Hurricane Sandy’s wrath has affected the Northeast Philadelphia sports scene, as well, pushing back four championship soccer games, all of which have at least one Northeast team participating. Here is the updated information:
Boys Public League Championship Game: Northeast High School vs. Franklin Towne Charter: 3 p.m. Wednesday at Northeast High School (1601 Cottman Ave.). Northeast seeks its first Public League soccer title since 2007 in retiring coach Sam Feldman’s final season, while Towne seeks its first soccer championship under North Catholic graduate Dennis Drumm. Towne won the team’s regular season meeting, 3–0, back on Sept. 21.
Girls Public League Championship Game: Central High School vs. Franklin Towne Charter: 5 p.m., Wednesday at Northeast High School (1601 Cottman Ave.). According to girls soccer coach Brianna O’Donnell, it will be the first time in the school’s brief history that both teams will be playing for a soccer championship in the same season. The Towne girls won their first title a season ago, ending Central’s long run of dominance in Public League girls soccer. Led by the high-scoring attack of Stefanie Ulmer and Rachel Gilborges, Towne upended is looking for its third straight win, and second straight championship decision over the Lancers. O’Donnell’s Coyotes thrashed Central, 7–1, on Sept. 14.
Girls Catholic League Championship Game: Lansdale Catholic vs. Archbishop Ryan High School, 5:30 p.m., Wednesday at Archbishop Ryan High School. The Ragdolls hope to cap an undefeated season by knocking off upset-minded Lansdale Catholic, who stunned established girls’ soccer power Archbishop Wood in the semifinals. Head coach Ryan Haney’s bunch have notched 13 shutouts in a remarkable season (the Ragdolls have outscored opponents 82–6 in 2012), and though they did not lose this season, they received one of their toughest tests from Lansdale Catoloci on Sept. 26, escaping with a 2–1 victory. Ryan advanced to the championship game by knocking off rival St. Hubert in the Catholic League semifinals, 4–1, on Oct. 24.
Boys Catholic League Championship Game: La Salle College High School vs. Father Judge High School, 6 p.m., Thursday at Archbishop Ryan High School. The Crusaders look to cap an unpredictable, storybook season with a championship as they get ready to take on top-seeded powerhouse La Salle. Fresh off a 1–0 semifinals win over St. Joseph’s Prep, Judge advanced to the title game despite losing its two best players, senior captains Justin Hiltwine and Steve Smeck, to preseason knee injuries. They also came back from a late 1–0 deficit in last week’s quarterfinals over Wood, scoring the tying goal late in regulation and the winner in double overtime, all while playing down a man (top goal scorer Mohamed Conde received a red card vs. Wood, disqualifying him for the rest of the contest, as well as the next one against the Prep). Conde will be back against La Salle, which defeated Ryan in penalty kicks in the semifinals and beat Judge in the team’s only meeting this season, a 2–1 overtime victory for the Explorers back on Sept. 21.
