Youth/High School Soccer
Delco Christian ends Faith Christian’s regular season win streak with 2-0 victory
A second half goal from Jude Sacks and a bicycle kick goal from Justin Ma was enough to lead Delaware County Christian boys soccer to a rare regular season win over Faith Christian Academy on Thursday afternoon in Newtown Square.
Faith Christian came into the game unbeaten in 12 after two straight 18-0 seasons. Their last regular season loss came to Pennridge early in the 2022 season and their last Bicentennial Athletic League loss was at DC in September 2021. That was a streak of 58 games until the Knights – who topped Faith in penalties in the PIAA Class A state semifinal en route to a state championship – cleared the slate on Thursday.
Faith Christian had the better of the chances in the first half, including a Spencer Huber header that goalkeeper Carter Dill was able to get a hand to it and parry it away. Seconds after the halftime break, Sacks found room near the end line, beat a defender and hit a shot from the tight angle that caught the inside of the far post. The ball bounced back out to the Faith Christian keeper but was ruled a goal by the referee.
There was zero doubt on the second goal as Ma perfectly executed the overhead kick off a play started by a throw-in from Sacks and headed toward Ma by a defender.
“Jude, great throw in, defender pops it up,” Ma said. “I see it, at first I’m going to try to turn or, like, cut in, maybe. Then I feel like I don’t have enough time, so I go for the bike, and then next thing I know, I turn around and it’s in the net.”
The goal led to a bench-clearing celebration in the corner, but there was still plenty of time left but despite getting a number of opportunities on set pieces, the Knights defense didn’t concede many clear chances.
“Our back four just played a superb game,” head coach Rob Atkins said. “Carter Dill in goal, just an absolutely superb game.”
Dill’s older brother Cody Dill, a sophomore at Gordon College, scored the lone goal the last time DC beat Faith Christian in a regular season game in September 2021.
“We tell the guys this constantly, it’s fun to play against strong teams because they bring out the best in you,” Atkins said. “And for whatever reason, we’ve been able to throughout the years be a team to upset Faith here and there.”
DC improved to 12-1-0 on the season with the victory, their lone loss coming at last year’s Class A District 1 champions Calvary Christian. They’ll hit the road for the next three, which includes a rematch on Faith Christian’s gray turf on October 10, before returning home for games against conference rival Jenkintown and cross-town rival Marple Newtown.
“Every year, Faith is able to load up and have a fantastic team, and they are a incredible opponent, and it was great to best them today,” said Atkins, whose team joined the players from Faith for a prayer circle on the field following the final whistle. “We play them again in eight days.”
