The ground floor gets the most traffic and receives the toughest wear. But it’s a necessary piece if you’re going to build a permanent structure.
The 2024 Neumann-Goretti High School boys soccer team probably didn’t have any illusions about winning a Catholic League title in its first season after a 12-year layoff from varsity competition. Soccer in the PCL dates to the 1950s when schools like North Catholic and Cardinal Dougherty were winning league championships. Gone are those days and those schools, but nearly 70 years of league tradition are alive and well, and the Saints are hoping to one day grab their slice of the pie.
It starts by taking the field. It’s something that hasn’t been done by a Neumann-Goretti varsity team in a dozen years, according to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
“The program has been off and on but we’re trying to create something that sticks this time,” said Saints coach Jacob van Cleef.
The Saints unsurprisingly have faced their struggles as they faced four of the top teams in the league in Roman Catholic, Lansdale Catholic, Archbishop Wood and Conwell-Egan in their first four games and were outscored by a total of 40 goals. Better days are ahead.
“You need to stay positive,” said senior Brian Maiale, who played club ball in South Philly prior to suiting up for Neumann-Goretti. “We’ll have a rough season but staying positive will keep us alive.”
After playing a junior varsity schedule last season, Maiale has only one season in varsity gold and black to help build a foundation, which he says is well underway. The Saints are trying to do it the right way.
“We want to build a name for ourself and build a community that our school can come to,” he said. “We want to give another sport that our school can work with.”
The standard of excellence set forth in other sports sets a high bar for the soccer program to match. Neumann-Goretti’s baseball team won the PIAA Class 3A state championship in the spring. The football and basketball teams are perennial powerhouses that are always in the hunt for a PCL title. Soccer will be another animal. Like other sports, programs are built on the strength of feeder programs, and team chemistry is built in the neighborhoods prior to the high school level. The Saints are playing a bit of catch-up, but it’s not deterring their enthusiasm.
“Right now, we have a bunch of guys who have played soccer back in grade school, but they really didn’t have an opportunity to play at this level,” van Cleef said. “So it’s a lot of guys who are ready to earn this varsity level.”
It starts with character.
“I got a lot of good guys out here,” van Cleef said. “It’s a lot of South Philly boys who just want to represent South Philly. They can be a bit of a handful at times but they are motivated. They are good. It’s just a matter of putting it all together.”
The Saints had a close loss to Julia R. Masterman of the Public League and will face another non-league opponent in Kensington later this season. They also have upcoming matchups against the bottom tier of the PCL Division including Cardinal O’Hara, Archbishop Carroll, Devon Prep and Bonner & Prendie, which should be tighter matches.
A win, a tie, even a moral victory. They are all building blocks on the ground floor.
“I love putting this jersey on,” Maiale said. “We have great chemistry on the team and everyone gets along. We’re more of a family than anything. We love being the underdogs.”
