The Catholic Central League is once again stepping up to provide a postseason tournament for its member schools, announcing on Wednesday that the league will be hosting the first and only CCL Cup for boys soccer, girls soccer, field hockey and volleyball. In combination with one-day events for both golf and cross country, the CCL will be providing tournament play for all active fall sports in place of the normal MIAA-sanctioned state tournament that will not occur due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The CCL Cup is a one-time tournament due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and winners of the CCL Cup in each sport will not be recognized as league champions.
While the golf tournament will take place on Nov. 3, all other sports will commence their tournaments on Nov. 14. Cross country will run in a one-day event that day, while boys soccer, girls soccer, field hockey and volleyball will begin a week of tournament play. All tournament final games are planned for Nov. 21.
Each tournament will be seeded by the CCL athletic directors on Nov. 11, and the higher seeded team in each matchup will be the host school. All tournament games will be single-elimination.
Sport-specific rules will be determined by each sports coordinator prior to the tournament, particularly rules surrounding overtime and shootouts for soccer and field hockey.
The total number of games to complete the CCL Cup in each sport are:
— Field Hockey (five teams): Four games total – two on Nov. 14, one on Nov. 18 and the final on Nov. 21.
— Boys/Girls Soccer (10 teams): Nine games total – four on Nov. 14, two on 11/16, two on 11/18 and the final on Nov. 21.
— Volleyball (nine teams): Eight games total – four on Nov. 14, one on 11/16, two on 11/18 and the final on Nov. 21.
If schools with teams that are eliminated from tournament play choose to play additional games against other teams that lost or against a non-league opponent, the schools may do so until Nov. 21. Schools may also choose to end their seasons upon elimination.
The Catholic Central League is made up of St. Mary’s, Bishop Fenwick, Archbishop Williams, Arlington Catholic, Austin Prep, Bishop Feehan, Bishop Stang, Cardinal Spellman, Cathedral, Cristo Rey, Matignon and St. Joseph’s Prep.
