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Boys Soccer: Ridley has plenty of experience on the field
At the risk of creating a Daily Times jinx akin to that of Sports Illustrated,
it’s now or never at Ridley, the county’s best-kept secret ..until now.
The Green Raiders have played under the radar and toiled in mediocrity during
recent seasons, but this year’s team can’t go too much longer without being exposed.
With a slew of seniors on its roster -- sophomores Joe Massimo and Jim Kellet are the
only underclassmen in the starting lineup -- the Green Raiders know that it’s do or die,
because they’ll be in for a long rebuilding process once the season ends.
Ridley’s coaching staff will be hoping to maintain the team’s fast start once the Green Raiders
get into the meat of the Central League schedule. And it’s more than likely the Green Raiders will.
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Senior midfielders Matt McDevitt, Lee Stephane and Brad Yori have Ridley prime for a postseason run.
The attention that Stephane -- originally from the Ivory Coast, located on the south coast of the western
bulge of Africa -- commands from his opponents often pays huge dividends for McDevitt, Yori and the
rest of his Green Raider mates.
"Lee gets frustrated from being double- and triple-teamed," said assistant coach Dave DeYulis. "But he understands that it frees up other guys to roam around, which ultimately benefits the team."
Hats off to Glen Mills head coach Michael Hendrick, whose Bulls battled to two victories and a tie against
Del Val League rival Penn Wood early in the season and, in doing so, surpassed last year’s win
total of zero. The Glen Mills program often finds itself starting over with new personnel each year.
"Having a brand-new team after going 0-17 is not a tough pill to swallow," Hendrick said, laughing.
"The good thing about having kids who’ve never played that much before is there are no bad habits
that need to be broken. We have a clean slate to work with, and it makes teaching the game a lot easier."
Marcell Bean, Randy Omess and Nicholas Nestuck (three goals each) and Diego Cintora and
Jwyanza Chito have emerged as leaders and risen to the challenge of facilitating the perpetual process of rebuilding the Battling Bulls.
"Now that we’ve tasted success, the kids are starting to believe in what we’re teaching them.
We’re learning to play strategic soccer -- passing back to our fullbacks and things of that
nature -- instead of just trying to outrun you with our athleticism."
In terms of achieving success, you have to crawl before you walk, and walk before ..
When teams square off against Strath Haven, Sun Valley, Haverford School and Marple Newtown
this fall, in addition to packing their first-aid kits, they should remember to bring a fire extinguisher
if they want to have any chance of winning.
Simply put: The feet of Karl Reddick, Justin McCall, Jordan Griffith and Bobby DeYoung are ablaze. Groundskeepers of Delco soccer fields should have their work cut out for them after these prolific
scorers shred up their turf.
To the goalies lining up opposite these players: Good luck. You may end up needing it.
Coaches, please be advised that you must call the results of your games, win or lose, into the Daily Times.
As a former athlete, I, too, have experienced the pain of being blown out from time to time, and I
understand the dejected feeling of not wanting to discuss it with anyone. But you’re only hurting your
players, who’ve worked too hard to go unrecognized, if you don’t phone in the scores. In the
case of sports, silence is never golden.
Springfield took its bumps early with an unforgiving nonleague schedule, which landed the Cougars --
who were sans the services of All-Delco sweeper Sean Harkins due to injury -- on the losing end of
four straight shutouts.
Now that Harkins is healthy and his teammates are a little more battle-tested, with contests against
the state powers located in West Chester (Henderson and East) under their belts, the sky is the
limit for the Cougars. This is especially true since first place in the Central League should be passed
around like a hot potato this season after Strath Haven, which bore losses to Lower Merion and
Downingtown West, and Penncrest have shown some vulnerability.
Couple that with the ascension of Ridley and Upper Darby, and scholastic soccer fans will
have one of the closest races for the league crown in recent years. There’s one theory in
sports that has withstood the test of time: Defense can keep any team in games, and
Springfield has plenty of it.
Please note that goals scored in sudden-death, penalty-kick fashion will not be counted for each
week’s scoring leaders. Upper Darby recently defeated Avon Grove on penalty kicks by Chandon
Singh, Wilson Barlee, Eri Sulollari and Malick Waggeh to break a 0-0 tie in the championship of the
Sun Valley Invitational Tournament.
However, they won’t be credited with goals ..just the win.
At Delco Christian, the Knights may be suffering a withdrawal symptom or two from the loss of
2003 Daily Times Player of the Year Kieran Keelan and his county-record 115 goals. Already,
Keelan is a major force (two goals in four games) in contributing to the success at Messiah
College, now ranked 13th in Division III.
Three weeks into the season, the Knights have two losses in the Southern Chester County League,
one less than their total from last year. Midfielders Tyler Ferrier and Martin Dell’Arciprete have performed
well in his absence, and Luke Patterson has been a citadel of defense between the pipes. However, it’s
unlikely that anyone associated with Delco Christian boys soccer will soon forget Keelan’s career.
To contact Mark Hostutler, e-mail sports@delcotimes.com
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Boys soccer: Bratz has a leg up in Springfield victory
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By MARK HOSTUTLER , sports@delcotimes.com
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SPRINGFIELD -- According to Springfield head coach Rich Duffey, anything that junior midfielder
Jeff Bratz lacks in skills, he makes up for with heart. "He’s one of the hardest working kids I’ve
ever coached," said Duffey. "But I don’t think he’s ever scored a pretty goal in his life."
For complete coverage of all yesterday's high school and college action in Delco, be sure to pick
up a copy of the print edition of today's Daily Times.
Appropriately, the one Bratz knocked in during Wednesday afternoon’s boys soccer matchup at Halderman
Field between Central League foes Springfield and Marple Newtown lacked aesthetic appeal.
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But it ended up being the game-winner. And so, a goal is a goal, and a win is a win.
The score came 8:32 into the first half when Bratz, from eight yards out, chipped the ball over Tigers
goalkeeper J.T. Benner and just under the crossbar, where it ricocheted softly into the net.
Seventy-one minutes of solid defense -- led by sweeper Sean Harkins and marking back Shaen Johnson -- later,
the Cougars, despite scattered rain, improved their overall record to 2-4 with a 1-0 victory over Marple (3-4, 0-1).
They simultaneously entered into a first-place tie -- however premature it may be to discuss such matters --
atop the Central League standings by winning the first meaningful game of their young season.
Even if the other teams haven’t played more than a game or two in the league, Duffey will take every win he can get.
"Every win in the Central League is important," he said, "because the powers (Strath Haven, Conestoga,
Lower Merion, etc.) aren’t as powerful this year, and the teams that usually dwell in the lower half of the league
have stepped it up a notch. The only thing that’s certain is it’s going to be a tight race to the finish."
Duffey’s game plan Wednesday was a secret to no one. As if utilizing a tracking device, the Cougars’ defense
closely monitored the every move of Marple Newtown’s Bobby DeYoung, who entered the contest tied with
Sun Valley’s Justin McCall for the county lead in scoring with nine goals. At 5-9 and 154 pounds, DeYoung,
who’s garnering interest from West Chester University, Eastern College and Gettysburg College, is hardly
the biggest guy on the field, but he may be the most dangerous.
"Bobby’s our leader," said Marple Newtown head coach Bill Bertolet. "He has diabetes, but he’s risen above
that with a non-stop work ethic. He’s definitely our go-to guy."
Marking him, therefore, was Springfield’s top priority.
"Everything runs through him," said Duffey. "They have a good club, but we had to stop him first."
The physical Cougars did that, and did that well. DeYoung, working diligently to free himself from double and
triple teams, barely got any clean shots off, nor did any of his teammates. Credit midfielder Frank Hughes,
who was all over the field for the Cougars and whose ability to switch gears on a dime from offense to defense
and vice versa, created several scoring opportunities. He also helpedSpringfield maintain control of the ball for
most of the game.
That, in turn, alleviated the pressure placed on sophomore goalie Pete Weiss, who, in the first start of his varsity
career, ended up registering a shutout.
"We came in wanting to test him," Bertolet said of Weiss. "But we couldn’t. We played well between the 30s
but didn’t get any quality shots on goal, and you can’t win without putting the ball in the net."
In nonleague action:
Haverford School 1, Upper Darby 1
Matt Egleston’s second-half goal salvaged a tie for the visiting Royals (4-0-2) in a battle of unbeaten teams.
Jon Glass scored in the first half for the Fords (3-0-2). Each goalie, Bryan Johnson (Upper Darby) and Ben
Grant (Haverford School), made eight saves.
Episcopal Academy 5,
Monsignor Bonner 1
Brendan Connell got the Friars (1-3) on the board late in the second half as they dropped a nonleague
contest to the Churchmen. Dave Lydon and Alex Bradley each had three saves in goal for Bonner.
Penncrest 0, Kennett 0
Adam Hosey stopped nine shots in goal for the Lions (4-0-2) in helping them remain undefeated. Chris Conlan,
Jarrett Cumberland, Brian Galbraith and Dan Jones paced Penncrest with solid defensive efforts.
Southern Chester
County League
Avon Grove 3, Delco Christian 1
Max Fennell scored the Knights’ lone goal and keeper Luke Patterson made five saves as Delco Christian
(1-2, 3-2 overall) fell to the host Devils.
Unionville 3, Garnet Valley 2
C.J. Borromeo and J.J. DiFerdinando tallied goals for the Jaguars (0-3, 2-3 overall) in defeat. Keeper
Lee Mooney limited the damage in goal, making 19 saves.
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Boys Soccer: Jones, Hennessey connect for Haverford
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By MARK HOSTUTLER , sports@delcotimes.com
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09/08/2004
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HAVERFORD - Despite a nondescript first half in which neither team could muster much of an offensive attack, Haverford was able to turn the tempo up a notch during the last 40 minutes of its nonleague boys soccer matchup with visiting Monsignor Bonner Tuesday afternoon.
And it resulted in a 2-0 victory, the Fords' first win of the young season.
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A halftime speech by Haverford coach Jorge Severini-Pulita helped break up the monotony of a game that - up to that point - could've put the most animated spectators to sleep better than a double shot of NyQuil.
"I told my players that we needed to execute," said Severini-Pulita. "It was an even contest and Bonner was playing well, but we needed to start winning those 50-50 balls and finish the scoring opportunities we were creating."
The Fords (1-1) did just that and more when the second half commenced. Whereas they had only been utilizing the middle of the field, they started to use the sidelines to open up the congestion that plagued both squads in the first half and prevented them from getting any clean shots on goal.
Junior Gareth Jones ended a scoreless tie in the 49th minute with the only goal Haverford would need to secure its initial win of the fall. He banged a loose ball into the goal from point-blank range, and thus set the tone for a second half that was played almost entirely on Bonner's half of the field.
Then, in the 62nd minute, midfielder Matt Hennessey cradled a well-placed pass from fellow junior Brian Boyle, juked a defender with an in-and-out dribble and blasted a shot from his left foot past Bonner keeper Dave Lydon. The goal provided a cushion that was unnecessary in terms of the scoreboard, but indispensable for Coach Severini-Pulita, who used the lead to give some of the sophomores on his bench a baptism by fire.
"Top to bottom, I'm happy with the way my team performed," he said. "The young players got some good experience out of this, and that's a big positive for us to take into the rest of the season."
Bonner assistant coach Jim Strandberg - who in the interim was serving as head coach because John Student missed the game due to a graduate-school commitment - was pleased with the Friars' effort in the first half.
"We were playing a solid game and needed to keep our positioning and maintain our attack in order to win," said Strandberg.
But the Friars' offensive impotence in the second half left much to be desired for Strandberg. Conditioning seemed to play a role in the loss as the fatigued Bonner squad, which dropped to 1-1 in defeat, didn't get a single shot on goal after the break.
"Not only did we not have much offense of our own, but we didn't do a good job in checking their scorers (Boyle, Hennessey and Keith Nolen) and limiting the damage they are capable of doing," Strandberg said.
Consequently, Bonner's Lydon had his work cut out for him after cruising in the first half. He ended up with 13 saves, as Haverford suddenly appeared to be on a perpetual power play, racking up shot after shot en route to victory.
In other nonleague action Tuesday:
Haverford School 2, The Hill School 2
Jordan Griffith scored two goals for the Fords to salvage a tie in their season opener. Ben Moser (five saves) and Ben Smoler (four saves) split time in goal for Haverford.
Marple Newtown 7, Academy Park 0
The Tigers improved to 2-1 by riding the leg of Bobby DeYoung, who scored four goals in the win. DeYoung now has seven goals in three games to lead the county in scoring. Kevin Furman, Jake Becker and John Humenick also added goals for Marple.
Ridley 4, Malvern Prep 1
Matt McDevitt led the Green Raiders' attack with two goals and an assist, while Brad Yori chipped in with a goal and an assist. Salau Collins also scored, and Joe Massimo saved eight shots in goal for Ridley.
Henderson 4, Springfield 0
Forward Frank Hughes' solid effort on offense, and sweeper Sean Harkins' anchoring of the defense wasn't enough for the Cougars in the loss to perennial powerhouse Henderson.
Southern Chester County League
Avon Grove 1, Garnet Valley 0
Lee Mooney's 13 saves in goal for the Jaguars wasn't enough as they dropped to 0-2 on the season.
Octorara 2, Delco Christian 1
Tyler Ferrier's goal wasn't enough as the Knights suffered their first loss of the season in a double-overtime thriller at Octorara.
Luke Patterson had seven saves in goal for the Knights.
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©The Daily Times 2004
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2001 Central League Champions Strath Haven
All Del-Val First Team Honors Rob Machnicki - Harriton - MVP Jeremiah Barjolo, David Fraser - Penn Wood Dave Oswald, Matt Lenza & Jesse Zafaratos - Interboro Jared Marge - Chichester Rob McDugal - Glen Mills Mike Freedman, Jared Kahn & Adam Rose - Harriton Dave Fairchild, Chris Clerico & Bob Schwarting - Sun Valley Second Team Honors Matt Stewart & Sam Oladipo - Academy Park Bill LaMon & Barry Harvey - Chichester Rudson Martina & Arthur Maduro - Glen Mills Pat Ryan & Justin Porter - Interboro Gogbeh Warkolo & Larry Fitti - Penn Wood Chris Perkins & Kevin McCann - Sun Valley Dan Weiss & Tucker Crockett - Harriton Honorable Mention Dan Bissell & Joe Tesauro - Academy Park Terrance Boswell & Tery Heller - Chichester Benjamin Hill & Erik DeVitis - Glen Mills Stefan Calvello & Rohan Watson - Harriton Chris Imparato & Jim Toy - Interboro Andrew Fraser & Jon Meister - Penn Wood A.J. Wilson & Chris Vandeboe - Sun Valley
All Central Scott Spangler - Strath Haven - MVP First Team Chris Thom, Dave Brown & Justin Pines - Strath Haven Cory Shilcock-Elliot & Autstin Cottrell - Radnor Geroge SEverini, Mike Pettinelli - Haverford Mike Pettinelli - Marple Scott Baker - Penncrest Nick Rice-Sarantis - Upper Darby Matt Heaton & Phil Adams - Lower Merion Second Team Haverford - David Jones Marple - Evan Debow Penncrest - Steve Belfiglio Radnor - Andrew Mundy & Rob Gardner Ridley - John McDevitt, Joe Ferrigno Greg Gurenlian - Springfield Strath Haven - Joe Neilson Conestoga - Chris Wasilewski & Matt Zajac Lower Merion - Matt Schwartz & Evan Woods Honorable Mention Conestoga - Dave Roberts, Clark Widger Haverford - Steve Loscalzo, Dwight Ashleigh, Dennis Hagan & Brian Kulesza Lower Merion - Chris Jones, Dan Colameco & Clay Stabert Marple - Dave Bowman, Chris Coleman & Dave Stephens Penncrest - Dan Woody, Ryan Brown & Scott Kitson Radnor - Dave Pulliam, Zander Ritz, Jeff Eagle Springfield - Mike Tirney, Billy Cress & Dan Bowman Strath Haven - Ryan McMenamin, Sam Sucher, Mike Barr Jr. Upper Darby - Ben Gibson, Duy Nguyen & Marty Wiley
The 2001 NEWS of Delaware County All-Star Boys' Soccer Team consists of: First Team: Jeremiah Barjolo and David Fraser, Penn Wood; David Bowman, Mike Pettinelli, Evan Debow and Chad Hetzner, Marple Newtown; George Severini, David Jones and Ed Hagan, Haverford; Bob Mitchell, Oliver McElhone, Joe Cox, Randy Milia, and Dan Fitzgerald, Monsignor Bonner; Greg Gurenlian and Joe Ferrigno, Springfield; Pat Goldsmith, Yulo Kolleh, Jack Vogel, Kelvin Floyd, Cardinal O'Hara; Nick Rice-Serantis, Upper Darby; Adam Grady and Dan McMonagle, Archbishop Carroll. Second Team: Gogbeh Warkolo and Larry Fitti, Penn Wood; Peter Ripley, Marple Newtown; Dwight Ashleigh, Haverford; Mike Tirney, Billy Cress and Ross Kligensmith, Springfield; Josh Williams, Card-inal O'Hara; Mikail Degirmenci, Archbishop Carroll.
Rowing
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