The Northampton boys soccer team took another step toward their stated goal of clinching home playoff games by knocking off Pleasant Valley 2-0 last Friday in Al Erdosy Stadium.

Oftentimes the teams from the Monroe Division of the EPC are viewed as noncompetitive relative to their counterparts in the Lehigh Valley, but coming into the game the Bears had only lost twice during the season, to Parkland and Emmaus.

In fact, the K-Kids and PV have developed a bit of rivalry, having faced each other in the postseason a few times in recent years.

Head coach Chris Bastidas explained, “Normally, you only play teams once a season. And we played this team 2 or 3 times the last bunch of seasons, actually. The way it’s worked out, we keep playing them in the playoffs and they’re really good. They gave us a game every time.”

The teams played a very even first half, but the K-Kids were the ones who took advantage of their scoring chances.

Jacob Fallenstein followed up a couple of blocked shots in front of the PV goal by cleaning up a rebound and beating the Bears’ keeper cleanly to the left with 4:18 left before intermission.

Fallenstein tallied his second goal just under two minutes later.

A Northampton attack drew a penalty shot and the ensuing action resulted in a minor fracas that resulted in a yellow card for both squads, including the PV keeper who had shoved a K-Kid into the net.

Fallenstein beat the backup goalie low right on the PK and the Kids had an insurance goal.

The main insurance for the K-Kids was the play of goalkeeper Ryan Nahf. He made a save from point blank range with just under a minute left in the half to keep the two-goal cushion and made a couple of key saves in the second half to give Northampton a worry-free final 40 minutes.

Bastidas was effusive in his praise of his senior keeper, “Ryan’s the best goalie in the league and one of the best, if not the best in the state playing high school soccer right now. It’s so calming because he’s good, he’s poised back there. Because we know he’s going to make the saves, we don’t have to jump at shots. We don’t have to dive in. We know he’s going to make a great play.”

Northampton is 12-1-1 overall and 11-1-1 in the EPC with four games remaining in the regular season. That’s good for second in the EPC and third in the district. If they keep up their high level of play, those desired home playoff games should be a lock.