PHILADELPHIA – Yesterday afternoon, a battle took place between two Northeast Philadelphia rivals at River Field. Saint Hubert’s looked to continue their undefeated season, and Archbishop Ryan aimed to show the Bambies that, although they may not be undefeated, they are reigning Philadelphia Catholic League champions for a reason.
Both teams, for the most part, achieved their pre-game goals in a heated and physical match-up.
Only three minutes in to the contest, St. Hubert’s freshman Caitlin Coll, added in a long range shot off a corner kick to propel her team with an early 1-0 lead. Coll’s goal would be the sole shot scored in the first half as both teams fought hard defensively up until the brief intermission.
Coming out of halftime, the Ragdolls took advantage of many corner kicks but could not find a way to put the ball in the net. With 11-minutes remaining in the game, St. Hubert’s senior, Kylie Bowers scored off an assist from Kaitlynne Brown. Two minutes later, Dominique Calio scored the Bambies third goal off a corner kick from junior, Ava Pizzaro.
“It’s been a while since we’ve beaten Ryan,” said Bambies head coach Mick McGroarty in reference to his teams’ 3-0 victory. “This win kind of solidifies our place, in first place (of PCL) this year. We are 8-0 now. Last year coming from 6th place, to do this, it’s an achievement for the girls.”
St. Hubert's first goal scored by freshman, Caitlin Coll.
The Bambies rejoice following their victory
Ryan, who now sits tied at third place with Archbishop Carroll at 4-3, looks to build upon its offensive strength as PCL playoffs loom around the corner.
“We came out of the half only down one goal, and I think we possessed the ball well in the second half. We were trying to build on that as we pressed a little higher to get a goal, but we got countered and they [St. Hubert’s] put the ball in the back of the net and did a great job doing that,” said Ryan’s head coach Jonathan Geist. “I think what we need to work on is our intensity in the box and attacking in the final third. We were possessing the ball well, we spread their defense, we are just looking for that killer pass, that killer touch to break down the final third.”
Looking ahead, the Ragdolls have three more league games remaining against Neumann-Goretti, Little Flower and Cardinal O’Hara. In order to finish the season strong, Ryan’s senior captain, Grace Stackhouse, explains that her team needs to learn and move on from their previous faults.
“We want to take our mistakes that we’ve made in these past couple games and just make everything positive from here on out. Obviously we need to start shooting the ball more, but we really just need to come together as a team and focus on our mistakes and finish the game out,” said Stackhouse.
Kylie Bowers reflects upon the Bambies pre-game mindset
Caitlin Coll explains what set up her early goal
Maria Hagan talks about the importance of this PCL win
This season, the Bambies have been playing impeccable soccer. Some may argue that their success is attributed to the team’s dexterous senior class, others say it’s due to their coach – the founding father of PCL girls’ soccer.
McGroarty has been at the helm of St. Hubert’s soccer since he initiated the league in 1975. Although it’s been since 2002 that McGroarty’s team hoisted the PCL plaque, his eagerness to win remains constant from season to season. Cathy Ford, who serves as assistant coach of St. Hubert’s junior varsity squad, explains just how valuable McGroarty is to Bambies' soccer.
Coach McGroarty & Coach Ford - PSD Photo
“He’s been everything for St. Hubert’s. He started the program, and has been here ever since and he hasn’t changed, I can tell you that much. He’s the same as he was when he first started, his enthusiasm is the same, he keeps going and going,” said Ford, who played on the Bambies first soccer team under McGroarty in 1979.
If you ask the man himself, McGroarty would give kudos to his seniors in regards to his team's vast accomplishments.
“We have 11 seniors, they know what they have to do to achieve success,” said McGroarty. “I told them, last year was the worst finish we’ve ever had since I’ve been doing this, and I do not want to finish in 6th place again. So far, so good.”
Today, the Bambies were awarded a day off from practice. Tomorrow, the team will head back to work in preparation for their league game against Hallahan on Thursday.
