A regular-season logjam. Two closely matched quarterfinals. One goal and one penalty-kick save that made all the difference.
After three teams finished with identical Philadelphia Catholic League girls’ soccer records in fourth through sixth place, the playoffs on Oct. 22 offered little reason to expect much separation.
There wasn’t.
Third-seed host Nazareth Academy needed seven rounds of penalty kicks to overcome sixth-seed Lansdale Catholic following a 1-1 tie in regulation, while visiting fifth-seed Archbishop Ryan dethroned defending champion and fourth-seed St. Hubert’s, 1-0.
Both advanced to the semifinals on Tuesday, Oct. 27, at Gwynedd Mercy University. Nazareth will face second-seed Archbishop Wood, while Ryan will meet top-seed Conwell-Egan. The top two seeds received quarterfinal byes.
Similar to earlier in the season, Nazareth Academy had another reason to celebrate after reaching the PCL semifinals. (File Photo/ Courtesy of Donna Eckert)
Ryan is seeking its first Catholic League championship since 2019. Nazareth is pursuing its first.
“The only thing that went through our minds was playing our game,” said Ryan coach Amanda Vogelman. “Staying composed, playing smart, and selling out for 80 minutes.”
Ryan’s breakthrough came 19 minutes into the second half. Following a booming punt by sophomore goalkeeper Lucy Camillo, freshman Molly Regan tracked down the ball and cut back near the corner of the penalty area. She found senior Finley Broderick, who supplied a left-footed finish for the game’s only goal.
Protecting that lead reflected an area of growth Vogelman had emphasized throughout the season.
“We knew going into each game that it was going to be a battle,” said Vogelman. “Nothing would be handed to us this year, as it never has been.”
Earlier in the season, Ryan had struggled to turn leads into victories. Against the defending champions, the Ragdolls finished the job.
“Like I mentioned before, we struggled to hold a lead earlier in the season but the mentality of staying composed and finishing a game has helped us in games like tonight,” said Vogelman.
Nazareth’s path to the semifinals required a different kind of composure.
Grace Burns scored in the first half to give the Pandas a 1-0 lead. Lansdale Catholic junior Tara Monahan answered with 17 minutes remaining in regulation, tying the game at 1-1.
The contest went to penalty kicks, with junior Paige Simpson in goal for the Crusaders and junior Bridie Kelley for the Pandas.
With the Pandas leading the shootout, 1-0, Kelley stopped Lansdale Catholic’s first attempt. After five rounds, the teams were tied, 3-3. Both converted their sixth attempts.
Sophomore Samantha Thomas then scored on Nazareth’s seventh kick, putting the Pandas ahead, 5-4. Kelley followed with her second save of the shootout, sending Nazareth into the next round.
“Penalty kicks for any keeper are always a little nerve-wracking, but I have been in shootouts before and we practiced a lot so I felt confident,” said Kelley. “Once I saved the first one, I really relaxed and my nerves settled.”
Kelley dove to her right for the first save and into the lower left corner for the clincher. Preparation helped her commit to both decisions.
“We have been practicing PK’s and preparing for situations just like this, so it’s really just about making a decision and committing to the dive, and that’s what I did on both of them,” said Kelley.
For Nazareth coach Brigid Sullivan Kelley, the victory provided valuable experience for a young team.
“This game was important because it gives our fairly young squad experience in a tight game,” she said. “It also gets the nerves of penalty kicks out of the way in case we find ourselves in them again. I was proud of our team mentality today.”
The coach credited her captains with helping the Pandas navigate the pressure.
“Bridie is one of our captains and showed up big in the penalty kicks,” said Sullivan Kelley. “I thought all of our captains helped lead the team in their own way today. Captains are important with a young squad.”
Watching her daughter in goal brought confidence rather than nerves.
“Truthfully I wasn’t nervous,” said Sullivan Kelley. “She has been in them six, seven times and has a good track record so I felt good about that moment for her.”
The semifinal winners will meet for the Catholic League championship at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 1, at Gwynedd Mercy University.
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Contact John Knebels by email at jknebels@gmail.com, on ‘X’ @johnknebels, or on Instagram @johnknebels.
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