Monday, November 30, 2009

End of a Decade - Let's Compare

30's -- 95-33-21 -- 5 League Titles

40's -- 113-34-21 -- 7 League Titles

50's -- 113-25-28 -- 4 League Titles, 2 District Titles

60's -- 108-25-10 -- 6 League Titles, 2 District Titles, 1 Inter-Dist. Title

70's -- 43-65-26 -- 0 League Titles

80's -- 136-43-37 -- 4 League Titles, 1 District Title, 1 State Title

90's -- 109-69-24 -- 1 League Title

00's -- 122-50-23 -- 4 League Titles

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

2009 PIAA State Playoffs Final

Last Saturday night in Hershey, District 12 (comprised of the Philadelphia Public & Catholic leagues) champion Father Judge and District 3 champion Lower Dauphin played to a 0-0 tie, thru regulation & 2 overtimes. As the PIAA rules dictate, the 2 teams were declared state co-champions, as a state championship game is not allowed to be determined by penalty kicks. The last time this happened was in 2001.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

LM Boy's Soccer Team Records


Best Overall Record:

22-1-5 (1987)






Best League Record:

8-0-0 ('63, '64, '65)




Most Overall Wins in a Season:

22 (1987)





Most Wins in a Regular Season:

16 (1989)





Most Playoff Wins in a Season:

8 (1988)





Fewest Losses in a Season (no picture shown here):


1 ('33, '43,'44, '50, '59, '64, '65, '67, '68, & '87)



Most Overall Shutouts in a Season:

17 (1988)






Most Shutouts in a regular Season:

12 (2008 shown here + '89)





Most Consecutive Shutouts:

7 (1989 shown here, & '44)





Fewest Goals Allowed in a Season:

5, (.31 per game, 1944)





Most Goals Scored in a Season:

97 (1965)








Best District One Finish:


1st, (2007 shown here, + '54
'58, '65, '68, '& '88)




Best State Finish:

1st (1987)

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

State Playoff Update

In the PIAA State quarterfinals, District 1 would lose one team, and another would keep going. Central Bucks East lost a 1-0 heartbreaker to District 12 champion Father Judge, while Unionville beat District Three's 2nd seed Red Land 3-1. In the state semifinals last night, played at Harriton High School, Father Judge beat Unionville 2-1 in double overtime, and moved on to the PA State Final against District 3 champion Central Dauphin. It would be the 1st time in the last 9 years that District One did not have a team in the state final game.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Amazing Defensive School Record


Today's posting will be honoring the 1944 LM soccer team. Besides winning the Suburban One league championship, this Aces squad also went undefeated & unscored upon in league play. But, the most amazing thing about this team, was their defensive domination. After beating Haverford School & Central 4-1 and 5-1 respectively in their first 2 games, only one team scored against them in their last 14 games. That equates to 13 shutouts in 14 games. Their goals against average was .31 per game, and still stands (65 years later) as an LM boy's soccer team record.

Congratulations to all the fine soccer players on that record breaking team.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Faces Behind LM's Individual Soccer Records

Most Goals Scored in a Single Game



6 - Arthur Campbell 1941









6 - Walter Lownes 1943





Most Goals Scored in a Season


31 - Steve Davidson 1965




Most Goals Scored in a Career


64 - Steve Davidson '63, '64, '65




Most Shutouts in a Season




16 - Jason DiLullo 1988





Most Shutouts in a Career





34 - Drew Cotler '03, '04, '05, '06







Most Games Played in a Career






81 - Chris Schreiner '86, '87, '88






PIAA State Playoffs & Honors

After the 1st round of the PIAA State Playoffs, just two of the four District 1 boy's soccer teams remain. Central Bucks East defeated District 11 champion Stroudsburg 2-0, while Unionville beat District 12 runner-up Washington 1-0 in the 2nd overtime.

Downingtown West lost 2-1 to District 12 champion Father Judge, and Souderton lost to District 3 champion Central Dauphin 2-0.

LM's All-Central League boy's soccer team selections:
1st Team - Sr. Jonny Dolezal & Sr. Jordan Wolf
2nd Team - Sr. Jack Van Adelsberg, Sr. Julien Aoyama, & Sr. Momadu Sluwar
HM - Jr. David Rosenfeld

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

2009 LM Boy's Soccer Hall of Fame Inductees


John Wynn ‘45

John played defense (left fullback in those days) for the Aces, and was a 3-year starter in ’42, ’43, & ’44. During that time his teams won the Suburban One soccer league title all 3 years, compiling a total record of 35-6-5. In his senior year John was chosen captain of his team, picked for the All-Suburban league 1st team, as well as being named to the All-Scholastic team. Also, in that ’44 season, John, along with his teammates, only allowed 5 goals the entire season (still sharing an LM team record with the ’67 team), including going unscored upon in league play.

After the ’44 season, John played for the American Reserves/Hosiery club team, until he entered Lafayette College in the fall of ’45. At that time, because of World War II, Lafayette had temporarily dropped the men’s soccer program. Undeterred, John asked for a key to the uniform bin, recruited players from around campus, and temporarily reinstated the program for a 4 game season.

After that season John went into the service for a year and a half, during which time Lafayette hired a new soccer coach to keep the program going. When John came back, he was named the co-captain of the team, and in his senior year was chosen to the All-America 2nd team, and awarded one of the first “Hurlbert Awards” at Lafayette.

After college John joined the Germantown Cricket Club team, who dominated the league for years, and who played one year in an international tournament in Bermuda. After 5 years he joined the Merion Cricket Club team, became chairman of soccer, and established an area youth soccer program for boys & girls. In 1968, John started the first junior boy’s club soccer team in Lower Merion, and in 1972 did the same for the girls. He coached youth soccer for 15 years, and was awarded the “Pioneer Award” by the Delco Soccer League. John continued to play in the Cricket Club League until he was 45, and was a big international soccer fan, going to the World Cup in France in 1998. And in the early 60’s, when the US women’s team was in it’s infancy, he saw them play their 1st international match against China at the UGH field in Neshaminy.



Doug Brown '76

Doug was a 3-year starter for Lower Merion from 1973-1975. As a sophmore forward he earned All-League recognition. Doug moved up to midfield as a junior, and, scheduled to be the go to guy in the middle for the Aces, he sustained broken bones in his right foot in the first game of the season. Despite playing hurt the entire season, he still managed good numbers and helped keep LM in every game. As a healthy senior co-captain, he led the Aces to their first winning seasons in several years, and was named 1st team All-Central League. He was also named to the All-District team, and chosen MVP of his Aces team.

Doug won a total of 5 varsity letters while at LM, and, as a senior, he won the Dave Erickson Outstanding Player award as the 3rd baseman for the LM baseball team.

After Lower Merion, Doug was a 4-year varsity starter at center midfield for Moravian College’s men’s soccer team. In a distinguished career, the Moravian team went 38-16-9, was often nationally ranked, and played in the post-season playoffs in 3 of his 4 years. Over his college career he accumulated 30 goals and 15 assists, playing out of the midfield. In both his junior & senior seasons he was chosen 1st-team All-Middle Atlantic Conference, as well as also being named conference MVP both years. As a senior co-captain, Doug was named NCAA Player of the Week during the season, and achieved 1st-team All-America status.

During both his high school & college careers, he served as a coach & referee in the LM recreation youth soccer association, assisted numerous clinics, and coached for the Middle States Soccer Camp at Ursinus College. He was also the associate director for the Bethlehem recreation department’s Soccer-at-Night program for disadvantaged children.

Doug has worked and served for the past 20 years in public school, university, and college dining services, winning numerous achievement awards. He is currently the Senior Regional Director for a nationwide dining service contractor, and lives in Overland Park, Kansas, with his wife Joanne. They have 4 grown children living in various cities in the eastern United States.

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Playoff Update

In the District 1 final, 4th seeded Unionville overpowered 7th seed Downingtown West 3-0, to capture the District 1 Championship. Unionville will next face Public League champion George Washington in the 1st round of the state playoffs, while Downingtown West takes on District 12's top seed, Father Judge.

In the District 1 3rd place game, Central Bucks East got two 2nd half goals to beat Souderton 2-0. Both these teams also advance to the state playoffs, against an opponent still to be announced.

This year's inductees into the LM Boy's Soccer Hall of Fame will be announced here on "Coach D's Blog" sometime in the next several days.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

A Look Back

First, the scores from last night's District One semi-finals;
Downingtown West 3-0 over Souderton
Unionville 1-0 in OT over Central Bucks East
Downingtown will play Unionville Saturday night for the District One Title, while Souderton takes on C.B. East in the 3rd place game. All 4 teams advance to the PIAA State Playoffs.

The 2009 LM boy’s varsity soccer season is now in the books, so lets take one more look back. I know every one of the coaches & players are disappointed they’re still not playing, but the team’s accomplishments were many.

* They compiled an overall record of 17-2-1, with a 64-11 goal differential and 12 shutouts.

* They won the Central League Championship for the 3rd year in a row, and in the 43-year history of the league, an Aces boy’s soccer team has only done this once before, winning the title in ’84, ’85, ’86, & ’87.

* They beat a nationally ranked team, a 3-2 win against St. Benedict’s Prep in the last regular season game of the season.

* And, they accomplished all this after graduating 12 seniors (including 9-10 starters) from last year’s team.

* Looking ahead, the Aces will graduate 11 seniors, including 7 starters, but return 10 juniors, 3 sophmores, and 1 freshman.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Blast from the Past, 1987


The 1987 LM Aces boy’s soccer team holds the distinction of being the first Aces athletic team, in any sport, to win an official PIAA State Championship. And, to this day, they remain the only LM soccer team to have won the State Crown.

Despite a gaudy 22-1-5 final record, still the most wins in a single season in LM boy’s soccer history, it wasn’t until the last Central League game of the season, against undefeated, and nationally ranked Strath Haven, that this Aces team secured their District 1 playoff berth. Win, and they would share the league title with Haven at 8-1-1, lose, and they would drop to 5th place, at 7-2-1, and their season would be over. That's how tight the first 5 teams in the Central League were. LM scored in the first 5 minutes of the game, and made it hold up for a very tense, and deliciously rewarding, 1-0 victory.

In the District 1 Playoffs the Aces had to settle for a 3rd place finish, losing in the semi-finals on penalty kicks to Central Bucks East, and was forced to watch while archrival Strath Haven beat C.B. East in the finals to win the District One Crown. LM, playing as District One's 3rd seed (they beat Downingtown 2-1 in the District One 3rd place game) then won their first two State Playoff games to set up a rematch with archrival Strath Haven in the State semi-finals. Haven was also the defending State Champion, and it promised to be quite a game.

Played in Lebanon, in front of a huge crowd, and in windy snowy conditions, the first half saw Haven strike first, with the Aces tieing it up just minutes later. It was a hard-nosed physical game, between 2 teams that respected, but didn’t particularly care much for each other. There would be no more scoring in regulation, or overtime, and the victor would have to be decided by penalty kicks. With each team converting on 3 of their first 4 kicks, it would come down to each team’s high scorer, both chosen high school All-Americans that year; the Aces Drew Misher and Strath Haven’s Jason Luzak. Misher went 1st, and, after already having scored a PK during the game, again buried his shot in the upper left corner. Luzak was next, and even though Aces keeper Jason DiLullo got a piece of the ball, it still found the net, and it would be on to sudden-death PK’s. First up was LM's junior defenseman Andrew Sherman. As the Panther keeper dove left, Sherman’s kick found the right side of the net, and the pressure was back on Haven. DiLullo made a brilliant save on Haven’s attempt, and the Aces would advance to the State final against District 7 champion Fox Chapel.

This time the Aces got on the board early, which was the 1st goal allowed by Fox Chapel in their 8 playoff games. However, later in the 1st half the Foxes tied it up, and then the defenses took over. There was no more scoring in regulation, but in the 1st overtime LM was awarded a penalty kick, as midfielder David Alten was pulled down in the box. Up stepped Drew Misher, and he drilled it top left, his favorite spot, and the Aces captured the PIAA State Title.

Two of the tri-captains, Drew Misher & Matt Fine would be chosen to the All-Central League 1st team, with the other, Greg Knepper, along with David Alten, would be 2nd team picks. Misher was also tapped for All-State and High School All-America honors, the first ever from LM.

Monday, November 2, 2009

Blast from the Past, The 70's

During the 70’s, in the infancy of the Central League, the LM boy’s soccer team did not win any championships, but they did have many outstanding soccer players come through the system. The 4 listed below are just a few.

1. Larry Wean ’72 – Larry was a 3-year starter for the Aces, and made 1st team All-Central League in both ’70 & ’71. He was one of the 1st players to make the “long throw-in” an offensive weapon. Had he not concentrated on basketball (he went on to play for Penn), who knows how good a soccer player he would have become.

2. Doug Brown ’76 – Doug was a 3-year starter for LM, and was 1st team All-Central League in ’75 (he was injured the majority of his junior year). He was also the team’s captain and league MVP in his senior year. He went on to be a 4-year starter at Moravian College, and was chosen as the conference’s MVP in both his junior and senior years.

3. Oleh Hnatiuk ’77 – Oleh was also a 3-year starter for the Aces as their goalkeeper, which was very hard to do back in those days. As a senior he was a co-captain, and a 1st team All-Central League selection. During that senior season, despite the fact that his team only scored 8 goals, his goals against average was less than 1 per game.

4. Bill Farquhar ’77 – Bill was another 3-year starter in ’74, ’75, & ’76, and was 1st team All-Central League as a junior & senior. His strengths were his superior soccer skills and incredible fitness level.