Upper Merion outlasts Upper Perkiomen 4-3 to create first-place tie atop PAC Frontier

PENNSBURG — Monday night’s meeting between the top two teams in the Pioneer Athletic Conference Frontier Division became an exercise in Newton’s Laws of Motion.

Upper Merion and Upper Perkiomen tapped into Newton’s third law of motion that states every action has an equal and opposite reaction. It translated into three Upper Merion goals and three quick responses by Upper Perk every time for the game’s first 70 minutes.

But No. 4, Nick Dos Santos, helped deliver No. 4 for Upper Merion via own goal with 5:38 remaining and the Vikings had the poise to deny a response and see out a 4-3 victory at Upper Perkiomen, creating a tie atop the Frontier Division.

The Tribe (5-1 Frontier, 7-2 PAC, 10-4 overall) don’t have to wait long to attempt a reaction against the Vikings (5-1 Frontier, 6-3 PAC, 6-5 overall): they meet again Friday in the reverse fixture.

Upper Merion’s Ben Wintersteen (12) strides forward with the ball in the second half against Upper Perkiomen during a PAC game on Oct. 20. (Austin Hertzog – MediaNews Group)
Upper Merion’s Josh Nguyen (10) plays a pass forward as Upper Perkiomen’s Matthew Fisher pursues in the first half on their PAC game on Oct. 2. (Austin Hertzog – MediaNews Group)

Juniors Ben Wintersteen (two goals, one assist) and Dos Santos (one goal) and senior Arjun Kaushik starred for Upper Merion.

“We’d lost a game (in the division) and they hadn’t. To come back and win this game is huge for us in the PAC Frontier Division to get tied for first,” Wintersteen said. “We wanted it a lot more.”

Logan Watkins had a two-goal game for Upper Perk, Ethan Barr had a goal and assist and Matthew Fisher had a pair of assists.

Wintersteen scored the Vikings’ first two goals, the first on a lovely free kick from a wide position 10 yards out that was sent to the back post and caromed in for a 1-0 lead with 8:58 to half. His second came via penalty kick early in the second half.

Goal Upper Merion, Ben Wintersteen on the free kick from right angle. Great placement. 1-0 Upper Merion 8:58 1H pic.twitter.com/1nVH7I42GN

— Austin Hertzog (@AustinHertzog) October 2, 2023

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But each time Upper Perk had a response. Fisher counterattacked down the left side and crossed to the edge of the penalty area. Barr let it go through to Watkins who hammered it left-footed for the leveler four minutes later (4:45 first half).

Logan Watkins levels it with nice left foot strike. 4:45 1H. 1-1 pic.twitter.com/kBihzwazB6

— Austin Hertzog (@AustinHertzog) October 2, 2023

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Following Wintersteen’s PK, Upper Perk needed 10 minutes to tie it again in a bang-bang sequence. UP goalie Evan Sands (6 saves) made a diving stop on a hard Wintersteen effort, then 30 seconds later on the counter, Barr forced a similarly tough stop from UM keeper Dominick Doan (5 saves), but Watkins scored his second on the rebound.

The left-footed Wintersteen was a danger down the right wing and then assisted Dos Santos for UM’s third goal, just 24 seconds after Upper Perk tied it.

Upper Perkiomen’s Logan Watkins carries the ball forward as Upper Merion’s Henry Wilson chases during their PAC game on Oct. 20. (Austin Hertzog – MediaNews Group)

It took Upper Perk until 8:27 to find the response. It came from Ethan Barr, who capitalized on a defensive mistake following Fisher’s driven cross and had an open strike to tie it 3-3.

It was encouraging for high-scoring Upper Perk to manage another three-goal game, especially in a contest where UM was on top in the run of play, especially in the second half, and was better to the 50-50 balls.

“Having a trio of guys like Matthew, Logan and Ethan up top scoring goals and getting into the attack, you should be able to score some goals and we did that,” UP head coach Kyle Fisher said. “I’m going to have to look at some film to see exactly where our breakdowns were. I expect us to pass better, not push the ball forward so much, throwing Hail Marys. That’s not what we want to see from our players and I felt like there was a little too much of that.”

Upper Perk, the PAC runner-up a year ago, still holds the best overall PAC record in the division and has had a lot to be pleased with this season. The Tribe have a league-best 54 goals and have scored at least three goals in seven of their last eight matches.

Upper Merion’s Parker Lukens (3) and Upper Perkiomen’s Theo Deskevich battle for the ball during their PAC game on Oct. 2. (Austin Hertzog – MediaNews Group)

Upper Merion got the last word with 5:38 to play on a long, looping free kick that bounced out to Dos Santos beyond the far post. He fizzed it low and back across goal, the ball ricocheting off the foot of center back Luke Gerstenberg and into the near side for what became the game-winner.

What a wild game! Nick Dos Santos for his second and it’s 4-3, 5:38 2H

High looping free kick, Dos Santos from tightest angle at far post pic.twitter.com/mzW89548L3

— Austin Hertzog (@AustinHertzog) October 3, 2023

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“I’m happy for the win,” Dos Santos said. “It’s going to help our mentality way more. It gives us that winning mentality.”

The Upper Merion win tightens the Frontier Division race with two weeks to play. Upper Perk and Upper Merion are tied at 5-1 with Phoenixville close behind (4-2).

“We still have to play Phoenixville and Upper Perk again so winning this game is big for us,”
Wintersteen said.

Upper Merion 4, Upper Perkiomen 3
Upper Merion 1 3 – 4
Upper Perkiomen 1 2 – 3
Scoring
First half
UM-Ben Wintersteen free kick, 8:58
UP-Logan Watkins (Matthew FIsher assist), 4:45
Second half
UM-Wintersteen PK, 36:22
UP-Watkins (Ethan Barr assist), 26:50
UM-Nick Dos Santos (Wintersteen assist), 26:26
UP-Ethan Barr (Fisher assist), 8:27
UM-Own goal, 5:38
Saves: UM-Domick Doan 5, UP-Evan Sands 4
Corners: UM 4, UP 4