(1) Resurrection Phoenix (11-0 D8) vs. (2) St. Mary's Eagles (9-2 D8)Season Series: RCSS 2-0 (W 30-26, W 48-29).
How They Got Here: RCSS def. WCHS 48-30 in one semifinal; SMHS def. SBCSS 36-26 in the other.
"Key Three": RCSS - Sarah Schulz, Celia McGlynn, Ellen McGowan/Riley Cormier. SMHS - Britney Gulic, Angela Mercurio, Beth Zebib.
Background
Like the junior tilt, both of these clubs have a lot of familiarity with having their names on the D8 trophy in recent years. Resurrection won last year, while the Eagles were victorious the two prior years before that.
Rez certainly comes in as the favourite, but we certainly saw last year that doesn't necessarily provide an indication of how the game will play out. In fact, the undefeated Phoenix, double-digit favourites in last year's contest, trailed 17-9 at halftime before making a big run in the third quarter to seize momentum.
Of course, St. Mary's will be missing one of the key performers from last year's game as starting centre Sydney Greulich injured her ankle in Wednesday's semifinal win over St. Benedict. Greulich provides a strong defensive and rebounding presence, and was SMHS' leading scorer in last year's championship final (11 of 24 points). Needless to say, that's a pretty big gap for the Eagles -- who aren't overly deep -- to fill.
What To Look For
Despite the loss of Gruelich, St. Mary's still has some key performers that should be able to keep the game competitive. Beth Zebib is a workhorse on the interior, while the athletic Angela Mercurio (OFSAA triple-jump champion) is a pest on the offensive backboards.
Like last year's game, the Eagles will certainly need to control pace and tempo of this one. Against D8 teams that were not named Rockway or Woodland, the Eagles averaged 34 PPG. Rez, meanwhile, averaged 41 PPG against those opponents. I think if the scoreline starts creeping into the high 30s or low 40s, it heavily favours the Phoenix.
Rez's offensive attack will be keyed by Sarah Schulz, who is fresh off a 31-point performance in Wednesday's semifinal, and grade eleven G/F Celia McGlynn. Riley Cormier & Ellen McGowan are the other offensive contributors for Rez, and them providing some offense (especially if the Eagles D focuses heavily on the other two) could be huge.
Prediction
Like the junior game, a CWOSSA "AAAA" berth is on the line in this one, with the loser's season coming to an end tonight. St. Mary's and Resurrection have a pretty strong rivalry going in D8 sports, and sometimes you can never exactly predict what's going to happen, especially in a one-game scenario (take last year's D8 boys' senior final as a perfect example).
That being said, the Phoenix are certainly the favourites at home here and the loss of Gruelich will certainly be impactful on the rebounding numbers. I'll go with Rez to win their second consecutive title --- Resurrection by 13.
