Dragons Topple TE For Crucial Win

Despite the loss through injury of goal keeper Danny Lyons, the Haverford Dragons relied on two stand-in netminders and an overall strong performance from the rest of the team to down top-of-the-table Tredyffrin Easstown Hotspurs, 2-nil on Saturday.

The loss was the first for TE all season and gets the Dragons back to their winning ways in dramatic and significant fashion.

Noah Cordrey and Senan Farrelly took turns deputizing for Lyons, whose broken toe has ruled him out of the last two matches.

Nevertheless, Haverford rallied to support both keepers.

Dragons Enjoy Evenly Played First Half

The first half was a more or less even affair in which the chances were somewhat limited by the majority of play occupying midfield.

With the score nil-nil at the break, Cordrey could breathe a sigh of relief that his stint in the goals ended well.

The Dragons continued their strong defensive display into the second half, and added more scoring punch as well.

On one foray into the attacking third, Haverford had put plenty of players in the box and pressured the Hotspur net.

Haverford In Front As Brown Strikes

The result was a chance which was well taken by Ryan Brown.

With the ball bouncing around in front of the net, Brown managed to get his foot on it and put it past TE's keeper to edge in front close to the 50th minute.

Haverford continued to press for another goal.

The second came on a well crafted play which began on the left side with a quality move by Kevin Toal.

Toal Sets Up Dragons' Second Goal

After beating his man, Toal crossed smartly into the box where several Dragon players were crashing the net.

On this occasion, it was Patrick Hegarty who latched onto it and slotted it past the TE keeper to extend Haverford's lead.

Farrelly did his part in goal and denied the Hotspurs and the Dragons held on for a vital win and three points.

Concord Match Added To Schedule

The Delco League has altered the Dragons' schedule this fall, adding a match against Concord Revolution, slated for Sunday, Nov. 2.

The original fixture list was missing this contest, leaving Haverford with only eight matches instead of nine, which would have left the Dragons without the opportunity to earn three valuable points on the season.

The Nov. 2 match will give the Dragons the opportunity to make amends for their loss to Revolution in the Whitewater Championship match Oct. 12, with crucial position on the table at stake.

Haverford Slip In Delco U12 EPYSA 3

Following the most recent set of fixtures, Haverford dropped into third place in Delco U12 EPYSA 3. Full standings are as follows:

Tredyffrin Easttown _ 14 points
Spirit United _ 11 points
Haverford _ 10 points
Radnor _ 10 points
Concord _ 8 points
Octorara _ 8 points
Methacton _ 6 points
West Chester United _ 5 points
Lionville _ 4 points
Saucon Valley _ 1 point

Spirit United Hand Dragons First Loss

With keeper Danny Lyons and midfielder Conor Higgins both suffering injuries, the Haverford Dragons were forced to make some last-minute changes to their starting XI today against visiting Spirit United.

But it was not due to those injuries that Spirit was able to hand the Dragons their first loss, 2-nil.

Rather it was overall uninspired play by Haverford which accounted for the difference, as United took their chances well and claimed all three points on the day.

Lyons was missing through a suspected broken toe suffered during the week, and Higgins was hampered with a leg injury which ruled him out of midfield action.

Injuries Force Dragons To Make Changes

Higgins was fit enough to step in for Lyons, however, and made many crucial saves throughout the match.

The result was not the start to the second half of the season they had hoped for today as visiting Spirit United handed the Dragons their first lost of the season, 2-nil.

For their part, the Dragons created few quality chances. The match was somewhat physical and even through the first 30 minutes.

Haverford's best opportunity to get ahead came in the 15th minute when a flurry of activity in the Spirit penalty area gave every indication that a goal was at hand.

Haverford's Attack Goes In Fits, Starts

The attack was stunted, however, when the United keeper sustained an injury after he had gone to ground to deny Matthias Chernitsky close in.

Chernitsky's hard work actually kept the ball alive, and the Dragons continued to apply pressure.

But the referee stopped the matHaverforch to attend to the fallen United keeper.

Haverford did not threaten as much the remainder of the first half.

The score was nil-nil at the break, and the early stages of the second half looked much like the first half: the action was mostly bottled in the middle of the park.

Dragons Fail To Capitalize On Chances

Haverford played the gracious hosts in the 46th minute when United earned a free kick from 20 yards out.

The result was a superbly taken kick which curled in at the bottom of the far left post to give United the advantage.

Haverford responded with some urgency, but United was playing with more ambition, such that eight minutes after getting themselves in front, they bagged a second.

The Dragons pressed forward, with time working against them. But they squandered chances. One promising attack was called back for offside; another amounted to nothing when Conor Bradley's corner kick went behind the goal rather than into the field of play.

Dragons Fall To Concord At Whitewater

The Haverford Dragons travelled to the Whitewater Classic Columbus Day Tournament this weekend and came away second best as they lost in the championship match to familiar rival Concord Revolution, 3-1.

The championship was a re-match of the Delco Columbus Day final in 2006 when the Dragons beat the Revolution, 3-1, for the U-10 title.

Two years later it was no surprise that both Haverford and Concord reached the championship match, as they both looked odds-on favorties to win their respective divisions.

Haverford Levels After Rough Start

The final match got off to a less-than-favorable start for the Dragons as Concord took the opening tap down the left side and put the ball past keeper Danny Lyons in the first 30 seconds.

The Dragons looked a bit shocked, but gathered themselves and got chances of their own, with Conor Bradley able to level terms after his industry down the left side proved too much for Concord in the ninth minute.

The Revolution keeper got his hands on Bradley's shot but couldn't hold it, and the ball found the net as Patrick Hegarty crashed the far post to be on the spot should it be required.

Haverford kept it level throughout the first half and took a 1-1 draw into the break.

Concord's Speed Leads To Dragons' Woe

But it was deja vu for the Dragons at the start of the second half, as Concord jumped ahead once again through the same player, who struck within the first two minutes of the re-start.

Haverford's woe increased three minutes later when a series of unfortunate events led to an own goal and gave Concord a two-goal advantage.

Concord's two speedy forwards were making the Dragons' back line work very hard, and the Revolution midfielders were sending several quality through balls in.

On one such play, the Concord forward was in on goal, with several Haverford defenders on his heels. Lyons came off his line and made a great save on a hard low shot, but the rebound carommed off Lyons and hit a returning Dragons defender.

Tale Of Two Matches For Dragons

The result was inevitable: the ball ricocheted into the unprotected net. The rest of the match, the Dragons had some scoring opportunities, but Concord limited them quite well.

It was a stark contrast to the previous match of the day which ensured the Dragons their trip to the championship match.

Against the Bethlehem Dragons, Haverford found the net six times, five of those in the second half.

Five different Haverford players got on the scoresheet as they put together a solid performance.

But the offense struggled against Concord, and now the Dragons look to resume league play this Saturday against Spirit United.

Chernistky's 3 Goals Are Dragons' Joy

The Haverford Dragons got back to their winning ways today against the visiting Octorara Braves on the strength of a hat trick by Matthias Chernitsky and solid defending, especially from keeper Danny Lyons.

The Dragon's victory, coupled with Radnor's nil-nil draw at Concord, means Haverford has moved up on the Delco U12 EPYSA 3 table to second, just one point behind Tredyffrin Easttown.

Following a lackluster performance the week before against Radnor, coach Louie Bradley called for more pace and aggression to the ball for the match against the Braves.

With position tight on the table, the contest had large implications for the Dragons' attempts to claim top spot.

Heading into today's match, Octorara was tied with Haverford on seven points.

Haverford Gets Back To Winning Ways

From the opening whistle Haverford played with much more purpose and ambition that last week.

The first of Chernitsky's three goals came in the 16th minute following smooth link-up play along the right side.

Patrick Hegarty carried well deep on the right, then crossed it back for Chernitsky, who struck a fine shot from just inside the penaly area.

The breakthrough got the Dragons' noses in front and they immediately looked to increase their advantage.

Breathing space was achieved six minutes later when build up again came from the right side, and a driven ball from Conor Higgins was turned in at the far post by Chernitsky, who had timed his run perfectly.

Dragons Shut Down Braves' Comeback

The Dragons' defense was working very hard to shut down the Octorara attack, and Shane Bradley, Ryan Kelly and Peter Moore disturbed the Braves' forwards the whole game.

Octorara did get their opportunities, though. And when they did, Lyons courageously threw himself into the action.

Lyons went to ground in a crowded penalty area repeatedly in the first half to keep Octorara off the score sheet until the 52 second minute.

By then, Chernitsky had tallied his third of the match and his fifth of the season.

Dragons Make Stand, Hold Off Octorara

It came on a play which began with a Dragons corner kick from the left side. The Braves failed to clear, and Higgins' low right-footed effort stung the fingertips of the Octorara keeper.

Unable to hold the rebound, Chernitsky was on the spot, yet again, to gather and tap home in the 36th minute.

Throughout the second half Haverford was forced to play tough defense, and had Octorara been privileged to possess more quality finishers, the game would have been closer.

But on the day, the Dragons put together perhaps their best overall performance as a team this campaign, and claimed all three points with another win.