Archbishop Wood

A soggy field was able to do what Cardinal O'Hara couldn't last week - stop Archbishop Wood. On Tuesday, the Vikings opened their Catholic League girls' soccer season with an impressive 9-0 win on the road against Cardinal O'Hara. Last year Archbishop Wood was defeated by St. Hubert's in the Catholic League finals. That loss marked the eighth straight trip to the finals for the Vikings. This year it is going to take a supernatural act to keep them out of the finals again. Something such as a sinkhole swallowing up high-scoring juniors Kristen Naper and Liz Gallo.

Archbishop Wood hopes to become the first Catholic League girls' soccer team to win three consecutive league championships when it plays Little Flower in the final Thursday night at Archbishop Ryan. The Vikings, ranked seventh in Southeastern Pennsylvania by The Inquirer, have won five titles under coach Bill Cappo and 12 overall but have never been able to string three together. According to Cappo, Wood is playing its best soccer of the season. The Vikings (18-2) lost two of their first three games this season but have put together a 17-game winning streak.

MONROEVILLE, Pa. - Just as Archbishop Wood had momentum and moved into great position for a go-ahead score against Pittsburgh Central Catholic, the game was stopped because of lightning. The 34-minute delay that followed took the thunder out of the Vikings' comeback. Wood had an excellent showing against the Pittsburgh power, but Central Catholic hung on for a 20-17 victory in the Gateway Kickoff Classic. "We battled, but we didn't come in here to get a moral victory," said Wood coach Steve Devlin.

BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The teams were the same as last year. The result, too. And Josh Messina scored a rushing touchdown, exactly as he had done last season. But for Archbishop Wood's junior running back, Friday night's 36-6 victory over Allentown Central Catholic in the PIAA Class AAA state semifinals was a lot different. Last year, Messina got to play only in the fourth quarter as Wood routed Central Catholic, 70-14 in the semifinals. Friday, at Banko Field in Bethlehem, Messina didn't merely start - he ran the second offensive play 55 yards for a touchdown.

STATE COLLEGE - Even in a season in which Archbishop Wood lost more games than in the previous two seasons combined, the Vikings found a way to win it all again. The PIAA Class AAA girls' state championship trophy won't be moving from its trophy case, as Wood cruised to its third consecutive state title by defeating Lancaster Catholic, 52-33, Saturday night in Penn State's Bryce Jordan Center. "Every team is different, but I don't think it ever gets old," Vikings coach Jim Ricci said.

Archbishop Wood is looking for a new football coach following the resignation of Tom Magdelinskas after five seasons. Magdelinskas announced his decision to step down at the team's banquet on Sunday. His teams were 25-29, including 5-6 last season. The Vikings made the Catholic League playoffs for the first time in 11 seasons in 1998. They made the playoffs in each of the last three seasons under Magdelinskas. "Each year with Tom the team showed progress in competitiveness," said John Sharp, Wood's athletic director, "obviously with this year being their best year.

Just when you thought you had seen the best of Archbishop Wood sophomore Colleen Ladden, it turns out you hadn't seen anything close to it. During the Nike Indoor championship meet at Ohio State on Sunday, Ladden was clocked in 57.75 seconds to place sixth in the 400-meter run. That made her a Nike all-American. Nakyia Johnson of Chino Hills, Calif., won in 54.74. In the preliminaries, Ladden crossed the line in 57.99 seconds to qualify for the final. Later, she helped the Vikings' 4x400 relay team place 16th in 4 minutes, 10.88 seconds.

Despite a number of players looking as if they would be more at home in the waiting room of a clinic than on a basketball court, Archbishop Wood was feeling nothing short of confident after it beat William Tennent, 76-41, on Tuesday. The win improved Wood's record to 3-0 after conquests of Harry S Truman and Council Rock. Guard Sean Brennan paced the Vikings' balanced scoring attack with 18 points. The list for concern is long for Blair. Forward Tom Whalen has had a cast on his sprained right ankle; Brennan had been out with the flu and an ankle sprain, and key reserve Darren Phillips has a broken finger.

It would be very difficult to find an area softball coach who likes rain. But after Archbishop Wood had fallen behind powerful rival Bishop Conwell by three runs early in Wednesday night's Catholic League home game, the rains came and washed away a potential loss - at least for now. "It was 2-0 before it started, so in that regard, I was glad to see the rains," said Wood coach Tom Leva. "I had never seen my team so nervous. Even a senior like (all-league shortstop) Kim Fitzgerald was nervous, and that kid thrives on pressure.