2 left standing

The 2 Central League teams did their best in the PIAA State semi-finals but it just wasn't enough. Central Bucks East beat Conestoga 2-1 and Springfield lost to Senaca Valley in OT 1-0. The Central League continues to prove that it is one of the best boy's soccer leagues in the state.

The 2015 LM Aces officially wrapped up their season with their annual, soccer banquet on Monday evening at the Great American Pub in Conshohocken. The varsity ended with an 11-5-4 overall mark & another District One playoff appearance, the JV finished up with a very impressive 10-3-3 season, and the Freshmen team had their 1st undefeated campaign, 8-0-1, since 1987. Congratulations to all 3 teams. The future looks bright for LM Aces Soccer.

I will be posting only occasionally during the off season, but picking up again next Spring as the Aces start preparations for a new season. Next year we will go back to our "LM Soccer Alumni Weekend" format by including several of our activities in the same weekend; The Steve Fountain Memorial Golf Event on that Friday, the annual Alumni Game on Saturday morning, and watching the current Aces play that Saturday afternoon. I will post the dates for that weekend next Spring.

If there are any LM Soccer Alumni out there who have changed their email addresses, or have not been receiving our weekly email updates during the season (meaning we don't have you in our database), please send your current email address to me at: bubdavidson@comcast.net.

Hope you all have a great holiday season.

3 District One teams in State Final Four

In the State Quarter-Finals C.B. East beat Cumberland Valley 4-1 which Conestoga beat West Chester Henderson, also by 4-1. They will meet each other in one of the State Semis on Tuesday, 7 PM, at Souderton H.S.

Springfield defeated Fox Chapel 2-1 in their Quarter-Final and will play Senaca Valley in the other Semi-Final on Tuesday.

State Playoffs Begin

All 4 District One representatives are alive & well in the PIAA State Playoffs.

#1 C.B. East beat Hershey 2-0
#2 Conestoga's game vs. Emmaus was cancelled last night and will be played tonight
#3 Springfield beat Northeast 2-0
#4 W. C. Henderson beat Lower Dauphin 1-0 in OT

In the past 30 years a District One team has won the PIAA AAA State Title 17 times, and finished as the runner-up 12 times.

In the last 30 years a Central League team has won the PIAA AAA State Title 9 times, and finished as the runner-up 5 times, making it the strongest soccer league in Pennsylvania over that time

You can get all the 2015 results at www.piaa.org/assets/web/documents/2015_AAAB_SOC_Brax.pdf

District Champion

In the 2015 AAA District One Title game it was top ranked C.B. East getting past the undefeated and defending District One Champion Conestoga Pioneers 2-1. East opened up a 2 goal lead at halftime but Conestoga charged back, with the difference in the game being East goalkeeper Austin Prime.

In the 3rd place game Springfield was defeated 2-1 by West Chester Henderson. All 4 teams move on to the PIAA State playoffs.

Playoff Update

In one the District One semi-finals #1 seed C.B. East (20-0) easily defeated #4 seed West Chester Henderson 4-1, and #2 seed Conestoga (18-0-1)  beat #3 seed Springfield 1-0 in the other. They will face each other on Saturday night for the District Crown.

All 4 teams will move on into the PIAA State Playoffs.


Past PIAA State Champions

The PIAA State Championship began in the Fall season of 1973. Below are listed the 44 winners (by year), along with the runners-up, with both team's District number in (   ), and the score of the State Final game (in blue). When the State Final game ended in a tie (after the overtime periods were played) co-champions were declared.


Lower Merion has qualified the State Playoffs 8 times, with the results listed below:



1984 - Lost to Neshaminy in the State Final 0-1
1985 - Lost to Bethlehem Freedom 1-1 on PK's in the 1st round
1986 - Lost to Great Valley 2-3 in the Quarter Finals

1987 - Beat Fox Chapel in the State Final 2-1
1988 - Lost to Conestoga 1-3 in the State Final
2007 - Lost to Central Dauphin 1-2 in the 1st round
2008 - Lost to Neshaminy 2-2 on PK's in the Quarter Finals
2010 - Lost to C.B. East 0-2 in the Quarter Finals
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1973 West Snyder (4)  2-0  Upper Moreland (1)
1974 Middleburg (4)  4-0  Tulpehocken (3)
1975 Bethlehem Liberty (11)  1-0  North Allengheny (7)
1976 State College (6)  2-0  Bethlehem Freedom (11)
1977 ELCO (3)  2-1  Bethlehem Liberty (11)
1978 Fleetwood (3)  4-0  Upper St. Clair (7)
1979 ELCO (3)  3-0  Harriton (1)
1980 Fleetwood (3)  2-0  Radnor (1)
1981 Mount Lebanon (7)  2-1  ELCO (3)
1982 Neshaminy (1)  2-1 OT  Fleetwoon (3)
1983 Bethlehem Freedom (11)  1-1 OT co-champions with Trinity (7)
1984 Neshaminy (1)  1-0  LOWER MERION (1)
1985 Council Rock (1) 4-2  Moon Township (7)
1986 Strath Haven (1)  1-0  West Chester East (1)
1987 LOWER MERION (1)  2-1 OT  Fox Chapel (7)
1988 Conestoga (1)  3-1  LOWER MERION
1989 Downingtown (1)  1-0  Mount Lebanon (7)
1990 Fox Chapel (7)  1-0  Downingtown (1)
1991 Strath Haven (1)  1-0  Upper St. Clair (7)
1992 Wilson West-Lawn (3)  1-0  Strath Haven (1)
1993 Great Valley (1)  1-0  Wilson West-Lawn (3)
1994 Bethel Park (7) 2-2 OT co-champions with Neshaminy (1)
1995 Strath Haven (1)  8-0  Erie McDowell (10)
1996 Strath Haven (1)  6-0  North Allegheny (7)
1997 Coughlin (2)  9-5 OT  Erie Cathedral Prep (7)
1998 Downingtown (1)  1-0  Peters Township (7)
1999 Downingtown (1)  4-2  North Allegheny (7)
2000 North Allegheny (7)  1-0 OT  Emmaus (11)
2001 Strath Haven (1)  1-1 OT co-champions w/ Erie Cathedral Prep (7)
2002 West Chester Henderson (1)  2-1  Chartiers Valley (7)
2003 Upper St. Clair (7)  1-0 OT  West Chester East (1)
2004 Upper St. Clair (7)  2-0  West Chester Henderson (1)
2005 Warwick (3)  1-0  West Chester Henderson (1)
2006 Council Rock N. (1)  2-1  Manheim Township. (3)
2007 Peters Township (7)  2-1 OT  Downingtown West (1)
2008 Downingtown West (1)  2-1  Peters Township (7)
2009 Father Judge (12)  0-0 OT co-champions with Central Daulphin (3)
2010 Hempfield (3)  2-1  Central Bucks East (1)
2011 Conestoga (1)  1-0  Upper St. Clair (7)
2013 Upper St. Clair (7) 1-0 Wilson West Lawn (3)
2014 Peters Township (7) 2-1 Great Valley (1)

District One Final Four

The Central League's top 2 teams, Conestoga & Springfield, have both advanced to the District One Final Four.  All 4 teams will move on to the PIAA State Playoffs.

'Stoga, the #2 seed, beat Council Rock North 2-1 in the 2nd round (after a 1st round bye), and then dispatched Abington 4-0 in the quarter-finals. Springfield beat Central Bucks West 2-1 in OT in the 2nd round (after a 1st round bye), then defeated Pennsbury 2-1 in the quarters (scoring the winning goal in the last 7 seconds playing a man down). On Wednesday they face each other in the semis at William Tennent (7 PM). In the other semi-final #1 seed C.B. East (a PK winner against North Penn) takes on #4 West Chester Henderson, who beat Downingtown West 2-1.

Lower Merion won the District One Title 2 times in the last 8 years (2007 & 2010) as well as 5 other times since they began in 1954 ('54, '58, '65, '68, '88).

2nd Round Action

LM traveled to #6 seeded Pennsbury for their 2nd round District One playoff game. Pennsbury was a very solid team, with good height up front & in the back, which would help them this afternoon.

The 1st goal came quickly as Pennsbury took advantage of a questionable foul called on the Aces right near the corner flag. They put the free kick into the box and jammed it home with only 3 minutes played to take an early 1-0 lead. The game was played on a big field, which seemed to benefit Pennsbury's speed and passing game. However LM held tough the rest of the half with great hustle and tenacious pressure on the ball, keeping Pennsbury off the board and generating a little offense themselves, but couldn't get the equalizer. 1-0 at half.

Ten minutes into the 2nd half Pennsbury scored again, this time on a beautiful header off a corner kick, and the Aces were forced into needing another big comeback to keep their season alive. Pennsbury controlled most the play for the 1st 15 minutes of the half, as the game became a little chippy. Midway thru the 2nd half Pennsbury was awarded a PK and made good to take a 3-0 lead. LM never gave up but just couldn't get on the board. It was a touching moment for everyone to see the Aces finish the game with their 11 seniors on the field.

Nobody likes to lose their last game of the season, but only 1 playoff team in the state can avoid it. LM finished with an overall record of 11-5-4, a mark that both the players & coaching staff can be proud of. Congratulations to the Aces All-Central League selections; 1st team - senior Quinn Vagnoni, 2nd team - senior Anthony Haines, and Honorable Mention - junior keeper Sabastian Jenkins.

 

District 2nd Round

Tomorrow the Aces take on #6 seed Pennsbury, a winner yesterday against #27 seed Great Valley 2-1. They will be playing at Macclesfield Park, 1000 River Road, Yardley, PA. This is the 15th consecutive year that LM has reached at least the 2nd round of the District One Playoffs.

This was a record year for the Central League as they had 8 teams make the District One Playoffs. Unfortunately the 5 other teams who played yesterday didn't fare to well, with every one of them getting shutout.

#2 - Conestoga drew a bye in the 1st round & will take on #15 seed Council Rock North, a 3-0 winner over #18 seed Radnor
#3 - Springfield also earned a bye & will play #19 seed Central Bucks West, a 1-0 winner over #14 seed Marple

Playoff Soccer

The #11 seeded Aces hosted #22 seed Neshaminy this afternoon in the 1st round of the District One Playoffs. The first 15 minutes were evenly played, with neither team showing much offensive thrust. Midway thru the half Neshamniy got on the board first, with a goal coming off a nice cross. LM threatened with a few near misses off dead ball plays but went into halftime down 1-0.

Fifteen minutes into the 2nd half the Aces got a point blank shot off an attempted clear by a Redskin's defender but it was right at the keeper. Neshaminy doubled their lead shortly thereafter, coming from a beautiful header off a free kick. 2-0. With 18 minutes left in regulation Neshaminy was awarded a PK that could have put the game away but junior goalie Sebastian Jenkins had other ideas and made a brilliant save to keep it 2-0. This save seemed to energize the LM team, and 3 minutes later they got on the board. Senior Anthony Haines put a nice free kick into the box and the Redskin's keeper was caught in no man's land. This gave senior Jeremy Hillsberg a chance to find the open net and he made no mistake. With the clocking winding down under 4 minutes left junior Alex Moureaud tied it up. An Aces' free kick was blocked by the keeper and Moureaud drilled in the rebound. 2-2. With under a minute left LM got a free kick about 19 yards out but couldn't score.

The game went into sudden-victory OT, two 10 minute periods. There wasn't much action in the 1st OT period but Neshaminy turned up the heat in the 2nd, but scouldn't get another one by Jenkins. It went to PK's to see who would advance to the 2nd round. The Aces went 1st and senior Max Knight-Surie buried one in the lower left corner. Neshaminy did the same and it was 1-1. Senior Anthony Haines ripped his shot upper left while keeper Sabastian Junkins made a great save of Neshaminy's 2nd kicker, 2-1 LM. The Redskin's keeper got a piece on senior Quinn Vagnoni's shot but it wasn't enough as it snuck in the upper left corner. Neshaminy's 3rd kicker hit the right post & went wide, 3-1 Aces. Senior Connor O'Hare put it away for LM as he beautifully placed his kick top right, and the Aces would move on.

Next game is Thursday, in a 2nd round match up against the winner of tonight's game between #6 Pennsbury & #27 Great Valley. Details here tomorrow. 

Blast From The Past: 2000 - 2009

Despite having many outstanding teams from the 1st decade of the 2000s, the 2007 team was the cream of the crop. They won both the Central League Title and the District One Title, before getting upset in the 1st round of the State Playoffs 2-1 to Central Dauphin. They recorded an amazing overall record of 20-2-2, and out scored their opponents 70-19.

The Aces' offense that year was led by Central League MVP, All South East-PA selection, and NSCAA All-Region pick junior Greg Robbins. Fellow All Central League 1st team pick junior Danny DiLullo was also a prolific scorer, as well up front standouts All Central League HM pick junior Jordan O'Brandt, senior Johnny Fleisher & sophomore Julien Aoyamo.

LM also had one of the best midfields in the Central League, led by 2nd team All-Central League selection junior Eric Stahler. Other strong performers were seniors Dan Savaria & Tim Adams and sophomore standouts Jordan Wolf, Alex Cope, & Max Tassano.

The defense, anchored by goalkeepers junior Justin Corrado & sophmore Jack van Adelsberg, had a multitude of riches. All-Central League HM picks Senior Kevin Escott & junior Jason Kass were the captains of this outstanding unit, with 1st team All-Central League selection junior Nick Bibbs able to be effective at any position. Other strong performers were senior Peter Vagnoni, junior Jake Eisenhardt, sophomores Johnny Dolezal & Stephen Prifti, and their 2 super freshmen backs Michael Lemonick & David Rosenfeld.

District 1 Playoffs

In the past 29 seasons, from 1984 through 2015, the LM Aces have qualified for the District One "AAA" (big school) Playoffs 26 times. The longest LM consecutive streak has been 13 in a row (from '84 through '96) & ('03 through '14).

Below I have listed the District Playoff results for the past 5 seasons:

2014
1-0 vs. Boyertown in 1st Round
1-2 vs. Plymouth Whitemarsh in 2nd Round

 2013

0-0 OT (lost on PKs vs. Downingtown West in 2nd Round (received bye in 1st Round)

2012

2-1 vs. C.B. West in 1st Round

1-2 vs. North Penn in 2nd Round 

2011

1-2 OT vs. Council Rock South in 2nd Round (received bye in 1st Round)

2010

5-0 vs. Chi-Chester in 1st Round 

2-0 vs. Marple in 2nd Round

0-0 (won on PKs) vs. Pennridge in Quarter-Final

1-0 vs. Pennsbury in Semi-Final
0-0 (won on PKs) vs, Conestoga for District Title

2009

2-0 vs. Great Valley in 2nd Round (received bye in 1st Round)

1-1 (lost on PKs) vs. Downingtown West in Quarter-Final

Strong Finish Pays Off

With a strong stretch run the Aces earned the #11 seed, good enough for a home game against #22 seed Neshaminy. Game is scheduled for 3 PM on the turf at Arnold Field.

The Central League was very well represented in the District One playoffs, fielding 8 teams in all; Conestoga #2 seed, Springfield #3, Harriton #13, Marple #14, Radnor #18, Strath Haven #25, & Garnet Valley #26.

To view the completed bracket go to; www.district-one.net/sports/soccer-boys.

Regular Season Ends

LM hosted Upper Dublin yesterday afternoon in their last regular season game. It was a pretty evenly played contest with a few good scoring chances from both teams. The Aces' defense continued their fine play, and junior keeper Sabastian Jenkins made several nice saves. It ended 0-0 to take LM's overall record to 10-4-4.

Considering that two of their losses were one goal heart breakers that very easily could have gone either way, and putting 8-9 new starters on the field for the 1st game, this was a pretty impressive regular season mark for the Aces.

The second season begins next week with the District One Playoffs getting under way on Tuesday. Tomorrow the seeding committee will set the brackets for the 28 teams who will compete for the 2015 AAA District One Title, and as of last week Lower Merion was ranked #19 in the power rankings. I will post the Aces' opponent & game info sometime tomorrow, along with a little history of the District One Playoffs.

After the seeding meeting is over the completed bracket will be posted at:

www.district-one.net/sports/soccer-boys


LM Soccer Alumni News

Yesterday the LMSAA held their 11th annual "Steve Fountain Memorial Golf Event" at Edgmont Golf Club. It was a beautiful day with one of the best turnouts we've had in several years. The LMSAA would like to thank CRW Graphics for being our Presenting Sponsor, and Bradford-White as our Gold Sponsor. They both have been a big reason for our success over the many years they have been with us. We also would like to also thank all our hole sponsors, many of whom have been with us for a long time, and all of you who made made donations to the LMSAA.
Your support is greatly appreciated.

1 More Left

The Aces hosted Mathacton this afternoon in their next to last game of the regular season. As the game began both teams seemed to be feeling each other out, with good passing in the midfield & excellent ball control.

The first good scoring chance didn't come until midway thru the 1st half. The Aces were awarded a free kick in the Methacton end & just missed on a header. A few minutes later LM senior Anthony Haines scored what could very well be the goal of the year. He took a layoff pass 30 yards out & first timed a bullet into the upper right corner. The goalie didn't get near it. 1-0 Aces at the half.

In the 2nd half Haines, playing one of his best games of the season, almost got his 2nd goal of the game when his header went just over the crossbar 6 minutes in. Midway thru the half Methacton began to get a little penetration in LM's end that caused problems, but couldn't put one past junior keeper Sabastian Jenkins. Later in the half super soph Max Shapiro out ran the defense but had his semi-breakaway shot saved nicely by Methacton's goalie. With only 12 minutes left in regulation it was LM's Haines again, this time serving up a beautiful corner to senior Russell Peck who drilled a header past the helpless keeper. There was no more scoring and the Aces came away with their 10th win of the season 2-0.

On Friday LM wraps up their regular season when they host Upper Dublin at 3:45 PM. With a District One playoff spot all but assured, they need a win to have any chance at getting a 1st round home game.

Winding Down

LM traveled to The Christian Academy this afternoon for a non-league contest. The Aces got on the board first when junior Andrea Blobel hit an unstoppable volley upper 90 with just 15 minutes played. LM was controlling the play for most of the afternoon with an improved passing game.

Senior Anthony Haines doubled the lead 10 minutes into the 2nd half when he took a nice pass from senior Max Knight-Surie and hit a left footed blast past the Academy keeper. This seemed to wake up The Christian Academy squad and they began to increase their intensity. That pressure paid off almost immediately when they put one just past the outstretched hand of Aces' goalkeeper junior Sabastian Jenkins. The pressure continued but they couldn't get the equalizer and LM walked off with a 2-1 victory.

The regular season has 2 more games remaining; Wednesday (tomorrow) they host Methacton at 3:30 and Friday they host Upper Dublin at 3:45. The District One playoff seeding committee meets this Sunday to set up the brackets for next week's opening games. I will post those results right here on Sunday evening or Monday morning.

I would like to thank Jennifer Haines and Jeff Hillsberg for helping me with info & results for several games this year that I wasn't able to attend. Much appreciated.

Blast From The Past - 1990

 

The most dominant Aces’ team in the 90’s was the 1990 squad. They won the Central League Title, LM’s 5^th in the previous 7 years, and despite losing their top scorer, All-America selection Lou Spivak, they were still the highest scoring team in the Central League.

Senior center midfielder John Howard, along with senior Rune Jensen & sophmore sensation Will Kohler, led the offense to a 50 goal season. Alex Gorman, Alex Soufflas, Mike Mandarino & Brian Hart each came up with many key goals up front as well. Mike Rotman & David Abrams solidified the midfield unit.

Meanwhile, at the defensive end, goalkeepers Joey DeBona & junior Kevin Holt held the opposition to 14 total goals in 20 games, including 12 shutouts, the lowest total for an LM team in the previous 15 years. A big reason for this was their strength down the middle, with junior sweeperback Kevin Clark & senior stopperback Ian Blasco putting up a wall in front of the net. Holding down the wingback positions were Andy Beckford, Alex Goodman, Michael Mark,  & Noah Grassi.

With a final overall record of 15-2-3, the ’90 Aces were ranked as high as #2 in Southeastern PA before they lost a heartbreaker to West Chester Henderson 2-1 in the District One quarter-finals, giving up 2 goals in the last 10 minutes.

LMSAA fundraiser

The 11th annual Steve Fountain Memorial Golf Tournament will be held this Friday at Edgemont Golf Club in Edgmont, PA. I want to thank all of you who have purchased sponsorships for this year's event. They are the lifeblood of our fundraising efforts. And also thank you to those who are playing in the event, We still have some spots open for players so if you're interested please go to our LMSAA website at: www.lmsocceralum.org and click on the "Steve Fountain" invitation for all the details. 

We also appreciate those of you who have kindly donated to our efforts. If you haven't, and would like to send in a donation, please make the check out to "LMSAA" and mail it to our treasurer Jim VanDusen (class of '89) at the address below. Thank you all for continuing to support the LMSAA and all the good work we do in the community. 

Another bump in the road

This morning the Aces traveled to Penn Wood for their 1st of 4 non-league games to conclude their regular season. In the 1st half senior Anthony Haines scored on a PK to give LM a 1-0 lead. The Aces continued to carry the play the rest of the half but couldn't add to their advantage.

In the 2nd half Penn Wood used their speed advantage to tie it up about 17 minutes in. The game got physical after that and about 16 minutes later LM senior Quinn Vagnoni was pulled down in the box and a PK was called by one of the 2 refs, but the other ref came in and reversed the call. Arguing ensued, resulting in an Aces' player receiving a yellow card. LM seemed to lose their focus after that and Penn Wood took the lead with about 15 minutes left in the game.

The Aces had several opportunities to tie it up, coming from long throw-ins and a ball bouncing around in front of the net in the final seconds, but couldn't get the equalizer. This was a heartbreaking loss for LM, but now winning out would go a long way in their seeding for the District One playoffs.

2015 LM Soccer Alumni Game
(front row l to r), Matt Fine '88, John O'Donnell '86, Ron Braverman '85, Bart Brenner '83
(2nd row l to r), John DePrince '83, Josh Lowenthal '94, Kevin Escott '08, Chris Giorno '08
Andrew Meinster '07, Jon Fleisher '08, Sean Furber '96, Chris Schreiner ''89 (back row l to r)
Bo Ebby '84, Eli Perlman '90, Sam Moore '07, Jim VanDusen '89, Bob Davidson '64 

Also this morning the 2015 LM Soccer Alumni Team hosted an alumni team from neighboring Haverford High. It turned out to be a very well played game by both teams. Crisp passing, smart ball control, & good teamwork made up for the fatigue resulting from those added years.

The Aces got on the board first with a nice goal from Jonny Fleisher (class of '08). Fleisher added a 2nd 7 minutes later to double the lead. The Fords regrouped and took over the play for the rest of the 1st half, with Craig Davidson ('93) cutting into LM's lead a few minutes later. They tied it up soon after with Scott Davidson ('98) beating Aces' keeper Bart Brenner ('83). Scott got his 2nd goal just before halftime to give the Fords a 3-2 lead at intermission.

LM came out strong in the 2nd half as Fleisher tied it up on a breakway, with Haverford goalie Jason Segren having no chance. It stayed 3-3 for the next 15 minutes before Sean Furber ('96) gave the Aces a 4-3 advantage with about 13 minutes remaining on a beautiful header in traffic, coming from a brilliant Chris Schreiner ('89) cross. Fleisher completed his hat trick to put LM up 5-3 with 10 minutes to go but the Fords were not finished. Dan Schultz ('93) scored on a breakaway to make it a 1 goal games with about 8 left in the game. Despite several good scoring chances for both teams the rest of the way there would be no more goals.

It was a great day for all the players from both teams as they enjoyed lunch together after the game. 

Central League Finale

Yesterday afternoon the Aces wrapped up their 2015 Central League schedule with a trip to Radnor. The Raiders were one of the better teams in the league so it promised to be a close one.

Fifteen minutes in, Radnor got a semi-breakaway but the ball was covered by LM's junior goalkeeper Sabastian Jenkins. It was somewhat of a defensive game with both teams boasting an excellent back line. Senior Quinn Vagnoni played a very strong game, cleaning up everything that got thru. With 11 minutes left in the 1st half senior Ezra Oshtry got a clean breakaway but the Raider keeper got a piece of the shot and a defender was able to cover up & clear. During the entire last 10 minutes of the half the Aces had the ball in Radnor's end but couldn't put one in the net. 0-0 at half.

The 2nd half was more of the same, with most of the play in the middle third of the field and scoring chances for both teams mostly coming off long throw-ins or corner kicks. The game remained scoreless into double sudden-victory overtime, but after it was all over the defenses were the stars of the day. Final, 0-0.

LM has 4 non-league games remaining and need a strong finish to solidify their playoffs hopes & seeding. With the cup half full, the Aces's have 3 shutouts in their last 4 games. With the cup half empty, they have also been shutout 3 times in their last 4 games.

Do or Die

With their district 1 playoff hopes at stake, the Aces hosted Ridley this afternoon on the turf at Arnold Field. And with LM trying to get their offense in gear, the Raiders, having a down year so far, might just be what the doctor ordered.

It was senior day for the Aces, and it was one of those 11 seniors, who got the offense rolling. Just 5 minutes in Roee Baror nuked a 26 yard blast past the helpless Ridley keeper and it was 1-0 LM. Baror, playing out of center midfield, and having probably his best game of the season so far, showed great hustle all afternoon and a lot of fancy footwork. Despite dominating play the Aces were only up 1-0 at halftime.

Just 6 minutes into the 2nd half junior Ryan Tillman was pulled down in the box, and converted the resulting PK. Meanwhile the LM D continued to put a wall around keeper Sabastian Jenkins as there was very little action near the Aces' net. LM's 3rd goal was a beauty. A long corner kick found the head of sophmore Thomas Podrasky, who smartly headed it back into the middle to junior William Cypress, who found the back of the net. 3-0 Aces. LM was now confidently putting together 3-4 pass combinations as they penetrated the Raider defense. Senior Russell Peck ripped a 24 yarder that hit the crossbar as the Aces peppered the Ridley goal at will. With 12 minutes left junior Erez Potok-Holmes was sent thru on a clear breakaway and converted beautifully to give LM a 4-0 win. It was a total team win as every player was on their game and senior keeper Jacob Newschaffer shared the shutout with junior Sabastian Jenkins.

Next up the Aces travel to play a very good Radnor team on Thursday (3:45 PM), their last league game of the season.

Blast From The Past,1987

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 in the PIAA State Playoffs 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, so it promised to be quite a game.

Played in windy snowy conditions in Lebanon, in front of a huge crowd, 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.

In the State Final game it was the Aces getting 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.

Offensive woes continue

LM faced off against Springfield this afternoon with a lineup that was missing several key players due to injury or suspension. The effort was certainly there but again, they had trouble putting the ball in the net. Early in the 1st half the Cougars took a 1-0 lead. The Aces didn't seem to have their usual good ball movement in midfield and turned the ball over too much to sustain any kind of offensive pressure. It stayed that way well into the 2nd half with LM getting only a few good scoring opportunities. Springfield sealed it with less than 20 minutes left in the game, and walked away with a 2-0 win.

This was a tough loss for the Aces and dropped them back into the middle of the Central League pack. They have 6 games remaining and need a good push down the stretch to secure a spot in the District playoffs.

We still could use a few more players for our annual LM Soccer Alumni Game, scheduled for Saturday morning, October 17th, at 10 AM on Arnold Field. They will be playing against an alumni team from Haverford High School. If you are interested in playing, and have not yet contacted me, please email me at bubdavidson@comcast.

Garnet Valley

The Aces hosted Central League foe Garnet Valley this afternoon under sunny skies at Arnold Field. The game started fast as The Garnet had a beautiful scoring opportunity just 2 minutes in but LM keeper Sabastian Jenkins came up with an outstanding save, tipping a sure goal over the crossbar. The momentum swung back & forth throughout the 1st half, with most scoring chances coming off corner kicks & long throw-ins for both teams.

The Aces picked up the pace in the 2nd half but still couldn't put one in the GV net. Twenty minutes in LM was awarded a PK, and junior Ryan Tillman got the call. The keeper came up big to keep the game scoreless. With very little sustained offense for either team, the intensity level finally was turned up late in the game. With 9 minutes left the Aces got a clean breakaway as Tillman gathered in a beautiful long thru pass and went in alone on the keeper but was stoned once again on another brilliant play. On the ensuing corner kick the GV keeper made still another great save on senior Russell Peck's header and the game remained scoreless into OT.

In the 1st 10-minute OT period the Aces received a red card and had to play a man down the rest of the way. There was no scoring and the game ended 0-0.

On Thursday LM travels to Springfield for a 3:45 PM start.    

Blast From The Past, The 70's

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 dominating 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.

Central League Standings

With 4 league games remaining here are the updated league standings.

* Teams receive 3 points for a win & 1 point for a tie.


1st - 21 pts - Conestoga

2nd - 15 pts - Radnor

T3rd - 13 pts - Lower Merion 

T3rd - 13 pts Springfield

5th - 12 pts Marple Newtown

T6th - 10 pts - Haverford

T6th - 10 pts - Strath Haven

T8th - 7 pts - Harriton

T8th - 7 pts - Penncrest

10th - 6 pts - Garnet Valley

11th - 3 pts - Upper Darby

12th - 1 pt - Ridley

BIG RIVALRY

Ever since Harriton H.S. opened in the late 50's, any competition between the 2 sister schools was a very big event. Each sport had their own rivalries, and none was more competitive than boy's soccer. Both schools have had excellent programs, drawing players from the same feeder system, and no matter what the records were it didn't matter. They played for pride & district bragging rights.

LM has played Harriton 29 times in their long history, and 21 times the game has ended in either a tie or a 1 goal differential. Despite the Aces having a big edge (17-2-10) it was always a struggle, and this afternoon was no different.

Having only scored 6 goals in their last 6 games, LM knew going in that they had to create more sustained offense to be successful the rest of the season. This afternoon it didn't take long. Two minutes into the game, played in a steady rain, senior Anthony Haines sent a beautiful thru ball down the left side to junior Ryan Tillman. Using his blazing speed he first out ran the lone defender to the ball, then cut back and beat that same defender again, and hit a bullet into the far right corner from 15 yards out.

Midway thru the 1st half Haines hit a nice corner to his favorite target, senior Quinn Vagnoni, and his header had the Rams keeper beat but hit the crossbar and went over the goal. Meanwhile the Aces' D was very solid, with senior midfielder Max Knight-Surie collapsing back into the middle when needed to thwart any Harriton buildup. LM keeper Sabastian Jenkins was also having a great game, owning the box and cleaning up anything that got thru his back line. A key for the Aces today was putting immediate pressure on the ball all over the field, something the Rams weren't ready for, and couldn't seem to handle.

With 12 minutes left in the 1st half a Tillman free kick from 25 yards out hit the crossbar and sophomore Thomas Podrasky alertly followed up the rebound and headed it past the Harriton for LM's 2nd goal. 2-0 halftime.

As the 2nd half began the rain intensified, and so did Harriton's play. Just a minute in the Rams had a point blank shot that Jenkins batted away, and then he also blocked the shot off the reboud as well. Harriton began carrying most of the 2nd half play but just couldn't get one behind the Aces' D & Jenkins. With strong games from Podrasky, Knight-Surie & Jenkins, it looked like LM would notch another shutout and an easy 2-0 win. but remember, this was LM vs. Harriton where anything can happen.

With just 1:47 left in the game the Rams scored on a free kick rebound and ran the ball back to the center circle. They knew they had a chance. With less than a minute left, and Harriton swarming the Aces' goal, they hit a shot from 14 yards out that beat Jenkins, but didn't beat the crossbar, and it bounded over the goal. Final score, 2-1 Aces.

Walking a Tightrope

Riding a 4-0-1 streak into yesterday's game with Marple Newtown had to pump up this young Aces' squad. However, in those 5 games the defense had to be almost perfect everytime out, as LM's offense only scored more than 1 goal once. It would be tough to continue walking this fine line.

Marple needed only 1 goal to secure the win, handing the Aces their 1st loss in the last 6 games. This moved their overall record to 6-2-1 (3-2-1 in league play). With a tough league game @ Harriton coming up tomorrow (3:45), LM needs to find more offense and take some pressure off the defense.

 Blast from the Past, 1965

The 1965 LM Aces boy’s soccer team could very well be the most dominant team in Aces soccer history. Coming off back-to-back league titles in ’63 & ‘64, the 1965 team was returning many key players from a ’64 team who outscored their opponents 60-6 (an exceptional season in their own right), including their high scorer Steve Davidson (holding the soccer ball).

Davidson, whose 31 goals in a season and 64 career goals still stand as school records for boy’s soccer, captained this explosive team. They also had many other scoring threats in Mark Rash (22 goals), Bill Trimpi, Bill Furber, David Kobinsky, Mike Ross, & Jay Pillard. The ’65 Aces also boasted the best starting midfield line in the district in Jack Pennypacker, Paul Ferst, and Ken Becker. Defensive backs Steve Aichelle and Grover Thompson, along with Jay Littlewood, Steve Mygatt, and standout goalkeeper Toby Pyle, helped record 13 shutouts in 18 games.

After winning the tough Suburban 1 league, and finishing the regular season unblemished with a perfect 14-0 record, the ’65 LM team dominated the first 2 rounds of the District 1 playoffs, pummeling Woodrow Wilson 5-0 in the quarter-finals, and destroying Central Bucks 6-0 in the semi-finals. In the Championship game they took on powerful West Chester (then only having 1 high school), and after regulation & overtime, with the score still tied 1-1, the Aces were awarded the victory, based on a substantial corner kick edge (there was no penalty kick shootout in those days). This victory gave them an invite to the Inter-District game against District 3’s Garden Spot. Playing on a sloppy field at West Chester University, Garden Spot capitalized on a defensive mistake late in the game, and won 1-0, spoiling the ’65 Aces perfect season (something that has never been accomplished in LM boy's soccer history).

The final stats are mind-blowing, starting with an 8-0 league record and a 17-1 overall record. The offense scored an unbelievable 66 goals in their first 12 games (finishing with 97 for the season), while the defense, in those same first 12 games, recorded 10 shutouts finishing with 13 in all). The closest any other LM team has come to matching their goal total was in 1992, when that team scored 78 goals, and they even played 2 more games. The ’65 Aces also placed a record 7 players on the All-League team; Davidson, Ferst, Trimpi, Rash, Pennypacker, Becker, and Pyle. Davidson & Becker were also picked as All-Scholastic selections.

Game change for tomorrow

The time for tomorrow's game @ Marple Newtown has been changed from 3:45 PM to 5:45 PM.

2015 Annual LM Soccer Alumni Game

(Picture of one of our recent past LM Soccer Alumni Teams)

Our 2015 annual LM Soccer Alumni Soccer Game is set for Saturday morning, October 17th, 10 AM, on the boy's grass soccer field at Arnold Field. For the past 5 or 6 years we have been playing against the Radnor Alumni team, but are looking to do something different this year.

We want to keep it in house and have enough LM players to divide up into 2 teams and play each other. We will have regular refs on hand, with lunch on the field afterward for all participants.

So far we have 14 players who have said they would be playing, listed below. We would need at least 10-12 more to be able to play 11v11. I would hate to have to play a short-sided game like 8v8 or even 10v10 so I'm reaching out once again to try & get those additional players.

Those LM Soccer Alumni who are reading this, and who live in the area, and/or know other LM Soccer Alumni in the area, please pass the word so we can fill up these teams. If you, or someone you contact, plans on joining us please email me their name & contact info so I can make the proper arrangements.

It should be a blast so come on out and lace em up one more time. Age is only a number.

-->

Jon Fleisher

Kevin Escott

Tyler Robinson?

John DePrince

Juan Munoz

Matt Fine?

Alex Cope

Chris Mandarino

Drew Misher

Eli Perlman

Ron Braverman

Bart Brenner

Chris Schreiner

Ben Eisner

Saturday's Game Postponned

Tomorrow's home game with Methacton was moved to Wednesday, October 21st at 3:30 PM due to the Pa[pal visit

Another Close One

LM hosted Penncrest this afternoon in a Central League contest. The Aces struck early with their most successful offensive weapon thus far this season, the long throw-in. With only 5 minutes played senior Jeremy Hillsberg sent one of his patented long throws into the box and fellow senior Quinn Vagnoni once again was on the other end & found the back of the net with a strong header.

A little later sophomore Max Shapiro showed some smooth footwork in a crowd deep in the Lions end but couldn't convert. Meanwhile Penncrest was showing excellent ball movement, building thru the midfield, and sending long thru balls toward the Aces' net but couldn't finish them off. With just 10 minutes left in the 1st half Junior keeper Sebastian Jenkins came up with a huge save to keep LM on top.

There was not much action in the 2nd half as the Aces began to close the door on the Fords midfield passing game. Both teams seemed a little flat as the ball stayed in the center half of the field for most of the half. There were no shots on goal for either team as LM had the goal and the Lions played with no urgency.

It turns out 1 goal was all it took and LM walked away with their 6th victory of the season (6-1-1). Next the Aces host Methacton on Saturday in a non-league game (12:30).

Blast From The Past 1954

Blast from the Past, 1954

The 1954 Aces, coached by Bob Hill and co-captained by Jack Robb & J. Piercy, were the winners of the very first official PA District One Boy's Soccer Championship , and also represented District One in the very first Inter-District playoff game against the District Three Champion. At the time, these 2 districts were the best in the state, so everyone considered this Inter-District playoff game the unofficial “State Championship”.

With most of the scoring coming from All-League forwards Bob Kessler (also chosen to the All-Scholastic Team, which was another name for All-State) & Tom Miller, and the defense boasting 2 more All-League selections in Dave Buten & Don Dougald, LM easily won the Suburban One League title with a 7-1-0 record. Haverford & Upper Darby were tied for 2nd place, with Abington 4th & Cheltenham 5th. The Aces regular season record was 10-2-3, with an early season loss to then powerhouse North Catholic 3-1, and an 1-0 upset defeat at the hands of Haverford High. The offense scored 32 goals, while the defense allowed just 16 (with 8 shutouts, including 5 in a row).

In the Distrcit One Championship game the Aces took down Bethlehem Liberty 3-1. Not knowing what to expect in the very first Inter-District playoff game, LM showed up with their usual 20-man squad, 2 coaches, and about 20-30 parents, students, & Aces fans. Their District Three opponent, North Lebanon, arrived with a band, cheerleaders, and over half the student body. It must have paid off as LM went down 4-1.

Strath Haven

My apologies to all. The Strath Haven game was played Monday (yesterday) instead of Tuesday due to the Jewish holiday. The game was close all the way with the LM defense continuing their fine play. Regulation ended in a 1-1 tie, with senior Russell Peck scoring the Aces' goal. It came in the 1st half off a corner kick from senior Anthony Haines. There was no scoring in the two 10-minute overtime periods so it is recorded as a tie.

This Thursday LM hosts Penncrest at 3:45 PM in another important Central League game.

In this week's Southeastern PA Soccer Coaches Association poll LM (5-1-1) moved up 5 places to #9, with Conestoga (6-0-0) at #4, and Marple Newtown climbing into the top 20 at #16. Father Judge, C.B. East, & Haverford School still remain the top 3 respectively.

Annual LM Soccer Alumni Soccer Game:

We have 15 players already signed up to play in this year's LM Soccer Alumni game on Saturday morning, October 17th, at 10 AM on Arnold Field. We need at least 10-12 more as we plan on splitting the players into 2 teams so they can play each other.

If you haven't emailed me yet (bubdavidson@comcast.net) that you plan on playing please do so soon so we can make the necessary arrangements, and continue to pass the word.

Blast from the past 1942

Blast from the Past, 1942

Every week, for the rest of the season, I'm going to be highlighting different Aces' teams & players from each decade who have earned "Blast From The Past" status for their accomplishments. I want to make this a weekly feature here on "Coach D's Blog" so current and future players can get a feel of the history behind this great program. This week our subject will be the 1942 squad, coached by LM Soccer Hall of Famer Robert Hill. This team started a string of 7 straight league titles for the Aces, prompting several players from this team to later proclaim, "We taught coach Hill how to win".

The team was led by captain Art Campbell and high-scorer Walt Lownes. Both of these players still share the LM record for scoring the most goals in a single game (6). Making up the backbone of the team were; goalkeeper Jeff Shorts, midfielder (then called halfback) Bob Narrigan, fowards Harry Olson & Frank Zinni, and defender (then called fullback) Bill Sapp.

The league they were in at that time was called the Suburban One League, and was comprised of the 4 biggest public schools in District One; LM, Abington, Upper Darby, and Haverford High. The Aces finished at the top with a 5-1 record (as they played each team twice), with the next closest team, Abington, at 2-2-2. LM's schedule that year looked like this, with the score of the game in ( ); Central (4-1), Haverford School (1-3), West Philadelphia (2-1), Abington (4-1), Episcopal (0-2), Upper Darby (2-0), Frankford (3-2), Haverford High (1-0), Hill School (0-4), Abington (5-3), Friends Select (1-0), Upper Darby (2-0), Haverford High (1-2), and Germantown (2-0). Their final record was 10-4, and there was no postseason, as the district playoffs did not begin until 1954.

On A Roll

The Aces traveled to Upper Darby this afternoon for another important Central League contest. Coming off 2 straight wins after their only loss this season against Conestoga, LM wasn't about to give anything back. An old quote that hung in the Aces locker room for many years says it all, "The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender".

Midway through the 1st half  LM senior Anthony Haines put a corner kick right on the money to sophmore Thomas Podrasky and he put the Aces ahead 1-0. As most games with the Royals are, it was very physical, producing 3 yellow cards, but LM would not back down. Senior Jake Newshaffer, subbing for injured Aces' goalkeeper Sebastian Jenkins (broken nose), had a great day in goal, making several key saves. LM controlled most of the play, both on the ground & in the air, using a very efficient ball control game while the Royals were content to play long ball but couldn't solve the vastly improving Aces' defense. Final score 1-0 (4th shutout in 6 games), taking LM to 5-1 overall & 2-1 in league play.

Next week has the Aces hosting Strath Haven on Monday and Penncrest on Thursday (both games 3:45 PM).

Errors is "Thriller at Arnold" post

My apologies to Max Knight-Surie & Quinn Vagnoni for mistakenly listing their class incorrectly in the "Thriller at Arnold" post. They are both seniors, not sophomores. 

LM Boy's Soccer FAST FACTS thru 2014

* LM’s 925 total high school soccer wins
   ranks in the top 3 all time in PA history

* LM has won 21 Surburban 1 League Titles.

* LM has won 11 Central League Titles.

* LM has won 7 District 1 Titles, with 6 Runner-up finishes.

* LM has won 1 State Title, with 2 Runner-up finishes.

* LM qualified for the District 1 Playoffs 13 consecutive years

            from 1984 thru 1996, and 37 years in all.

* LM qualified for the State Playoffs 5 consecutive years from

            1984 thru 1988, and 8 years in all.

* LM had a player voted to the high school All-America team

            8 consecutive years, and 13 years in all, including 2 in 2008.

                        1987 – Drew Misher      1994 – Jon Hanks

                        1988 – Chris Schreiner  2005 – Drew Cotler

                        1989 – Lou Spivak        2006 – Drew Cotler

                        1990 – John Howard     2007 – Greg Robbins           

                        1991 – Will Kohler       2008 – Nick Bibbs & 
                                                                    Dan DiLullo

                        1992 – Will Kohler       2013 – Francisco Palma

                        1993 – Jon Hanks

* LM Soccer began a Soccer Hall of Fame in 2006

            * 2006 inductees

Harold Helveston – coach (1924 – 1941)

Robert Robinson – coach (1967 – 1990)

Bob Davidson – player (1961 – 1963) / coach (1974 – 1995)

Jeffrey Rhodes – player (1962 – 1964)

Steve Davidson – player (1963 – 1965)

Drew Misher – player (1985 – 1987)

Jason DiLullo – player (1986 – 1988)

Will Kohler – player (1990 – 1992)

            * 2007 inductees

Robert Hill – coach (1942-1959, and in 1962 & 1965)

Tom Farr – player (1971-1973)

            * 2008 inductee

Jonathan Hanks – player (1991 - 1994)

            * 2009 inductees

Doug Brown – player (1973 – 1975)

John Wynn – player (1942 – 1944)

            * 2010 inductees

Chris Schreiner – player (1986 – 1988)

David Urban – player (1983 – 1985)

            * 2011 inductee

Walter (Bud) Lownes – player (1941 – 1943)

            * 2012 inductee

1987 State Championship Team

            * 2013 inductee

1968 League, District, & Inter-District Championship Team

            * 2014 Inductee

James Billington - player (1943 – 1945)

Thriller at Arnold

This afternoon LM hosted the Haverford Fords in a key Central League game. Already 0-1 in league play the Aces needed a win to stay in early contention. The game started out slow, with both teams in a defense-first mode. LM used a 6 man sub rotation to keep the players fresh in the high 80 degree conditions.

With very few scoring chances for either team through the 1st 20 minutes, the Fords would break the ice first. With 18 minutes left in the 1st half their #10 scored on a beautiful turnaround 18 yard bullet, giving Aces' junior goalkeeper Sebastian Jenkins no chance. Two minutes later, juiced by the early goal, the Fords tested Jenkins again but this time he came up with a big save. A few minutes later LM had their own good chance but shot wide from 15 yards out. Despite dominating most of the 1st half LM had trouble building forward, despite a strong performance by their senior center midfielder Max Knight-Surie who was making plays all over the field.

In the 2nd half Haverford came out even more defensive, so, being 1 goal down, coach Severini made a move to bolster his offense. He brought senior center back Quinn Vagnoni up into center midfield, immediately paying dividends. The Aces began getting great scoring opportunities and early in the half an LM corner kick beat the Ford keeper but was alertly saved by one of the post defenders. LM's biggest weapon in the 2nd half proved to be senior Jeremy Hillsberg long throw-ins. As the game clocked ticked down under 2 minutes one of those throws would find the foot of junior Alex Moureaud, who ripped one low left from 10 yards out and the game was tied 1-1, and would go into sudden-victory OT.

There was no score in the 1st 10 minute period, but with 6 minutes left in the 2nd Hillsberg lined up for still another long throw-in deep in the Ford end. This time the ball rebounded off a Haverford player and into the net for an own goal, and a hard fought 2-1 OT win for the Aces.

Next up LM travels to Upper Darby on Saturday for another key Central League game (10 AM start).

Early Rankings - Alumni Game

In this week's Southeastern PA Coaches boy's Soccer Poll the LM Aces occupy the 14th slot with their 3-1 overall record. Two other Central League teams appear in the top 15, Conestoga at #4 (3-0) and Harriton at #12 (3-0-1). Conestoga is the only C.L. team in the Philadelphia Inquirer Top 10, coming in at #6.

In this abbreviated week due to the Jewish holiday, LM hosts Haverford High tomorrow at 3:45 PM and Saturday travels to Upper Darby for a 10 AM start. Both these are important Central League games.

Just another reminder, the Annual LM Soccer "ALUMNI GAME" is set for Saturday morning, October 17th,  @10 AM on the boy's grass soccer field on Arnold Field. Our goal this year is to have enough LM Soccer Alumni to field 2 teams & play against each other. To do this we need a minimum of 25 players, and right now we have 13 committed. Its still a little over 4 weeks away so we have plenty of time, but we're hoping that you all pass the word.

If you plan on playing please email me at: bubdavidson@comcast.net. It should be a fun day for all.

Bouncing Back

The Aces hosted non-league opponent Interboro this morning on the turf at Arnold Field. The Bucs are Del-Val League contenders this year and would be a good test. LM controlled the early play and it didn't take long to get on the board as midway through the 1st half sophmore Max Shapiro took a beautiful cross and found the lower right corner of the net to give the Aces a 1-0 advantage. There was a lot of back & forth throughout the contest with both teams getting several good scoring chances. With about 10 minutes remaining Interboro was awarded a PK for a hand ball in the box. Junior goalkeeper Sabastian Jenkins made the save to keep LM on top. This miss seemed to ignite the Bucs as late in the game they peppered the Aces' net, but couldn't get one past this young defense. Final score 1-0 LM.

Next up for the Aces is a home  league game against Haverford High on Thursday at 3:45 PM.

LM Soccer Alumni news

The 2015 LM soccer season is already into week 2 and hopefully you are getting all the 2015 Aces' results, as well as other LM Soccer Alumni news, at "Coach D's Blog", located at: www.coachdssoccerblog.blogspot.com. Bookmark it and be a regular visitor. I post about 3 times a week during the soccer season.

As I mentioned in my last blog, I would be giving you the info on the annual "Steve Fountain Memorial Golf Tournament", our only LMSAA (Lower Merion Soccer Alumni Association) fundraiser each year. It will be held on Friday, October 23rd, at Edgmont Golf Club in Edgmont.

There are many ways to support our fundraiser, and the LMSAA, and you don't have to be a golfer or even live in the area. If you go to our LM Soccer Alumni website at: www.lmsocceralum.org and click on the Golf Invite, it will list all the details.

Ways you can support the LMSAA

1/ You can play in the golf event (which is a scramble format) as a single golfer, or we can pair you up with other LM Soccer Alumni who will be playing.

2/ You can sign up as a foursome and bring 3 friends with you

3/ If you don't golf you can sign up to be one of the sponsors that are listed on the invite, OR, you may know someone who would like to be a sponsor and get a little publicity & goodwill for their company. Many of you found sponsors for us last year and it was greatly appreciated. I hope we can repeat that this year. This is the lifeblood of our fundraiser (the Golf Invite on our website explains how each type of sponsorship works)

* We are in need of hole sponsors ($250) and contest sponsors ($400) so please give it a look

4/ Or you can simply make a donation

How to register as a golfer, a sponsor, or make a donation

A. There are 2 ways to register as a golfer, a sponsor, or to make a donation

         1/ mail a check with the appropriate amount, made out to the

            “LMSAA”, to our LMSAA treasurer Jim VanDusen (LM

             class of ’89) to the address below:

                  Jim VanDusen

                  800 Maple Glen Lane

                  Wayne, PA 19087-4727

* Golfer - choose Single Golfer or Foursome,  
* Sponsor - choose your level of Sponsorship from the Golf Invite (prices & exposure for each are listed on the Invite),  
* Donation – any amount

         2/ You can also pay online at our LM Soccer Alumni website www.lmsocceralum.org by:

1/ going to the home page of our LM Soccer Alumni website and clicking on the golf invite

2/ scroll down to review all the sponsorship & golfing opportunities

3/ click on “click here to register” and fill out the registration form

4/ then scroll down and click on the package that best fits your situation and then click on “submit” (this will register your info)

5/ then, if you just want to make a donation click on the “Donate” button

6/ or, click on “proceed to purchase golf package” and that will take you to the web store

I would like to again thank you all for your continued support for this great event and for Lower Merion Soccer. I hope to be hearing from you soon.

 

Central League opener

The Aces hosted the highly ranked Conestoga Pioneers yesterday afternoon, and it was experience against heart. The Pioneers returned most of their starters, and are the defending Central League Champs. LM had to rebuild from losing 9 starters, but were coming off 2 good shutout wins to start the season. The Aces defense came up big in the 1st half, and the offense got a few good early scoring chances, but at intermission the game remained scoreless. In the 2nd half the Pioneers began to  sustain their offensive pressure, and were awarded several free kicks & throw-ins deep in the LM end. It finally paid off midway thru the half in the form of 2 goals coming from long throw-ins 10 minutes apart. The Aces couldn't answer, and were dealt their 1st loss of the young season 2-0.

Next on the schedule is a non-league contest this Saturday, on the turf at Arnold Field ((10 AM) against Interboro H.S.