McDonogh star Chris Agorsor (above) sealed the deal for McDonogh, as he scored a break-away goal late in McDonogh's MIAA A Conference championship game win over Archbishop Curley.
Tyler Fiorito broke a scoreless tie with a second half goal that got rolling in its 3-0 championship victory.
Moments after his team's loss to Archbishop Curley in last year's MIAA A Conference Soccer Championship Game, McDonogh head coach Steve Nichols congratulated his good friend and colleague Barry Stitz and then confidently predicted that 2007 would be the year his young Eagles would celebrate a title.
Yesterday, on a cold November afternoon, the Eagles proved their coach a profit, as they bested Stitz's Friars for the third time this year, claiming a 3-0 victory in the A Conference title game to lock up their fourth MIAA crown and their first since 2004.
Despite its sparking 20-1-3 record, the journey was not as smooth as it may seem. McDonogh had to overcome some key injuries which lingered for much of the year and a mid-season scoring slump, but it was able to pull it together down the stretch, closing the season with six straight wins, all shutouts, and a 15 game unbeaten streak. In fact, McDonogh, led by senior goalkeeper Tommy Caso registered a remarkable 20 shutouts this fall.
Despite the misleading final score, yesterday's championship game was a tough, physical battle which remained up for grabs until the game's final minute.
Scoreless for nearly 70 minutes, McDonogh finally broke the ice when senior Tyler Fiorito took advantage of a rare mistake by Curley keeper John Connolly. After stopping a shot by McDonogh's Andrew Bulls, Connolly lost his grip on the ball and Fiorito was on the spot to drill it into the back of the net.
Stunned, Curley (20-5) did not quit, but the Friars were unable to solve the tough Eagle defense, despite intense pressure in the game's final 20 minutes. As the game approached its final minutes, the Friars grew more desparate, sending everyone forward. This opened the door for Eagle star Chris Agorsor, who spent most of the afternoon locked in a battle with Curley's sensational sophomore sweeper Oumar Ballo.
With Connolly well above the box, Agorsor got behind him on a counter attack and easily guided ball into the goal to seal the deal. McDonogh then added a third goal, with just 30-seconds to play, to set the final score.
"It's a great feeling; we've been working hard all year just to get to this game, and we played well together again today," said Caso. "Curley is a good team, and beating them is never easy."
Agorsor, who may play pro soccer in Europe next year, said, "We've made a lot of sacrifices, and we've worked especially hard, and it's very gratifying to win the championship. Curley is very good, our whole team came to play today, and it feels good to win a championship."
Once again, Nichols began his post-game remarks with praise for Curley and then acknowledged the strong defense played by his club.
"Barry did a tremendous job with a lot of young players," said Stitz. "A lot of people expected us to win, and we played very well defensively. Our back corners and our goalie were great all year. We only surrendered five goals all year. I'm proud of all of our players.
There are several rising teams in the A Conference, but Curley and McDonogh could very well find themselves battling for the championship again next fall. The Friars return their core nucleus, including Ballo, Connelly and top scorer Bash Kamara.
McDonogh will have to overcome the loss of Agorsor, Bulls and Caso, but Nichols has a stable of talented underclassmen, all battled tested on the national club circuit.