PCL GIRLS SOCCER: A Player Beyond Her Years at St. Hubert, a Veteran Leader for Lansdale Catholic and the Race for the Playoff Seeds.

Photos/Videos: Zack Beavers, Donna Eckert, Rachel Macauley, Mark Zimmaro

By: Marc Narducci

PHILADELPHIA – There are so many impressive young players this season in the Philadelphia Catholic League and among the leaders in this group is Luca D’Andrea, a sophomore for St. Hubert.

It’s tough to pin down a position for D’Andrea. She might start a game at center back and finish either as an attacking midfielder or forward if the Bambies need more offense.

Whether it is defense or offense, D’Andrea plays the game with a high IQ, has great ball control, can break down defenders and her ability to strike a ball hard keeps defenses on their collective toes.

Maybe her best attribute is her vision, where she can see plays before they develop, and she is also an accurate passer.

St. Hubert sophomore Luca D’Andrea #23, pictured between teammates Delaney Newhouse #8 and Grace Smith #22 - PSD Photo by Mark Zimmaro

D’Andrea is a big reason that St. Hubert earned the sixth and final Catholic League playoff berth.

“She stays very composed, she directs our backline, our midfield for us,” St. Hubert coach Jeannette Hibbs said. “She is pretty versatile and can play multiple positions for us.”

Last season D’Andrea played primarily at center midfield, but this year as mentioned, she has been moving all around.

“We just really love the way she has been playing and wherever we put her, she finds a way to contribute,” Hibbs said.

D’Andrea, who is also a basketball standout, has been playing soccer since she was five. She plays club ball for Copa Express. Her father, who played at Moravian, is her club coach and she says he has taught her the game from a young age.

“He is a really good soccer coach,” she said of her father. “He’s a little tough on me, but he pushes me to be the best that I can be.”

St. Hubert sophomore captain Luca D’Andrea #23 - PSD Photo by Mark Zimmaro

This is a young team that might be ahead of schedule by making the playoffs this season. D’Andrea, despite being a sophomore, has emerged as a leader.

“I am really enjoying playing here,” she said. “All the girls are so nice, and they have helped me a lot.”

And she has helped them as well. D’Andrea’s play is a major reason the Bambies have earned a coveted PCL playoff berth.

Who’s No. 2?

Two-time defending champion Archbishop Wood has earned the regular season title in the Philadelphia Catholic League and will be the No. 1 seed in the upcoming playoffs.

No 2?

That’s a bit more complicated.

The final game of the regular season, Cardinal O’Hara at Archbishop Ryan, at 3:45 p.m. on Friday will determine the final seeds. (The game was originally scheduled for Sunday, but was moved up two days to Friday). The top six teams earn a playoff berth, and those six teams are known, just not their seeds. Teams play nine league games.

Here are the standings through Wednesday, Oct. 11

Archbishop Wood 8-1

Archbishop Ryan 6-1-1

Archbishop Carroll 6-2-1

Cardinal O’Hara 5-2-1

Nazareth Academy 5-3-1

St. Hubert 4-4-1

Lansdale Catholic 4-5

Conwell Egan 2-6-1

Little Flower 1-8

Bonner/Prendergast 0-9

Archbishop Ryan would clinch the No. 2 seed and first round bye with either a win or a tie against Cardinal O’Hara. The top two teams earn first round byes.

If Cardinal O’Hara beats Archbishop Ryan, then Archbishop Carroll, Archbishop Ryan and Cardinal O’Hara would all be 6-2-1.

If there is a three-way tie, Cardinal O’Hara would earn the second seed, Archbishop Ryan would be third and Archbishop Carroll would be fourth.

The first round is Thursday Oct. 19, where the No. 3 team hosts No. 6 and No. 4 hosts No. 5. The semifinals are Oct. 24 at Gwynedd Mercy University, and the finals will be either Oct. 28 or 29 at the Northeast Supersite.

Dominant senior season for Lansdale Catholic’s Boccella

Lansdale Catholic senior Olivia Boccella only plays soccer during the high school season because she concentrates on basketball and for good reason.

Boccella was a shooting guard for last season’s Lansdale Catholic team that not only won the Philadelphia Catholic League title, but also captured the PIAA 4-A state championship.

Watching her on the soccer field, one couldn’t discern that she only plays the sport during the high school season.

Lansdale Catholic senior Olivia Boccella #7 - PSD Photo by Ryan Nix

Last year she was a central defender for a Lansdale Catholic team that advanced to the Philadelphia Catholic League championship before losing to Archbishop Wood, 2-1 in overtime.

After the team was hit hard by graduation, Boccella moved up to a midfield role this season in an effort to give the offense more punch.

She has great touch and can really strike a ball and it has all led to a stellar senior season.

“Liv can easily take control of any game,” Lansdale Catholic coach Nyki Beuke said. “She is calm on the ball, makes great decisions and she does everything I ask for.”

As outlined above, Lansdale Catholic was a tie short of qualifying for the PCL playoffs this year, but Boccella has enjoyed her senior season, where as a veteran, she has been a mentor to some of the younger players.

“We’ve been trying our best and I am playing the game I love with my best friends so it has been super fun,” she said. “It’s tough that we didn’t make the (PCL) playoffs, but it has been fun.”

She has been playing soccer since she was very young, but Boccella says she plans to play basketball at the next level.

Just as in soccer, she is a proficient shooter from long range on the basketball court. As a junior she sank 67 three-point attempts.

“It was the best feeling and the most amazing team ever,” she said of last season’s basketball team. “It was great to be part of something like that.”

OLIVIA BOCCELLA for the lead! @lcladycrusaders leads, 50-47 and @WoodGirlsBball calls timeout. @Wood_Vikings will have the ball with 11.7 seconds left pic.twitter.com/THBJwKrW58
— Philadelphia Sports Digest (@PhSportsDigest) February 28, 2023

She says she will miss soccer and the program will miss her for her leadership and ability that made her among the top players in the PCL this season.

Impressive finale for Lansdale Catholic

Lansdale Catholic entered its final Catholic League game knowing there was no chance for the playoffs. Still, the Crusaders gave a championship performance handling Archbishop Ryan its first PCL defeat in a 3-2 victory.

Alyssa Kafel and Carolyn Moore scored early goals. Olivia Boccella scored what ended up being the game-winning goal on a penalty kick after Ryan was called for a hand ball in the box.

“It felt good to get some early goals and rely on our defense to shut down any offense threats,” Lansdale Catholic coach Nyki Beuke said. “Seniors Holly Wunder and Maddy Calafati, played great shutdown defense in the defensive end and Shea Maxwell made some key saves for us when we needed her to.”

Lansdale Catholic senior Carolyn Moore #12 - PSD Photo by Ryan Nix

As it turned out, the Crusaders missed making the playoffs by the slightest of margins. They finished 4-5 in the PCL, while the sixth and final playoff spot went to St. Hubert, which was 4-4-1.

“It was an exciting game for everyone to be a part of,” Beuke said. “I’m proud of my seniors for how they played and happy they got to end the PCL season on a high note. Not being in the playoffs is a letdown, but this win was a big victory for us.”

Strong defensive effort for Nazareth Academy, Cardinal O’Hara

Nazareth Academy’s final regular season PCL game resulted in a 0-0 draw with Cardinal O’Hara. That was 100 minutes of intense defense.

O’Hara goalie Ava Hnelski made eight saves, while Nazareth Academy’s Gracie Sullivan added four saves.

“We played really well,” Nazareth Academy’s Dan Bradley said. “Plenty of opportunities, just couldn’t finish. Hats off to their keeper.”

Bradley lauded senior midfielder Devon Cheeseman and the back line for their effort.

“Devon came to play, she was everywhere,” Bradley said. “Our back four of Erin Jackson, Grace Reteneiler, Reese Power and Cait Wnek had a great game against a very good forward line.”

Nazareth Academy vs. Cardinal O'Hara - PSD Game Highlights by Rachel Macauley

Nazareth Academy vs. Conwell-Egan - PSD Gallery by Zack Beavers 10/5

Two-time defending champion Archbishop Wood ready for another run

Archbishop Wood clinched the top seed with its 9-0 win over Little Flower and Archbishop Ryan’s loss to Lansdale Catholic.

The only blemish on the Vikings 8-1 PCL record was a 2-1 OT loss to Archbishop Ryan. After that, the Vikings won their final three PCL games.

While the two-time defending champs will be the favorite, they were involved in several close PCL games. Besides the matchup with Ryan, Wood had four one-goal wins.

“People don’t realize how hard it is to be consistent for nine games in a row,” Wood coach Tom DeGeorge said. “We have found a way to survive, and we have been plugging away, but it doesn’t mean anything once the postseason begins – it’s a new season.”

Archbishop Wood senior Ava DeGeorge #5 - PSD Photo by Donna Eckert

Ava DeGeorge leads the Vikings in scoring with seven goals and 13 assists for 20 points. Regan Kelso is second with 12 goals and two assists for 14 points. Kylie Wiest and Paige Eckert each have six goals and four assists for 10 points.

The Vikings will attempt to stay sharp for the playoffs by facing Gwynedd Mercy on Monday.