CATHOLIC ATHLETIC LEAGUE

Catholic Athletic League ends spring season

Posted

Fifty-eight teams participated this spring in the soccer and volleyball leagues offered by Catholic Athletic League in April and May.

Co-ed Soccer, Grades 4-6:

Twelve teams came from last year, joined by St. Michael of CT and St. Joseph of West Warwick. During the season the teams played in the early evenings in two divisions. The southern division was won by St. Michael and the Northern by Cranston-Johnston Catholic Regional.

The semi-finals and finals were hosted by St. Rocco School in what turned out to be a dramatic win by St. Rocco 1 team over the previously undefeated St. Michael squad. The championship game between St. Rocco 1 and CJCR had all the drama and excitement of any game that the spectators had seen before, along with exciting saves by the St. Rocco goalie.

Co-ed Soccer, Grades 6-8:

Involved in the league were teams ranging geographically from Burrillville to Newport. The league was organized into two divisions, with the southern division top spot going to Fr. Doyle and the Northern to Good Shepherd. The southern division champs were upset by the second seed from the northern division, St. Cecilia, in a well-played game. Good Shepherd defeated the CJCR team, which had to play back-to-back nights in order to first break the tie and then face the number one seed. CJCR played well against Good Shepherd but lost 3-1 in the end.

The final started under the threat of thunder and lightning, which stopped the game for about 25 minutes with the score 0-0. Once play began, the teams picked up the pace and ultimately the game was tied at the end of regulation, 1-1. After playing two five-minute overtime periods the teams found themselves still tied and forced to go to a shoot-out. It was here that the St. Cecilia players found their stride and went on to defeat Good Shepherd by a two-goal margin.

Co-ed Volleyball, Gades 6-8:

Again this year, the volleyball league was the largest and showed that it will continue to grow in the future, with new participants from St. Philomena. The northern division winner was the Mercymount 1 team; in the south, the winner was Christ the Redeemer in West Warwick. The finals between the divisional champs showed how balanced the leagues were, with each team winning one and having to go to game 3 for the decision. This saw Mercymount 1 getting a commanding lead, only to have it slip away to Christ the Redeemer. Here the fans saw the quality of the league and the work that the players and coaches had done over the year. It was a very entertaining final three games with CRA winning their third straight championship.

Co-ed Volleyball, ages 14-19:

There were nine teams involved this year, from St. Pius V of Providence, St. Patrick, St. Cecilia, Mary Mother of Mankind and Saint Francis Xavier from East Providence. This year, the semi finals saw St. Patrick over St. Pius V and St. Cecilia defeating a tough SFX team. With St. Patrick facing St. Cecilia in the finals, all knew that a good three-game set was at hand, with St. Cecelia winning in the end.

Come fall, in addition to cross country, CAL will offer co-ed tennis. The schedule has been planned and it offers cross-country early Wednesday evenings and tennis on a Tuesday through Thursday schedule. Anyone interested should contact Jerry Dandeneau at 527-9068 or gdandeneau@cox.net.