensity they had coming out.”

Pennridge proceeded to do exactly that and the result was 10 minutes after the break the Rams doubling their advantage when Scary skipped a shot from about 23 yards out into the left side of the net. Carlos Erazo made it three-goal lead on a penalty kick and that was more than enough to hold off the 17th-seeded Owls on a rainy Tuesday night as No. 16 Pennridge advanced with a 3-1 first-round win at Helman Field.

“Read their comments in the writeups and whatnot, no lead is safe lead against them, they’re not going to back down, they’re going to play a full 80 minutes so our biggest thing was just never let up on the gas,” Rams coach Pete Valimont said. “Just press, press, press, create chances and for what it’s worth we hit the crossbar once or twice. We got lucky in the first half when we bobbled it a little bit but that was more weather and what have you. But credit to our guys that just worked their butts off for the full 80 minutes.”

Aidan Castle scored the opening goal at 13:01 in the first half on a blast inside the near post and also drew the foul that earned the second-half PK as Pennridge (11-7-1) reached the district second round for the second straight season.

“I think we just came out with a great intensity and played our hearts out,” Scary said. “And really just hustled to everything, won our 50/50s and put our shots on target, finished them.”

The Rams take on SOL Continental rival and top seed North Penn for a spot in the quarterfinals 3 p.m. Thursday at La Salle College High School. Pennridge fell at home to the Knights 1-0 in both teams’ regular-season finale Oct. 17 and has lost its last nine meetings with North Penn.

“It’s fantastic, we’re excited, we don’t have to worry about going and scouting, we have film,” Valimont said. “We know exactly what they have — their strengths, they know our strengths, I think it’s amusing that we’re going to go down to La Salle and play at three o’clock — I wasn’t aware that we could pick and chose where we wanted to play but at the end of the day it doesn’t matter, you’ going to play us on turf, that’s great for us so we’re really excited about it.

“We’ve played on really big fields this whole season — Union stadium being one of them and we came away there with a 2-0 win (over Central Bucks East). So we’re excited about the challenge.

Bensalem ends its season with an overall record of 11-7-1. After losing its first five games, the Owls went 11-1-1 over their next 13 to qualify for district for the first time since 2015.

Tuesday night’s rain fluctuated in intensity but was a constant throughout the match although Valimont noted the Rams had prior experience this year battling through wet conditions.

“At times I thought it was done and at other times like it is right now (after the game), how heavy it is,” Valimont said. “We played CB South in a monsoon for 40 minutes earlier in the season at the end of the day we just had to keep focus. It doesn’t matter, the rest of the week’s going to be beautiful weather.”

The Rams came out of halftime pushing for a second goal, Erazo coming close to providing it as he hit the crossbar off a long-distance effort above the 18-yard box. Pennridge kept up the pressure and eventually Scary made it 2-0 at 30:11, taking a touch to his right to get some space from an Owl defender and let got a shot from above the box that skipped inside the left post.

“I mean I’m always looking for a shot,” Scary said. “So I tried to get pass that guy and I saw an opening.”

Castle earned the penalty kick drawing a foul in the box as he attempted to spin past a Owls defender. Erazo took the penalty and blasted a shot into the middle of the net to put the Rams up 3-0 at 14:31.

Bensalem pulled within two with 9:28 remaining after the Owls put a corner kick in a dangerous area in front of the goal and the ball was popped into the net by Jon Larbi.

“That’s probably the first time we’ve gotten a call on Castle so it took 19 games but we’ll take it,” Valimont said. “They battled back and got a scrum goal on the corner kick but at the end of the day our guys in this weather — we were thinking about moving it up but we didn’t — this was just fantastic for us.”

Castle gave Pennridge the 1-0 lead at 13:01 when he chased down Scary’s long ball and from the right side of the box ripped a rising shot in at the near post.

“That was a rifle,” said Valimont of the goal. “I mean he ripped the heck out of it. I mean he’s just cutting people up, trying to get a chance, tuck in behind their sweeper who’s good and Castle, that’s probably the hard ball I’ve seen him hit on frame all year It was a laser.”

Bensalem’s best scoring chance before halftime came on a free kick that took a bounce in the box, the ball slipping out of the keeper’s grasp and needed a diving save to keep it out of the net. An ensuing scramble ended with a deflected shot that glanced the outside of the left post.