Upper Dublin tops Hatboro-Horsham in 100th minute
UPPER DUBLIN >> A high school soccer game can only last 100 minutes.
After two scoreless halves, a scoreless first overtime and nine scoreless minutes of the second overtime, Upper Dublin netted the game-winner against Hatboro-Horsham.
“This is a big win,” Upper Dublin captain Zach Berman said. “We had two minor wins as our only two wins. We’ve been fighting hard, we’ve really been fighting. The games have been close, but it’s really nice to get the win.”
In the 100th minute, Nick Fiore’s cross from the left side found Tommy Clayton, who finished at the far post to lift the Cardinals to a 1-0 Suburban One League Liberty Division win Monday afternoon at Upper Dublin High School.
“I passed it to Nick out wide and we’ve always had that connection,” Clayton said. “I know he always sends me back-post. I was just waiting for it and it came right where I wanted it.
“Nick and I always have a connection. He’s always able to find me. (We’re in the same class) and we play on the same club team, as well. (We’ve played together for) years, ever since middle school, elementary school.”
Mother Nature played a big role in the game. A strong wind blew consistently in the same direction throughout the 100 minutes. Neither team was able to generate many opportunities when they were going against the wind.
“The wind today was a factor from one end of the field to the other end of the field,” Hatters coach Kyle McGrath said. “It makes hitting long balls difficult. It makes restarts difficult. You could see that whoever had the wind at their back was the more dangerous team, I would say. Unfortunately we weren’t able to get a goal at the end of the second half or the beginning of the first overtime.”
The game went 100 minutes because of Upper Dublin goalkeeper Gabe Copley. The sophomore made six saves – four in the second half and two in the first overtime – to keep the Hatters off the board.
Copley’s first save came in the 53rd minute, when he needed to make back-to-back diving stops that were on target. Other big saves included a 76th minute rejection and a denial on a Caleb Hudson rocket early in the first overtime.
“I felt the pressure,” Copley said. “I was screaming at everyone, I was keeping focus.”
“Obviously their goalkeeper made two unbelievable saves on us,” McGrath said. “It’s good to see us creating opportunities, but obviously a game like this where it’s 0-0 for almost 100 minutes you have to be able to finish one, but we weren’t able to do that today.”
Hatboro-Horsham keeper Noah Schlosser posted a shutout for 99 minutes and made four saves. His biggest stop came in the 97th minute, when he turned aside a shot after an Upper Dublin corner kick.
The Hatters (5-2, 4-2 SOL Liberty) continue a busy week Tuesday when they face Lower Moreland. After that, they’ll face Cheltenham Thursday and Archbishop Wood Saturday.
“Disappointed with the result because this week is a drag for us with four games in six days,” McGrath said. “It’s not the start we wanted to the week, but we can bounce back (Tuesday) against Lower Moreland, who’s had some good results.”
The Cardinals (3-4, 3-3 SOL Liberty) also have three games the rest of this week – William Tennent Tuesday, Upper Moreland Thursday and CB South Friday.
Upper Dublin 1, Hatboro-Horsham 0
Hatboro-Horsham 0 0 0 0 – 0
Upper Dublin 0 0 0 1 – 1
Goals: UD: Tommy Clayton.
Assists: UD: Nick Fiore.
Saves: HH: Noah Schlosser 4. UD: Gabe Copley 6.
