Kensington Soccer Club Victorious in EPSL Debut
Gian Maldonado celebrates his goal, the first ever in the EPSL Delaware River Conference. Kensington won its debut EPSL game against Danubia x-x./Photo by Alberto Huichapa
BRISTOL, Pa. — Rain didn’t stop Kensington Soccer Club’s parade as they came out on top with a 1-0 win over Danubia in their Eastern Premier League Soccer debut.
The first game in the newly formed Delaware River Conference, this game marked huge significance to the growth of KSC, as its venture into semi-professional soccer would help provide elite soccer opportunities to a number of teens and adults in the Kensington neighborhoods, who normally have to travel outside of the neighborhood — at times even the city of Philadelphia — to seek the opportunities they wanted.
Bill Marth, Secretary of the EPSL, was in attendance to witness the Delaware River’s first game.
“It’s exciting that we’ve got this off the ground,” he said about the start of the conference, which expands from Trenton, NJ to Wilmington, DE. “Our model is to be like the top amateur leagues around the world — where the top teams play at higher levels and standards — while being an affordable option; we’re half the cost of the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL).”
Walking onto the field at Bristol Township Municipal Park, one could sense the excitement in the air. The players warming up, the referees double-checking player rosters, coaches going over tactics, and fans coming to watch helped provide the feeling that this was more than just a game.
KSC and Danubia played huge roles in the establishment of the conference, so who better to kickstart its season than these two? For the past few months, both clubs have shared players across different local and state leagues, so there was lots of familiarity between players on the field as kick-off neared.
What some have dubbed the “Philadelphia Derby,” this game was set to be exciting and indeed it was. The ball was contested evenly among both clubs on the field, battling on both ends for the win. The game was fast-paced and the nerves were high, with each team knowing that a single mistake could be costly.
The goal from midfielder Gian Maldonado in the first half proved not only the decisive game-winner and the first-ever goal in the conference’s history, but also sent a signal to other clubs in the league that Kensington Soccer Club was here and it was here to compete.
“It felt good to get the confidence up — for myself and the team — and get us rolling,” Maldonado said. “This goal is a symbol of a step forward for the club entering this league and hopefully this is the beginning of a successful run.”
As for KSC Head Coach James Breslin, he couldn’t be more satisfied with the result and what’s to come as the season plays on.
“The quality on both teams was extremely high and I’m very happy we came out with a 1-0 victory in the first game,” Breslin said. “We’re still bringing in more players and the plan is for this to be highest level of play in the area.”