After recognizing ten seniors on senior night, Tuesday, October 15, the boys varsity soccer team played against the Upper Darby Royals, winning in overtime with a score of 3-2.
The team had a rough start, but were able to tie it up at the end of the match and score first in overtime.
“We went down one, but we were able to come back in overtime and win it,” senior striker and team captain Noah Plunkett said.
The first half of the match started with Haven mainly on defense and had one canceled goal ruled as a handball. With 3:38 left of the first half, Upper Darby scored their first goal, putting Haven down one.
“It’s always mentally challenging when you have good chances and you can’t put them away early,” senior striker and team captain Jacob Wenke said. “You just got to keep fighting and keep going so you score.”
In the second half, Plunkett scored a free kick with 20 minutes left in the game. Their tie was broken when Upper Darby scored a minute later, bringing the game to 2-1. In the last five minutes, Haven, again, tied the game 2-2, bringing them into overtime for the sixth time this season.
“We’ve been in a lot of these situations, and just trusting our teammates and knowing that we’re good enough to come back,” Plunkett said. “We know we’re never out of it.”
With this win on their belts, the playoffs continue to be a goal for the Panthers.
“We’re gonna keep doing what we’ve been doing and not giving up hope and fighting, practicing this week to prep for Friday,” head coach Ryan O’Neill said. “If we get a chance in the playoffs, I know we’ll be a dangerous team that’s going through a lot to get to this point.”
The Panthers will play their last regular season game against Coatesville at King Field on Friday, October 18 at 7 p.m.
