(Photos by: Lennie Malmgren, Colleen Claggett, Joe Cicchino, Mike Nance, Zamani Feelings & Aaron Mitchell)
BY: JEROME TAYLOR
PHILADELPHIA – And just like that, every team in the Inter-Ac has fallen at least once in league play. The Haverford School is still pacing the league, but the rest of the league table shuffled like your favorite Spotify playlist. Let’s take a look at what went on in the Inter-Ac this past week:
Game of the Week
William Penn Charter 2, The Episcopal Academy 1
Last week, Episcopal Academy sat atop the standings, but a lot can happen in a week` and some change. On October 12th, Penn Charter headed to Episcopal Academy and picked up a 2-1 win.
“Anytime you can get wins on the road like we did [against Episcopal and Malvern Prep], it's huge,” head coach Bob DiBenedetto said. “We talk about it all the time, if we could steal points on the road and take care of business at home, you're always in good shape at the end of the year.”
The Quakers benefited from goals from sophomore Tazio Perkins and junior Jimmy Melnick. It was good for the team to finish the opportunities they earned in this game after their loss against Haverford in the league opener. The matchup has some controversy surrounding it because a PC player allegedly ran into the goalie, taking a point off the board.
Penn Charter vs. Episcopal Academy. (Photos/ Lennie Malmgren for PSD)
Highlights of Penn Charter In game vs. Episcopal Academy on EA's Senior Day. (video/ Lennie Malmgren for PSD)
“We feel like somebody took three points away from us there,” DiBenedetto said. “We were pretty upset about it, and we weren't going to lose two in a row… you could erase that loss by, you know, beating them the next time and winning all the rest of the games. So that's kind of where we were mentally going into Episcopal.”
During the game against EA, the Quakers ran into another roadblock as they lost senior forward Owen Black to injury. In his place, freshmen Willem van Beelen and Will Adair had to step up at the forward position.
On the back end for PC, their defenders had to counter EA’s high press, and philosophically the Quakers were ready for it.
“We don't mess around on the back. I mean, bottom line is my philosophy is that I wanna play up the other end,” DiBenedetto said. “We're not looking to build from the back, be cute, and get out… We take that high press out of the equation. I let my big guys up top and do the work. I tell my backs and my goalie, your job's to keep the ball out of the goal.”
PC’s defense did an excellent job of that and significantly reduced the time that EA spent attacking.
Penn Charter vs. Germantown Academy. (Photos/Zamani Feelings for PSD)
Penn Charter followed up this performance with a win over Malvern Prep on Friday. Unfortunately for the Quakers, in a matchup for sole possession of second place in the league, they fell to Germantown Academy 0-1 on Wednesday.
Right back at it, the Quakers and the Blue Devils showed just how tough the Inter-Ac League can be when their game ended in a 1-1 tie yesterday. DiBenedetto’s team will follow that up with a rematch on a quick turnaround, heading to SCHA on Saturday.
“In our league, every game's a championship game, there's no playoffs… every game you walk into is the championship game, and we preach that,” DiBenedetto said. “That's really how we try to into every single game in this league… a point here and a point there can win the league.
PC vs. SCHA Tied 1-1 in Game on 10/20. (Photos/ Colleen Claggett)
Patriots On a Run
Germantown Academy 2, Malvern Prep 2
Germantown Academy 2, Haverford 0
Germantown Academy 1, Penn Charter 0
Since their league opening loss to Episcopal Academy, GA has found its footing, going undefeated in league play since September 30th.
After a 2-2 tie with Malvern Prep, they defeated top-ranked Haverford in a hard-fought game that was scoreless until the 74’ mark. But then, senior Jacob Kafrissen scored to give them the lead, and sophomore Aiden Trabosh left no doubt by scoring the second goal of the afternoon with 3’ minutes remaining.
The Patriots scored early in their matchup against Penn Charter, thanks to Kafrissen’s goal at the 8’ mark. But that was all Kurt Wetzel’s squad mustered against the stout PC defense, and it was all they needed to secure the victory thanks to an impressive effort from their backline.
Germantown Academy vs. The Haverford School. (Photos/ Joe Cicchino GA Athletics)
Haverford Leading the Pack
The Haverford School 4, Springside Chestnut Hill 2
Germantown Academy 2, Haverford 0
Episcopal Academy 0, Haverford 2
The Haverford School has gotten out to a near-unblemished start, with their only defeat coming against Germantown Academy.
In their most recent win over EA, senior Joe Pariano found the back of the net twice. First off of a free kick early in the second half. And then, with 22 minutes remaining, he finished from outside of 18-yards off of an assist from his classmate Joey Pennewill.
Defensively, junior goalkeeper Connor Cresswell kept a dangerous EA team from registering a point.
In the 4-2 win over SCHA, Pariano, fellow senior Billy Beifeld and juniors Thomas Kaplan and Jackson Raleigh all found the back of the net. Though it wasn’t Keith Cappo’s squad’s best effort, any win in the inter-ac is important.
“It was good for us to be able to not play our best and still come away with a win,” Cappo said. “SCHA is a very talented and well-coached group, and any win in this league is big.”
The Haverford School vs. Springside Chestnut Hill Academy. (Photos/ Mike Nance for PSD)
The Fords' impressive start has them in pole position in the Inter-Ac, and now as they prepare for their second matches with teams, they’ll have a target on their back. Next up for them will be a rematch against Malvern Prep on Friday. The Fords will try to go 2-0 against the Friars on the year after beating them to open league play.
Elsewhere in the Inter-Ac
Episcopal Academy 1, Springside Chestnut Hill 2
Malvern Prep 0, Penn Charter 2
Malvern Prep 2, Springside Chestnut Hill Academy 2
In the bottom half of the league, the Inter-Ac is proving why it's one of the most competitive leagues in the state.
Malvern Prep tied Germantown Academy, the current second-place team.
SCHA tied with Malvern Prep, and SCHA beat Episcopal Academy, who beat Malvern Prep last week.
Springside Chestnut Hill Academy vs. Malvern Prep. (Photo Gallery/ Colleen Claggett for PSD)
Episcopal Academy vs. Springside Chestnut Hill Academy. (Photos/ Aaron Mitchell for PSD)
Next week even more shuffling can occur with several rematches on the docket. SCHA will play Penn Charter twice in three days, and then there will be two other rematches during the week (Malvern Prep vs. Haverford and Germantown Academy vs. Episcopal Academy).
Latest Results
Tuesday, Oct. 11th
Episcopal Academy 1, Penn Charter 2
Springside Chestnut Hill Academy 2, Haverford 4
Germantown Academy 2, Malvern Prep 2
Friday, Oct. 14th
Haverford 0, Germantown Academy 2
Springside Chestnut Hill Academy 2, Episcopal Academy 1
Penn Charter 2, Malvern Prep 0
Tuesday, Oct. 18th
Malvern Prep 2, Springside Chestnut Hill Academy 2
Episcopal Academy 0, Haverford 2
Wednesday, Oct. 19th
Germantown Academy 1, Penn Charter 0
Thursday, Oct. 20th
Springside Chestnut Hill Academy 1, Penn Charter 1
Upcoming fixtures (all games at 4:00 pm)
Friday, Oct. 21st
Malvern Prep @ Haverford
Germantown Academy @ Episcopal Academy
Saturday, Oct. 22nd (11:00 am)
Penn Charter @ Springside Chestnut Hill Academy
@ Malvern Prep
Tuesday, Oct. 25th
Haverford @ Penn Charter
Episcopal Academy @ Malvern Prep
Springside Chestnut Hill Academy @ Germantown Academy