LONDON GROVE – The more seasoned squad, playing at home, it would have been an upset if the Avon Grove boys’ soccer squad had lost to visiting Coatesville on Thursday evening in the Ches-Mont opener for both.
The Red Devils entered the contest with five matches already under their belts. The Red Raiders, however, were playing for the first time in nine days — and Thursday was just the team’s second outing of the season. Therefore, it was no surprise when Avon Grove carved out a 4-0 victory.
“It was definitely an advantage when we’ve already played a bunch of games,” said Devils’ head coach Joe Herman.
“Some of our guys are still getting accustomed to playing together,” added Coatesville head coach Matt Jones.
“We are still trying to find a groove with our players. We will just keep at it. Avon Grove was an awesome challenge for us.”
Avon Grove improves to 4-1-1 overall. The Raiders fall to 0-2.
“We want to get into the (district) playoffs again, and hopefully get a win,” said senior forward Joey Herman, son of the head coach. “It would be our first in a long time as a team.”
The Devils got off to a fast start thanks to two free-kick goals in the opening 5:37. Just a few minutes in, Herman made it 1-0 with a perfect, bending boot from 25 yards away from the right wing. Moment’s later junior midfielder Dylan Harper found the back of the net with a straight-on kick from about 20 yards.
“On free kicks in the attacking third it’s between me and Dylan (Harper),” Joey Herman explained. “We are both comfortable taking them.
“On the first I honestly thought I missed it at first but it dipped down and went in top right. (On the second) I asked (Harper) if he wanted it and he said, ‘you already put one in.’ I said, ‘I want you to get one too.’ And he did.”
Joe Herman added: “Both of those boys can hit some free kicks. We just kind of let them go, they talk it out, and decide what they want to do.”
It stayed 2-0 until Herman converted a breakaway with just over a minute remaining in the first half.
“I got a touch on it and that put me in front of the defender, so I knew I was onside,” Joey Herman recalled. “That got the team hyped up right before the half.”
Then the rains came in the second half. And Avon Grove junior Ryan Titter made it 4-0 midway through the half when he beat Coatesville keeper Narvaez Santiago to a pass-ahead and deposited the ball into the empty net.
Interestingly, Joe Herman and Coatesville’s Jones were high school teammates, at Avon Grove, in 1995. So there weren’t a whole lot of surprises tactically.
“We knew (Avon Grove) was going to be a disciplined team,” Jones said. “We just wanted to see our guys anticipate the speed-level of playing varsity soccer. We have a lot of first-year players.”
The Raiders’ program, however, had 84 players tryout for the team this summer.
“That’s the most we’ve ever had as a program,” Jones said. “We are moving forward but we don’t have that feeder program yet.”
The Devils had an edge in shots on goal (13-5) and in corner kicks (4-3). Junior goalie Benny Hess finished with five saves and helped the home team notch the shutout.
“Anytime you have the elements like this, something can just happen to squeak through the defense, or something,” Joe Herman said. “So it’s a big deal (go get a shutout). It shows that the guys were tuned in.”
A freshman, Santiago finished with six saves for Coatesville, and only played in the second half. The Raiders have yet to score a goal this season.
“It’s a little concerning, but I think it is going to come around,” Jones said.
“In the past, down 3-0 at the half, some of our teams would have hung their heads. But we played some pretty solid soccer in the second half.”
Avon Grove 4, Coatesville 0
Coatesville 0 0 — 0
Avon Grove 3 1 — 4
Avon Grove goals: Herman 2, Harper, Titter.
Goalie saves: Haak (C) 3; Santiago (C) 6; Hess (AG) 5.