TOWAMENCIN — John Martin Vince was not speaking vaguely.
The Souderton senior attackman stopped his team from ending their postgame meeting on Thursday to make a point. Even though the Indians had just beaten North Penn to remain undefeated in SOL National Conference matches, they needed to improve their performance due to their experience and the tough games ahead.
Souderton's experienced players are looking to change their approach and are hopeful that the 11-3 victory over the host Knights will be the catalyst for this change.
“We all know what we stand to gain,” Vince said. “We’ve been playing together for around eight years, and in the past three years, we’ve aimed to win the league but have not succeeded.
“This is our last year, and everyone understands that it’s now or never.”
Vince and fellow senior attackman Seth Grossman each scored three goals and provided two assists, while Brody Anderson scored two goals and assisted once to lead Souderton’s offense. The other three goals also came from seniors, as Sean and Gavin Landis scored one each, and Jaden Knize scored the other.
With a wealth of experience, not only in the attack but throughout the team, Souderton naturally has high aspirations for the season. The Indians had a 6-4 record in the SOL National last year, winning their first round District 1 playoff game before being eliminated in the second round by Wissahickon.
As of Thursday, they were ranked fifth in the current 3A power rankings, but fellow National Conference rivals Pennridge and Central Bucks East took the next two spots, and Central Bucks West was not far behind at No. 11. Souderton narrowly defeated East and West in two one-goal matches, but they are yet to play against Pennridge and have a few challenging non-league tests ahead.
“We must approach every game with the mindset that we are playing against the best team in the league, regardless of the opponent,” Grossman said. “It begins in practice, where we need to hold each other responsible and ensure that we are ready to perform.”
Grossman stressed the importance of being “responsible,” emphasizing that this is the key to getting the team to perform at their expected level. Due to the experienced players on the team, Grossman added that any player can speak up to another, as everyone understands that it is for the benefit of the group as a whole.
“We all hold each other responsible, and we all understand what needs to be done in order to play,” Grossman said. “In our offense, we can come together and do what is necessary for all of us to perform at our best.”
While Souderton has a large number of seniors on its roster, North Penn has a significant junior class as its primary group. The Knights have five seniors, but they rely on the junior class, many of whom received substantial playtime last season.
During a quarter-and-a-half on Thursday, the defense of North Penn did a great job of stopping Souderton’s experienced attacking group. Cole D’Ambrosio, a long pole defenseman, played his usual role as the defensive anchor while goalie Connor Howard made some outstanding saves.
Knights coach Rick Smith is not pleased with his team’s record, but he has no complaints about the growth of his team this season.
“We’re going to keep growing,” Smith said. “I expect these guys to step it up. Our league is tough with opponents like CB East, CB West, and Souderton, so it's not going to get any easier.
“If we can get every player on our team moving in the same direction, these guys are beginning to take personal responsibility and putting in extra work outside of regular practice. I hope they get rewarded for their hard work.”
With a 2-1 lead after the first quarter, Souderton struggled to score in the second. Anderson found Gavin Landis with 5:55 left in the first half for a goal, and a little less than three minutes later, Souderton's one-goal lead had expanded to 6-1.
Anderson, Grossman, and Vince all scored in the burst, and the trio of attackmen also scored in the fourth quarter to secure the win after the Knights (3-6, 1-5) showed some determination in the third quarter to get within 7-3.
“We have really good chemistry, we know all of each other’s tendencies, and we know where we want to go on the field,” Vince said. “That creates great off-ball tendencies.”
“It came down to getting back to playing our game,” Grossman said. “We come into every game knowing we have to play our game. We know we’re going up against other good players, so our game has to speak for itself.”
Martin also complimented the Souderton defense, led by Matt Malaga in goal, and Max Ryan, Ryan Rothenberger, and Troy Martin on the poles.
“It’s all about accountability, up and down the roster,” Grossman said. “Nobody’s better than anyone else. These are kids we’ve been playing with for years, so off the field we’re friends, but when we’re on the field, we’re going out to play lacrosse and we have to hold each other accountable.”
Pennridge is the only other undefeated team in the SOL National, with a 4-0 conference record. CB East is 4-1, and its only loss was to Souderton, but the conference title is far from decided.
Both Grossman and Vince expressed their excitement about the upcoming opportunities for them and their teammates in the next few weeks. They aim to win the league title they have not yet achieved and to take Souderton beyond the second round of districts.
“It’s time to prove it to everyone else, I think we know it within ourselves,” Vince said. “This stretch of games, we have to go out and prove it to everyone else.”
Souderton 11, North Penn 3
Souderton 2 4 2 3 — 11
North Penn 1 0 2 0 — 3
Goals-Assists: S – John Martin Vince 3-2, Seth Grossman 3-2, Brody Anderson 2-1, Jaden Knize 1-0, Sean Landis 1-0, Gavin Landis 1-0; NP – Tyler Kronmiller 1-0, Vinnie Montmore 1-0, Emerson Morrelli 1-0, Luigi Cardone 0-1.
