Amity Torbit scored both goals in the first five minutes to lead No. 9 John Carroll to a 2-0 victory over Catholic in a Catholic League girls soccer semifinal yesterday at John Carroll.
Torbit, a quick senior forward, scored the first goal on a crossing pass from Beanie Lund just 2:45 into the game.
Her second score came after sweeper Amy Dean's pass from midfield to the left wing. Torbit turned on a defender and booted the ball in from about 15 yards out on the wing.
The top-seeded Patriots (9-1-3) had beaten Catholic twice this season -- both shutouts.
That defense again dominated the Cubs yesterday, getting its seventh shutout of the season. Dean, fullbacks Carrie Stevenson and Carlyn Gray, stopper Kristy Metz and keeper Amanda Sappington (three saves) have allowed just seven goals all season, best in the Catholic League.
Yesterday, Catholic (6-8-4) had several chances to score when the ball slipped through Sappington's hands, but the defense covered.
Tomorrow, the Patriots will go after their fifth Catholic League title, against archrival St. Mary's, an upset winner over No. 5 McDonogh in the other semifinal.
In recent years, the Patriots and the Saints have had the hottest rivalry in the Catholic League. In 1989 and 1990, the Patriots beat the No. 10 Saints (8-3-3) in the championship game. This year, the two teams met twice, tying, 0-0 and 1-1.
The title game is scheduled for 5 p.m. at Utz Twardowicz Field in Patterson Park. Catholic will meet McDonogh in the consolation game at 3 p.m.