Prep Talk
Hermits Soccer Wins Second Consecutive CAL Championship
Posted October 23rd, 2023
By Ethan Montone ’26
Hermits Soccer played Mainland on October 23, 2023, for the Cape Atlantic League Finals!
Determined to win back-to-back conference championships, the Hermits put on an amazing performance. They came out strong in the first half focused on their goal. The Hermits dominated possession early resulting in a Drew Davis ’25 goal in the 6th minute. Not long after, the Hermits pushed for another by Ryan Wieand ’24 scoring off a beautiful passing sequence in the 11th minute. Despite the quick two-goal cushion, the Hermits kept the pedal to the metal. They added three goals in the final five minutes to extend their halftime lead over Mainland to a staggering 5 goals. Junior Alex Clark, the team leader in goals, scored the third goal in the 35th minute. Shortly after, following a Mainland yellow card, Sal Coppola ’24 deposited the Hermits 4th goal into the back of the net in the 38th minute. Senior JohnPaul Mazza completed the late flurry in the waning moments of the first half tacking on the Prep’s 5th unanswered goal.
The Hermits clearly had their sights set on their goal and came out strong in the first half, resulting in the 5-0 lead.
Mainland did not go quietly as they opened the second half by getting on the board in the 43rd minute. Both teams played the possession game in the second half, as the scoreboard was seemingly frozen with the Hermits leading 5-1. That would change when Alex Clark was given a penalty kick opportunity in the 67th minute. Clark buried the ball into the back of the net and restored the Hermits 5-goal lead at 6-1. Mainland responded quickly, putting in a late goal in the 73rd minute to pull within 4. The Hermits would withstand Mainland’s comeback efforts as the final whistle blew. The Hermits ran on the field to celebrate their 6-2 victory and their second consecutive CAL title.
Asked about how it felt about winning the CAL back-to-back and contributing a brace in the title game, Alex Clark shared, “It feels amazing, it’s always nice to repeat and score two goals. It’s a great feeling and can’t wait for us to keep it going into states.”
Another amazing accomplishment by the Hermits, and they look to continue their season in the state tournament. The Hermits have earned a Round 1 bye and will play the winner of Paul VI/Union Catholic.
Stay tuned as Hermits Athletics Internship Team will follow all of our fall program’s state playoff runs!