The Moravian Academy boys soccer team rolled through the District 11 playoffs and captured their seventh straight district title. The Lions claimed the district title by beating Schuylkill Haven 7-1.
After an easy district tournament, the Lions didn’t have it much different throughout the state tournament. Moravian had a close first round beating Millville 2-1 but then moved on to the state quarterfinals to play York Catholic High School. The Lions topped the District 3 runner up 4-0 to move on to the state semifinals.
The semifinals for the Lions were a lot easier than expected. The District 1 champion, Dock Mennonite, was supposed to be a tough opponent for Moravian. The Lions took an early lead by a goal from Senior Forward Julius Ewungkem. The Lions added another one off a free-kick from Junior Defender Nahkil Mahtre with only a few minutes left of the first half. The Lions held the momentum throughout the rest of the game while adding two more goals in the second half to blank Dock Mennonite 4-0. The Lions return to Chocolate town for the first time since 2014.
The Lions head out to Hershey to face the District 7 runner-up, Winchester Thurston in the state final. The Lions and Winchester were close throughout the first half until the Winchester struck first by scoring off a rebound from a free-kick. This did not stop the Lions. Under a minute after Winchester’s goal, Senior Forward, Austin Recinos, nailed a shot from right outside the box to tie the game 1-1. Shortly after that, Winchester was called for a handball inside the box, giving the Lions a penalty kick. Sophomore Midfielder, Gennaro Mazzella took the PK and was successful, giving the Lions a 2-1 lead going into the second half.
Moravian’s momentum carried over into the second half. Sophomore Forward, Archie Debbage, found himself an open shot right in front of the goal, adding to Moravian’s lead, making it 3-1. But the Lions didn’t stop there. Austin Recinos found the back of the net again late in the second half, sealing the game, making the score 4-1.
This year’s team is the best team in the Academy’s history. Led by Senior Captains Austin Recinos, Cyrus Elmi, and Avi Singh, they finished the season with a 24-1 record, winning the Colonial League Championship, seventh straight District 11 title, and capped off their record season with a State Title.
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