Wait over as Archbishop Wood tops Archbishop Ryan for PCL girls soccer title

PHILADELPHIA >> Right place, right time.

Four simple words could sum up a lot of things for Archbishop Wood’s girls’ soccer team this season and especially the Vikings’ performance Saturday evening in the PCL title game. Two years ago, Wood had its championship dreams squashed by Archbishop Ryan and didn’t have a chance to take revenge last year.

The team on the other side Saturday? It was Ryan.

Wood was in the right place at the right time as it took over in the second half to defeat the Ragdolls 3-1, securing the program’s first PCL since 2016 in a resolute performance at Ramp Playground.

“I was fired up when we came into this game,” Vikings stalwart junior defender Daryn Savage said. “Same field, same team and everything. I just wanted revenge.”

No player was better at being in the right place at the right time on Saturday than Meghan Matthews. The forward isn’t one of Wood’s more prolific scorers, but season totals don’t matter much when there’s a championship on the line and her first goal settled the Vikings after a ragged start.

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A counter led to a long run for Ryan’s Gianna Rivera, who used a great move to beat a defender before finishing with 34:41 left in the first half to put Wood down early.

From there, the Vikings started pressuring Ryan’s defense, mainly on set pieces and nearly had a goal on a well-hit header by Savage that was blocked off the line by a Ragdolls defender. There were signs however, and Matthews picked up on them. A few minutes later, another ball into the box led to a miscue that left the ball loose, the keeper out and Matthews right there to poke home an equalizer.

“It’s inexplicable, I haven’t felt that much joy in a while,” Matthews said of her championship brace. “It’s being in the right spot at the right time and sometimes, that’s all it comes down to. I couldn’t have done it without my teammates or any of the coaches.

“If you keep trying and keeping looking to finish, eventually you’re going to make a difference.”

Savage and the rest of the Wood defense thrived on being in the right place at the right time most of the game on Saturday, holding Ryan to just a single shot on goal and posting 74 shutout minutes after falling behind 1-0. Sadie Ricci was there to make one of the biggest plays of the game by booting a loose ball off the goal line while keeper Bella Diodato played well in goal.

Keeping Rivera on lock was the difference maker and a task Savage and Giulia Nevrotski were more than happy to take on.

“These girls listen, they believe in what you say, they’re organized and if they make mistakes, they take ownership,” Wood coach Tom DeGeorge said. “It’s a good group, it really is.”

Time and place were pivotal on Saturday, but so was family. Before the game, senior Alyssa DeGeorge stepped into the circle of players and coaches and read messages from last year’s seniors Leighann Kafel and Paige Hoeger, imploring this year’s team to go out and get what they hadn’t been able to in 2019.

DeGeorge scored the eventual game winning goal, thanks to an assist from her sister Ava DeGeorge that allowed the two of them to celebrate with their dad, Vikings head coach Tom DeGeorge.

When the PCL was indecisive on having a fall season last year, Ava DeGeorge made the decision to attend and play at William Tennent, where she had a terrific season as a freshman helping the Panthers win an SOL Freedom title. This year, without pandemic restrictions, she transferred to Wood and finally donned the same uniform as her older sister.

“It’s amazing, we’ve actually never gotten to play with each other so it was really cool sharing all the games and practices,” Ava DeGeorge said.

The Vikings finished the first half putting pressure on Ryan and picked up right there in the second. Ava DeGeorge, Megan Hickey and Madison Kennedy just kept making runs at defenders and eventually, started turning them into corners. About 10 minutes in, one of those would lead to a sister-sister right place, right time moment.

Ava DeGeorge took the corner, serving into the heart of the box and a jumble of bodies where somehow, Alyssa came out for a header that found the back of the net and broke the 1-1 deadlock. Although, calling it a header may only work in the most technical sense.

“I don’t know, it hit me in the face and went in honestly,” Alyssa DeGeorge said. “I don’t care, it’s still a goal.”

At least three Wood players went up for the ball and all Tom DeGeorge knew was that it had gone in.

“I didn’t even realize it at first until they announced it on the loudspeaker,” the Wood coach said. “I’ve coached Alyssa since she was eight and I think that may have been her first headball goal.

“It means a lot, especially when we were here two years ago and lost. All these seniors, I started with them so there’s no better way to go out and I’m so happy for them.”

For the DeGeorge girls, winning a title together with their dad was all they’d hoped the experience would be.

“He instilled in us to always work hard and never give up,” Alyssa said. “I think that’s something both of us emphasize, we never give up and our work ethic is pretty high.”

“It was different playing for a new coach last year and I think it better, but I’m just so happy to be back here with my dad and sister,”Ava said.

Another Ava DeGeorge corner and another case of good timing by Matthews added the insurance goal with 17:48 left. The serve went into the box, hit off the keeper’s hands and dropped, allowing Matthews to simply boot home her second of the game.

“We gained so much momentum and energy after we scored the first goal,” Matthews said. “They’re our rival so we always want to win, especially when it’s for a championship.”

Wood will continue into the District 12 2A title game next week, then look to carry its season into states. For the weekend though, the Vikings were going to make the most of a title two years in the making.

“Our whole team had the mindset we’re not losing this year,” Alyssa DeGeorge said. “We lost in the final my sophomore year, we didn’t get a final last year, so we were just ready to go.”

ARCHBISHOP WOOD 1 2 – 3

ARCHBISHOP RYAN 1 0 – 1

Goals: AW – Meghan Matthews, Alyssa DeGeorge (Ava DeGeorge), Matthews (Ava DeGeorge), AR – Gianna Rivera