Westtown School 2024 Friends School League Soccer Champions
(Photo by Lennie Malmgren for PSD)
BY JOHN KNEBELS
(PHOTOS/VIDEO BY LENNIE MALMGREN FOR PSD)
WEST CHESTER – Fourteen minutes.
Usually, 14 minutes flies by in a breeze. A coffee break. A cell phone scroll. A leisurely walk around the block with the family pooch. An impromptu “how ya been?” phone chat with an old pal.
But try nursing a one-goal lead in soccer while playing shorthanded in the most important game of the season for 14 minutes.
Might as well be an eternity.
Such was the ordeal for Westtown School’s boys’ soccer team, and as they have handled most challenges over the past two years, the Moose persevered.
Years from now, when players and coaches reminisce about Westtown’s 2-1 Friends Schools League championship victory over Shipley on Westtown’s Raiford Field October 29, they’ll undoubtedly recount what their nerves were like after they received a red-card violation with 14 minutes remaining in regulation, thus necessitating playing the rest of the game – even through double overtime, if necessary – one player down.
“Shipley created a couple good chances late,” said Westtown coach Shane Rineer. “Ironically, it was our second red card versus Shipley this year, so we played about 30-plus minutes down in the first game.”
westtown vs. Shipley in FSL Championship Game. (video/ Lennie Malmgren for PSD)
That “first game” ended in a scoreless tie.
“Higher stakes this time for sure with the FSL championship on the line,” said Rineer, “but we had been there before, going into a 4-4-1 and recognizing moments to press. Lucky for us we have Francisco Benbow in goal, who alleviates a lot of the pressure and angst.”
Having come into the season defending their 2023 regular-season and championship crown – the latter via a 1-0 win over Shipley in the final, which then denied Shipley a third straight title – the Moose needed to maintain their poise under enormous stress if they were to successfully accomplish both goals.
Buoyed in particular by junior Callum Eager, junior Mariano Alonso, sophomore Braden Rice, and aforementioned senior goalie Francisco Benbow, the team that ultimately ended up allowing a miserly two goals in the FSL over the last two seasons dug deep and withstood the brewing hurricane.
The Moose were able to forge two leads. They went ahead, 1-0, in the first half on a left-footed goal by senior Carlos Salazar off a feed from Rice, but Shipley junior ’s Ethan Haywards tied the game before halftime.
Westtown in Championship Game vs. Shipley (Photos by Lennie Malmgren for PSD)
Midway through the second half, a pretty Salazar corner kick set up junior Manny Freeman for the ultimate game-winner.
“I think our guys put the pressure on themselves to repeat,” said Rineer. “Frankly, the program is growing to a more national level, so having eyes and ears on us is certainly new
“It’s been a very interesting year – a successful one. But we hadn’t
really been fully healthy all year. Have missed multiple starters per game, so it was next-man-up mentality.”
No matter what the situation. Even 14 minutes of playing shorthanded with the season on the line.
Champions indeed.
(Contact John Knebels at jknebels@gmail.com or on ‘X’ @johnknebels.)
