Central’s season ends with one loss

Senior Ben Scandone paced Central Catholic with three goals.

The streak is over. The season is over.

Still, first-year coach Kevin O’Neill couldn’t be prouder of what his Central Catholic team accomplished this season or how his Vikings played in Saturday’s 16-10 setback to District 1 champion Marple Newtown in the PIAA Class 2A quarterfinals at Methacton High School.

Central Catholic, which won the 2A state title a year ago, captured Eastern Pennsylvania Conference and District 11 crowns this spring.

The Vikings also won 32 consecutive games — 13 to end last season and 19 to start this year.

They finish with a 19-1 overall record.

Marple Newtown was simply the superior team on Saturday, O’Neill acknowledged.

The Fightin’ Tigers, coached by P.J. Kennedy, opened up a 5-1 lead after one quarter of play and outscored Central 8-3 in the final period. Cornell recruit Charlie Box, a senior midfielder, scored four goals and added three assists. Senior Damian Bogsch contributed three goals and two assists.

Central Catholic cut its deficit to 6-5 at intermission and tallied the first two goals of the second half to take a brief one-goal lead. Marple Newtown led 8-7 after three quarters.

“They won a lot of face-offs early on and got a 5-1 jump on us,” O’Neill said. “We played really well in the second and third quarters and actually led in the third.

But we ran out of gas; I think the heat got to us. They got the best of the scrums and won some key ground balls. Our kids played with a ton of heart, though. I’m really proud.”

The Fightin’ Tigers won 16 faceoffs overall; Central Catholic won nine. O’Neill said penalties were another key stat. The Vikings committed five; Marple Newtown was called for one.

Senior Ben Scandone paced Central Catholic with three goals. Scandone, the Vikings’ No. 1 scorer, finished the year with 64 goals and 41 assists. Senior Liam Drake and juniors Caiden Shaffer and Nick Pomajevich scored two goals apiece.

Chuck Kuczynski, a Syracuse recruit who was named the EPC MVP, corralled 10 ground balls.

“Our kids played with a ton of heart,” O’Neill said. “Ben was phenomenal and Chuck was outstanding.”

This year’s Central Catholic team boasted an outstanding senior class and featured plenty of firepower, according to O’Neill. What separated this season’s

Vikings from last year’s squad was depth.

Central Catholic, with a 26-player roster, started three freshmen in the state quarterfinals, including goalie Chris Burke, who was credited with 10 saves.

“The young guys played great in the postseason and they played the absolute best they could,” said O’Neill, who was an assistant on Dan Dolphin’s staff last year. “Some of it came down to size. They started a 6-[foot]-3 and two 6-[foot]-2 defenders. We had a hard time with their physicality.”

Kuczynski and Scandone are among the seniors who played their final game in a Central Catholic uniform.

Steven Ambrogi, Augustine Barr, Aiden Carroll, Michael Driscoll, Jack Keenan and Drake are other key contributors who graduated Friday. The senior class certainly left a legacy that will live on for years.

“This graduating class is second to none,” O’Neill said. “These guys played so well as a group. At the end of the game, they walked over to the salute their parents and our fans. That was special. Words can’t explain what this class accomplished. The bus ride home started off quiet but as we went along, they started to hold their heads high. It’s been quite a ride.”