Despite facing some personnel challenges, the Penn Charter boys have gotten off to a strong start in the 2023 soccer season.

Last Wednesday under the lights at Archbishop Ryan High School, a late goal got the visiting Quakers past the Raiders, 1-0. That victory was preceded by wins over Ohio's Summit Country Day School (4-0) and St. Joseph's Prep (2-1). PC's only loss came by a 2-0 score against Baltimore power Archbishop Curley.

Penn Charter graduated nine players from its 2022 team, which tied with Germantown Academy for second place in the Inter-Ac League. Two of this year's juniors, Chance Merceir and Tazio Perkins, have suffered injuries that will keep them out for the entire 2023 season. Another injured player, senior and Lafayette College recruit James Melnick, is expected to return at the end of this month for the start of the Inter-Ac campaign.

Melnick is one of PC's team captains this fall, along with Britt Armbrister and Pete Punchiello. Last season, Punchiello split time in the Quakers' goal with 2023 grad Shawn Flynn. This year the job is his alone, with junior keeper Aidan Trautwein serving as understudy.

In last Wednesday evening's outing at Archbishop Ryan, Armbrister and Punchiello started for the Quakers along with fellow seniors Joey DiBenedetto (son of longtime PC head coach Bob DiBenedetto), Owen Miner, Nick Kraemer, and Jake Zaretsky. The other starters were juniors Noah Amankulor and Ryder Stearn, and sophomores Will Adair, Tiernan Perkins, and Willem van Beelen.

The first players to come off the bench were senior Justin Gantz and sophomore Rainer Malhotra.

The match took place in the middle of last week's heat wave, but with a 7:00 PM start, at least the temperatures were dropping out of the 90's, and there was a water break taken in the middle of each half. By the end of the first period, a large crowd of spectators had assembled in the twilight on the broad lawn sloping down to Ryan's field.

This proved to be quite an even match, with both teams generating a number of scoring opportunities. In the PC goal, Punchiello did not have to make many actual saves, but this was partly because he either caught or knocked away a number of balls the Raiders served into the box.

The lone goal of the evening came from a Chestnut Hill resident, van Beelen. He lined up for a direct kick a little outside of the 18-yard line, a bit right of center, and deposited the ball high on the right side of the home team's cage.

The goal came with 6:37 left in regulation play, and Ryan attacked furiously after that in a bid for the equalizer. They benefitted from several free kicks, and twice the ball was loose in the middle of the box before Punchiello dove on it and ended the threat. Charter's one-goal margin held up until the final horn.