After allowing an early goal, Austin Farrington did his best to keep Upper Perkiomen in last week's Pioneer Athletic Conference game. He shut out Owen J. Roberts the rest of the way.

            However, the senior goalkeeper couldn't prevent the host Wildcats from

Luke Gerstenberg, right heads the ball past an Owen J. Roberts player during Upper Perkiomen's Pioneer Athletic Conference title game.

celebrating their first title since 2014. Nick Gambone scored the only goal in a 1-0 victory on Thursday, Oct. 20.

            "I'm disappointed in the way the game ended," Tribe head coach Kyle Fisher said. "I'm proud of the boys for getting this far and keeping this game at one goal. We've been coming back all season."

            Gambone notched the game's only goal just over two minutes into the game. The midfielder collected an airborne pass from senior Joey Kish, worked behind an Indians defender, and beat Farrington with a one-timer from the right wing to the opposite post.  "The shot was just out of my reach," the goalkeeper said.

            Though the Indians rallied from a two-goal deficit against Owen J. Roberts during the regular season, which ended in a 3-2 loss on Sept. 13, they couldn't mount a similar comeback in the rematch.

            The Tribe, which spent most of the games on its heels, registered only four shots on Wildcats goalkeeper Andrew Keddie. Its best scoring chance of the first half came with seven minutes remaining on a header by Logan Watkins on a throw from Aiden Heiser.

            Jim Friedman registered the Indians' top scoring chance in the final 40 minutes. Keddie easily saved his header with 24:20 remaining.

            "Early on we tried to sit back and counter their attacks," Fisher said. "In the second half, we chose to meet them more in the middle and close down their space."

            The No. 3 seeded Wildcats peppered Farrington with quality scoring chances throughout the first half. The senior registered six of his nine saves in the initial 40 minutes.

            Farrington made multiple acrobatic saves. He elevated to stop a high shot by Ethan Williams from the right wing less than four minutes into the game.

            "Austin kept us in the game," Fisher said of Farrington, who he described as the top goalkeeper in the Frontier Division. "He made some fantastic saves."

            Midway through the first half, Farrington made several diving stops, including a one-timer from the left wing by Stephen Mullen.  "I had a lot of help from my defense," said Farrington, who lives in Green Lane. "A few of the saves were challenging."

            The goalkeeper – the Indians only starter without any club experience – developed his skills over the three previous seasons on the JV team, according to Fisher. He said the only question about the senior was if he could make the routine save.

            "Three years ago, I saw him make a save during an indoor game," the coach said. "He had the quickest reflexes of anyone I had ever seen."

            The Tribe was scheduled to open the District One Class 3A Tournament on Wednesday. The No. 6 seed was slated to take on Holy Ghost Prep on the road. A victory over the No. 3 seeded Firebirds could set up a rematch with Phoenixville, the No. 2 seed, on Tuesday, Nov. 2.