PSAL-CHSAA friendly kicks off

In past years, as a way to prepare for the upcoming season, Catholic and Public Schools scrimmaged one another. This year, they faced off once again, but in an organized event at one site in the inaugural PSAL-CHSAA Soccer Challenge, held last Saturday, September 9th at Newtown High School.
Eight of the two league's top teams arrived in northwest Queens for four games in the friendly tournament - the brainchild of former PSAL Soccer Commissioner Will Stasiuk, now a teacher and basketball coach at Automotive High School in Brooklyn. &#8220I thought it was a great idea, and the director of the PSAL, Donald Douglass, also thought it was a great idea, so we made it happen, and hopefully, it will become a tradition,” PSAL Soccer Coordinator Lance Hermus said. &#8220We have been trying to build on the sport and improve it each year, and this seemed like an obvious way to do that.”
Hermus also said they are considering bringing back the Metro Bowl, the end-of-year game pitting the two league's champions.
For years Franco Purificato's St. Francis Prep club has played friendlies with Public School teams. He's pitched the idea to the Catholic School director Andy Kostel, also the soccer coach at Archbishop Molloy. &#8220It was a great experience for the two leagues,” he said. &#8220It was very organized. They even had girls from Newtown serving as ball girls. The medical trainer was there in case anybody got hurt.”
Purificato did add one caveat to the festivities - he thinks it can be even better. Purificato suggested expanding it to a two-day tournament in the future with trophies for each team and Most Valuable Player Awards. &#8220I want to see it grow,” he said.
As for the games, the leagues split the four matches. Beacon defeated Xaverian, 2-0; Francis Lewis topped Holy Cross, 6-1; St. Francis Prep blanked Bayside, 3-0; and Archbishop Molloy routed Newtown, 4-0.