NORTH CAPTURES TITLE, DEFEATS LASALLE 1-0 IN OT

Can you say "WOW!?" Once again, the little school that could achieves another crowning moment by capturing the 2008 Philadelphia Catholic League title by defeating LaSalle in sudden death by the score of 1-0. Think about this for a moment. In the span of only 6 months, North has captured three PCL titles: Basketball, Wrestling and now Soccer. I cannot think of any other Archdiocesan High School that has accomplished this feat with so little students and arguably, so little resources. As special shout out goes to Athletic Director, Tom Kaiser because it has been Tom that has gone to battle and bat for the athletic programs. Tom understands that this winning tradition is the most effective form of marketing North. Our success is directly correlated to the school's success.

AT STAKE

North was the second seed in the PCL Red Division this year, while LaSalle was the sixth seed. North defeated Ryan and Wood by the scores of 3-0 and 3-1. LaSalle upset the number three seed, St. Joe's Prep in a penalty kick shoot-out, 4-3 and then knocked off defending league champ, Judge by the score of 1-0. Not only that, LaSalle has been the darling of the press with its Cinderella story. In regular season action, North beat LaSalle by identical scores of 2-1. As the old saying goes, it's hard to beat a team three times in one season. Add to that the fact that North has never beaten LaSalle in a championship match. North came into the game ranked fourth in the area in the SE PA Coaches Poll, fifth in the Philadelphia Inquirer's ranking and thirteenth in the NSCAA/Adidas Poll in the New Jersey/PA region.

THE ACTION

Pictures tell 1,000 words as the saying goes and last night and the site of the Falcon soccer team taking a lap for its fans pretty much said it all. At a packed Archbishop Ryan High School, North defeated LaSalle by the score of 1-0 to earn its league leading 22nd Catholic League championship.

The goal climaxed a great season and a very entertaining, if not tense, game. After a scoreless regulation, senior Carl Essenthier found the net off a free kick just outside the penalty box with only one minute gone. Early in the second half, Essenthier hit the cross bar that could have put North ahead but his shot was a preview of things to come in that half.

There was chill in the air and a pretty strong breeze to start the game. North, as has it been its pattern all year, came out fast. The first ten minutes of the game was dominated by North possession in its offensive zone. Freshman, Kristian Hall nailed a hard shot in the fifth minute over the cage. After ten minutes, the game started to settle down, and LaSalle seemed to get energized. About the twelfth minute, a LaSalle forward was able to break free about 25 yards from goal. Junior and All Catholic keeper, John McCarthy sprung like a cat and dove at the ball about 15 yards from goal. McCarthy was able to stop the shot with his foot and North was able to clear the ball. The rest of the half was equally shared between the teams but North was clearly ahead in shots on goal.

At halftime, Coach Brindisi reminded the boys that for many of them, this could be their last high school game and he challenged them to not let this happen. North came out on fire in the second half. After Essenthier hit the cross bar 30 seconds in, North began to dominate possession and forced the Explorers to defend and clear, trying to isolate one of its forwards against the defensive backs. As has been the story all year, the play of juniors Tyler Ward, senior Jim Griffen, Mark Pugliese (All-Catholic), Pat Greer (All-Catholic) and sophomore Mike Zolk (All-Catholic) was stellar. Between them, they allowed LaSalle only 3 recorded shots which McCarthy handled. North pressed to win the game in regulation but LaSalle was able to get behind the ball and defend with a purpose.

In PIAA overtimes, there are two, 15 minute sudden death (victory) periods and if tied, the game goes to penalty kicks. North did not want any part of this. From the start, North again commanded the action. From the midfield, a ball was lofted to Hall about 22 yards from goal in the center of the field. The LaSalle defender challenged the play and fouled Hall. Essenthier place a bending ball over the wall that was dipping towards the lower left hand corner. The LaSalle keeper was able to dive and get his hands on the shot, but his momentum took him to the ground where the ball came loose and bounced upward. In an attempt to grab the ball while on the ground, he hit the ball toward and into the goal. The ball barely made it over the line but crossed it nevertheless.

DID YOU NOTICE........

- Once again, a standing room only crowd, some estimate close to 1,000 fans.
- Speaking of the crowd, what was the story on the cow bells and the LaSalle fans, did they think we were in Tampa?
- How great the field conditions were after the down pours of Saturday and Sunday.
- How the North student fans were able to get under the skin of the LaSalle players.
- That certain coaches where the same outfit, can you say superstitious.
- How great was it to witness the sheer joy of winning and how its affect on people.
- Could you hear the national anthem, if you couldn't she did a fantastic job.

DID YOU KNOW??????

- The last City Championship Game was in 1979 before the debacle of Title IX.
- The last City Soccer Championship was between North and George Washington.
- That North won in 1979 by the score of 1-0 and also won in 1978 by the same score.
- Since Coach Brindisi's tenure (1998), North has played in 5 PCL Title games, winning 4. If this was baseball, he would be in the Hall of Fame.

DID YOU SEE??????

E V E R Y B O D Y ! ! ! !

This win was for you, thanks for all your support.

NEXT UP: CITY TITLE GAME
WHEN: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31
WHERE: NORTHEAST HIGH SCHOOL
FOE: GEORGE WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL

PCL Championship Set: North vs. LaSalle

NORTH MOVES A STEP CLOSER TO TITLE WITH 3-1 WIN OVER WOOD

Championship set for Wednesday @ 6 PM at Ryan.

Accomplishment and Obstacles

Saturday proved to be a great day in Philadelphia sports history as the Phillies increased their lead over Tampa in the World Series, Penn State kept its national title hopes alive with a tense win over Ohio State and North Catholic Soccer returned to the Catholic League Championship game with a convincing win over Archbishop Wood by the score of 3-0. The boys have played consistently well, and no matter what happens this Tuesday, there is no doubt that this team has played the most exciting brand of soccer than any other team in the league for the last two years.

What North overcame on Saturday was blistering weather by Mother Nature and an unfamiliar foe that was unbeaten throughout the year. When we woke, we thought and hoped that maybe the weather forecasters got it wrong again. While it rained during the night, at 9 AM the air was dry and the temperature was approaching 70. During the first game of the double header (Judge vs. LaSalle), the weather was iffy. Strong winds and some rain gave some pause about playing our game. As the first game ended and our warm-ups about the begin, it seemed that divine intervention was on our side as the rain stopped and the wind died down. The coin toss gave Wood the option to defend and they took the wind in the first half which was on a zephyr at the time. As luck would have it, by the tenth minute, the wind picked up dramatically and in the twentieth the rain began to fall. I would bet the wind was minimally 30 miles an hour. When the rain started, it didn't land below your feet, the wind sent it sideways and in the faces of the Falcons who were attacking against it. Things happen for a reason and North pressed on with an overwhelming attack much like it has all season.

The Match

As the old adage goes though, you create your own luck and North certainly did that countless times Saturday in defeating the Vikings by the score of 3-1 at Ryan for a birth in the finals against LaSalle, an upset winner over Father Judge in the warm-up for this main event.

Like a postman, neither rain nor wind will keep the Falcons from its appointed rounds of attacking the other team. This was self evident again on Saturday, as North pushed forward continually in the first half. The Falcons were awarded in the 11th minute of the game. Senior midfielder, Mark Pugliese nailed a low, diagonal shot from 30 yards out from the right post to the left post. The ball got ticked along the way into the run of outside midfielder, Ira Woodruff. Woodruff controlled the ball about 8 yards from goal and easily beat the Wood keeper. Only 3 minutes later, senior, Carl Essenthier received a pass from senior, Mike Gredzik as he poured in the box, off the right flank. Carl, moving from right to left on a diagonal, was tripped by the Wood defense about 15 yards from goal and awarded a penalty kick. Gredzik took the kick from the spot and blasted the ball into the left side of the net to increase North’s lead to 2-0. About this time, the heavens opened up with the wind pushing the rain sideways and in the face of the attacking Falcons. With ten minutes left in the half, North lost possession on the left flank and Wood countered immediately into the penalty area. A Wood attacker smacked a ball at goal that was stopped by junior, John McCarthy but the rebound came right back to the forward who knocked it into the net to get Wood on the board. The remaining minutes was more a survival of the fittest as the wind and rain continued to play havoc with the ball. The score at half was North 2 and Wood 1.

Thankfully, the second half began with wind only as the rain subsided and eventually stopped. Playing off its success in the first half North continued to press forward in search of its third goal. While it dominated play and possession, North could not put the game out of reach until the 31st minute. On a corner kick, Woodruff served a ball to the near post that was defended by Wood and cleared but only to the penalty spot. Junior, Juan Pablo Martinez was able to coral the ball and chip a left footed shot into the left corner of the goal past the outstretched arms of the Wood keeper by make the score 3-1.

Often what is not recognized is the gargantuan effort of the Falcons defense. Junior defender, Tyler Ward and Senior, Jim Griffen anchor North’s backs while senior midfielder’s Pat Greer and Mark Pugliese defend the central midfield. All of this is anchored by the work of sophomore, Mike Zolk who plays sweeper. When all fails, junior keeper John McCarthy is there to man the nets. These boys have had a remarkable year, yet you might not know their names.

Did You See.......

-Why did the refs where black and white shirts since Wood was wearing black...
-Even with miserable weather, North fans and Alumni were out in force...
-On one of North's punts, the ball travelled on a net basis about 10 yards...
-How well the field absorbed the rain and was not an hurdle for North's style of play...
-Joe Ramsey once again was the bouncer at the gate...

Faces Around Town

Without your help, I can only give a shout out to who I see, send me an email to alert me to any sitings but here is what I saw on Saturday:

As per the usual, North games bring out the fans and the alums, especially playoff games and especially semi-finals and finals. Here are just a few of sitings:
SuperFans: Ed White, Mike Ferris and Tim Murphy
North Soccer SuperFans: Harry Niemann, Cailean Crossett, Shane Kinlock (ball boys)Butchy Oakes, Mister Robinso and Hooven, Dennis McDonough
Dignataries: Father Waseline and Kilty along with Athletic Director, Tom Kaiser
Honorees: Jerry Blaney, Joe Blaney, Ted Machiocha
Noted Alums: Bugsy Wurtenburg, Joe Rudolph, Matt Stricker, Jim Fisher, Rusty Bono, John Friskey (and boys), Jim Hooven, Corey McDonough


Championship Game: Tuesday, October 28th @ Ryan @ 7 PM vs. LaSalle.

QUARTERFINALS: NORTH VANQUISHES RYAN BY SCORE OF 3-0

A Shout Out

To Jerry Blaney, Sammy Lee and Joe Bradley of Lighthouse Soccer Club for allowing North to host its quarterfinal contest versus Ryan, thanks guys, you have always been there for us. To Mr. Ron Tompkins, a soccer guy through and through, who has taped our games for the past decade. Ron's work has been an invaluable resource in our program's success. To the mothers of all the boys, especially our seniors as they conclude their high school career.




The Buildup

The two most successful programs in PCL history were to meet again in the PCL Red Division playoffs. This is the first year of the Catholic League's entrance into the PIAA. Unlike other sports, soccer will have only one champion. The Red Division seeds six teams (1,2,3,6,7 &8) and the Blue Division two (4&5). North and Ryan met twice this year during the regular season. In the first match, North defeated the Raiders 3-0 while in the second game, they battled to a 0-0 draw. In some circles, the North/Ryan soccer rivalry is the same as North/Frankford football. You can throw the record books away because each team will battle to the final whistle blows. If you remember last year, it was Ryan who knocked off a depleted North squad in the semi-finals. North is currently ranked 7th in the Southeastern Pennsylvania's Coaches Poll and 6th in the Philadelphia Inquirer's rankings.

The Game

By all accounts, it was standing room only (of mostly North fans)for this former Northern division clash of rivals. Parking was hard to come by and the snack stand was five lines deep for most of the night.

North played well from the tap seeming to keep the momentum it had from the end of the regular season plus the teams’ confidence against the Raiders from the regular season. North plays an attacking style of soccer, looking to push the ball up the field offensively and to deny the ball defensively. This strategy worked to perfection this night. About twenty minutes into the game, North opened the scoring. From a corner kick, senior Mike Gredzik netted the first and winning goal on a ball served by senior, Jim Griffen (The Griffenator, as he likes to call himself). Gredzlik easily beat the Ryan keeper. The score remained 1-0 into the half but North had several opportunities that it could not capitalize.

One of the keys in North’s attack is defending the other teams’ transition. Senior’s Mark Pugliese and Pat Greer patrolled the midfield and seem to deny almost all of Ryan’s attack. Defenders Tyler Ward (junior) and sweeper, Mike Zolk (sophomore), along with Jim Griffen was mostly flawless in keeping Ryan off the board. Junior keeper, John McCarthy was steady in the nets as usual.

The second half started as the first half ended, North continually applied pressure in Ryan’s defensive zone. About the fifteen-minute mark, senior, Carl Essenthier won possession from a Ryan defender about twenty-five yards from goal, just inside the left flank. Pushing toward the goal, he spotted an overlapping Jim Griffen who drove a low hard ball into the goalmouth and onto the feet of Gredzik to increase North’s lead to 2-0. About ten minutes later, junior Ira Woodruff, from about the spot that Griffen served the second goal, drove a blistering cross onto the head of freshman Kristian Hall to conclude the scoring. With the game in hand, North substituted freely. McCarthy earned another clean sheet for the shutout.

Cub Reporters findings....

Professionally they are known as stringers and they get paid, my sources are just news hounds with love for the dramatic with only hopes to get paid. They remain nameless to protect their identity but they are everywhere.

Games like this bring out true North supporters and in numbers. Hall of Famers Pete Hess and Ed Blaney were spotted in attendance. Mr. Hess was chaperoned by his son Joe. North greats Joe Steffa and Russ Bono were seen at the field, but not together. SuperFans Tim Murphy and Ed White brought their customary good luck to the game. Harry Niemann and his grandson Cailean (yes, some self-promotion) were there to root the Falcons on travelling from Bucks County into the City. Former North players Jimmy Kane and Bugsy Wurtenburg were in attendance along with Vince Market and John Kane.

Did You Notice....

- North was awarded a penalty kick in the first half, its first of the season which was missed;
- There were three referees instead of the customary two;
- How the field was thankfully shielded from the winds; and
- How neighborhood rivals can play a competitive game at a high level and still be respectful to one another.

Next Up: Semi-Finals Vs. Wood on Saturday at Ryan at 2 PM.

Please visit our website for more information on North soccer: www.northcatholicsoccer.com

Week 8 - Falcons Come up Short at CEC

Game Summary
Where do you start when you need to write a summary of a game where the team that was “supposed” to win doesn’t? Well, you start out by writing about the team that did win. Conwell-Egan is not a bad team. What they are is opportunistic. You really don’t want to make too many mistakes against them. They will capitalize, which they did last Saturday night. There were 6 turnovers in the game, 4 by the Falcons. Of those 4, 3 were interceptions. Two of those interception returns gave the Eagles the ball at the North 18 yard line and eventually touchdowns. In the second half, North had possession of the ball for exactly 4 series. The first two resulted in interceptions and the other two turned into touchdowns. Believe it or not, each team only had one series each which began in the fourth quarter. This was mainly due to a time consuming drive by the Falcons which began with 1:30 remaining in the 3rd quarter. The Falcons had a 90 yard drive that took 10 plays and ran 4:07 off the clock, and was capped off with a Dennis Logue QB sneak on 4 and goal at the 1. On the ensuing kickoff, the Falcons attempted, and succeeded in recovering, an onside kick at the Egan 48. After a completed pass for 13 yards and a 1 yard gain on the ground, the Falcons were hit with two successive penalties, giving them a 3rd and 29 from their own 46. It was then that Dennis Logue hit Mike Scott with a 37 yard pass to the Eagles’ 17. Three rushes later and the Falcons had closed the score down to 27-21, with 5:49 remaining.

The last drive
I received many inquiries into why coach didn’t once again attempt an onside kick. Once again, I’ll say that I’m not a coach and I don’t know what went into the decision. But, as a spectator, I will say that I didn’t think it was a bad call. Here’s my thinking at the time. The first two drives by the Eagles, in the first quarter, resulted in touchdown drives of 65 yards and 58 yards. After that, the Falcon defense made adjustments and pretty much shut down the Eagles’ offense. After those first two touchdowns, the Eagles scored two more times, but both of those touchdowns were after interceptions and both of those drives began at the Falcon 18. After the first two touchdowns by the Eagles, the rest of their drives up to the 4th quarter went as follows:

1st Quarter
-2 yards gained – Punt

2nd Quarter
1 yard gained – Punt
0 yards gained – fumble (turnover)
18 yards gained – Touchdown (after interception put the ball at the Falcon 18)
- 5 yards gained – Interception
7 yards gained – Punt

3rd Quarter
13 yards gained – Out on Downs
18 yards gained – Touchdown (after interception put the ball at the Falcon 18)

4th Quarter
Kick return was turned over due to onside kick by North (no possession)

So, at the time that North could have made the decision to try a second onside kick, as far as I’m concerned, the momentum was on our side. The defense was playing very well, and there was pretty much a half of the 4th quarter clock remaining (5:49). By the way, the average time of possession of Conwell-Egan’s non-touchdown drives to that point was about 1 minute and 12 seconds. I’m thinking that we kick off deep, hold them to a 3 and out and get the ball back with about 3 minutes remaining, which as we have seen this season, is more than enough time for Logue to move the offense down the field. But, what actually happened, which leads to the second guessing, was that the kickoff was returned to the 37, and Conwell-Egan ran 10 plays, including converting 3 third down conversions, as well as 1 fourth down conversion, to run the clock out and deny the Falcons of that last chance to take the lead. Keeping the ball out of the Falcons’ hands was the best thing that the Eagles could have done, and they did it well. Just remember that your hindsight is always 20-20.

So, as I mentioned above, Conwell-Egan is very good at taking advantage of other teams’ mistakes. And, they showed that last Saturday night. The good news is that chances are that we will get another shot at them in two weeks when the playoffs start. It Should be a good one.

Playoff Scenarios
Speaking of playoffs, I have also been asked about where we will finish in the division. Although the consensus is that we’ll finish 3rd, behind Wood and Conwell-Egan, there are scenarios where we can finish 1st, 2nd or 3rd. We are guaranteed, at least, 3rd place.

First, I should explain how the tiebreakers work. In a 2 team tiebreaker, it is merely head to head competition. In a 3 team tiebreaker, if none of the 3 teams have beaten both of the other two, the tiebreaker comes down to total points scored against them in those two other games. The team with the lowest amount of points against in those games wins the top spot. The other two remaining teams will be seeded by using the 2 team tiebreaker (head to head).

The current situation: Conwell-Egan has given up 41 points in a loss to Wood and 21 points in a win against North, for a total defensive yield of 62 points. Wood has only played Conwell-Egan, in a game where they shut out the Eagles. North played, and lost to the Eagles, giving up 27 points in that game. So, at the moment, the defensive yield in those games is as follows:

Wood – 0
North – 27
Egan - 62

To finish in 1st place (slim chance)
In order for the Falcons to finish in 1st place, we’d need to beat Wood by 28 points, without the Vikings scoring more than 35. If this were to happen, North would yield less than 62 and Wood would yield more than North. In this case, North would get 1st place, Wood 2nd and Conwell-Egan 3rd.

To finish in 2nd place (even slimmer chance)
In order for the Falcons to finish in 2nd place, we need to beat Wood by 28 points, score over 62 points and allow Wood to score more than 35. That would mean that we’d have to beat Wood by something like 64-36, which would give Egan the division title and the Falcons second place. Trust me when I tell you that this scenario will not happen.

To finish in 3rd place (most likely scenarios…..but, I’ve been wrong in the past)
There are two ways the Falcons can finish in 3rd place. First, if they lose, they get third. If they win, but do not beat Wood by, at least, 28 points, Wood will still win the division based on the points against tie-breaker, and Conwell-Egan will finish in second place by virtue of their win against the Falcons last week.

The bottom line is that the Falcons will need crowd support this week. Come out to the game, and you’ll still make it home to catch the last 7 innings of Game 3 of the World Series.

Round 14: North 3 - O'Hara 0

Recap and Standings:

North ended its regular season with a 3-0 victory over Cardinal O'Hara last Friday at Ryan. The victory gave the Falcons a league record of 10 wins, 1 loss and 3 ties good enough for second place in the very competitive PCL Red Division. Three teams currently reside in the Philadelphia Inquirer's Top 10. Judge is 5, North is 6 and Prep is 10. This is the final, regular season game for seniors: Pat Greer, Joe Nean,Carl Essenthier, Mike Gredzik, Mark Pugliese, Jim Griffen and Nick Stangler. The playoffs begin on Tuesday, October 21 with North taking on Archbishop Ryan. This quarterfinal game is scheduled for 6 PM at Lighthouse Field located at Southampton and the Boulevard.

The Game

In the first half, senior, Joe Nean scored his third goal of the season to open the scoring in the first half. Joe was able to deflect a crossing ball early in the match to make the score 1-0. North dominated possession but O'Hara countered on every opportunity.

The second half saw North continue to dominate possession that ended in opportunities. In one three minute stretch, senior Carl Essenthier created 5 shots for himself that tested the O'Hara keeper. Finally, with about 7 minutes remaining, junior midfielder, Juan Pablo Martinez took control of a loose ball just outside the 18, pushed the ball to his right and blistered a shot past the O'Hara keeper to increase the lead to 2-0. In the final minutes, North substituted freely and about 3 minutes from time, sophmore Andrew Schwab was able to keep a ball active in the box that found the foot of junior Dan Micucci. Danny faced the goal and slid the ball past the O'Hara keeper to increase the lead to 3-0.

Junior keeper, John McCarthy kept a clean sheet by stopping 5 shots from O'Hara, the most dangerous coming of a semi-breakaway in the second half with North up only by a goal. This is John's sixth shutout of the regular season.

Faces In The Crowd

Even with North having wrapped up second place last week, this game still brought out the regulars to include the elite "SuperFans." Mr. Ed White was in attendance again and spent a great deal of time making sure he had the playoff date and time correct. My eyes deceived me because I thought I saw another SuperFan in Tim Murphy but to naught. I thought maybe Timmy was at a JV football practice but he set me straight on Saturday night. Timmy believed that our game would be a no-brainer and wanted to rest himself for the next nights football game. Mr Leo Filewicz was in attendance as well to root for his Falcons. Teddy Maciocha, former North player and coach was seen with a little baby in his arms as he took in the game.

Round 13: North Edges Prep, 1-0

AT STAKE:

North and the Prep were tied in points as the regular season comes to an end. At the conclusion of the match, each team will have one regular season game remaining. The winner would take sole possession of 2nd place in the PCL Red Division and have home field advantage in the chance of meeting in the playoffs.

THE GAME:

There is an old saying that goes “sometimes, it is better to be lucky than good” and arguably this game could be proof of that statement. It was a home game for the Prep. Many of you might be surprised to know where the Prep plays its home games for soccer. Unlike its football team that travels to Plymouth-Whitemarsh to take on nationally ranked programs, or its basketball team that plays in a relatively brand new field house. The soccer team hosts games at Fairmount Park’s Dairy Fields right off of Kelly Drive, near Boat House Row, a City recreational park but I digress.

The playing conditions are below average, its dimensions are inadequate and its site lines poor. It would be akin to North playing its home games at Torresdale & Devereaux but we don’t. These types of fields have a direct impact on the style of play, the flow and how appealing it looks to the fans.

Coupled with the fact that North was down a few players with illness, the game took on a defensive tone from the start and remained that way for most of the day. The length of the field is short by soccer standards; therefore the ball was mainly being knocked between the 18 yard lines. Goal kicks by either goaltender were reaching the other’s 18 yard line. The Prep had most of the advantage throughout the day. It had more opportunities and more shots. What North had this day and most days is a “hot” keeper and an ability to score goals.

While only having two good opportunities all day, sometimes you need just one. With 5minutes remaining in the game, junior defender, Tyler Ward won possession of the ball at the midfield line. Without hesitating, he lofted a diagonal ball into the penalty area where senior midfielder, Mike Gredzik was able to volley the ball off a bounce into the lower corner of the net for the only, and winning goal. Throughout the game, junior goalkeeper, John McCarthy was called upon to make save upon save, some easy, many very difficult. By all counts, John made about 12 total saves. Many of these were acrobatic to say the least and a few in the dying minutes saved the game for North.

GAME ENVIRONMENT- Nasty and Dangerous

One of the great things about playing schools like the Prep, are the fans who come out to root for their school. None of us would argue that the Prep fans are passionate, boisterous and emotional and no one would ever accuse North fans from backing down and we are guilty at times at pushing behavior to the limit but what happened on Tuesday, perpetrated by Prep students was a disgrace. Ingenious with their preparation, The Prep student body knew names and numbers of North players. Insults after insult were hurled at our players that were vile, racist and just mean spirited. There was no regard or respect to any player or fan and in some instances it became dangerous atmosphere to be a North fan. There was no authority figure or security to reign in this behavior. It was so bad, that when the final whistle blew, Head Coach Jerry Brindisi took the team to the sidelines to protect our fans before the customary shaking of hands.

PCL soccer is regarded in many circles as the most competitive soccer around but this game was an embarrassment to the League and damages the reputation that we strive to maintain. I have to remind people that the C in PCL stands for CATHOLIC and our actions on and off the field should represent these standards both as fans, student athletes and coaches. Sometimes, we need to take a deep breathe and remember that.

Next game: Final Game of Regular Season vs. O’Hara @ Ryan on Friday, 10/17 @ 5PM.

Round 12: Ryan Ties North, 0-0

RANKINGS

As of Thursday night, the Soccer Coaches Poll has North ranked as the 10th best team in Southeastern Pennsylvania. The Philadelphia Inquirer has the Falcons ranked as the 5th best team in the area.

AT STAKE

On Friday night, North and Ryan battled in a crucial PCL Red Division Game as each team tries to cement its seed for the upcoming playoffs. North was in second, right on the heels of Judge and just ahead of the Prep. Ryan was in 5th place, right behind LaSalle.


THE GAME

From the outset, North controlled the contest and played an uptempo game agains the Raiders, who we defeated 3-1 in an earlier season match. This time though, North was not able to find the net during regulation. Unlike many other teams, North played to win in the overtime periods.

As was the story during regulation, the Falcons just could not find the range against Ryan. Chance after chance went wide, over the bar or at the keeper.

Junior goalkeeper, John McCarthy did not have many opportunities but those that he had, he handled very well.

NEXT GAME

Next up is a huge game for 2nd place on Tuesday, October 14th vs. Prep at the Diary Fields in Fairmount Park (33rd Street off of Kelly Drive). This game will determine 2nd place. Game time is 3:30 PM.

Week 7 - North clinches playoff spot with 34-7 win.

Remember last week when I mentioned the little bell going off to signify the wake up call? Well, one thing that I didn’t say here, but I said privately, was that I wouldn’t want to be the next team that the Falcons faced after the Carroll game. The Carroll game was a huge benefit for the team, as they now know they shouldn’t take any team for granted. This week’s performance proved that.

It was pretty much a one half game for the varsity Falcons. Most of the second half was played with reserve players. It’s actually nice to know that the team has so many reserves these days.

On the first drive of the day, North started at their own 25 and moved out to the 50 on 4 straight running plays. Facing a 3 and 7, the Falcons tried unsuccessfully to complete a pass, failing both times (the second one, on 4th and 7, was catchable). By the way, these two incomplete passes would be the only North passes that wouldn’t connect all afternoon. So, the ball was turned over on downs. Not to worry. On the first play from scrimmage, Neumann-Goretti decided to throw a deep ball towards the visitor’s sideline. Stepping up and picking the pass off was Stephan Singleton, who returned it to North 35, where the Falcons offense would start to kick into gear. After 8 plays, 65 yards and 4:35, the Falcons were on the board. Big plays on this scoring drive were 2 passes by Dennis Logue to Julian Huggins (33 yards and 8 yards). I do have to say that being on the sidelines, I was able to see that Julian has some real good hands and he really can fight for a couple of extra yards. The drive was capped off with an 8 yard touchdown run by Daniel Clark. Drew Pierson added the PAT to put the Falcons up 7-0 with 4:23 remaining in the first quarter.

If was after this first score that you really couldn’t blink, as the Falcons struck quickly. After kicking off to the Saints, the defense allowed the ball to be moved from the 15 out to the Neumann-Goretti 39, earning the Saints their initial first down of the game. But, it was on a third and five play, where the Saints attempted their second pass of the game. Unfortunately for the Saints, this one ended the same as their first, only it was Daniel Clark who picked this one off and returned it to the Saints’ 34. On the first play of this drive, Tre Stone-Davis ran a real nice pattern. It looked like a corner route, and Logue floated one up which Tre caught in stride and rambled into the endzone for the Falcons’ second touchdown of the quarter. Again, Pierson added the PAT, giving the Falcons a lead of 14-0, with 1:36 remaining in the quarter.

The ensuing kickoff bounced a few times and then over the head of the Saints’ return guys, causing a scrum in the middle of the field. When the dust settled, Mark Allen came out of the pile with the ball for the Falcons, at the Saint’s 38. Six plays later, and Eugene Byrd took it into the endzone for the 3rd Falcon score in 4 minutes and 25 seconds. The PAT attempt was just wide, giving the Falcons a led of 20-0 with 11:58 remaining in the half.

After kicking off to the Saints, the Falcon defense sent a message that they were just getting started. After a 2 yard loss on their first play of the drive, David Williams put a vicious hit on a Saint ballcarrier and the ball popped out, with Joe Mascino falling on it at the Neumann-Goretti 19, giving the Falcons yet another golden opportunity. First down, Byrd rushes for 3 yards. Second down, Byrd busts one for 16 yards and a touchdown. Freddy DiMascia provided the PAT, giving the Falcons a comfortable 27-0 lead with 10:09 remaining in the half. For those of you who are counting, that’s 4 touchdowns (27 points) in 6 minutes and 14 seconds.

After going up 27-0, the Falcons kicked off to the Saints. They began their drive at their own 28, and they moved the ball 25 yards (1 first down) to the North 47, where their drive stalled and they punted the ball back to the Falcons, who would begin their next drive at their own 15, with 6 minutes remaining in the half. Here are the 6 plays of this drive. 1) Byrd 4 yard run, 2) Logue to Scott for 21 yards, 3) Logue to Sherman for 5 yards, 4) Byrd 2 yard run, 5) Logue to Scott for 36 yards, 6) Byrd for 12 yards and a touchdown. DiMascia added the PAT to give the Falcons a 34-0 lead with 3:15 remaining in the half. The Saints began their last drive of the half at their own 30, and they successfully moved the ball 49 yards 6 plays, but their 7th play was an incomplete pass as time expired to end the half with the Falcons ahead 34-0.

The second half was not very entertaining, but it did give the Falcon reserve players an opportunity to play in a varsity game. The Saints did manage to score an insignificant touchdown at the end of the third quarter, but that was about it as the final score was 34-7.

Standout performances for the day on Offense were Dennis Logue, who in a limited role, threw 6 for 8 for 137 yards and 1 TD (none picked off). Eugene Byrd, who rushed for 95 yards and 2 touchdowns on 15 carries. Mike Scott (2 catches for 57 yards), Julian Huggins (2 catches for 41 yards), Tre Stone-Davis (1 catch for 34 yards, 1 touchdown). And, last but not least, the offensive linemen who opened holes and provided time for Logue to find his receivers.

Defensive standouts were leading tacklers David Williams (8 tackles, 5 solo, 1 TFL) and Chris Kerns (5 tackles, 1 solo, 2 TFL). Also, Daniel Clark, Robert Butler and Shawn Wilson, who each recorded 4 tackles and 2 TFL’s (Clark and Butler shared a sack). Interceptions were recorded by Clark and Stephan Singleton.

Also, I should point out that a great job was done by the ball handler, who was injured LB, Eric Moore. Eric didn’t want to just stand on the sidelines and watch, so handling the balls on the sidelines for the refs was his way of contributing (I told Eric I would mention him here, but I’m sure I’ll be mentioning him for his defensive contributions next week, when he’s healthy).

Did You Notice…..
…..before the game, the official film guy for the Falcons was in the top row of the bleachers on the North side of the field? Coach corrected it by asking him to move to the roof of the press box and to kick the N-G film guy off.

....Also before the game, while the Falcons were practicing field goals and extra points, a large Falcon player was positioned in front of the Al Angelo memorial, which sits behind the cross bars in the North end of the stadium. Coach Szydlik is a class guy and he didn't want to take a chance that any balls would damage that memorial in any way.

…..The gate at the South end of the stadium was wide open just prior to the game? Well, after a few people wandered in, that was corrected, leaving a few people watching the game from outside. They would be the people who are too cheap to pay the $5 like everyone else. Maybe Frankford should hang a tarp over that section of the fence so people can’t see the games for free.

….how well our regular National Anthem singer, Taylor Rand, belted out the Star Spangled Banner? That girl has quite the singing voice, and could make a living some day off of it.

…..how many people showed up for the game. We hope they were there to support the team and not just for the free alumni shirt.

….The Neumann-Goretti head coach, who played for the Falcons about a dozen years ago, stopped by the alumni table and got himself a NC Football Alumni shirt. His former NC assistants did not.

…..Both a North Coach and a Neumann-Goretti coach both had their pictures taken with the Al Angelo memorial. The North coach played for Coach Angelo in the 1970’s, and the Neumann guy didn’t, but did go to games as a young boy when coach Angelo was the head coach at Frankford.

Faces in the crowd....
There were so many faces in the crowd that I’m sure I’d be here all night mentioning everyone, so I’ll just point out a few.

….Regular Superfans, Ed White and Tim Murphy were both in attendance. Accompanying Murph was his lovely daughter, Erin, who has been to a few games but has yet to be mentioned in the Falcon Nest. Could that be because dad never actually introduced her to me? I’m sure if my daughter, also named Erin, were at a game, I’d introduce her to Murph.

….Representing the great class of 1982 was Pat McNally and Ken “Art” Rooney, who are, coincidentally, my fellow classmates. Pat also represents the class of 1982, along with yours truly, on the Northeast Catholic Alumni Board of Governors.

…..NC Basketball Head Coach, Mike McCarron, was out on the beautiful day with his newest baby. You can usually count on coach McCarron to make it to a few games each season. Good to see you coach and good luck this year.

…..Tom Schweizer (not sure of the spelling here) was in the crowd. Tom’s son is a former player and big Tom usually makes it to many games throughout the year. Real good seeing him at this game.

….Finally, the many former players who attended the game to support the current Falcon team. It was great seeing many of these guys and we hope to see them at the two critical games against Conwell-Egan and Archbishop Wood.

Milestones
- The Falcons have now won 6 straight games this season, something that has not happened since the 1950 season. Even though both the 1952 and 1956 teams won the league title, neither of those teams were able to win 6 straight games in the same season.

- The team has clinched a playoff spot for the 3rd year in a row (4th in Coach Syzdlik's 5 years). This is something that no other coach has been able to accomplish since regular playoffs began in 1970.

- Dennis Logue went into this week's game with 3,500 career passing yards, which puts him 9th on the career passing yardage in the Catholic League history. Dennis currently has 3,637, needing 132 to move past Roman's Andre Sloan-El, and 8th on this list. It's conceivable that Logue could finish his career in the top 5 all time passers in the Catholic League, as well as the city.

Round 11: North Falls to Judge, 2-1

THE BUILD-UP
Two of the areas best teams squared off under the lights at UGH to battle for first place in the Red Division of the PCL. North entered the contest unbeaten, having tied two with Judge having one loss. Nearly 300 people jammed UGH under a perfect fall night.

THE GAME
The first half was a struggle for both teams as each tried to establish what it does best. The game for the most part was played between the 18's with no real major scoring chances in the first 20 minutes. However, about 21 minutes in, North lost possession of the ball at midfield and Judge countered quickly. The Judge midfielder was able to beat his defender and goal keeper John McCarthy to put Judge ahead. The rest of the half was scoreless.

In the second half, North came out like a man possessed. If the field was tilted, North seemed to be attacking down the hill. By all counts, North dominated the geography war with the play being in North's offensive zone nearly 75% of the time. About the 10 minute mark of the second half, North was awarded a free kick from just inside midfield. Sophomore defender Mike Zolk lofted a dangerous ball inside the penalty area. Senior midfielder, Mike Gredzlik made a looping run from the right post to the left one and found himself unmarked to head in the bouncing ball. North, as is its style, continued to play uptempo, looking for the go-ahead goal. With about 11 minutes remaining, Judge gained possession off a North goal kick. With possession, Judge was able to send a crossing ball into the box where a forward was able to head past a diving John McCarthy. North pulled out all the stops but could not find the net. Final score, Judge 2, North 1.

Next Game: Friday Night, October 10 vs. Ryan @ Ryan @ 7PM

FACES IN THE CROWD
North soccer always brings out fans, but big games bring people out of the closet. Of course, SuperFans were everywhere, like Ed White (Alumni President) and Tim Murphy, Mssrs. Robinson, Dunlevey and Hooven. Mr. Hooven's son, Jimmy was there as was Butch Oakes (brother of legendary North bus driver, Tommy). Spotted were Hall of Famers, Mr. Pete Hess and Tony Rod. Closet SuperFan, Mike Ferris was hanging out and getting tips from Tim Murphy on what it is like to be a SuperFan. Mike also brought his girlfried to boot (but we won't talk about the blanket because he might mention that two of our players had gloves on and it was 50 degrees out, yeah, it's not football!). Johnny "Bird" Regan sat with Fran Vogelman with Franny reminiscing about what might have been. Former players Mike Smith and Kyle Shearer rooted the Falcons on throughout the night. As the season nears the end, we hope we can get more support.

A funny thing.....
At the door because of the anticipated crowd, there were two attendants at the gate rather than one. Mr. Reliable, Bowling Coach, Joe Ramsey was one and another guy who I did not recognize (probably a Judge guy). Anyway, as I approached to get in, I identify myself as one of the coaches. He asks, "What school" and I reply "North." He passed me off to Joe but before I go, he says "There have been a large number of people saying they are North coaches." Once again, keeping the Falcon tradition alive!

Round 10: North Dismantles Bonner, 6-0

North hosted the Friars as the season nears conclusion at Archbishop Ryan last Friday. North commanded the play early and often and won the game by the score of 6-0.


THE GAME

North opened the scoring early, in the second minute when Senior midfielder Pat Greer bounced on loose ball inside the penalty area. off a corner kick by Senior midfielder, Mike Gredzlik. About ten minutes later, Senior defender, Mark Pugliese made it 2-0 with his first goal of the year. Mark took a pass in the middle of the 18 yard marker from Junior midfielder, Juan Pablo Martinez and blistered a ball into the upper left corner. The third goal came with about ten minutes from time in the half when Sophmore striker, Mohamad Sissay headed in a ball served by Senior midfielder, Carl Essenthier. The score at half was 3-0.

The second half was almost identical as the first. North opened the scoring about the five minute mark when Juan Pablo Martinez gained possession on the right side of the box, took the ball from right to left and angled a left footed blast into the right corner of the goal. About ten minutes later, Senior midfielder, Carl Essenthier took a pass on the right flank about 40 yards from goal. Carl sprinted diagonally with ball into the box and from about 8 yards, hammered a ball into the short side of the net. Finally, Senior midfielder Nick Stangler scored his first varsity goal for North. This goal was almost identical to Martinez’s goal to start the half. Nick took possession on the right side of goal, about 25 out and proceeded to get into the penalty area moving to his left. About 10 yards from goal, he pummeled a left footed shot into the far right corner. Junior goalkeeper John McCarthy and Sophomore Eric Crudele kept a clean sheet for the Falcons.

THE EVENT

Friday, October 3rd, was a special day at Ryan. After North's game and before the nightcap of Ryan vs. Prep, Ryan's field was commemorated after its coach, George Todt. It was a great ceremony, covered by Action News (that van again) and many of the local tabloids. Mr. Todt was accompanied by his wife, a couple of this children, former players, coaches and staff of Archbishop Ryan.

Congratulations Coach Todt, thanks again for allowing North to play on the best field in the City of Philadelphia.

Week 6 - Falcons Escape with 5th straight win 28-22

Did anyone hear that bell going off about halftime in the game on Saturday? That would have been the wake up call for the Falcons. My guess it that the team went into the locker room thinking, “We’re supposed to be way ahead by now.” But, I’m sure the coaching staff reminded them that you can’t just show up with a better record and expect to win a game, no matter who the opponent is. Well, the football gods forgave the players and smiled on them late in the game to allow the Falcons to escape Radnor with a win over Archbishop Carroll, 28-22.

The Falcons came into the game only giving up about 104 rushing yards per game, with many of those yards coming in the first game. So, for the past 4 weeks, the Falcon defense has pretty much shut down opposing offensive teams on the ground, while the defensive secondary has shown some flexibility, but have not really been broken in the early going. Archbishop Carroll rushed for more than 200 yards this week, mostly on reverses and counters to the outside, a place that the Falcon defense has owned this year. I’m sure that will be corrected before next week.

As for the game, the Falcons fell behind twice in this game. The first time was when the Patriots scored twice in a period of 2 minutes and 16 seconds. The second touchdown was a 28 yard run with 8:16 remaining in the first half. The Falcons went out on 3 downs on their next possession, and following that, they drove to the Carroll 11 before an apparent first down pass by Logue was dropped, and they went out on downs . Carroll couldn’t move the ball much and were forced to punt. The Falcons took over at their own 40 with 1:17 left in the half and down 8 points. The final drive of the half was a work of art, with Logue finding Scott twice for a total of 45 yards. But, the best catch of the drive (and possibly the game) was when Logue threw a sideline fade into the endzone. Ryan Etsell and the Carroll defender both went up for the ball, but it seemed like Etsell wanted it more and grabbed the ball out of the air and came down with it for the touchdown.

The second half was like something I haven’t seen in quite some time in a North Catholic game. It seemed as though the team decided to bag the running game and put the fate of the team in the hands of Dennis Logue. It that was the case, it was a great decision, as Logue, with time to pass (thanks to the line), found 5 different receivers in the second half, going 9 for 14 for 181 yards in the second half. Mike Scott, who seemed just as determined to win this game as Logue, pulled down 5 of those passes for 137 yards and 2 touchdowns, in the second half. By the way, the only player in North history to rack up more than 137 yards in an entire game was, well, Mike Scott, who caught 2 passes for 140 yards in the Ryan game during week 2. The best Scott catch of the day one that I almost missed. Mike Scott caught a pass and advanced to about mid-field before he was, as I thought, tackled. As I looked down to start writing, I heard a cheer from the North crowd, and when I looked up, Scott was scampering down the sideline for a score. Overall, Scott had 8 catches for 193 yards and 2 touchdowns in the game, breaking his own school record.

The fourth quarter started with the Falcons leading 21-14. It was about mid-way through the quarter when Carroll made it very interesting. They started a drive with 2:03 remaining in the 3rd quarter and drove 74 yards on 12 plays (all rushes), and scored with 7:43 remaining in the game. But, they faked the extra point and made the 2 point conversion, giving the Patriots a 22-21 lead. After trading punts on their next possessions, the Falcons started a drive at their own 35 with 3:24 remaining in the half. (A little insight here. I’ve been following North Football for about 30 years now, and most years (with only a couple of exceptions), I have seen games like this go down the drain with North getting a crushing defeat.) But, with 3 minutes and 24 seconds and 65 yards to go, it became the Logue to Scott and Logue to Sherman show. Scott caught 2 passes for a total of 30 yards and a touchdown, while Sherman caught 2 passes for 31 yards, gaining first downs on each of his catches. The drive was capped off with a 14 yard touchdown pass from Logue to Scott with 1:12 remaining in the game. The defense held off the Patriots to earn the win…..and the Falcons got out of Dodge as quickly as possible. But, not before awarding game balls to both Dennis Logue and Mike Scott, who each broke school records (Logue broke the record for most passing yards in a game with 281).

Did You Notice….
….the soccer players who were warming up on the field prior to the game? Yes, they were politely asked to move, which they did.

….the Carroll team blew two timeout by trying to get the North defense to jump on long counts on fourth downs. Both times, the Falcons showed discipline and Carroll was forced to call a timeout to get their punt team on the field.

….that I’m not a coach, but I was wondering why the Falcons didn’t go for a 2 point conversion after scoring their last touchdown. Going up 27-22 with just a few minutes left, I would have gone for 2 to make Carroll score and kick the extra point to tie rather than to win. But, that’s why I’m in the cyber world and not on the sidelines coaching.

….how friggin hot it got by game time? I even had to take my jacket back to my truck because I was starting to break out in a sweat.

….that on the team website (http://www.northcatholicfootball.com/) the coach is inviting former players to the game this Saturday. The first 100 former players will receive a t-shirt as the team salutes the alumni.

....the article in the Philadelphia Daily News today, featuring Dennis Logue?

See You at the Game on Saturday afternoon!