Southeastern Pa. boys' soccer preview

The Conestoga boys' soccer team will be in search of another state championship in 2017. The Pioneers beat Parkland, Hempfield, and Northern Allegheny before they eventually took down Elizabethtown, 1-0, in the 2016 PIAA Class 4A title game.

It was Conestoga's first state championship since 2011. The Pioneers finished with a 25-1 overall record and won the Central League title for the third straight year. Their only loss was to West Chester Henderson in the District 1 final.

Conestoga has another talented team under the direction of David Zimmerman, who was named coach of the year by the Inquirer last season. Senior captains Nick Jennings (2016 all-American) and Mike McCarthy will guide an experienced group that includes senior forward Chris Donovan, senior midfielder Rodrigo Martinez, senior forward Logan Schwartz, and junior goalkeeper Luke Smith.

The Pioneers lost defender Gabe Harms (Ohio State), striker Mason Miller (Colgate), midfielder Blaise Milanek (Lehigh), and defender Will Klein (Haverford College) to graduation.

"This year's team features a talented senior class with a wealth of on-field experience from the state championship win in 2016," said Zimmerman.

Led by Jennings and McCarthy, the Pioneers figure to contend for the Central League crown and have the potential to make another deep playoff run.

"The question is whether we can fill the holes left by the departed seniors and avoid the pitfalls that typically face teams after winning a championship," Zimmerman said.

North Penn is also coming off a solid run in the Class 4A state tournament. The Knights ended with an 18-5 overall record and made it to Hershey, where they fell to West Chester Henderson in the quarterfinals.

Head coach Paul Duddy, entering his 18th season, will depend on returning players like Carter Houlihan, Aidan Jerome, Luke McMahon, Jack Johnston, and Matt Murphy to help the team compete in 2017.

North Penn, however, did lose Mike Kohler, Noah Kwortnick, Nick Terchek, Nate Baxter, and Bobby Dean.

Archbishop Wood heads into the new season with a young roster after graduating 14 seniors last year. The Vikings won District 12 in 2016 but lost to Gettysburg in the first round of the Class 3A state tournament.

Head coach Hugh Kelly returns midfielder Cody Taylor, midfielder Bob Hennessy, midfielder Hugh Lynch, defender Jake Nubbemeyer, defender Shawn Clark, and goalkeeper Conner Ford.

"We should be good in the back and goal but youthful and hardworking elsewhere. We are a work in progress," said Kelly.

Radnor is set for another successful season after losing to Gettysburg in the PIAA Class 3A state quarterfinals. The Raiders went 13-7-3 overall and beat Holy Ghost Prep in the District 1 title game.

Senior forward Ryan Peter, senior defender Philip Gilbert, junior midfielder/defender Ben Verbofsky, and junior goalkeeper Henry Cooke will look to make an impact for Radnor this season. The Raiders will be without forward Jack Miller (not playing), goalkeeper Ben Toomey (not playing), midfielder Andrew Boujoukos (Ithaca College), defender Cal Congleton (not playing), and defender Phil Regan (not playing).

"We will look to keep the ball a little more in possession, all the while trying to generate a good amount of chances in the attacking third," said head coach Joe Caruolo. "We will have to defend set pieces vigorously this year, but this coachable group will look to make some noise in the Central League and District Playoffs."

Lansdale Catholic aims to repeat as District 12 Class 2A champs. The Crusaders ended with a 13-10-1 overall record and fell victim to Lewisburg in the semifinals of states.

Head coach Bill James will look for leadership from Chris Edling, Dominic Melchiorre, Kyle Kane, Matt McDonald, and Stephen Esterle. Lansdale Catholic, however, will battle without the services of Joshua Yurasits (George Washington), Noah Saba (Widener), Jack Kane, and Matt Noti.

"We are looking to improve as a program and be contenders in the PCL," said James.

Other teams to watch: West Chester Henderson, La Salle, Neshaminy, Council Rock North, Holy Ghost Prep, and Lower Moreland.