Lansdale Catholic has easy time
Lansdale Catholic's move to the Philadelphia Catholic League's Blue Division has been far from challenging. The Crusaders' girls' soccer games have been little more than glorified scrimmages.
Lansdale Catholic's move to the Philadelphia Catholic League's Blue Division has been far from challenging.
The Crusaders' girls' soccer games have been little more than glorified scrimmages.
Lansdale Catholic, 5-0 through Monday and 4-0 in the division, has outscored its division foes by 30-1.
The Crusaders' most lopsided victory was Monday's 11-0 drubbing of Neumann-Goretti.
"I'm the first one to tell you that I am embarrassed by that," said Crusaders coach Tom O'Donnell, whose squad is ranked 10th in Southeastern Pennsylvania by The Inquirer.
Winning by an average of seven goals wasn't expected this season. The Crusaders were looking forward to battling Catholic League powers in Archbishop Ryan, Archbishop Wood and Little Flower.
Instead, the league realigned into the Red and Blue Divisions, and all eight teams that made the league playoffs last season are in the Red. The remaining teams and a league newcomer - Lansdale Catholic - make up the Blue.
"Ryan, Little Flower, Wood, St. Hubert, Cardinal O'Hara and Archbishop Carroll are in the other division," O'Donnell said. "They are all good teams. Somehow, I guess we are in the wrong division."
And that concerns the coach in preparing for the postseason. To avoid running up the score, his starters are averaging less than 20 minutes a game.
As a result, the Crusaders may not be as well-conditioned as other teams. And since they heven't been in any tough situations, no one knows how they will react to adversity.
"God knows if my kids are going to be ready to play when the playoff comes around in October," O'Donnell said.
Assuming the Crusaders don't fall apart, they'll be in the more competitive division next season. The top two finishers in the Blue are expected to move up to the Red next season, while this season's last two Red squads will drop down.
Wildcats' journey. As young teams often are, Owen J. Roberts has been inconsistent this season. For one game, the youthful Wildcats (5-3-1) look like title contenders. In the next, they appear to be rebuilding.
The surprising thing is that the Wildcats' best performances have come against some of the area's elite teams. They recorded two upsets over teams that were ranked in the area.
Owen J. Roberts defeated Germantown Academy, 2-1, on Sept. 8. The Wildcats also gained a 1-0 win over Downingtown East on Saturday.
Game of the week. Downingtown West entertains Conestoga in Friday's 3:45 p.m. nonleague match at DiSerafino Stadium.
The second-ranked Whippets are 7-0 and have shut out their last six opponents.
The top-ranked Pioneers were 5-0 heading into yesterday's Central League contest at Lower Merion. Conestoga went into the game trying to post its fourth shutout in five games.
+The Inquirer TOP 10
Girls' Soccer
Team Record
Records through Monday. Preseason rankings in parentheses.
1. Conestoga (1) 5-0
The defending Class AAA state champion Pioneers outscored last week's opponents - Penncrest, Upper Darby and Villa Joseph Marie - by 18-1.
2. Downingtown West (3) 7-0
The Whippets take a streak of six consecutive shutout victories into today's Ches-Mont League match against West Chester East.
3. Archbishop Wood (6) 6-0
Tomorrow against Little Flower, the Vikings face what could be their toughest test of the regular season.
4. Boyertown (9) 5-1
The Bears' only setback of the season was a 3-2 loss to Downingtown West.
5. Downingtown East (2) 5-1
The Cougars are trying to regroup after suffering a heartbreaking loss to unranked Owen J. Roberts.
6. Strath Haven (4) 5-1-1
With three games scheduled this week, the Panthers need to erase memories of Friday's 3-0 loss to Downingtown West.
7. Notre Dame (7) 4-0
The Irish played Germantown Academy yesterday in a game that could have a big role in deciding the Inter-Academic League title.
8. Little Flower (10) 5-1
The Sentinels look to knock Archbishop Wood from the ranks of the undefeated tomorrow.
9. Gwynedd-Mercy (NR) 3-0-2
The Monarchs have surrended only two goals this season.
10. Lansdale Catholic (NR) 5-0
The Crusaders have not received a serious test since a season-opening 3-1 victory over Cardinal Dougherty.
Under consideration (listed alphabetically): Archbishop Ryan (4-2), Bayard Rustin (5-1-1), Germantown Academy (0-1-1), Owen J. Roberts (5-3-1), Villa Maria (5-1), Villa Joseph Marie (2-3).
- Keith Pompey
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