3-time all conference player Katrina Guillou scored twice to lead the Cardinals past Good Counsel in semifinal play in Olney Maryland Thursday night.
Bishop Ireton stood toe-to-toe with ESPN Rise’s #1 ranked girls high school soccer team in America Thursday night and delivered a stunning 2-0 win, playing a nearly flawless game to advance to the WCAC championship Sunday night against second-seeded St Johns College High School.
With player of the year, Midge Purce, sidelined for the Falcons, Imani Dorsey and teammates battled the Cardinals in a well played, aggressive contest that was in doubt right to the end of the match.
Coaches agree that great players make great plays in big games. Bishop Ireton’s senior Katrina Guillou, a three-time first-team all conference player, was the definition of a great player for the Cardinals on Thursday night.
After the Falcons controlled the play in the opening minutes, Ireton settled into a possession style of moving the ball and began to attack. With 12:44 remaining in the opening half, Guillou took great pass from Emily Gupton and drilled a line drive that rocketed in the net and bounced out so quickly there was a momentary hesitation by players and fans perhaps wondering if the ball went in the net.
When she took another perfect pass from Gupton and sent a looping shot from the right of the goal over the outstretched hands of the Falcon keeper and into the far corner less than 3 minutes later, a stunned silence fell over Dancil Field, except for the Cardinal faithful.
Coach Gino Leon at that point pulled a forward for an additional midfielder to slow the Falcons transitioning to the attack. Ciana Puglise, Anna Wissler, Meaghan Reilly, and Adrienne Maday clogged the midfield and, with defenders Hannah Thomas and Helena Barber, they ensured Cardinal goalkeeper Brenna Heaney had manageble saves and good looks at Good Counsel shots. At a critical point in the middle of the second half, they expertly steered three straight corner kicks away from the goal to preserve the 2-goal advantage as the home team pressured the fourth-seeded Cardinals.
Again, in the later stages of the final half, Leon again went to his additional midfielder to blunt the Falcon pressure and control the ball. Thomas sent a number of long drives deep into the Good Counsel end of the field, wearing down the defending champions and eating precious time off the clock. The Cardinals controlled the ball and forced the Falcons to chase the ball and move constantly, taking its toll on the the host club.
“Imani Dorsey, even slowed by injury, played a tremendous game for Good Counsel.” said the victorious Leon following the game. “We played a great team, I am not sure it has really sunk in with the girls that we beat the top seed, defending champions, number 1 team in the ESPN rankings on their home field with a trip to the finals on the line.”
And so it was, the Cardinals pulled off the improbable upset. Cinderella, the 4th seed in an evenly balanced conference of strong teams, heads to “the ball” on Sunday night. The question then, “will the glass slipper fit?”
The Washington Catholic Athletic Conference’s championship doubleheader features Bishop Ireton and St Johns at 6pm in the main stadium at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, Maryland, 18031 Central Park Circle, Boyds, MD 20841. Gonzaga will test unbeaten DeMatha in the nightcap. Admission for the championships is $10/person, good for both contests.
The athletic department will host a tailgate party in the stadium parking lot beginning at 4pm. Gates open at 5pm. A bus will depart Bishop Ireton at 4pm for the championship game and will return following the contest. There is no charge for the bus, but athletic department officials request a reservation be made by email AD Bill Simmons at simmons@bishopireton.org.
News & Notes
– Cardinals last played for the WCAC girls soccer championship in 2005, losing 4-1 to St Johns. They have never won a WCAC soccer title.
– Bishop Ireton ended top-ranked Good Counsel’s unbeaten streak last year with a 3-0 win at Fannon Field on Oct 1, 2010.
– Only 3 teams scored two goals on Good Counsel in 20 games this season, Ireton did it twice. No one scored more than two.
– Ireton scored in the second half to tie St John’s 1-1 on Oct 18th on Senior Day at Fannon Field.
– Bishop Ireton improved to 12-2-1 on the season while Good Counsel ended their campaign 19-1 on the year.
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