CUA Soccer Sets Sights on Landmark Conference Final

Image courtesy of Sarah Lodge and Catholic Athletics.

By Griffin Cappiello

After an incredible season, both the Catholic Men’s and Women’s Soccer teams are set to make appearances in the 2025 Landmark Conference Championships. 

The women finished the season with an 11-6-3 overall record, going 6-1-2 in Landmark Conference play to finish as the 3 seed going into the Landmark Conference Tournament. They faced off against #6 Drew in the first round of the playoffs at home last Saturday. 

The Cardinals previously defeated the Rangers 4-0 in the regular season, so they naturally went into the quarterfinals as the favorites in the matchup. Just seven minutes into the match, senior forward Peyton Coron picked up a ball that had been mishandled by the Drew goalkeeper and passed it to senior winger Ava Gregorio, who slotted the ball into the back of the net to give the Cardinals an early lead. 

Seven minutes into the second half, senior outside back Emily Harkins drove down the sideline and whipped a cross into the box. Coron got on the end of it and tapped the ball between the legs of the Rangers’ goalkeeper to double the lead for the Cardinals.

Peyton Coron’s goal doubled the lead for the Cardinals. Image courtesy of Leyton Ramos-Platt and Catholic Athletics.

Just nine minutes later, senior winger Sam Cesario, who recently returned from injury, collected a ball that was bouncing around inside the Drew box and finished to extend the Cardinals’ lead to three. Cesario’s goal was her fifth on the year, only one behind Caroline Aponte who leads the team in scoring. 

The Cardinals saw out the match to secure the 3-0 win and moved on to face #2 Lycoming on the road in the semifinals. Catholic fell to Lycoming 0-1 in their previous matchup in the regular season. 

Several Cardinal players, such as Aponte and Coron, had shots on goal in the first half of the match against Lycoming, but neither side was able to find a goal. In the seventy-sixth minute, the Cardinals earned a throw-in in the final third. Sophomore outside back Avery Bowman delivered one of her signature long throws which found Coron in the box. Coron tapped the ball in the direction of Cesario, who hit a first-time shot that flew into the back of the net. 

Senior goalkeeper Ava Reiger made eight saves on the night to extend her record of most career shutouts to thirty-two, and the Cardinals came away with the 1-0 victory. 

The Cardinals are set to match up against #1 Scranton in the Landmark Conference Championship this Saturday, November 8, marking their seventh appearance in the title game since joining the Landmark Conference in 2007. Of those seven appearances, this Saturday’s game will be Catholic’s fifth match against Scranton, the most recent of which was a 0-3 loss in 2023. 

The Cardinals are 8-15-3 all time against the Royals, going 2-2 in previous Landmark Conference Championship matchups. Catholic drew 0-0 with Scranton in the previous match up in the regular season; they will look for their first win against Scranton since 2015, when they defeated the Royals to win back-to-back Landmark Conference titles in the same year. A win in Saturday’s final will earn the Cardinals their fourth Landmark Conference title.

The men finished the season with a 12-0-6 overall record, going 6-0-3 in Landmark Conference play to finish as the 2 seed going into the Landmark Conference Tournament. They earned a first round bye in the playoffs and hosted #6 Lycoming in the semifinals. 

The Cardinals brought the pressure early in the game and eventually broke the deadlock in the thirtieth minute. Freshman midfielder Carson Shamoo took a shot from the top of the box that floated into the back of the net, just past the outstretched fingers of the Lycoming goalkeeper. Shamoo’s goal brought his scoring total on the year to four, moving him into a tie for third-most for the team this season.

Carson Shamoo’s goal opened the scoring for the Cardinals. Image courtesy of Susie Blanchard and Catholic Athletics.

Just three minutes later, junior wingback Donik Elshani picked up a ball from junior forward Azaria Tewodros and took a shot from the edge of the box that flew into the back of the net, an almost identical goal to Shamoo’s earlier strike. Elshani’s goal was his second in as many games, bringing his total on the year to three. 

In the second half, sophomore midfielder Francesco Mattucci picked up a loose ball and launched it towards goal from way outside the box. The Warriors’ goalkeeper could only watch as the ball wound up in the back of the net for Mattucci’s first goal on the year. 

The Cardinals held onto the lead, securing the 3-0 victory. They are set to face off against #5 Drew in the Landmark Conference Championship at home this Saturday, November 8. 

This Saturday’s final marks the Cardinals’ eleventh championship game appearance. Catholic has appeared in five of the last six Landmark Conference Championships, winning four titles. The Cardinals look to win their eighth Landmark Conference title and their third consecutive title as they face off against a Drew team that they defeated 3-0 in their previous matchup in the regular season.