"To win this two years out of three, this is a tough league, but we've got great leaders," Father Judge coach John Dunlop said of his players. "Nick Morris came up tonight with two, [senior forward] Emmanuel Kollie came up Saturday with two . . . We've got nine special seniors, and they all contribute, and it's a credit to them where this program is at right now. It's just unbelievable."

The victory means Judge (15-2-1, 14-2-1 in the Catholic League Red) advances to play Washington – the Class AAA Public League champion and Dunlop's alma mater – for the city championship Thursday at Northeast at 7 p.m.

The Crusaders also automatically qualify, along with Washington, to represent District 12 in the upcoming PIAA state tournament.

Both of Morris' goals were redirections of teammates' shots.

He scored his first, the game-winner, in the 32d minute by tapping home a shot by Crusaders' sophomore forward Nick Battaglia. Battaglia found Archbishop Ryan junior goaltender Nick Ferry out of position when the goalkeeper charged to a ball out wide. Battaglia shot it past the keeper in front, where Morris ensured the ball found its way through.

Judge led just 1-0 at the break, but the Crusaders had established themselves as the more physical, quicker and technically sound side.

"The first ten minutes of the game, we had control, and an early goal would have maybe changed it," Archbishop Ryan head coach George Todt said. "But playing a team as talented and as strong and as physically domineering as they are, you can't give up soft goals and mistakes. And both goals came off of mistakes."

The mistake on Judge's second goal was one Ryan made often last night – clearing the ball only halfway out into the midfield, allowing Judge to re-enter the offensive zone quickly with momentum and space.

When that happened in the 49th minute, Morris scored again, this time off a drive by Father Judge junior forward Kevin Bushbeck, who received a smart, square touch-pass across the middle from sophomore midfielder Matt Kerns. Buchbeck took a shot that Morris hammered home from the six on the move like a hockey player in front of a crowded goal.

In the 70th minute with the game in hand, Goldbloom received the ball 25 yards out to the right and undressed a couple of defenders before blasting a low missile to the far post to make the lead insurmountable.

Judge senior goaltender Chris Schwartz's shutout of Ryan Tuesday means the Crusaders swept the teams' three-game series this season without surrendering a goal.

Judge defeated Ryan as a visitor, 2-0, on Sept. 13, as a host, 3-0, on Oct. 5th and as a Catholic League finalist Tuesday, on Ryan's home field again, 3-0.

Overall, Father Judge has given up only nine goals this season in 18 games.

"If we play this way every game, we can't be beaten," Morris said.

Archbishop Ryan (11-7-2, 9-7-2) fell just short of accomplishing a storybook title run after defeating higher-seeded North Catholic in shootouts in the quarterfinals and then also upsetting La Salle, 1-0, in the semifinals.

"Give credit where credit is due. Father Judge is a good team," Todt said. "I'm very proud of my guys that we got to this point. But it's a tough run when you have to go through three teams of that level and ability, and we just couldn't make those early mistakes. And we did tonight and it turned the game on us."

Judge beat Roman Catholic, 6-1, in the quarterfinals and St. Joseph's Prep, 3-1, Saturday in the semis to reach Tuesday night's title game.