Soccer: North Battles Judge for First Place

Just in the neck of time, the weather cooled Sunday night for a neighborhood showdown for first place in the Red Division of the Philadelphia Catholic League between North and Father Judge. So far this year, Judge is undefeated and unscored upon in Catholic League action. North has been travelling under the radar screen but remained undefeated posting two wins and a draw in league play. The game was played at Lighthouse Field.

Like most important North soccer games, the fans showed up in droves for the match. Officials estimated close to 400 fans of both schools were on hand. It was an entertaining match where all fans got their money's worth. The final score was a 1-1draw with Judge remaining on top of the division, two points in front of the Falcons.

The game was hotly contested from the outset. Judge set the tone early and played a very organized possession game that seemed to frustrate North. In the 9th minute, a North clearing pass from its end line hit a defender and fell within the penalty box, about 14 yards from goal. A Judge forward was stationed a few yards from the spot and was able to beat North keeper John McCarthy with a hard shot to the lower left side of the goal.

The game settled from this point with North beginning to force more of the play. North seemed to knot the score with about ten minutes to go, but the goal was ruled offside. The score going into the end of the half remained 1-0 but a Judge defender was served with a "red" card for unsportsmanlike conduct. This caused Judge to play a man down for the rest of the match.

In the second half, North continued to put pressure on ball and caused several turnovers. From these turnovers, North created several chances but to no avail. But with only 3 minutes remaining in the match, Freshman Kristian Hall was able to latch onto a deflected throw in about six yards in front of the goal. His fourth goal in league play tied the score.

Under the new PIAA rules, tie games go to 2 sudden death periods of 10 minutes each. If the score remains tied at the end of the second period, each team receives a point.

Similar to the game, North continued to apply the pressure throughout both periods. Several opportunities were solved by either Judge's defenders, its keeper or both. Physical exertion played an important part as well, as several players from both squads went down with an assortment of problems, from cramps to twisted ankles. Judge also created a couple of chances, but again McCarthy was equal to the chance.

What is great about these games is the faces you see in the crowd, from soccer alumnists to loyal fans who don't miss a game. Spotted in the crowd were John Friskey from the late 70's juggernaut and Kevin "Max" McGettigan from the early 80's squad. There were also familiar faces on the Judge side as well. How about Mr. Jim Green, former Coach of North, now an assistant at Judge and a trainer to boot. He was pretty busy last night. Several super fans were spotted as well, like Tim Murphy, Jim Ashby and Mr. Robinson. Hot on becoming a new "super fan" for North soccer was the siting of Mike Ferris. Given his football background and fear of reprisals, he stayed mostly incognito. Thanks also to many football and basketball players who supported their classmates.

Next up is a traditional, division rival, Archbishop Ryan. The game is scheduled for Tuesday night, September 16th at 7 PM. If you are a real die hard, the JV game is at 5 PM.