By Larry Moko
It's a 'puzzling' predicament for St. John Henry Newman's senior girls' high school soccer team.
"Their keeper is the puzzle piece we can't figure out," coach Franco DiGiovanni said after his Newman Cardinals travelled to Ancaster and dropped a 2-0 decision to the Bishop Tonnos Titans on May 22.
Goalkeeper Olivia De Caria earned the shutout as the Titans successfully defended their Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic league title.
De Caria and the undefeated Titans didn't allow a goal all season, including a 1-0 decision over Newman during the regular schedule.
It should also be noted that De Caria blanked Newman by a similar 1-0 score in last year's final.
"The difference today was they capitalized on their scoring chances and we didn't," DiGiovanni added. "We had ample opportunities. We couldn't find the back of the net."
DiGiovanni said the last seven minutes determined the outcome when Tonnos scored both of its goals.
"It was a well-deserved win," the Newman coach said. "They are an excellent team."
Olivia Tecu dribbled the ball on the attack before passing off to Olivia Toal -- there are five Olivias on the BT roster -- for Tonnos' opening goal. Toal shook off a defender on the play before taking the shot.
Tecu added the insurance marker when she headed in a corner kick from Siena LaMastra.
Tecu and Toal are great players," Tonnos coach Christina Barbati said. "They are only in Grade 11 but have verbally committed to the States already at Division I and Division II schools in New York and Florida."
De Caria is a Grade 10 student. She also played quarterback for the Titans team that recently won the girls' flag football tournament championship.
"I stayed calm, especially in the final game," De Caria said of her netminding contribution. Her most impressive save blocked a point-blank blast at shoulder level from Newman's Jess Ras.
"We played our hearts out for the full 80 minutes," De Caria said. "We got the job done by scoring those two at the end."
Newman went 5-1 in league play before eliminating the Cathedral Gaels and St. Mary Crusaders in opening playoff rounds. Tonnos, which received a first-round bye, won its semifinal over the Bishop Ryan Celtics.
"Our girls were determined," the Tonnos coach said. "This was a fairly neck-and-neck game."
Team captain Ilaria Mele, who will be attending Niagara University on a soccer scholarship in the fall, said the Titans have worked hard and entered the contest expecting to win.
"Our goalie has played unreal all season," Mele said. "She's made huge saves to keep us in games.
"Every girl stepped up today. We really want to go to OFSAA and we think we have the potential to do it."
Titans advance to a Golden Horseshoe Athletic Conference semifinal on May 27 against a TBD Halton opponent. Last year, Tonnos lost 4-1 at GHAC to Oakville's Holy Trinity Titans.
Other Bishop Tonnos players on the roster include Addison Saunders, Avery Hedley, Olivia Costigan, Krysten DiPietro, Giorgia DiIanni, Kaelyn Gallaher, Luca Krpan, Vienna Lulich, Claragh McCollum, Viviana Mele, Clare Morrallee, Sarah Olivieri, Clara Pasalic, Mia Pocrnic, Emma Rajack, Olivia Sadler and Leila Soccio.
Photos by R.F. (Bob) Butrym, RFB Sport Photography
More photos on our HWCDSB Athletic Facebook page
