The stage is set for MIAA Soccer Championship Sunday
Loyola and Archbishop Curley will battle for the A Conference title; the B & C Conference crowns will also decided
After an exciting day of semifinal playoff action, the match-ups are set for the MIAA Soccer championship games in the A, B and C Conferences with all three title games set to take place on Sunday, Nov. 10 at UMBC Stadium in Catonsville.
The A Conference game, which will take place at 5:30 pm, will feature defending champion Loyola Blakefield against Archbishop Curley. The Dons powered past Mount St. Joseph, 4-1, on Thursday to return to the championship game, while Curley topped McDonogh on penalty kicks in the other semifinal. Loyola and Curley tied atop the regular season standings, each with a 12-2-2 record and they closed the regular season by playing to a 2-2 draw. Loyola gained the top seed by virtue of a 6-1 win in early October, in the other meeting between the two teams.
Curley (17-2-2 overall) has been to numerous MIAA championship games in the last 20 years but has just one title in that time frame (2006). The Friars will be aiming for their fourth title since the MIAA was formed in 1995. Curley let up a goal in the late stages of the second half, which pushed Thursday's contest into overtime, and had to play a man down in the extra time, but still found a way. Nick Lentz, David Brunetti, Casey Price and Alex Katris each converted in the penalty kick phase and the Friars prevailed, 2-2 (4-2).
After a scoreless first half, McDonogh (13-2-5) broke on top with a goal from Ryan Broome early in the second half. Brunetti got the equalizer and the go-ahead score for Curley, both on penalty kicks, before McDonogh extended the game on a Bogue Hoahn header.
Loyola (13-2-2), which has been dominant offensively all season, got a pair of goals from Sammie Walker and single tallies from Cal Lackner and Joseph Molina to cruise past Mount St. Joseph (10-9-2), 4-1. The Dons raced out to a 3-0 lead and were never in danger. The Dons will be going for their fifth league title on Sunday.
In the B Conference, top-seeded and defending champion St. Paul's (11-3-2 overall), which was undefeated in league play this fall, got all it could handle from rival Boys' Latin (7-9-4) in a semifinal battle on Thursday, prevailing, 5-4 in penalty kicks. The Crusaders will meet third-seeded Severn (13-4-1), which ousted its rival, St. Mary's (11-3-2), 2-1, in Thursday's other semifinal, at 3:15 pm on Sunday.
In addition to seeking a second straight B Conference championship, St. Paul's will be looking to collect its sixth B Conference title. Severn has the most B Confernce championships with seven, including 2021 and 2022.
The C Conference championship game features Gunston School, in its first year as a MIAA member, against Key School. Gunston (10-4) shocked top-seeded Mount Carmel (15-5-1), 5-4 in two overtimes, and Key (9-5) edged Beth Tfiloh (8-6), 2-1 to setup Sunday's 1 pm final. While Gunston pursues its first MIAA championship of any kind, Key will be pursuing just its second MIAA C soccer title, with the last one coming in 2013.
General admission tickets to Sunday's MIAA Soccer Championships can be purchased online via GoFan, before noon on Sunday for $10 each. Tickets may also be purchased at the gate for $15 each.