The Curtain Closes on PNAC with Loss to Redemptoris Mater | Joseph Previtali | May 26, 2007

http://www.ignatiusinsight.com/features2007/jprevitali_nacvsrm_051207.asp

The Pontifical North American College was defeated by Redemptoris Mater, 1-0, in the first round of the playoff section of the 2007 Clericus Cup on Saturday, May 12. With the loss, the NAC's 2007 Clericus Cup run comes to an end.

The Neo-Catechumenal Way squad scored in the first half on a free kick that eluded the grasp of a diving Deacon Andy Roza. It was the only scoring they would get, as the NAC defense, led by Phil Smith, Steve Titus, Fr. Jeremy Leatherby, and Jaime Gil. Roza also made plenty of spectacular saves, and the American squad played its best on-the-ball soccer of the year.

The only good scoring chance for the American side came in the second half, when scoring leader Daniel O'Mullane misfired on a free kick. A goal would have tied the game against the heavily-favored Redemptoris Mater squad, which has yet to allow a goal in Clericus Cup competition. However, O'Mullane's shot missed two feet to the left of the goal, and the NAC never got closer to scoring.

Signs of hope for the future of the American soccer team were apparent, as the NAC played what was clearly its best game of the season. In addition, they exceeded expectations by competing equally with the best of the Roman soccer teams and by advancing to the playoff section of the Cup. It remains unclear whether the Centro Sportivo Italiano, the group that organized the tournament, will host the Clericus Cup on a yearly basis. That decision that will most likely be made within the next few months.

For next year, the NAC will lose Fr. Leatherby, Deacons Aaron Killips and Josh Waltz, and Gil, who will be taking a pastoral year. However, the significant losses will be tempered by the return of defender Julio Vicente, who was home on pastoral year for the 2006-2007 season. The North American College also welcomes some 45 new students in the autumn of the 2007.

Pontifical North American College | 2007 Clericus Cup Results:

March 3, 9:30AM vs. Pontificio Collegio Urbano (Field A). 0-0 (4-3).
March 10, 9:30AM vs. Pontificio Seminario Gallico (French College) (Field B). 4-0.
March 17, 9:30AM vs. Croati (Field B) 4-5.
March 24, 9:30AM vs. Tiberino (Field A) 3-1.
April 14, 11:15AM vs. O.M.I. Team (Field B) 2-3.
April 21, 9:30AM vs. P.U. Gregoriana (Gregorian University) (Field A) 4-2.
April 28, 9:30AM vs. C.I. Mater Ecclesiae (Legionaries of Christ) (Field B) 1-3.
May 12, vs. Redemptoris Mater, 0-1.

---

Related IgnatiusInsight.com Articles:

• PNAC Finishes Round Robin with Loss to Mater Ecclesiae | Joseph Previtali | May 6, 2007
• PNAC Cruises to Victory Over PGU | Joseph Previtali | April 27, 2007
• PNAC Upset by O.M.I. in Clericus Cup | Joseph Previtali | April 19, 2007
• PNAC defeats Tiberino, 3-1 | Joseph Previtali | March 30, 2007
• PNAC Loses to Croatian Team in Shootout | Joseph Previtali | March 21, 2007
• NAC defeats PGC, 4-0 | Joseph Previtali | March 10, 2007
• Shootout In Rome: NAC wins its first 2007 Clericus Cup match | Joseph Previtali | March 6, 2007
• North American College soccer team wins| Joseph Previtali
• Seminarians and Soccer! Meet the Pontifical North American College Clericus Cup Team | Joseph Previtali

---

Joseph Filice Previtali is a seminarian for the Archdiocese of San Francisco. He is in his third year of theological studies at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, where he currently resides. In June, he will receivethe Baccalaureate of Sacred Theology (S.T.B.) from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum). Previously, he was sports editor and columnist for The Gonzaga Witness, a Catholic student newspaper, which he co-founded with his friends at Gonzaga University. He will be reporting on the Clericus Cup for IgnatiusInsight.com and the Insight Scoop blog throughout the course of the tournament.

---

If you'd like to receive the FREE IgnatiusInsight.com e-letter (about every 1 to 2 weeks), which includes regular updates about IgnatiusInsight.com articles, reviews, excerpts, and author appearances, please click here to sign-up today!