NAC Martyrs' dream of making Clericus Cup final dashed with loss

Published: 2007-05-15

ROME (CNS) -- The Pontifical North American College's dream of making the final rounds of Rome's first Clericus Cup soccer tournament were dashed when the college's Martyrs lost early in the playoffs. The Martyrs went head to head against the top-seeded team in the tournament May 12, and the Neocatechumenal Way's Redemptoris Mater team beat the Martyrs 1-0. The Redemptoris team -- which was undefeated and has allowed no goals -- has "very skilled players" who had much more experience on the field, but their slightly more aggressive style caught the Martyrs off guard, said Martyrs' trainer Gregory Rannazzisi. Rannazzisi, a seminarian from the Diocese of Rockville Centre, N.Y., told Catholic News Service May 14 that the Redemptoris squad scored early in the game when the Martyrs experienced a brief bout of "sloppy defense." But while the Martyrs could not score, the defense managed to keep the damage to a minimum. Just making it to the playoffs with their surprisingly strong performances throughout the tournament "was really great," Rannazzisi said.

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