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CLERICUS-NAC Apr-7-2008 (400 words) xxxi
Strong defense, bold offense get U.S. team to Clericus Cup semifinals
By Carol Glatz
Catholic News Service
ROME (CNS) -- A nearly impenetrable defense and a bold offense got the Pontifical North American College Martyrs to the semifinals of the Clericus Cup for the first time.
The Martyrs' 2-1 win in overtime April 5 against the Pontifical Urbanian University team brought them one step closer to the Clericus Cup's coveted trophy.
The soccer tournament for priests and seminarians studying in Rome is wrapping up its second season.
Perhaps the only person not surprised by the win against the fast and strong Urbanian team was the team's trainer and co-captain, Daniel O'Mullane of Paterson, N.J.
"I don't doubt my own players. I had said we were going to win, and that's what we had to do," he told Catholic News Service April 7.
O'Mullane scored both goals. The first goal came early in the match when the ball bounced behind the opponents' defenders and O'Mullane headed it past the goalie and into the net.
The winning goal came with just a few minutes left in a tie-breaking overtime when the Martyrs' goalie, Father Andy Roza of Omaha, Neb., punted the ball to midfield. O'Mullane said he nabbed control of the ball from the other team and "hit it over the goalie" to give the Martyrs the lead.
"Our defense really had an amazing game," he said.
The North American College was up against one of the tournament's strongest forwards, who has scored 12 goals in just 7 games, said O'Mullane.
But the coach had told Deacon Steven Titus of Cheyenne, Wyo., to stick to the opposing forward like glue, which prevented the Urbanian star's teammates from passing him the ball.
"It was a team game," O'Mullane said, praising Father Roza's fast saves and midfielders Philip Smith of Toledo, Ohio, and James Adams of Kalamazoo, Mich.
"We were under attack for a lot of the time, and our defense really held their own," said O'Mullane.
For the April 19 semifinals, the Martyrs will face last year's champions and still-undefeated Redemptoris Mater team.
The so-called Red Mats beat the Martyrs 1-0 twice in two years, but O'Mullane said, "I'm thinking three times is the charm."
"We're going to have to beat them at some point," he said, and their 1-0 losses to Red Mat showed "it's not like they're leaps and bounds ahead of us."
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Copyright (c) 2008 Catholic News Service/USCCB. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed.
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