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.