Players to Watch: Philadephia Catholic League Girls Final
It’s Philadelphia Catholic League finals day! The girls will kick off a soccer doubleheader at the Northeast Supersite as top seed Archbishop Wood takes on Nazareth Academy. Nazareth Academy is new to the conference this year and after a slow…
Access all of Prep Soccer
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingIt’s Philadelphia Catholic League finals day! The girls will kick off a soccer doubleheader at the Northeast Supersite as top seed Archbishop Wood takes on Nazareth Academy.
Nazareth Academy is new to the conference this year and after a slow start made a run to the final with an upset victory over Archbishop Wood on Tuesday.
Here’s a look at players to watch in Saturday’s final.
DeGeorge is at the heart of everything the Wood attack does. Whether it’s creating chances off the dribble, driving through the defense or delivering dangerous balls on set pieces she can beat you in many ways. The Rider-bound senior will want nothing less than to close out her high school career with a third straight PCL title with her head coach and dad Tom DeGeorge.
Eckert was the hero in last year’s PCL final with a brace in Wood’s 2-1 win over Lansdale Catholic, scoring the equalizer and the overtime winner as a first-year player. She leads the Wood front line again this season as a sophomore and despite attracting more attention does all of the things you want in a forward, clinical finishing, holding the ball, pressing and setting up teammates in tight spaces.
Highlights
Gracie Sullivan
Gracie Sullivan
Sullivan is going to be key to Nazareth’s success against a potent Wood team with many weapons going forward. The junior has a chance to set the tone for the defense and could play an even bigger role if the game goes to overtime and beyond. Sullivan had seven clean sheets in 11 games against PCL opponents this season and has conceded just once in their last four games.
Devon Cheeseman
Devon Cheeseman
Cheeseman scored the lone goal in overtime to beat O’Hara in the quarterfinal and scored the first goal for Nazareth in the semifinal. Cheeseman has the pace to get behind the defense but is also able to take players on 1v1 and is clinical in front of goal.
Kylie Wiest
Kylie Wiest
Wiest is a force for Wood in the midfield. Quick and hard-nosed, Wiest can beat you from distance with her shot, run you into the ground with her work rate and find ways to score in tight spaces like she did to open the scoring for Wood in the semifinal.