By Erin O’Neil, Sports Editor

Boys soccer is heating up. Numbers are indisputable and fans don’t lie. There’s no getting around the fact that boys soccer has never been as hot as it is right now. After last year’s playoff fizzle, the team is back and it’s ready to make us forget all about last season—and make us pay attention to what it’s doing right now.

The Pioneers opened the year with a 3-1 win over Shipley, an auspicious start to the season. The win sparked a string of momentous victories, establishing a strong, undefeated record of 6-0-1 by mid-September.

But as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. The boys’ winning ways came to a halt in a game on Sept. 22 against Lower Merion, the perennial powerhouse and returning Central League champion.

With a current overall record of 10-3-1, the team’s season is far from over, but it needs to get back on track in time for playoffs. Lack of goal scoring was pinpointed as an area of concern, so the offense is, as always, working toward upping its goal total.

But points on the scoreboard are harder and harder to come by after the loss of midfielder and senior captain Garret Eldridge to a metatarsal Jones fracture in a Sept. 16 game against Upper Darby.

“Generally, we’re trying to figure out how to score goals again,” head coach David Zimmerman said.

Eldridge’s injury, along with several other minor bumps and bruises on the team, has slowed the team’s momentum as it looks to close the season. However, even after a recent 1-0 loss to Strath Haven, ’Stoga remains a contender for a playoff seed.

Despite the recent setbacks, it is clear that the Pioneers are having a special year. The secret to their newfound success: An opportune combination of several finely-brewed ingredients, all finally coming together for the 2009 season.

The Formation: The same as last year, with the exception of some personnel changes.

The loss of former senior Bobby Pierce-Cooke—who scored close to half the team’s goals last season—was devastating to ’Stoga’s offensive attack. But as this year’s season has progressed, others have stepped up to fill the void. Junior forward Michael Gonzalez, who had scored seven goals through Oct. 12, along with senior forwards Paz Breezeatl and John Marshall, have led the charge, fueled in part by the dual midfield effort of senior captain Patrick O’Neil and senior Jason Klunder.

Bringing up the rear, senior captain Matt Smith, seniors Mike Krone and Robbie Nicholas and junior Robbie Rose have contributed to a four-man defensive front that has allowed just 11 goals so far this season. Senior goalkeeper RJ Spargo has been reliable between the posts, collecting a total of six shutouts.

While this year’s team is made up of many returning seniors, the roster has nonetheless managed to amass fresh talent.

The Newcomers: Junior Brian Dailey adds speed to the front left line, while sophomore Andrew Connors handles the ball with skill at midfield. Freshman twins Andrew and Danny Gonzalez also complement the offensive effort, despite the fact that they’re difficult to tell apart.

The Style: ’Stoga is honing a possessive style of play, maximizing the results of its foot skills and dribbling ability.

“Last year we were able to play the ball in the air, but [this year] we don’t have the plays for that style,” Zimmerman said. “We need to keep the ball on the ground and move it up the field, feet to feet.”

The Chemistry: A strong bond between players off the field had led to a special understanding on the field that is hard to come by.

“Most seniors [on the team] have been playing together since third or fourth grade, so we have chemistry that other teams cannot match,” senior Robbie Nicholas said.

The Fans: Without a doubt, the soccer crowd has expanded to suit the season.

“This year [the team has] a lot of talent, and they are turning a lot of heads,” senior Jeff Chu said. “Since I’m friends with everyone on the team, it is cool to seem them playing their game and succeeding.”

Chu, who has made it to every home game to date, said that the fans are there to support the team in any way they can.

“I just show up and try to be loud,” Chu said. “It’s not just one fan who makes the atmosphere. The more people we have in the crowd, the better.”

’Stoga soccer has collected more and more fans all season, running promotional events like white-out night, which drew a large crowd despite heavy rain. But, while things like free T-shirts are certainly an incentive, it’s the team’s production on the field that keeps fans coming back.

The equation has been set all along, but the correct variables have finally been put into place: Boys soccer is just getting going, and they hope that they won’t have to stop anytime soon.

Erin O’Neil can be reached at eoneil@stoganews.com.

Printed originally on p. 20 of The Spoke’s Oct. 16, 2009 issue.

The rain and cold didn’t keep the Conestoga fans from attending this afternoon’s boys soccer game against Upper Darby, a game that would turn out to be memorable for both sides. 

After two hard-fought 10-minute overtimes, the Pioneers continued their march toward an undefeated season and a Central League title, tying Upper Darby with a score of 0-0. 

During the course of the game, multiple exchanges between the teams became increasingly heated and hostile. Several yellow cards were handed out, including one to an Upper Darby player for intentionally kicking a ball into the stands and another to ’Stoga senior Patrick O’Neil for a slide tackle in the first half. 

The second half was comprised of a mixture of frustration and injuries, the worst of which occurred when ’Stoga senior Garret Eldridge broke his ankle, a serious loss to the team. Eldridge was taken to the emergency room in an ambulance at the end of the game. In addition, O’Neil was taken off the field in the second half with a bloody nose, an injury sustained after he was kicked in the face by an opposing player. 

The climax of these events came seconds after the end of the game, when Upper Darby goalie Andrew Flood knocked down Conestoga junior Brian Dailey as the teams were leaving the field. The entire Pioneer crew came to Dailey’s defense, and a lengthy shouting match between the two sides ensued. 

It took several minutes to calm down both teams, an effort led largely by ’Stoga senior goalie RJ Spargo. The handshake proceeded with conflict.

Stay with Stoganews.com for more on this story.

Evan Pioch and Luke Rafferty/The SPOKE

The undefeated boys’ soccer team continued its quest for a Central League title, taking on Henderson earlier today. Despite the ominous weather forecast at the start of the day, the rains held off for the majority of the game. 

By the time the clock hit zero at the end of the second half, ’Stoga had secured yet another win, with a final score of 2-1. Goals were scored by senior Garret Eldridge and freshman Danny Gonzalez. The team’s next game is on Monday at Penncrest.

Evan Pioch/The SPOKE

The ’Stoga boys’ soccer team faced off against Shipley in its home opener Friday night at Teamer Field. 

The Pioneers entered the season with high hopes of capturing the Central League title, and Friday night’s game proved to be the first step toward achieving that goal.  

Conestoga’s offense outscored and outmaneuvered the Shipley defense, and its defense proved all but impenetrable against the Shipley attack. The Pioneers went into the locker room at half-time with a 1-0 lead, coming off an early goal by senior Garret Eldridge. 

’Stoga senior John Marshall picked up in the second half where his team had left off, adding a goal of his own to put the Pioneers up by a score of 2-0.  Junior Brian Dailey then added another goal to the scoreboard, putting  ‘Stoga up by a score of 3-0. Shipley scored its lone goal of the night late in the second-half against RJ Spargo, ’Stoga’s senior goalie.  

By the time the clock hit zero at the end of the game, the ’Stoga boys’ soccer team had secured a 3-1 victory over Shipley, its first step towards a Central League title.

Evan Pioch/The SPOKE