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Boys' Soccer: Malvern Prep Stuns Germantown Academy with Late Breakaway Goal

By Bob Diehl, 10/05/16, 8:15AM EDT

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GA had just tied the game minutes earlier.

FORT WASHINGTON, PA – Malvern Prep senior Billy Coyle is counted on to score big goals.  So there he was, racing down the right side, six minutes after Germantown Academy had tied a hard-fought, physical Inter-Ac battle.

The ball found Coyle’s foot just as he snuck in behind the stunned Patriot’s defense.  He went in alone on goalkeeper Jackson Sternberg, who had no chance as Coyle drilled the game-winner past his outstretched arms.

“I ran after a headed-on ball,” Coyle said.  “I kind of shouldered him (the defender) out of my way and I just had a free path to the goal.”

The score gave Malvern Prep a 2-1 win over the host Patriots at Carey Stadium on Tuesday.  The way it happened was no surprise to Friars head coach Andrew Kummerer.

“Billy scored a lot when it mattered,” said Kummerer.”  “He’s got I think 6 goals now in 11, 12 games, and fortunately he’s the guy that’s taken that load and then shouldered it very well as a captain and as a 5th-year senior.  We’re very fortunate to have a kid with that experience and that kind of leadership.”


Malvern Prep senior captain Billy Coyle battles for position.

After watching Malvern Prep get the better of the scoring chances and the only score on an own goal in the first half, Germantown Academy thought it might have salvaged at least a tie in the second league game for both squads.

Trailing 1-0 with about 17 minutes remaining in the second half, senior midfielder Zander Foglia found himself in an unlikely position.  A Malvern Prep free kick was smothered by the GA defense down low, and before the Friars knew what was happening, the ball found Foglia at midfield.  He darted past the only defender in the vicinity and scored on a breakaway.

“Our captain, Mike (Roman), hit a perfect ball through and he saw me and I kind of just like took it down and I was like nobody’s stopping me.  I kind of just had that mindset – just take it in and I was scoring.  I wasn’t going to let anybody stop me from doing that,” said Foglia.

But the celebration only lasted until Coyle had a breakaway of his own. 

“You finally break that tension and you let your guard down a little bit,” said Germantown Academy head coach Brendan Sullivan.  “We squirt the ball away at the end of the game and they go in on a break.”

Kummerer thought his team was fortunate to get out of Fort Washington with a win.

“They put a lot of pressure on us throughout the game and never really allowed us to get comfortable,” Kummerer said.  “But I think we created just enough good, quality chances that we were able to capitalize on it.”

“I don’t think we did anything special from our end.  I don’t think it was our best game and a credit to them for coming out and playing well on their home field.”

Malvern Prep improved to 1-1 in the Inter-Ac with the win.  The Friars visit Penn Charter on Friday.  Germantown Academy fell to 0-2 in league play.  The Patriots look to get into the win column against the Haverford School on Thursday.