FC Sonic – Lehigh Valley NPSL Soccer

On a weekend that would arguably define the FC Sonic Lehigh Valley season, the locals pulled together as one and beat the Erie Admirals, 2-1, within 48 hours of beating FC Buffalo, 3-0. The six points enable the Sonic to stay at the top of the NPSL’s Keystone Conference and keep playoff hopes alive and well.

After the convincing shutout of Buffalo on Friday night, FC Sonic turned their attention to taking on an undefeated Erie team in a Sunday matinee on June 26 at Lehigh’s Ulrich Stadium. Two weeks earlier, at Erie, the Admirals got the best of Sonic with a goal in the 88th minute for a 1-0 win.

From the outset of Sunday’s match, Sonic head coach Dave Weitzman felt that his team did not have their legs under them after the tough match against Buffalo. Erie began creating good chances, but failed to convert as Sonic goalkeeper Charlie Sales was a stalwart in the net. In the middle of the half, Weitzman replaced forward Shastri Spencer with the UCSB bound Chris Roell, with the hope that Roell would help the team maintain some possession time. The move paid off, as just seconds before the halftime whistle, Roell took a ball deep on the flank, out-muscled and faked out an Erie defender and hit captain Ryan Hess with a pinpoint pass. Hess drew the next Erie defender and slipped the ball to Lehigh forward Joe Puleo on his left, and Puleo took one touch and put the ball under Erie’s keeper for a 1-0 Sonic lead.

The second half saw Erie dominate play, determined to knot the score. Despite waves of offensive thrusts, the Sonic defense and keeper Sales were resolute, denying Erie the equalizer. Finally, the inevitable occurred, and Erie’s Oliver Gage scored in the 77th minute to tie the game. Erie continued its pressure, until a Sonic counter in the 88th minute. The Sonic’s Cody Antonini, late of Muhlenberg College, found back Jordie Ciuffetelli (Lehigh University)making a long run out of the back and got the ball to him. Ciuffetelli’s first touch was not ideal, but the Admiral defender was unable to clear the ball, and Ciufetteli gathered it up and beat the Erie keeper for the gamewinner.

After the game, Ciuffetelli said “I could have done better on my first touch, but I stayed with the play, pounced on the ball and put it in.” Coach Weitzman observed, “Jordie is a competitor who hates to lose. He took it upon himself to make a long run, looking to score, and he made it happen. I have a lot of confidence in Jordie and the rest of the team. It’s like coaching an all star team; the players make the coach look good.”

Next on tap for FC Sonic is a home match against local foe Pocono Snow on July 1 at 730pm. On July 9, the Sonic travel to Atlantic City to take on the undefeated Crusaders, hopefully with first place at stake.