BY MARK ZIMMARO
PHILA.- It was another challenge faced, and another hurdle cleared.
The Shipley School’s boys’ soccer team kept its perfect Friends School League record intact with a 2-0 victory over Germantown Friends School on Sept. 30, further separating itself from the pack in the regular season standings.
Shipley (5-0, 10-1 overall) is the only undefeated team in the FSL and is aiming to defend its Friends League title.
“We knew GFS would be tough and it’s one of our big rivals,” said Shipley head coach Thom Schauerman. “Every year they are in the playoffs. Every year, we fight for the playoffs … You know the teams that you have to beat in order to make the playoffs but also secure home field advantage. This is one I always look forward to.”
Both teams were up to the challenge, playing to a stalemate through the first 60 minutes of the game. Shipley finally broke through on a corner kick and a set play that targeted one of the tallest players on the field.
Shipley head coach Thom Schauerman talks about playing against a tough Germantown Friends' Squad. (video/Mark Zimmaro for PSD)
“I was walking up with my brother Jack and it was 0-0 and I said ‘come on, this is our moment. We need to get one’,” said Shipley senior Joe McDaid, who is joined on the squad by his twin brother Jack McDaid.
“We called a play that targets me and Jack. We both knew it was coming to one of us. Luckily their defense stepped up and I stayed, and I was left open at the back post.”
Shipley midfielder Vance Yanney carried the ball off the set piece and floated a crossing pass that found Joe McDaid open and the lanky senior headed the ball into the net for a 1-0 advantage with just under 20 minutes to play.
A one-goal lead is usually enough for Shipley’s lockdown defense, but the Gators didn’t mind a little insurance. Jeffrey Aronstam took a long pass and cut through a pair of defenders and perfectly flicked a shot from just inside the box to give the Gators the two-goal cushion with seven minutes to play.
“I felt pretty comfortable back there, but you never know in this game,” McDaid said. “That second goal made it a lot more comfortable. I knew the game wasn’t over, so we went with the same 0-0 mentality to keep playing the way we were.”
Shipley’s only loss this season was a 2-1 setback to Woodstock Prep on Sept. 18. Since then, the Gators have reeled off six straight victories by a combined 27-1 score.
Shipley Senior Joe McDaid describes making that game winning goal. (video/Mark Zimmaro for PSD)
Shipley's Jack McDaid in sync on offense with twin brother Joe in game vs. Germantown Friends. (photo/Mark Zimmaro for PSD)
“We’re going to keep climbing and keep working,” Schauerman said. “This is a special group with 15 seniors. This is a season where we want to keep playing as long as we can for this special group.”
The McDaid twins are part of that talented senior class. They are both headed to the University of Maryland next year. But there is still unfinished business to take care of before heading south of the Mason-Dixon Line.
“It’s a big reason why me and Jack decided to play high school ball this year,” Joe McDaid said. “We had a hard decision, but we had a lot of friends on the team and we felt like it was important for them and important for us to play together one last time. It means a lot to play with our friends.”
