Spring-Ford finds its footing, upends UP
As senior midfielder Connor Lynch tells it, the Spring-Ford boys soccer teamwas playing ‘the best soccer of our lives’ the first two games of the season.
Then, on the Senior Night on Oct. 6, Upper Perkiomen came to town and left the Rams with more thanjust a loss, it left a lot of questions that took weeks – and the 2-3-1 record in that stretch – to answer.
It may have taken reacquainting with Upper Perk to finally find the solution.
Spring-Ford was rewarded for a dominant performance with second-half goals from senior midfielders Ben Goldberg and Connor Lynch to defeat Upper Perk 2-0, returning the favor on the Tribe’s Senior Night Thursday in foggy Pennsburg.
“It’s huge. This is one of those games that you look back on each season,” Lynch said. “You achieve so much and you look back on winning these types of games and this is the one that initiated it all, it changes it. It really is huge. It might be the biggest game of the season for me.”
Goldberg gave Spring-Ford the breakthrough with 27:14 left in the second half with a curling effort from the left wing that deposited into the far side of goal over Upper Perk goalkeeper Matthew Wanamaker, whowas excellent in a nine-save effort. Lynch sealed it with 1:13 to play after a nice turn and blazing cross to the back post byRyanMiller. The Rams’ defense got a lift fromthe return of center back Ekow Asomaning, who joined classmates Trevor Jones, Matt Dunne, Brian Zink and Colton Pollock in helping deliver a clean sheet.
“Especially against a teamthat took our Senior Night, of course there’s going to be a bit of revenge, but we’re just eager to get back to the winning ways and it happened to be them,” Lynch said.
The win improved Spring-Ford to 5-3-1 and has it improbably in the thick of the PAC championship race after looking like amiddle-of-the-pack team during the 2-3-1 stretch. In fact, as the only team with three losses, the Rams control the PAC championship race. If Spring-Fordwins out, the title is theirs.
Upper Perkiomen fell to 3-52, having lost four straight after
an impressive 3-1-2 start while going against the big boys of the PAC in the pandemic-altered season.
The game started on a note of misfortune: with Upper Perk starting its seniors, captainMichael Fisher could only participate in a ceremonial opening tap before exiting after suffering a knee injury and possible torn ACL last Saturday against Boyertown.
Spring-Ford controlled play but only posed a serious threat in the final minute of the first half, an upperright corner shot producing a good save from Wanamaker that led to a Tommy Bodenschatz corner kick that ran through and hit the far post.
Andrew Merchant was a constant outlet and threat down the right side inthe attack for S-FwhileLynch, Nick DiNenna and Goldberg swarmed to UP playmaker Cole Kendra every time he got the ball. Kendra produced the Tribe’s best chance with a 35-yard blast that narrowly missed wide in the 50thminute. It was all Rams from there, Goldberg and Lynch netting two of the team’s top-quality scoring chances in the half.
Suddenly, Spring-Ford is on track and right back at the top of the PAC, where it has consistently been in recent years amid three straight runner-up finishes.
“It’s there for the taking,” Lynch said. “The first two games, against Boyertown and Owen J., we were playing the best soccer of our lives. We were just picking the ball in and out. And then a tough loss against (Upper Perkiomen) on our Senior Night, it really put us down there, and we couldn’t get out.
“We tried to sort it out, but that was the big question, we didn’t really know what was going wrong. We tried to figure it out and I think we figured it out tonight. This type of play reminds me of the first two games. I’m excited, really excited to get back out there again.”
TOUCHOFCLASS » Upper Perk recognized its eight-player senior class – Cole Kendra, Jacob Fetterman, Keaton Durning, Michael Fisher, Dillon Brendle, Jack Cupitt, Lucas Carpenter and Kyle Shemeley – a group that has led a rebirth for Tribe soccer over the past three years.
“That class brought Upper Perk back in a lot of ways,” said UP head coach Kyle Fisher, who has coached some of the current seniors, including son Michael, since they were 6. “They’ve certainly been a big part of taking us from the low level, struggling to win a game or two to higher heights.
“It’s been incredible to be around the kids. A few of them were contributors as freshman, more were contributors as sophomores and they have turned this whole program around. It really begins with them. They’ve given the guys a clear example of what it takes to have a successful program. These seniors will be missed by me, fromasoccer standpoint, froman emotional standpoint. They were instrumental.”
Despite the tough run, Upper Perk still sits at No. 4 in the District 1-3A power rankings, the final qualification spot for districts, which would be a third straight trip to the tournament for the program.
“I’m really hoping we can squeak into districts and hopefully ruffle some feathers,” Kyle Fisher said. HAPPYRETURNS » Asomaning wasn’t expected to return this fall with a torn PCL and re-torn meniscus. But the Rams got a boost fromhis return to the field Thursday.
“It feels great. Three months out and this wasmy first game back. We kept a clean sheet so I couldn’t ask for much more,” he said. “I did rehab the last threemonths and I just came back today. It felt good. There’s obviously risk in coming back but I talked to my PT people, doctors and while there’s risk inme coming back, I had to come back for the boys. I had to contribute toward the season.”
He wasn’t the only one happy to have Asomaning back in the lineup.
“It’s amazing. A guy like him can just galvanize everyone together,” Lynch said. “We’re so lucky to have him back.”
WHAT’S AHEAD » Spring-Ford closes with a visit from Methacton on Oct. 24, at Pottsgrove on Oct. 27, and a rescheduled trip to rival Perkiomen Valley on Oct. 28. Upper Perk closes out at Perkiomen Valley on Oct. 24 and home against Owen J. Roberts in Oct .27.