TREVOSE, PA- For the last two years, the PCL Championship has eluded the La Salle Explorers. In 2014, they were beaten in overtime after a hard-fought semifinal match against Roman Catholic and in 2015 the same scenario played out as they were beaten in the semifinals by a last-minute header again by Roman Catholic. On Wednesday night, at the United German Hungarian Soccer Club, La Salle knocked off Archbishop Wood in penalties – securing themselves a place in the PCL championship where they will face the team they’ve been trying to beat for years: Roman Catholic.
Both La Salle and Archbishop Wood entered the semifinal matchup with defense being their greatest strength. Anchored by 1st Team All-Catholics James Hughes and goalkeeper Brett Werner, the Explorers have been incredibly difficult to break down this year with only six goals allowed in the regular season. Meanwhile, Archbishop Wood lately has been keeping clean sheet after clean sheet and solidifying their defense.
However, with seventeen minutes remaining in the first half, La Salle found a way through. Forward Spencer Patton, one of two All-State players from the PCL, delivered in a deep free kick that was headed by a Wood player into the middle. Defender and co-captain James Hughes rose-up and nodded it past goalkeeper Joe Cimino to put La Salle 1-0 up heading into the half.
As the second half began, La Salle was not able to add another goal to put the game out of reach. The Vikings took quick advantage of this and started to find their rhythm. Hold-up play from 1st Team All-Catholic Forward Mike Smith opened-up channels on the wings and gave space for the Vikings to go at the defenders. The Explorers felt the pressure and eventually succumbed to it.
#12 David Steinbach jumps for joy after scoring La Salle's final PK to send the Explorers to the PCL Final - PSD Photo by Francesca Rossillo
About mid-way through the second half, Wood’s Cody Taylor was slotted in on the left side of the box and finished calmly with his left foot past Brett Werner.
Shortly after the goal, Hughes re-entered the game after suffering a bloody cut to his ear. A bandaged wrapped around his head got him through the rest of the match. Hughes would later receive nine stiches for his injury.
La Salle thought they would take the lead after a brilliant free kick from Mike D’Angelo minutes after the goal, but goalkeeper Joe Cimino was equal to the task. The match was heading into overtime.
The two 15-minute overtime periods included thrilling end-to-end play. In the second period, La Salle had two shots cleared off the line by the Vikings, who then countered down the field with shots of their own being cleared off the line. Neither team could snatch the golden goal and so the match went into penalties.
Patton, stepped up for La Salle’s first penalty and drilled it right at the keeper who parried it away. Just as panic for the Explorers began to creep in, Brett Werner dived to his left to save Wood’s first penalty. Two successful penalties for LaSalle and two more missed for the Vikings set it all up for Sophomore David Steinbach to win the game for La Salle and send them to the championship.
“I was shaking in line,” Steinbach admitted. “My teammates were telling me just do what you always do. I made them all in practice so I had to keep doing that. (Teammate) Drew Sitler told me to hit it left so I hit it left, goalie went the other way and I buried it. After I didn’t think it was real. I was filled with excitement.”
Steinbach’s penalty concluded the 3-0 penalty shootout win for La Salle and gave them a chance to play for a PCL Championship against Roman Catholic, who beat Father Judge in the following game 1-0.
At the start of October, La Salle and Roman Catholic played to an exciting double-overtime 2-2 draw in which either team could have walked away with the win.
“They’re fast, physical, aggressive, quick to every ball, and they don’t take no for answer,” Spencer Patton said.
“They got a big forward, a sophomore, who’s one of the best forwards in the league so we’re going to need to shut him down,” Hughes explained.
That forward is 1st Team All-Catholic Jared Dillon, who scored against La Salle in that 2-2 draw.
The PCL Championship will be played at 5pm Saturday at the South Philly Supersite. For Roman, this is their third championship in three years and they’ll be looking to show that they are the better than the #1 seed Explorers. For La Salle, this match is their chance to seek revenge against Roman Catholic and finally lift the PCL Championship for the first time in four years.
