1st XI Division 1 Soccer – Round One Match Reports
⚽ Written by Gordon Armstrong,
🟥 Prince Alfred College 2 – 1 Sacred Heart College
A keenly contested opener to the season saw Prince Alfred College edge out Sacred Heart in a game where both sides enjoyed chances.
“We were very proud of the boys and the performance they put in. For them to implement a completely new system and style with such bravery and maturity in the first game was excellent to see,” said PAC spokesperson Tom Rolls.
“Massive credit to our opponents, Sacred Heart, who were a tough team to verse and a huge thanks for their excellent hospitality.”
Standout players for PAC: Leroy Rossi, Sam Pheasant, Liam Kritharas.
No player details were supplied by Sacred Heart.
🟥 Rostrevor College 5 – 1 St Peter’s College
Rostrevor College kicked off its season in dominant fashion with a 5-1 away win against St Peter’s College, breaking away in the second half.
The game began quickly with Rostrevor moving the ball with precision, interchanging players and attacking down the left flank. The Rossies led 2-0 before Justin Scarpin pulled one back for the Saints before half-time. Rostrevor maintained pressure after the break, scoring three more unanswered goals.
Key contributors:
– Christian Tassotti (hat-trick)
– Marcus Caporaso (two goals)
– Massimo Cerracchio (solid all-around game)
“We fielded eight debutants to our senior team – Alessio Quirino, Gianluca D’Apice, Joseph Chong and Marcus Caporaso, all starting, and Elijah Weeks, Alex Ascensio, Ryder Dalton and Paolo Matto off the bench,” said coach Jamie Lee.
“Zeeman won the ball high and arrowed a shot at goal. The keeper parried it to man of the match Tassotti who starts the season with a hat trick. We move on to a big game against St Michael’s.”
“In the final 15 minutes we worked back into the contest with several opportunities and were unlucky not to have more goals.” – Matt French, St Peter’s manager.
Best for St Peter’s: Kostas Tsiopelas, James Tolis, Justin Scarpin (goal).
🟨 St Michael’s College 3 – 1 Immanuel College
At Jack Smith Park, St Michael’s College secured a solid 3-1 win over Immanuel College, showing greater composure and consistency.
St Michael’s led 2-0 at the break, before Fotios Kargiotis pulled one back for Immanuel. Despite several near misses – including four shots hitting the crossbar – St Michael’s added a third late in the game to seal the win.
Top performers for St Michael’s:
– Alex Goode (two goals)
– James Bowling (right back)
– Mickey Finnamore (defensive midfielder, one goal)
“We came into the game not knowing what to expect. With a very young squad, we surpassed expectations. We showed hunger and fight all game and never backed out of a challenge.” – Thomas Parkin, Immanuel captain
Immanuel’s best: Kristian Wibik, Kingston Aldis, Peter Diakomichalis.
Scorer: Fotios Kargiotis.
🟦 Christian Brothers College 12 – 1 Trinity College
Christian Brothers College (CBC) delivered a stunning performance, dismantling Trinity College 12-1 at Croydon Soccer Club.
CBC dominated from the outset, exploiting Trinity’s developing defence.
Standout scorers:
– Julian Ialeggio (4 goals)
– Fabian Altamura (4 goals)
– Oscar Moore (2 goals)
– Aiden Leeming (2 goals)
Other top performers: Deklan Cooper Ndambuki, Max Chegwidden.
“It was obvious this squad was already gelling as a dynamic group of team players,” said CBC team spokesperson Chris Dolan.
“Their teamwork and support for one another was clear from the start. It’s looking promising for another excellent season.”
“It was a very tough afternoon. A number of new players experienced what the First XI league is like. Lots to work on to match this level.” – Lee Cockerill, Trinity coach
Best for Trinity: Lachlan Bolzon (centre back), Alex Moungos (goalkeeper), Jason Ly (central midfield).
Scorer: Ryan Hawley.
🟪 Nazareth Catholic College 1 – 1 St Ignatius’ College
Nazareth and St Ignatius’ shared the points in a tightly fought 1-1 draw at Campbelltown Soccer Club.
Nazareth had the better start, but Marcus Vernillo gave Ignatius a 1-0 lead with a strong solo effort before halftime. Nazareth equalised early in the second half after capitalising on a defensive error. Both sides created chances late but couldn’t find a winner.
“We controlled the first half but couldn’t turn it into real opportunities,” said Luiz Lobo, Nazareth coach.
“We had the ball and plenty of chances but couldn’t score again. The St Ignatius’ keeper had a great game. A positive start.”
Best for Nazareth: Nicholas Lopresti, Sebastian Tarasenko, Malual Malual.
Scorer: Aidan O’Sullivan.
“A promising start with clear areas to refine. We’re looking forward to the challenges ahead.” – Angelo Picca, St Ignatius’ coach
Special mentions: Antoine Abi-Abdallah, Jacob Bracchi (workrate)
Best for Ignatius: Dante Spinelli, Marcus Vernillo (goal scorer), Ari Maas.
⚫ Blackfriars Priory School vs Mercedes College
Match to be rescheduled due to player availability issues.