Latest news with #GoodCounsel
Washington Post
13-05-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
‘This is what we do:' Good Counsel girls win fourth straight WCAC lacrosse title
Good Counsel girls' lacrosse coach Michael Haight had four points he wanted to emphasize before his team's Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championship appearance Monday. Effort, trust and communication were the first three. The last one he forgot for a second, but quickly remembered it was 'dreams.' The coach wanted his group to be in its opponents' heads. 'We like being in people's nightmares,' Haight said with a smile. 'You see us here every year. You know you're going to get the best that we got come Championship Monday.' Facing St. John's in the final for a second straight year, the Falcons ambushed the Cadets. Six different Falcons scored a goal in the first six minutes of the game, creating a nightmarish start for the title challengers. The Falcons coasted to a double-digit lead by halftime and never looked back, earning to their fourth consecutive WCAC title, 14-7, at Georgetown's Cooper Field. 'They get it,' Haight said. 'They shine the brightest when the lights are the brightest. They always have. They all played their role today, and that's really what propelled us.' When it comes to WCAC competition, the team's seniors will graduate knowing only one thing: winning. The 10 seniors on this roster went four years without a conference loss. The program's last defeat against a WCAC opponent came in 2019. After an early rough patch where it lost three consecutive games in mid-March, Good Counsel (18-3) closed the season winners of 17 straight. They scored 12 or more goals in 16 of those games. They scored 20-plus goals in six of them. 'We don't look at the past, we only look ahead,' Haight added. "If we fall down, we're going to fall forward. If we can get up, we're going to look up, we're going to go. Those games propelled us to what we are today. They kept grinding." Five different Falcons scored two goals apiece in the first half against the Cadets (12-8). The Falcons were aggressive on both ends, refusing to shy away from contact on defense. It took a little over 10 minutes for St. John's to find the back of the net and the Cadets had just two goals at halftime. Good Counsel seniors Carys Volley, Ava Grandi and Dani Serrano, and juniors Ashlyn Gallagher and Annabelle Walsh each had multi-goal games. Walsh led all scorers with four goals. 'We've been playing well as a team,' Walsh said during the postgame celebration. 'When the team plays well, I play well too because we all feed into each other. It feels really good. We really played like a team today and it [helped] me.' When the final horn sounded, the Good Counsel bench flocked to the goal as the Falcons crowd started to chant 'four-peat.' As Haight and the team posed for a picture with the championship trophy, the coach marked the moment with five simple words. 'This is what we do.' The program will enter next year with the same target that has been on its back for some time. Haight said he expects to reload and hopes to keep the championship streak alive. It's something he thinks can be accomplished because of how hungry his players continue to be. They all play club lacrosse, as well as various fall sports before offseason workouts begin in November. By that time, they have an appetite for success. 'Our roster is built on classes not being too dominant," Haight said. 'We know we have a lot of talented kids that didn't necessarily get in today. When they get their chance, they're going to be ready.'
Filipino Times
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Filipino Times
Pope Leo XIV vows to carry on Francis' legacy, urges cardinals to renew commitment to Church reforms
Pope Leo XIV, in his first official meeting with the world's Catholic cardinals since becoming pontiff, pledged to continue the vision and reforms of his predecessor, Pope Francis, whom he described as leaving behind a 'precious legacy' of service and openness. During the gathering at the Vatican, Leo encouraged the senior clerics to reaffirm their dedication to the sweeping reforms initiated by the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s—changes that included holding Mass in local languages and fostering interfaith dialogue. He praised Francis for his efforts to engage the modern world with 'courageous and trusting dialogue' and for setting an example of selfless service. The late Pope Francis, who led the Church for 12 years until his death on April 21, often faced pushback from conservative factions over his inclusive stance on issues like LGBT Catholics and women in leadership roles. Leo XIV—formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost of the United States—had largely flown under the global radar before his election. A former missionary in Peru and a senior Vatican official for the past two years, Leo said he chose his papal name in part to honor Pope Leo XIII, a champion of social justice. Addressing new global challenges, the new pontiff highlighted artificial intelligence as a key concern, warning of its potential threat to human dignity, justice, and labor rights. Saturday's meeting marked a shift in style as well. Unlike previous popes who delivered speeches without dialogue, Leo invited cardinals to openly share thoughts and concerns. 'He listened very carefully, but he knows he's going to have to make the decisions,' said Irish Cardinal Sean Brady. Spanish Cardinal Aquilino Bocos Merino described the atmosphere as 'very cordial and communal.' Later in the day, the pope made an unannounced visit to the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Genazzano, where he greeted well-wishers and offered blessings before entering the church.
Irish Daily Mirror
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Dublin Camogie champions play match in shorts as they defy skort rule
Camogie skort protests continued on Tuesday with Dublin Champions St Vincent's and opponents Good Counsel playing out their Division One League clash wearing shorts. Just days after Dublin and Kilkenny's Leinster Senior Camogie clash was threatened to be abandoned after players opted to wear shorts instead of skorts, momentum continues to grow with today's league game going ahead. It is understood that Dublin County Board instructed referees not to abandon games with players wearing shorts and will fine clubs €1 so they are technically compliant with Camogie's skort rule. The move could possibly pave the way for widespread wearing of skorts for camogie players, despite camogie rules. Dublin and Kilkenny players were forbidden from wearing shorts before their Leinster Championship clash last weekend. The two sides were forced to change into skorts before throw-in or risked the game being abandoned. Today's game represents a slice of history, with the senior camogie clash going ahead with all players from St Vincent's wearing shorts, while a number of Good Counsel players also wore shorts. It is believed that other club teams around Dublin took up the option of wearing shorts instead of skorts, and it is being reported that counties are now planning to relax the rule. A recent GPA survey found that 70% of respondents had experienced discomfort while wearing a skort, while 83% said they would like the option of wearing shorts. St Vincent's and Good Counsel in action Camogie players are obliged to wear skorts while playing under rule 6 (b). Efforts to change this rule have been voted down on numerous occasions, and the issue cannot be discussed until 2027. Aisling Maher was one of the leading voices raising awareness of the issue following the weekend's game between Dublin and Kilkenny, and was a driving force in arranging shorts-wearing for tonight's fixture. "Saturday would have been an accumulation of a load of intercounty players getting frustrated. We've gotten to a point where we're sick of this, and change is happening," she told the Irish Mirror. "Given the public support and backlash from Saturday, it gives you that push to keep going after it. From my perspective, the amount of parents whose kids love camogie but hate wearing the skort, and you're doing it for a good reason, and doing it for the people coming behind you. "On the back of that, I just spoke to our captain here, the manager, the club executive, and all the girls on the team, and we made a decision between us. We wanted to lend our voice to try and support that change. Thankfully, we gave everyone the choice to either wear shorts or a skort, and unsurprisingly, everybody opted for the shorts." Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts.
