24 DAILY NEWS – A defensive stalemate unfolded in East Whiteland as Downingtown West and Great Valley battled to a scoreless draw after 100 minutes of play.
EAST WHITELAND – For the soccer purist, Tuesday’s 100-minute scoreless draw between the Downingtown West and Great Valley boys was a defensive masterpiece. For most of the rest, it was a marathon afternoon of frustrating futility at the offensive end.
Either way, the visiting Whippets and host Patriots put on an impressive display of keeping the ball out of their own net. Downingtown West is now 3-1-1 overall. Great Valley is 3-2-1.
“It was tough for either side to get into an (offensive) rhythm,” said Whippets’ head coach Joe Sales.
“I thought it was going to be high scoring, to be honest,” added West goalkeeper Chase Cicero. “So to have two clean sheets, it shows how both sides played defensively.
“Our defense just plays very clean. It’s nice having a great back line helping me out.”
For the Patriots’ first-year head coach Bern McCauley, the result was bittersweet. He is a former assistant to longtime mentor Dave Moffett, who retired from coaching after 33 seasons at the helm – the last 28 at Great Valley.
“We are happy with the result, but we felt like a win was there for the taking,” he added. “This is our first clean sheet of the season, so that is something we can build off of as a unit.”
As expected, there weren’t a lot of scoring chances, but there were a few darn good ones. Senior Will Granato and sophomore Nico Ulloa had prime second half opportunities for the Pats, and Whippets’ junior Alex Shearer forced a diving save to earn a corner kick, but his header on the set piece sailed over the crossbar.
Perhaps the best chance to break the tie, however, came with just over 13 minutes in regulation when Great Valley keeper Jhordan Fajardo Castro made a nice initial save on a shot by West’s James Soler, and then stonewalled Aiden Benner on the rebound a second later.
“We got a couple looks and (West’s) keeper made some big saves,” McCauley said. “And our keeper came up with that great double-save.”
In the final three minutes of regulation, both sides threatened. The Whippets’ Ben Fritsky appeared to score on a header but the play was offside. And in the waning seconds, Cicero came up with a diving save off a Patriots’ corner kick.
“It was not necessarily what we wanted in terms of possessing the ball,” Sales pointed out.
“I thought the game was more direct than I would have liked, going straight to goal rather than moving the ball up-field a bit. And it was like that for both teams. Obviously we have a great back line that can handle that.”
In the initial 10-minute overtime, Great Valley got a defensive save from sophomore Calvin Kim, which came off the lone corner kick in the stanza. In the second OT neither side threatened, and eventually the contest was marred by players suffering from cramps.
“It’s never easy for these guys to play right after school,” Sales explained. “They are great athletes, but their bodies are tested. They go to school all day and don’t get enough fluids or are able to get the proper nutrition. And then to play on a turf field, you bake. So it’s tough.”
As the match went on, and especially late in the second half and in the OTs, the offenses on both sides started showing impatience as the chances never seemed to come to fruition.
“It was a game of both teams being super organized and physical in the back,” McCauley said. “The center-backs in this game did a great job — (Caleb Weiman and Ryner Boone) held it down for (West), and ours kept everything away. It seemed like all of the chances came from the width and on set pieces.
“We generated our best chances when we swung it around and were patient.”
It wasn’t surprising that the statistics were very even, with both squads generating five corner kicks. Great Valley had a slight edge in shots on goal, 7-5.
“Both keepers made some great saves,” Sales said.
“This was the best defense we’ve played so far this season,” added Pats’ junior center-back Mason O’Connor. “We got every ball out and we didn’t let any opposing players turn. And the intensity was the best we’ve had.”
For senior keeper Fajardo Castro, it was his best outing of his first season at Great Valley. He missed the first few games of the campaign.
“He played awesome,” O’Connor said. “He’s been playing great for us since he joined the team.”
Downingtown West 0, Great Valley 0 (2 OT)
Downingtown West 0 0 0 0 — 0
Great Valley 0 0 0 0 — 0
Goalie saves: Cicero (DW) 7; Fajardo Castro (GV) 5.
Defensive Masterclass or Offensive Frustration?
According to 24 DAILY NEWS sources, the match, held on Tuesday, saw both teams showcasing impressive defensive capabilities, leaving offensive opportunities scarce. Downingtown West now holds a 3-1-1 record, while Great Valley stands at 3-2-1.
“It was tough for either side to get into an (offensive) rhythm,” said Whippets’ head coach Joe Sales.
West goalkeeper Chase Cicero added, “I thought it was going to be high scoring, to be honest. So to have two clean sheets, it shows how both sides played defensively. Our defense just plays very clean. It’s nice having a great back line helping me out.”
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Great Valley’s first-year head coach Bern McCauley, a former assistant to Dave Moffett, who retired after 33 seasons, expressed mixed feelings. “We are happy with the result, but we felt like a win was there for the taking,” McCauley stated. “This is our first clean sheet of the season, so that is something we can build off of as a unit.”
Key Moments and Goalkeeping Heroics
Despite limited scoring chances, the game featured moments of brilliance. Will Granato and Nico Ulloa of Great Valley, along with Alex Shearer of Downingtown West, had notable opportunities. A standout moment occurred when Great Valley keeper Jhordan Fajardo Castro made a crucial double save, denying West’s James Soler and Aiden Benner.
“We got a couple looks and (West’s) keeper made some big saves,” McCauley said. “And our keeper came up with that great double-save.”
The final minutes of regulation saw near misses, including a disallowed goal for Downingtown West due to an offside call and a diving save by Cicero on a Patriots’ corner kick. “It was not necessarily what we wanted in terms of possessing the ball,” Sales pointed out to 24 DAILY NEWS reporters.
“I thought the game was more direct than I would have liked, going straight to goal rather than moving the ball up-field a bit. And it was like that for both teams. Obviously we have a great back line that can handle that.”
Overtime and Physical Toll
The overtime periods saw a defensive save from Great Valley’s Calvin Kim and increasing physical strain on the players. Sales noted the challenges players face competing immediately after school, citing insufficient hydration and nutrition, exacerbated by playing on turf.
“It’s never easy for these guys to play right after school,” Sales explained. “They are great athletes, but their bodies are tested. They go to school all day and don’t get enough fluids or are able to get the proper nutrition. And then to play on a turf field, you bake. So it’s tough.”
McCauley emphasized the organized and physical play of both teams’ defenses. “It was a game of both teams being super organized and physical in the back,” McCauley said.
“The center-backs in this game did a great job — (Caleb Weiman and Ryner Boone) held it down for (West), and ours kept everything away. It seemed like all of the chances came from the width and on set pieces. We generated our best chances when we swung it around and were patient.”
According to 24 DAILY NEWS statistics, the match concluded with near-even statistics, including five corner kicks for each team and a slight edge in shots on goal for Great Valley (7-5).
“Both keepers made some great saves,” Sales said.
Pats’ junior center-back Mason O’Connor praised his team’s defensive performance. “This was the best defense we’ve played so far this season,” O’Connor said. “We got every ball out and we didn’t let any opposing players turn. And the intensity was the best we’ve had.”
Senior keeper Fajardo Castro, in his first season with Great Valley, was commended for his outstanding performance. “He played awesome,” O’Connor said. “He’s been playing great for us since he joined the team.”
Downingtown West 0, Great Valley 0 (2 OT)
Downingtown West 0 0 0 0 — 0
Great Valley 0 0 0 0 — 0
Goalie saves: Cicero (DW) 7; Fajardo Castro (GV) 5.
