Union pleased with scoreless draw
The unexpected can happen in CONCACAF Champions League, especially away from home. Bad pitches, midweek games, muddled incentives — things can get crazy quick in the continental club competition.
Even Jim Curtin felt it.
No, not the dog that ran on the field, interrupted the Union’s 0-0 draw with Alianza in El Salvador Tuesday night, though that was the instance that got converted into the most online content Tuesday.
Just as unusual for his tenure in Philadelphia was Curtin changing eight players from the team that lost 2-0 Saturday in
Miami. The reserves he brought in still did a job to reinforce Curtin’s faith.
“We changed eight players from Miami, which is not in my nature,” Curtin said via Zoom postgame. “When you’re rotating more than four, you’re really putting your group at risk. But we really believe in our depth, for sure. We have as strong a team as we’ve ever had, in terms of guys that can come off the bench and change a game for us. … I thought our guys executed a plan really well.”
The goodest pitch invader in the second half also had about the cleanest touches on the ball on the night, slobber aside. The pitch at Estadio Cuscatlan was declared playable only days before, and only barely at that. It led to a physical game, with balls bouncing haphazardly and completing even the simplest of passes an accomplishment.
Curtin expected that. By deploying his subs for the first of a two-leg match, which finishes in Chester next Tuesday, he had a team that would battle it out for the first 90 of 180 minutes.
Keeping a clean sheet was the only real goal, along with resting starters and getting through without a red card or piles of yellows. Looking like the better team, especially in the last half hour when Curtin brought on several regulars, was a bonus. Had they converted a chance to take home an away-goal lead, it would’ve merely
at 2:15 p.m. leading into the second and third rounds of consolations. Saturday opens at 9 a.m. with the championship semifinals and consolation rounds to determine medal placement. The medal rounds will begin at 7 p.m.
Sheridan is bound for Hershey for the third time in his career, but it’s the first time he’ll go it alone.
“I feel like there’s more pressure on me honestly, but the goal is still the same,” said Sheridan. “I feel there’s more pressure, more eyes on me, which honestly, I feel like I perform better under. I know I have a good support system behind me even though I was the only one to make it.”
Chance Babb, now at Alvernia and on his way to NCAA Division III Championships this weekend in Roanoke, Va., placed sixth a year ago for the Bears. Sheridan is primed for a podium finish after missing out his first two seasons.
“It’s about putting trust in my ability, technique and hard work. Go
out there, have fun, let it fly,” he said. “The past two years I went out nervous, like I didn’t deserve to be there, that I wasn’t good enough. But this year I feel I trust the work I’ve put in, my conditioning and I think I’m good enough to be anywhere up on the podium. That’s the goal.”
Sheridan, who is seeded fourth, hasn’t lost in 2023, rattling off 32 consecutive wins, including knocking off three-time state qualifier Carmen Cortese of West Chester Henderson 8-4 in the 133-pound final last weekend at Souderton.
For DeMeno, the solo endeavor isn’t entirely foreign.
“Last year I was the only one to make it to regionals, so I’m kind of used to it,’ he said. “I feel like it can help. It would be better to have my teammates, but at the same time I get all the coaching focused on me and I can focus on me. It’s good and bad at the same time.”
DeMeno (33-6) negotiated a stacked 215-pound bracket at the Southeast Regional to place fourth and earn his first trip to the PIAA Championships. It was a much more satisfying
finish after suffering a heartbreaker when he was sixth - one spot out of states - a year earlier.
“Missing out by one place last year was definitely not a good feeling,” DeMeno said. “I knew I couldn’t have that happen again. I just did everything I could in the summer, going to camps, traveling to wrestle on different teams, working as hard as I could to make sure I was there this year.”
DeMeno put in the extra work in the offseason, attending camps at Kutztown University and Penn State, plus competing at the VIrginia Beach Duals with a team primarily composed of Boyertown wrestlers and Disney’s Wide World of Sports with the Carlislebased Keystone Brawlers Wrestling Club.
He dove in blind to the Disney experience, first meeting the team and coaches upon arrival.
“They asked me at the last moment to wrestle for their team and I did it, flew down to Florida and met them as I got there when I got to the hotel,” DeMeno said. “That was the first time I wrestled with them. I didn’t know anybody on the team but
it was kids from everywhere around Pa. I got to know a lot of them and made a quick bond with them.”
DeMeno’s willingness to jump into the unknown may fit perfectly with his first trip to the state tournament. He attended as a spectator his freshman year, but it’s a much different animal when competing.
“It’s gonna be an experience there now on the floor,” he said.
A preliminary awaits DeMeno against Meadville senior Rhoan Woodrow (24-9). A win there would lead into a meeting with McCaskey’s unbeaten senior Jose Garcia (36-0), the No. 3 seed.
Rozanski (35-5) dropped down to 121 for the postseason and rolled to the North sectional title at Perkiomen Valley on Feb. 25. He was upset by Pennridge freshman Quinn McBride in the opening round of regionals and had to navigate a challenging path to states. But he blasted through five straight consolation wins – three straight without surrendering a point – to claim third place and his second state berth.
He’ll match up with Baldwin junior Owen Klodowski (35-6) in a preliminary before a potential meeting with Freedom senior Christian Horvath (34-3), the Northeast champion.
Perkiomen Valley sends its largest contingent to states since 1975. Leading the way is regional runner-up Gavin Pascoe (39-8) and two-time state medalist Kelly Kakos (165), who returned quickly from an in-season meniscus tear to earn a third PIAA appearance. The Lock Haven commit vying to become the PAC’s first three-time medalist since Spring-Ford’s Joey Milano will be in a recovery race after his first-period injury default in the regional third-place match.
They’ll be joined by freshman Max Tancini (44-7), Carson Pascoe (445) and brothers Carson Euker (34-10) and Grant Euker (37-8), who both placed fifth at regionals.
Owen J. Roberts features the PAC’s highestseeded wrestler in junior Dillon Bechtold (432). The No. 2 seed at 215 pounds placed fifth at 172 last year. He’ll be joined by fellow regional champions, junior Sam Gautreau
(40-5) and freshman brother Dean Bechtold (39-8), and senior Mason Karkoska (32-11), who reached Hershey for the first time.
PAC champion SpringFord qualified three for Hershey, brothers and repeat qualifiers Gus Smith (27-12) and Quinn Smith (30-4), and freshman Mason Richards (27-11), only the third Ram rookie to make Hershey. SpringFord likely would have sent four if not for the knee injury that cost senior Cole Smith from continuing at regionals for his third PIAA trip. Smith saw his year end with a 34-3 record and amassed 110 victories in his career.
Daniel Boone’s Hogan is the No. 1 seed at 189 pounds after amassing a 40-0 record. The reigning Mercury All-Area Wrestler of the Year placed third at states as a sophomore. He surpassed 100 career wins at regionals two weekends ago. Junior Dean Houser is 37-6 and coming off the 121-pound regional win. Houser hasn’t lost in the new year outside a pair of defeats to Malvern Prep’s Nick O’Neill, an Army recruit who recently became a three-time National Preps medalist.