Kyle Fisher said he knew Evan Sands had the right attributes to excel as a goalkeeper. The Upper Perkiomen boys soccer coach claimed he was extremely confident Sands would be the ideal fit.
 

Jackson Smith, left, redirects a pass with his head against Norrittown.

            "Evan has turned out to be better than I thought he would be," Fisher said. "He's proven me right."
            According to the coach, Sands' baseball background has helped him post six shutouts. Those efforts, and a potent offense, have the Indians focused on winning their first Frontier Division title in 18 years and returning to the Pioneer Athletic Conference playoffs for the second straight season.
            "If we play the way we're capable, it's in our grasp," Fisher said.

            Sands – a middle infielder on the varsity baseball team – possessed the hand-eye coordination necessary to excel in goal, Fisher said.  The coach feels the player, who spent the last three seasons as an attacker for the Tribe, is better than expected.

            "Evan has made me look pretty smart," said Fisher, a former college baseball player and soccer goalie.

            Following nine months of training with assistant coaches Jackson Lill – a 2020 Upper Perkiomen graduate and a former goalkeeper – and Doug Needs, Sands quickly figured out how to play with confidence. Coach Fisher feels his previous field experience helped compress his learning curve.

            On Tuesday, the team's grip on first place loosened with a 4-3 loss to division opponent Upper Merion to force a tie atop the standings. Logan Watkins finished with two goals.

            Ethan Barr registered a goal and an assist for the Tribe (10-4 overall, 7-2 PAC), which suffered its second straight defeat. Matthew Fisher added two assists for Upper Perk which allowed three goals in the second half following a 1-1 halftime tie.

            Over the weekend, the Indians dropped a 2-1 non-league loss to Northwestern Lehigh, the defending PIAA Class 2A champions. The defeat snapped their six-game winning streak.

            Matt Johnson scored twice in the second half to help the host Tigers overcome a 1-0 halftime deficit.

            The teams that have defeated the Tribe have a combined record of 34-1.  "We're beating the teams we need to," Kyle Fisher said.

            He estimates that if the Indians win their four remaining conference games they will clinch the division title for the first time since 2005 and earn the No. 2 seed for the PAC playoffs, scheduled for later this month.  "It's all up to us," he said.

            Last week, the Tribe posted a 5-2 victory over Norristown. Barr delivered a game-high three goals and one assist during the Sept. 28 conference game. Matthew Fisher finished with one goal and two assists.

            Upper Perk extended a 1-0 halftime lead with four goals in the second half. Brae Jerrom also scored. Logan Watkins and River Lahr each added an assist.

            Sands made two outstanding saves against the Eagles, including one that remains imprinted in Kyle Fisher's mind "like a tattoo." Midway through the second half, with Upper Perkiomen clinging to a lead, Sands launched himself toward the top right corner of the cage to punch away a knuckling shot.

            "It was absolutely incredible," said the coach, whose team is currently No. 3 in the District One Class 3A power rankings.

            "The defense certainly has confidence in him," Kyle Fisher said. "I feel very confident that he will be able to make any saves we need."

            With four games remaining, Matthew Fisher and Logan Watkins have already reached double figures in goals and assists. Kyle Fisher said he believes Barr is on track to become the third to accomplish that feat.

            "The opposition is aware of Matthew and Logan," Kyle Fisher said. "While it's difficult to focus on two offensive players, it would become really tough to overhaul your defense to contend with three threats."

            The head coach also praised the efforts of defensive midfielders Jerrom and Theo Deskevich, whose main responsibilities include disrupting opposing offenses and distributing the ball.

            "They both do a great job on defense," Kyle Fisher said. "But they are both capable of creating their own offense."