| UNEXPECTED HEROES STEP UP TO LIFT LOWER MERION OVER ARCH-RIVAL STRATH HAVEN |
If you know Lower Merion sports, you may think that the biggest rival team is Radnor. If you were talking
American football you'd be correct, but if your talking about the soccer team, you would know that the varsity
boys soccer teams arch-rival are the Panthers from Strath Haven High school.
In a game that has seen broken legs, stitches, yellow cards and red cards issued to both teams in the past, both
teams highly anticipate this game and know that this game could dictate the standings in the highly contested
Central League.
Played under the lights a Strath Haven on their senior night, the Aces had extra time to think about what they had
to get ready for, the ensuing battle would be a physical one, loud fans, hard fouls...the Aces knew what was
coming and they were ready.
From the first whistle, it took only seconds for the referee to blow the whistle for the 1st foul of the game as junior
forward Ben Hriscu and senior mid-fielder Michael Lemonick had hard tackles on the haven forward off the tap.
The Aces were issued a free kick as a late hit from a Haven midfielder came in on Lemonick and Hriscu. Senior
co-captain David Rosenfeld would then send a long ball to the left wing of the Haven defense, where it found the
foot of sophomore Matthew Lindheim who smartly sent a ball into the penalty area to fellow sophomore Kenny
Lassiter. The evening dew had settled on the Haven natural grass field, and this would give the ball a bounce
where Lassiter could only redirect the ball towards the Haven goal.
The Aces would get some other good opportunities in the first couple minutes of play and put on a lot of
offensive pressure. It would be the Panthers to strike first, when a questionable call was made on junior
midfielder Roberto "Bobby" Bonilla and a free kick was awarded to Strath Haven. The free kick was placed inside
the penalty area of the Aces and it bounced around, when it finally found the foot of a Haven forward, who put it
in the back of the LM goal.
Just as Coach Severini had told the team "if we get scored on, we put our heads down and charge forward like
bulldogs", and the team did just that. They wasted no time getting the ball out of the net, placed it down in the
circle and recomposed for the 75 minutes of play they had ahead of them.
It would be minutes later when LM would tie the score. Another free kick awarded to the Aces would give
Rosenfeld another opportunity to create a scoring chance for the Aces. He took the ball and sent a long driven
ball to the middle of the Panthers penalty area, where "super-sub" junior Shane Votto jumped higher than the
Haven defense and placed the ball with a nice header into the lower left corner of the rival net. The Aces had tied
the score, but they were not done yet...and Votto was far from done his work for the night. Shane would score his
second goal of the night when a deep throw in from Lemonick found Votto again inside the penalty area and
Votto picked his favorite spot, the bottom left corner of the enemy net.
The "stonewall" of the Lower Merion defense would hold for the rest of the game. Seniors Nate Diehl, David
Rosenfeld, Colin Eisenstaedt and junior Tyler Niles would thwart many Haven attacks into the defensive end.
Playing smartly, the y would win the ball from the oncoming Haven players and not commit unnecessary fouls.
Senior goalkeeper Emmett McConnell seemed as though he was 10 feet tall this night as he would win ball after
ball, in the air amidst elbows and hand balls, and on the ground. Even when late in the 2nd half, as a Haven
forward would slide studs up into a defenseless sprawling McConnell, he would still maintain possession of the
ball.
Tireless work from the mid fielders, Matthew Lindheim, Matias Fernandez-Duque and Roberto Bonilla would end
some of Havens relentless counter attacks and would start some of Lower Merions own. It would be a long ball
from a Lower Merion midfielder that would find Shane Votto trying to run onto it, but when he entered the area, a
Haven defender who could not match Votto's speed took him out and the referee awarded a penalty kick.
Lemonick would step up to make it 3-1 when his P.K. would be hammered into the top right corner of Haven's net,
much to the chagrin of Strath Haven fans who were loudly heckling Lemonick as he waited to take the kick. It was
almost 4-1 when the work of the LM midfield again would send a long ball to the top of the Haven penalty area.
Hriscu speeding down the middle of the field, touched the ball around an oncoming Haven Gk, who made no
attempt to play the ball and instead took Hriscu out with a football style shoulder tackle (see pic below). The
referee would not agree with the above description of the play and did not call a foul on the play.
It did not matter, the Aces would not allow another goal, and repelled all that Haven had to offer. Tempers flew,
and mouths ran as a Strath Haven forward was issued his second yellow card and a "soft red" for some colorful
remarks to the referee on a play. The Wallingford police were on hand to escort some Haven fans who had made
their way to the visitor stands and were yelling less than appropriate comments for much of the game. This
proved once again to be one of the most fiercest and hardly fought games in the Central League and in the state
of Pennsylvania. But as the maroon sky turned to darkness, it was Lower Merion's night to take the victory of the
fierce battle. Votto and McConnell proved that there is potential in everyone, and that when it matters, anyone
can step up and be a hero.
American football you'd be correct, but if your talking about the soccer team, you would know that the varsity
boys soccer teams arch-rival are the Panthers from Strath Haven High school.
In a game that has seen broken legs, stitches, yellow cards and red cards issued to both teams in the past, both
teams highly anticipate this game and know that this game could dictate the standings in the highly contested
Central League.
Played under the lights a Strath Haven on their senior night, the Aces had extra time to think about what they had
to get ready for, the ensuing battle would be a physical one, loud fans, hard fouls...the Aces knew what was
coming and they were ready.
From the first whistle, it took only seconds for the referee to blow the whistle for the 1st foul of the game as junior
forward Ben Hriscu and senior mid-fielder Michael Lemonick had hard tackles on the haven forward off the tap.
The Aces were issued a free kick as a late hit from a Haven midfielder came in on Lemonick and Hriscu. Senior
co-captain David Rosenfeld would then send a long ball to the left wing of the Haven defense, where it found the
foot of sophomore Matthew Lindheim who smartly sent a ball into the penalty area to fellow sophomore Kenny
Lassiter. The evening dew had settled on the Haven natural grass field, and this would give the ball a bounce
where Lassiter could only redirect the ball towards the Haven goal.
The Aces would get some other good opportunities in the first couple minutes of play and put on a lot of
offensive pressure. It would be the Panthers to strike first, when a questionable call was made on junior
midfielder Roberto "Bobby" Bonilla and a free kick was awarded to Strath Haven. The free kick was placed inside
the penalty area of the Aces and it bounced around, when it finally found the foot of a Haven forward, who put it
in the back of the LM goal.
Just as Coach Severini had told the team "if we get scored on, we put our heads down and charge forward like
bulldogs", and the team did just that. They wasted no time getting the ball out of the net, placed it down in the
circle and recomposed for the 75 minutes of play they had ahead of them.
It would be minutes later when LM would tie the score. Another free kick awarded to the Aces would give
Rosenfeld another opportunity to create a scoring chance for the Aces. He took the ball and sent a long driven
ball to the middle of the Panthers penalty area, where "super-sub" junior Shane Votto jumped higher than the
Haven defense and placed the ball with a nice header into the lower left corner of the rival net. The Aces had tied
the score, but they were not done yet...and Votto was far from done his work for the night. Shane would score his
second goal of the night when a deep throw in from Lemonick found Votto again inside the penalty area and
Votto picked his favorite spot, the bottom left corner of the enemy net.
The "stonewall" of the Lower Merion defense would hold for the rest of the game. Seniors Nate Diehl, David
Rosenfeld, Colin Eisenstaedt and junior Tyler Niles would thwart many Haven attacks into the defensive end.
Playing smartly, the y would win the ball from the oncoming Haven players and not commit unnecessary fouls.
Senior goalkeeper Emmett McConnell seemed as though he was 10 feet tall this night as he would win ball after
ball, in the air amidst elbows and hand balls, and on the ground. Even when late in the 2nd half, as a Haven
forward would slide studs up into a defenseless sprawling McConnell, he would still maintain possession of the
ball.
Tireless work from the mid fielders, Matthew Lindheim, Matias Fernandez-Duque and Roberto Bonilla would end
some of Havens relentless counter attacks and would start some of Lower Merions own. It would be a long ball
from a Lower Merion midfielder that would find Shane Votto trying to run onto it, but when he entered the area, a
Haven defender who could not match Votto's speed took him out and the referee awarded a penalty kick.
Lemonick would step up to make it 3-1 when his P.K. would be hammered into the top right corner of Haven's net,
much to the chagrin of Strath Haven fans who were loudly heckling Lemonick as he waited to take the kick. It was
almost 4-1 when the work of the LM midfield again would send a long ball to the top of the Haven penalty area.
Hriscu speeding down the middle of the field, touched the ball around an oncoming Haven Gk, who made no
attempt to play the ball and instead took Hriscu out with a football style shoulder tackle (see pic below). The
referee would not agree with the above description of the play and did not call a foul on the play.
It did not matter, the Aces would not allow another goal, and repelled all that Haven had to offer. Tempers flew,
and mouths ran as a Strath Haven forward was issued his second yellow card and a "soft red" for some colorful
remarks to the referee on a play. The Wallingford police were on hand to escort some Haven fans who had made
their way to the visitor stands and were yelling less than appropriate comments for much of the game. This
proved once again to be one of the most fiercest and hardly fought games in the Central League and in the state
of Pennsylvania. But as the maroon sky turned to darkness, it was Lower Merion's night to take the victory of the
fierce battle. Votto and McConnell proved that there is potential in everyone, and that when it matters, anyone
can step up and be a hero.
Shane Votto on his first goal of the night.
Emmett McConnell on one of his many
saves of the night.
saves of the night.
Hriscu taken out with a football style shoulder tackle.
Lemonick as he strikes the penalty kick to the back of
the Haven net as he manages to silence the
inappropriate comments of the Strath Haven fans.
the Haven net as he manages to silence the
inappropriate comments of the Strath Haven fans.
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