Cuatro Por Cuatro: West Chester United complete fourth straight state cup double with EPSA Open Cup win

West Chester’s Ken Roby set up the first goal and scored twice late in the second half to seal a 3-0 win over rival Vereinigung Erzgebirge in the EPSA Frank Giancroce Open Cup at Bryn Athyn College Sunday afternoon.

The win earned West Chester an EPSA Amateur-Open Cup double for the fourth year in a row, an unprecedented run of success in the Philadelphia area not seen since the days of the Ukranian Nationals in the early 1960s or Bethlehem Steel in early 20th century. West Chester defeated Colonial SC 4-2 in the Amateur Final in December.

Roby and the 2015 and 2022 USASA Werner Fricker Open Cup National Champions followed up a hectic week in which they hosted Loudoun United in the First Round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Tuesday evening at YSC. Despite going up a goal early, West Chester couldn’t hold on
as Loudoun, a USL Champion side, rallied back to win 3-2. Roby netted West Chester’s second goal in 68th minute, keeping the American second division side within reach.

Sunday afternoon’s game against VE started much different than Tuesday night’s match against Loudoun as West Chester took some time to get into the match. Maintaining some early pressure, it took some time for their front four of Roby, Ayoub Mouhou, Charles Wilson, and Yassine Elkahloun to break through VE’s center back pairing of Nick Yurcho and Pat Murphy. In the 25th minute, Mouhou got the better of VE left back Chris Gomez and slipped Roby through to goal, but his wide-angled shot was covered well by VE keeper Steve Paul to keep the game scoreless.

From there, the game opened up considerably as West Chester created a number of half-chances through build-up play at one end while VE was equally dangerous on free kicks at the other. Neither team could fine the opener, and the first half ended the way it began.

As action resumed, VE appeared as the livelier side, and twelve minutes in had a great opportunity to stun the cup holders. Gomez sent a free kick from the wide left outside of the penalty area, and Chris Baker won the challenge against two West Chester defenders but not the bar, as his header beat keeper Andrew Cooke but smacked the woodwork before being cleared away. Nine minutes later, West Chester displayed a lovely combination in front of goal from Bobby Dwayne Hickerson to Roby to Mouhou to Elkahloun, who got in behind the VE line and slipped a ball across the box that Wilson backheeled wide.

Maintaining pressure for the next several minutes, West Chester capitalized on the energy surge in the 75th minute, earning a free kick just outside the box. Roby stepped up with a low curler around the wall to the far post that Paul pushed away only to be smashed home by defender Tima Sama to give the champions a 1-0 lead.

75’ West Chester takes the lead. Tima Sama finishes the rebound off a Ken Roby free kick.

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— Philadelphia Soccer Now (@phlsoccernow.bsky.social) March 23, 2025 at 1:35 PM

While VE made a push for an equalizer, the game opened up at the other end, leading to numerous West Chester counters. Once again, Roby was at the center of the action when he found himself on the end of a failed clearance, took a touch to settle, and volleyed home with his left to double West Chester’s lead.

89’ Roby doubles the lead for West Chester. 2-0 in the EPSA Final.

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— Philadelphia Soccer Now (@phlsoccernow.bsky.social) March 23, 2025 at 1:47 PM

But Roby wasn’t finished. With the VE players gassed, and a West Chester victory all but certain, Roby ran another West Chester counter late in stoppage time, pushing through the VE backline to add a third, sealing the game seconds before the final whistle.

The win puts West Chester into two regional competitions this spring. They will face Los Toros in the Region 1 Amateur Cup April 6 th in Maryland and will host Ristozi FC in the Open Cup May 4. Ristozi defeated Christos FC in the Open Final 2-1. NY Pancyprian Freedoms (ENY) and
Lansdown Yonkers (ENY) are the defending National Amateur and Region 1 Open Cup Champions respectively. The Freedoms defeated FC Cincinnati 2 5-4 in Pks to advance to the Second Round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.