Trending
BROOKVILLE -- After making history as the first District 6 girls soccer team to make a PIAA championship game last year, Bishop Guilfoyle Academy passed its first test while trying to return to the state final with a 4-0 win over Elk County Catholic Tuesday in the PIAA Class 1A first round.
But rather than have a raucous celebration, the Lady Marauders planned to watch their quarterfinal opponent's first-round game on the bus ride home.
"We definitely don't take these wins for granted," BG coach Joe DeLeo said. "We will appreciate this, but at the same time you have to start getting ready for the next game too. We'll get the girls as ready as possible."
The goal is no longer to make a run at states -- it's to win a state championship.
"Overall, if we work hard and believe in ourselves, I think we have a good shot," Bishop Guilfoyle senior Emma Marasco said.
The next step of that journey will take place Saturday with a quarterfinal game against WPIAL champion Sewickley Academy.
Sewickley defeated District 5 runner-up Conemaugh Township, 3-0, behind a hat trick from Emma Eannarino on Tuesday.
"There's always some bit of good fortune you have to have in the playoffs," DeLeo said. "That being said, we have seven seniors here who have been through a lot of these games. I think that helps, but that being said, you're always running into a really good team the next game."
Marasco nearly had a hat trick Tuesday.
After just missing over the crossbar early in the match, she took a pass from Bella Noel and beat Elk County Catholic keeper Lily Distler with a goal in the right side of the net with 15:44 to play in the first half.
Marasco added another about 12 minutes into the second half after a pass from Meggie Ritchey.
"Their team is very good. We knew that coming in," Elk County Catholic coach Michaela Cashmer said. "(Marasco) is very talented. She found space and has a very good shot. She definitely hurt us. We lost some marks as we were moving up the field. That happens sometimes, and they were able to capitalize on it. They are a very good team."
Elk County Catholic, which won the District 9 championship for the first time since 2008 this year, did not manage many shots. When the Crusaders did, Abrie "Cece" Rumfola stopped them. Rumfola finished with six saves.
"Our defense has been solid all year," DeLeo said. "They are playing as a unit. You have Catie (Cammarata) back there doing a great job as the stopper. You have Jenna (Geishauser) at the top on the outside and of course you have Cece in the net. Defense has been great, and we have had scoring opportunities through Emma, Meggie and Makenna (Miller) as well."
Lily Sapp and Ritchey added goals in the final five minutes.
"Our ability to transition has improved," DeLeo said. "We were kicking a lot of long balls and hoping someone would run underneath them. That's not really the way we wanted to play. We have been working it through our midfield, and I thought we had some good examples of that where we had some good passing and moved it up the right way instead of hoping a long ball was successful."
The Lady Marauders improved to 19-0-3.
"This feels really good," Marasco said. "We have all been putting our minds on this for a long time. It feels good to move on, but we want to keep working hard for each other. We have such a good bond and are able to lift each other up."
SCORE BY HALVES
Bishop Guilfoyle 1 3 -- 4
Elk County Catholic 0 0 -- 0
First Half: BG--Marasco (Noel), 15:44.
Second Half: BG--Marasco (Ritchey), 28:23. BG--Sapp (Noel), 4:53. BG--Ritchey (Marasco), :13.
Records: Bishop Guilfoyle Academy (19-0-3); Elk County Catholic (15-3-2).