CHA secures soccer win at GFS

by TOM UTESCHER

Chestnut Hill Academy's soccer squad climbed back to the .500 level and Germantown Friends School dipped below that mark last Thursday, when the visiting CHA Blue Devils took a 2-1 decision on the Tigers' turf. A 1-0 halftime lead for Chestnut Hill (2-2) vanished when GFS (1-2-2) converted a penalty kick midway through the second period, then senior Andrew Ferry booted in the gamewinner for the Devils with 13 minutes remaining.

CHA attacked at the outset and went ahead with just 5:44 elapsed. Pat Spanninger tapped the ball from the center of the 18 over to the left outside corner of the box, where Dan Shuptar lined up a successful shot.

Germantown's Mbizo Mzamane banged a ball over the CHA crossbar and then hit a good left-right cross that found no fellow Tigers in position to cash in.

There was a similar fruitless cross by CHA's Frank Spada at the other end, and on a Blue Devil rush a little over 15 minutes in, Germantown keeper John Barstow pinched in at the left post to stop a ball that could've extended the visitors' lead.  Barstow also denied the Devils on a header from close range.

CHA netminder Taylor Rooke repulsed a shot by the Tigers' David Robb, and in the waning moments of the half Chestnut Hill defender Scott Redpath headed away a long throw-in by the hosts. The ball came out to Ben Gemberling-Johnson of GFS, but his shot was stopped by Rooke and the half ended with the visitors still up 1-0.

Over the course of the contest fans got to watch a match within the match, as CHA fullback Chelsey Roebuck tried to contain Germantown speedster Mzamane, who is his club soccer teammate. The Blue Devil junior acquitted himself well much of the way, but 15 minutes into the second half the fiery Mzamane seared Roebuck and the Chestnut Hill defender had to foul him in the penalty area to prevent an easy score.

Mzamane punched in the PK low on the left side, pulling the Tigers even with 25:01 left in the game. After that each squad had a number of chances to take the lead. Barstow, the GFS keeper, stopped two well-hit shots by the visitors' Brent Campman, and on another Blue Devil rush, Spanninger misfired on an open shot in the middle of the box, and a follow-up shot was deflected by Germantown's Nick Malinowsky.

On a direct kick for the Tigers just outside the 18, a chip over the CHA fullback wall was snatched by Rooke. With about 19 minutes left, Germantown's forwards were unable to get a foot on the ball after Robb hit a textbook corner kick from the left side.

It was a straightforward dash through the middle that broke the deadlock, as Ferry carried the ball past four GFS defenders towards the left post and fired across into the right side of the net with 13:03 left to play. The Tigers' last good chance to forge another tie came on a long shot by Jack Meigs, a ball that was tipped outside of the right post by a diving Rooke.