By Dave Yanovitz
Special to The Washington Post
Friday, October 31, 2008

Forgive Gonzaga Coach Scott Waller if he's feeling pretty good about his top-ranked Eagles these days. After a 4-1 victory over Paul VI Catholic yesterday at RFK Auxiliary Field, his team is just one win away from its third straight Washington Catholic Athletic Conference title as Gonzaga continues to bolster its case that it is the area's preeminent boys' soccer program.

The Eagles (20-1-2), ranked No. 10 nationally by the National Soccer Coaches' Association and No. 2 in Region IV, were crisp on their passes and precise on their shots yesterday as they advanced to their ninth straight WCAC title game.

Seniors Chris Perez and Dan Rice each had a goal and an assist, and second-half scores by senior John McMurray and junior Sean Cantarella sealed the deal for the Eagles, who have won the WCAC title five times over the past eight seasons, including the last two.

"Gonzaga soccer has been the program in this league in recent years, and it's because of disciplined soccer," said Waller, who has been an Eagles coach since this nine-year run began, the last four as head coach. "This is the most creative team I've had. Disciplined soccer, consistency -- that's how they win games."

After Paul VI sophomore goalie Ritchie Golinowski made three saves in the opening minutes, Gonzaga finally broke through when Rice knocked in a rebound in the 15th minute. In the 26th minute, Perez took a long, over-the-top feed from Marcus Douglas on the right hash and beat Golinowski to the far side.

Down 2-0 at halftime, Paul VI's efforts to get more offense -- the Panthers were outshot 9-3 in the first half -- were deflated when McMurray redirected Rice's pass just four minutes into the second half. Then, just two minutes later, Cantarella tipped in Perez's long, bending shot at the right side of the net. Gonzaga outshot Paul VI 16-7 and had the ball in the Panthers' zone for most of the afternoon.

Sophomore Raul Marinello scored Paul VI's lone goal on a nice 10-yard shot with a minute to play.

"I don't feel we came to play today," said Panthers Coach Matt Levia, who spent the previous three seasons guiding W.T. Woodson. "We need to learn how to win. And Gonzaga is so strong at every position. They're so technical."

No. 1 Gonzaga 4 Paul VI Catholic 1 Up Next: Gonzaga will play in the WCAC championship game Sunday at Catholic against the winner of today's semifinal between DeMatha and O'Connell. The WCAC girls' final will start at noon, with the boys' game at 2. Still More: Paul VI Catholic's season continues today in the opening round of the 16-team Virginia Independent Schools Division I tournament. The third-seeded Panthers host defending champion Eastern Mennonite, and with a victory will host a quarterfinal game on Monday.