Pennridge answers questions in opening weekend
It was just two games and one weekend in a long season, but Pennridge boys’ soccer coach Pete Valimont saw a whole lot to like in that span.
The Rams started their 2019 season on the road at West Chester Henderson’s tournament and not only won the whole thing, but knocked off a couple of usually strong programs to do it. For a squad replacing quite a few long-time starters and tossing a handful of young guys right into the mix, it was a promising start.
“We had a handful of question marks going into it, we graduated a tremendous senior class last year,” Valimont said. “We had great goalies, a great defense and our three-headed monster up top of (Matt) Stevenson, (Marco) Grenda and (Jack) Taplett graduate so we had question marks of who would score goals and whatnot but we were able to figure a lot of that out this weekend.”
Pennridge faced host Henderson on Friday night, matching up with a side that usually has eyes on contending for a District I crown and making a push for a state title. It was a perfect test right out of the gate, asking the Rams to answer a couple questions in enemy territory.
The first game of the tournament went extra time, so the Rams had to wait about 40 extra minutes to even get on the field, their first test. While they scored first, Henderson tied the game up about 26 minutes into the second half on a remarkable goal that Valimont noted easily could have deflated his team.
Instead, the Rams rallied to find a late winner when senior captain and center mid Dillan Natitus sprang Aidan Castle with three and a half mintues to go.
“We left a couple off the crossbar or a little bit wide but at the end of the day as long as you have one more than the other team, that’s all the matters,” Valimont said. “That was a good Friday night and going back the next night against Haverford, they looked really good against Owen J Roberts but we weren’t going to come home with a win and a loss.”
Ben Scary dropped in a free kick and Castle scored for the second game to hoist the Rams to a 2-0 win and tournament title.
‘We feel solid about the defensive guys and the midfield and forwards, it’s different guys scoring goals and different guys getting assists so it’s not a three-pronged attack but who’s going to be in the right spot at the right time,” Valimont said.
The Rams got jump start on their retooling this summer in the Lehigh Valley summer league where they finished second out of more than 30 teams. While the competition was mainly District XI sides, that’s a strong soccer district as well and offered Pennridge exactly what it needed.
“For what it’s worth, one of the writers up here in the Lehigh Valley said if you win the Lehigh Valley or do well over the summer, it’s a good omen,” Valimont said. “I knew what we had going in. Now it’s just a matter of putting it in during a high school game when it really matters.”
The two matches tested everything from the defensive unit, the players’ resolve after giving up a goal to seeing who would rise to the occasion in the biggest moments of a contest. For Valimont, one of the best results was his players knowing there was more out there for them and the incentive to work harder for it.
Valimont felt the entire team played well over the weekend and he was glad to get additional players minutes on Saturday but he pointed to the energy of Natitus and senior forward Bobby Brashear in both games.
“Dillan is an all-league player, he’s not going to be a surprise to anybody but he’s really stepped up as our leader and done a nice job,” Valimont said. “Bobby is real fast, a big kid, he’s in the 4×800 and 4×400 that are state medaling but he really brings an energy. Whenever he’s on the field, everybody feeds off him and it was infectious this first weekend.”
Pennridge opens its home schedule on Tuesday when Upper Dublin visits at 3:30 p.m. before the Rams hit the road for the quick trip to rival Quakertown on Friday in an SOL Continental opening game that needs no extra pep talks for. The following week brings matches with CB West and CB South as the grind of the Continental just pushes on.
“We don’t want to get ahead of ourselves but if we do well against (Upper Dublin), then you’ve done well against the Ches-Mont, the Central League and the SOL American to start your season,” Valimont said. “I think any coach would take that ahead of starting league play.”
SIMILAR STORY FOR SOUDERTON
It’s almost like time stopped the last nine months for the Souderton girls’ soccer team.
The defending PIAA 4A state champions started their season in similar way to the last few games of the 2018 ended with a late rally and Averie Doughty scoring the winning goal. Souderton scored twice in the last 10 minutes to beat Downingtown West 2-1 on Friday in their first match of the fall.
Time didn’t actually stop, given all the new players in the lineup for Souderton but the Indians’ forward unit brings back a lot. After going down 1-0, it was two of those returning vets that carried the day.
Doughty, a junior, was the facilitator on the first goal by opening space herself and playing in Hannah Alderfer, also a junior, for the finish to tie the game. Just four minutes later, with six to go in regulation, Alderfer jumped a pass, drew a defender and laid the ball off to Doughty for the game-winner.
Souderton has a big week on tap starting with a Tuesday visit to Archbishop Carroll. They return home to start SOL Continental play against a North Penn team that hit on all cylinders in its opener on Thursday, then visit CB West Friday afternoon.
POINTS FOR EFFORT
With only so many non-league dates on the schedule, it can be a challenge for coaches to fill them.
There’s also the district power points system to consider, but there’s no substitute for match experience against a quality side. CR South girls’ soccer coach Nick Heim knew there was a risk facing Pennridge in his opener on Friday, but any lost points would be countered by what the Golden Hawks were able to learn in their 3-1 setback.
Much like Valimont putting his team in Henderson’s opening tournament, area sides weren’t afraid to point potential points at risk to test themselves. Both CB West squads dove right in to their openers, with the girls facing District 3 and state power Cumberland Valley on Saturday morning while the boys played a Conestoga side that’s usually among District I’s best to a 1-1 draw on Friday.
Of course, there’s no points system in the Catholic League, so area PCL teams take advantage by testing themselves against quality non-league competition. A game like La Salle’s annual clash with North Penn is one that benefits both teams at any point in the season and usually delivers for anyone that happens to be watching and there are plenty more examples like that on the schedule this season.
PASSING IT OFF
Vanderbilt junior Maddie Elwell, a Wissahickon graduate, has played a key part in her team’s 4-0-0 start this season.
Elwell entered the weekend, which saw the No. 9 Commodores take a trip out to California, tied second nationally with four assists on the season. She went up to five in Friday night’s 1-0 win over UC Irvine by finding Haley Hopkins for the game-winner.
It’s already a career-best mark for Elwell, who totaled four assists in her sophomore season. She assisted three consecutive goals in the team’s season opener and added another in the Dores’ second game.
