CHSAA boys soccer beat writer Dylan Butler breaks down Sunday’s CHSAA Class A intersectional final between Fordham Prep and Iona Prep.
Who: No. 2 Fordham Prep vs. No. 4 Iona Prep
What: CHSAA Class A intersectional title game
Where: Belson Stadium, St. John’s University
When: Sunday, 3 p.m.
How much: $7 adults, $5 students
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Fordham Prep Rams
Head coach: Pete McNamara
Record: 14-1-3
Player to watch: Michael McNamara
How they got here: Defeated Xavier, 1-0, in the quarterfinals and Archbishop Molloy, 4-3 on penalties in the semifinals
Scouting report from league coach, under condition of anonymity: “Fordham may have one of the more balanced scoring attacks with several guys, including Mike McNamara, Nihad Musovic, Dylan Cope and Doug O’Connell, who can put the ball in the net. Kyle O’Keefe is a great on-ball defender, while Mark Kramarchuk likes to play more of a free safety role where he can come over and help. I’d put O’Keefe on Cesar Ceja the second he comes into the offensive third. Pat Civetta is adequate in net and benefits from the defense in front of him. If you can break down the defense and get them to lose their shape, you significantly increase your scoring chances.”
Iona Prep Gaels
Head coach: Marcos Monteagudo
Record: 11-3-5
Player to watch: Cesar Ceja
How they got here: Defeated Christ the King, 1-0, in overtime in the quarterfinals and St. Francis Prep, 3-1, on penalties in the semifinals
Scouting report from league coach, under condition of anonymity: “It’s critical to concentrate on Ceja and force him out to the width of the field, to stay on your feet and don’t dive in because he likes to have the ball at his feet for prolonged periods of time. Individually, Oscar DeLeon is not going to scare anyone, but he plays very well off of Ceja and if you pay too much attention to Ceja, DeLeon will find some of the open space and punish you. Kapp isn’t going to allow any soft goals, so capitalizing on opportunities is important because he won’t give up many. Iona also has the height with Felix Abongo that will help neutralize the long balls that Fordham likes to throw into the box.”
Outlook: After scoring the winning overtime goal against Christ the King in the quarterfinals, Cesar Ceja said he wanted to play Fordham Prep again. The league’s most dangerous striker got what he wanted after the Gaels shocked No. 1 St. Francis Prep on penalty kicks in the semifinals and Fordham Prep ousted two-time defending champion Archbishop Molloy, also on PKs.
This is the fourth meeting between the rivals and nothing has separated the two in more than four hours. They played three scoreless draws with Fordham Prep beating Iona Prep in a penalty-kick shootout to win its first Archdiocesan final since 2007.
“We know them, they know us,” Fordham Prep coach Pete McNamara said. “I’m excited to play them. I think it will be a really exciting final. I think it’s going to be great.”
If the Class A intersectional final is anything like the scintillating Archdiocesan final, it could be one of the best championship games in recent memory.
“It’s going to be a classic game, a really great game,” said Fordham Prep goalkeeper Pat Civetta, who has come up big in two penalty-kick shootouts in a week. “They’re a really tough team, we’re rivals. It will be, I’m sure, a lot of fun. It’s going to be intense.”
But what will separate the two teams?
“It’s who wants it more,” said Mark Higgins, who scored the decisive penalty kick against Molloy Tuesday. “I think we’re going to go out there Sunday and hopefully come away with a good victory.”
Fordham Prep is in its fourth Class A intersectional final in five years and is looking to win its first title since beating St. Francis Prep in 2007. While Iona Prep won the CHSAA state title last year, the Gaels have never played for the Class A intersectional final.
As if either side needed added motivation, the winner advances to next week’s CHSAA state tournament as the Archdiocesan representative. The loser’s season ends in a bitter defeat.
“You play for those games,” Iona Prep goalkeeper Alex Kapp said. “It’s always going to be a battle.”
