Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association Archbishop Curley soccer defeated Loyola Blakefield, 2-1, behind two goals from sophomore forward Evan Backof. The loss ended Loyola Blakefield’s eight-game unbeaten stretch, during which the Dons went 5-0-3. Senior midfielder Ben DiCello assisted one of Backof’s goals.
Archbishop Curley Earns a Key A Conference Result
The victory temporarily moved Archbishop Curley into a tie for third place in the A Conference standings with Loyola Blakefield. Archbishop Curley was listed at 11-4-3 overall and 7-4-3 in league play, while Loyola Blakefield was listed at 8-2-5 overall and 7-2-5 in league play.
Archbishop Curley later tied Calvert Hall, 1-1, in the 25th Bernie Reif Alumni Cup at Paul Angelo Russo Stadium in Towson. Sophomore forward Andrew Polinsky scored in the 78th minute to equalize after Calvert Hall took a 1-0 lead on a header by Connor Sullivan, assisted by senior M.J. Day.
The tie kept Archbishop Curley from remaining level with Loyola Blakefield in the standings. Calvert Hall secured a playoff spot, retained possession of the Bernie Reif Alumni Cup and leads the annual series 12-10-3.
McDonogh Leads the A Conference
McDonogh remained atop the A Conference standings at 18-0-1 overall and 13-0-1 in league play. Mount St. Joseph was second at 10-3-5 overall and 8-3-4 in league play, with two regular-season games remaining for the teams competing for postseason position.
Mount St. Joseph started the week with a 2-0 victory over Archbishop Spalding. Sophomore Holden Jones scored the first goal, and senior Immanuel Duodu added the second in the 45th minute. Mount St. Joseph later fell to Loyola Blakefield, 3-2.
McDonogh defeated John Carroll, 6-1, to remain undefeated. Calvert Hall opened its week with a 1-1 tie against Concordia Prep.
Results Across the MIAA
Gerstell Academy defeated defending B Conference champion St. Paul’s, 1-0, on a goal finished by Ethan Ohio after a play by Simon Oluyemi. Gerstell Academy was listed at 9-5-2 overall and 6-2-1 in league play after the victory.
Boys’ Latin extended its winning streak to 10 games with a 9-0 victory over Our Lady of Mount and a 2-1 victory over St. Mary’s. Boys’ Latin was listed at 10-5-1 overall and 9-0 in league play, and opponents were outscored 41-2 during the streak.
Severn defeated St. Mary’s, 1-0, when Connor Merchant scored in the 18th minute. Severn then defeated Annapolis Area Christian School, 2-1, to move into second place ahead of Gerstell Academy.
Gunston defeated Chapelgate Christian Academy, 5-1, and Key defeated Glenelg Country School, 1-0. Key and Gunston were both unbeaten in C Conference play before Key defeated Gunston, 1-0, in their showdown. Key was listed at 7-5-1 overall and 5-1 in league play after the loss.
MSB Analysis
Archbishop Curley’s victory over Loyola Blakefield highlighted the A Conference results, while Mount St. Joseph’s week included a win over Archbishop Spalding followed by a loss to Loyola Blakefield. The A Conference postseason race remained unsettled behind McDonogh with two regular-season games remaining.
Source: Original report
