The result was not pretty, and that’s been the case quite often this year, but New Hope-Solebury boys soccer coach Dave Bachart still takes positives from the 2022 season.
“We’ve been giving solid effort all year long,” said Bachart after the Lions’ 6-0 Oct. 11 loss at Springfield Township in a battle of Suburban One League Freedom Division foes. The setback dropped NH-S to 2-10 in division play and 3-11 overall.
“We’re playing a lot of tough games against bigger schools and have been holding our own,” Bachart continued. “We just need to finish a little bit better and we’re right there.
“I’m happy with what’s going on. It’s hard being in a league with such bigger schools, but that’s kind of why we left the BAL (Bicentennial Athletic League) three years ago because we were winning games but it wasn’t helping us get ready for the playoffs.”
New Hope-Solebury trailed 2-0 at halftime of the Springfield Township game as NH-S sophomore goalkeeper John Nettles kept the game reasonably close with some nice saves.
However, he suffered what appeared to be a head injury in the first half. Although Nettles cleared concussion protocol, Bachart said he didn’t want to risk playing his first-team goalie in the second half. Springfield Township, one of the strongest teams in the Freedom Division, scored four more goals in the second half against two backup goalkeepers and several other NH-S substitutes.
Springfield scored two of its goals on penalty kicks and the referees also issued two yellow cards to Lion players, all decisions that Bachart disputed. He said he substituted liberally in the second half because he felt the game was being officiated in a way that did not sufficiently protect his players.
The NH-S squad is very young, with seven freshmen, 15 sophomores, three juniors and four seniors.
“The first half was probably one of the best performances we’ve put on all year,” Bachart said after the Springfield Township game. “John Nettles has been outstanding. We’ve had scores like 3-0 and 4-0, and you might think that’s pretty lopsided for a soccer game, but he has made some remarkable saves and stood on his head all season long. A lot of those games could have been 10 or 11-0.”
Senior Marco DeMeo continued to lead the Lions in scoring after the Springfield Township game with eight goals for the season.
Nettles said the team has not lost heart all year despite the less than rosy record.
“I think we’re kind of an undersized school, and we’re getting mixed results but good effort,” he said. “I don’t really care about the record. We’re out here trying hard, having fun and enjoying the game.”
Teammate Jon Wilson agreed.
“It’s been a tough year, but we’ve had some good games and I’m definitely happy with the effort,” he said.
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