Boys Soccer: Jannelli’s brilliance brings Springfield long-sought states win

PHILADELPHIA >> Selfishness isn’t Nick Jannelli’s default setting, even as his season goal total creeps into the 20s and his career mark heads for the half-century mark. That’s why the most popular song played by the Springfield bench is exhorting the senior to keep shooting. Tuesday night, Jannelli only needed to be told once what to do in the final third.

Jannelli scored on either side of halftime, steering the Cougars to a 2-0 win over Northeast High School in the first round of the PIAA Class AAA Tournament at the South Philadelphia Super Site. Jannelli blasted a shot into the top corner off a Steve Randolph cross in the 23rd minute, then did it all by his lonesome four minutes from time, a mazy run that ended with threading a shot far post to seal Springfield’s first state win since 1981.

The win sends the Cougars (16-5-2), the No. 4 seed from District One, to Saturday’s quarterfinals. They’ll meet District 7 runner up Fox Chapel, which drew District 3’s Central York, 2-2, and advanced on PKs, 4-3. The site and time is to be determined.

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Springfield’s Nick Jannelli (7) scores past Northeast High defender Joshua Colasante (15) and keeper Max Dossou (0), as the Cougars went on to win Tuesday’s PIAA Class AAA opening-round match, 2-0. (Times Staff/Robert J. Gurecki)