In the first match, Rush edged out Furness on a goal by Chelsea Gault.  Maggie Sees had the shutout for Rush.

In the second match, a goal apiece by Chelsea Gault and Brooke Schmanek were not enough for Rush, as they lost 3-2 to Douglas.  Douglas goals were scored by Elizabeth Kennedy, Krista Petroski, and Whitney Richardson. Krystal Ocasio was in goal for Douglas.

The third match was close, with both teams seeing few chances, but Anita Riddick finished one for Furness, and goalkeeper Tiana Harris shut the door on Douglas as Furness eked out a 1-0 victory.

With each team winning one and losing one, kicks from the mark were required to decide who advances.  Stephen A Douglas HS and Furness HS both to advance to the Public League playoffs starting Monday.

On Monday, May 17, at Northeast High School stadium, Glendale & Bleigh Streets, at 2pm Washington High School plays Furness High School, and at 4pm Philadelphia Academy Charter School plays Stephen A Douglas High School. At Simon Gratz High School stadium, W Hunting Park Avenue & N 16th Street, at 2pm Northeast High School plays Dobbins High School, and at 4pm Science Leadership Academy plays Bodine.

On Wednesday, May 19, at Northeast High School stadium, at 2pm Masterman High School plays the Washington/Furness winner, and at 4pm Girls High School plays the Phila Academy/Stephen A Douglas winner.  At South Philadelphia High School stadium, S 11th Street & Bigler, at 2pm Franklintown Charter School plays the Northeast/Dobbins winner, and at 4pm Central High School plays the SLA/Bodine winner.

According to the Inquirer, “When the final horn sounded Saturday night, players on the Father Judge bench put their hands on their heads. Three Central Dauphin players collapsed to the turf at Hersheypark Stadium in disbelief. Fans in the stands booed.” The coaches and captains from each team then met in the center circle for a coin toss in order to determine which team would be awarded the championship trophy, and which would receive the player’s medals. Central Dauphin won the coin toss so they got the trophy. Father Judge’s will arrive by mail in a few days.

Said Father Judge forward Emmanuel Kollie after the game, “It’s a weird feeling . . . That’s not how a soccer game ends.” A Father Judge student, Kieran Walsh, who traveled on one of several buses from Father Judge to support his school’s team, told me that in the tough moments after such an anti-climatic finish, some Father Judge players said they would have rather lost on penalty kicks. Father Judge coach John Dunlop, who had nothing but praise for his side, told the Inquirer, “It’s always tough to talk to your boys after a situation like that . . . Boom. Season’s done.”

While such frustration is understandable, the Crusaders can take heart in what was an incredible season. This is only the second year that Philadelphia Catholic League (PCL) teams have been a part of the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, having joined the PIAA in the 2008-2009 season. Father Judge was unstoppable in this year’s Catholic League championship series. They met stiffer opposition in the District 12 championship, which features teams from the PCL with those from Philadelphia Public League, but eaked out a 1-0 win over George Washington to advance to the next round of the state championship playoffs. There they bested Central Bucks East to go on to the final.

High school championships often pit teams with little or no knowledge of one another in high stake matches. As Central Dauphin coach Gregg Davis told the Patriot News, “When you don’t know much about your opponent, you have to learn on the fly.” And it seems that the mixed feelings about the co-champion title were shared by players on the Rams, even though it was also Central Dauphin’s first state championship. Said Rams midfielder Harry Snyder,  “We didn’t lose. We didn’t lose a game in the state tournament, so in my eyes we did the best we could . . . We won the thing, but they also won the thing. It shouldn’t detract from what we did this season. It can’t detract from what we did.”

And Snyder is right – the players didn’t make the rules and both teams played their hearts out. Said Coach Dunlop, “They have to proud. They won’t understand this five years from now, really, what occurred through the whole year.”

Posted via web from The Philly Soccer Page