Faber helps St. Anthony's clinch CHSAA
St. Anthony's Carl Faber goes against Chaminade's Joseph Randazzo in CHSAA High School boys soccer. (Oct. 25, 2011) Credit: Patrick E. McCarthy
St. Anthony's entered the season ranked nationally and after one month of play the Friars had five losses. Trips to Ohio and St. Louis against some very good teams resulted in setbacks, but it was a learning experience that the Friars have used to fuel second-half success.
Carl Faber scored two goals and Colin Volpe had two assists for St. Anthony's in a 3-1 win over host Chaminade Tuesday in CHSAA boys soccer. The win gives the Friars the league championship and the No. 1 seed in the playoffs.
"Those trips really brought us together as a team," Faber said. "It was a warm-up for the rest of the season. The first half we were trying to figure out what personnel should be out on the field. By the second half of the season we really got it down pat."
It sure seems that way. The Friars are 6-1-1 since returning from St. Louis this month and allowed four goals in that span. "We learned from all those losses we had," Volpe said. "We have been playing well ever since. Our team chemistry has got better and it shows on the field."
St. Anthony's (12-6-1, 10-0-1) took a 1-0 lead in the seventh minute when Fabrizio Petrallia scored on a header off a corner kick from Volpe. "We've been working on set pieces," Volpe said. "I was trying to float it up there to give our players a chance. That's what I did and Fabrizio hit a great header in."
Faber scored off a pass from Volpe with 22:41 left in the first half to extend the Friars' lead to 2-0.
St. Anthony's dominated the first half before Chaminade came on strong in the second. Goalkeeper Anthony Lopatowski made a save on a breakaway with 35:35 left to keep it a two-goal game. "I knew I had to keep a shutout at that point just mentally," said Lopatowski, who had four saves. "If we give up a goal and it's 2-1, they're back in it."
Four minutes later, Faber scored before Chaminade (9-4-3, 9-2-1) got its lone goal from Hunter Frey with 14:07 left.
St. Anthony's will host a semifinal game Tuesday night, and No. 2 Chaminade will host No. 3 St. John the Baptist at 2 p.m. Tuesday in the other semifinal.
