Indians hold off Tennent for second straight win
FRANCONIA >> Mike Albers’ free kick into the top right corner of the net put visiting William Tennent ahead less than three minutes into Tuesday’s contest with the Souderton boys soccer team. But the Indians grabbed the lead just before halftime then used Nick Marculo’s second-half goal on a penalty kick to hold on for a 3-2 Suburban One League Continental Conference win.
“They showed a lot of heart in the way they responded to that early goal,” Souderton coach Matt Benner said. “Giving up a goal three minutes into the game and our boys were really, really locked in ready to play this game, it could have gone a different direction. And to their credit, they just fought right back, got a goal back within 10 minutes.”
Dylan Molyneaux pulled Soud-
erton level at 31:02, jumping on a ball Tennent keeper Brendan Hanratty could not get a handle off and knocking it over the goal line. Ben Campman collected the go-ahead strike under two minutes to go in the half, getting a shot off in a crowded 18yard box.
“One of those things our coach always talks about is that some of the games when they come out fast and they hit us really hard, we kind of stammer a little bit and we have a little trouble getting back on our feet, Campman said. “When they scored that, we’re trying to make a culture here, that’s another thing our coach is always telling us, so we figured we’d get it eventually. We had a lot of shots on target the last game and we figured one of them was going to find the net.”
Big Red took a twogoal advantage when David Hafler – who earlier in the second half hit the crossbar – was taken down in the box for a penalty kick. Marculo stepped up to take it and deftly put it in the left side of the goal at 32:56.
Albers, however, struck again on a free kick with 23:24 remaining, curling a shot just inside the right post to pull the Panthers within 3-2. Albers threatened a third goal with a long-range floater late in the half but Indians goalkeeper Mitchell Race knocked away for goal as Tennent’s two-game win streak was snapped.
“I know everybody has injuries, but we were a little thin on our bench today,” William Tennent coach Ryan Todt said. “We got a guy hurt at practice yesterday and another guy wasn’t available today so I thought we were a little short they had a little more stamina than us and they weathered, they fought right back and to their credit they crashed the boxed well and got behind us. We learned the hard way.”
Tuesday’s victory gave Souderton (5-5-0, 2-4-0 conference) possession of a two-game win streak after the Indians opened the week Monday with a 1-0 non-league victory over Phoenixville.
Both teams begin the second half of SOL Continental play Thursday with Souderton hosting Central Bucks South at 6:30 p.m. and William Tennent (4-50, 2-4-0) at home against Central Bucks West at 7 p.m.
“I think we’re really getting going,” Campman said. “I think we’re going to have much better second half of the season than we did the first half.”
Molyneaux scored to make it 1-1 after the Indians played a short corner. Tommy Sonn sent a cross forward into the box and Hanratty reached it before Molyneaux but the ball slipped out of the Tennent keeper’s grasp and got behind him. Molyneaux’s touch got the ball to go the short distance into the net for the equalizer.
“I was really, really excited when that goal went in because I knew that we were back ready to go again,” Benner said. “And they carried it through and they did a nice job the rest of the game.”
Campman made it 2-1 with 1:46 left in the first half. A Molyneaux throwin into the box came back out to him on the left flank and the senior midfielder floated a cross to the front of goal. In traffic, Campman lined up a shot to found the lower left corner.
“A cross came across and one our captains, Cameron Hart, went to trap and it kind of just fell off his foot. And I just took a touch and kind of put one on frame and just kind of hoped for it,” Campman said.