The Delmar varsity field hockey team scored two goals in a little over three minutes in the third quarter of last Saturday’s Henlopen Conference championship game to take a 2-1 lead over Cape Henlopen. The Wildcats held on to win the contest, 2-1, to earn their fourth conference championship win in the game’s four year history (including three one goal wins over the Vikings).
“It definitely helps us because it gets our nerves up to get ready to go, knowing Cape is one of the best teams,” Delmar senior Emily Smith said of the game.
Delmar senior Emily Smith takes the ball the other way during her team’s 2-1 win in the Henlopen Conference championship game. Photo by Mike McClure
“It gives us really good confidence to know that we can play against anybody,” added Delmar head coach Jodi Hollamon. “This is a good one for so many reasons.”
“It’s a very big battle,” Delmar goalkeeper Marleigh Wells said. “It gets me better for states, gives me things I need to work on, what I did well.”
Following a Delmar corner, Cape Henlopen shot one wide of the goal on a corner and Delmar’s Jordyn Hollamon stopped a shot in front of the goal on another Vikings’ corner. Hollamon had a shot on goal turned back later in the quarter. Cape held a 5-1 advantage in corners in the first quarter.
The two teams were even in corners in the second, 2-2, but Cape Henlopen was awarded a penalty stroke following a collision between Cape’s Emily Wells collision and Wells. The shot by the Vikings’ Atia Sabbagh went off the left bar and the game remained scoreless going into half-time.
Cape Henlopen opened the second half with three more corners and Wells made a save on a Vikings’ shot. On another corner a shot by Sabbagh the ball was deflected into the goal by Alysa McCarthy for a 1-0 Cape lead with 10:03 left in the third quarter.
Hollamon came right back and scored a goal to tie the score a little over a minute and a half after the Vikings’ goal (8:29). Following another save by Wells, the Wildcats went to work. Laela Brown’s shot was turned back, but teammate Cadence Campbell sent the ball to goal and Kadence Melvin knocked in for a 2-1 Delmar lead with 5:07 remaining in the quarter.
Cape held a 4-1 edge in corners in the third before Delmar had a 2-0 advantage in the final quarter. Hollamon took a shot off a corner which was stopped by the Vikings’ goalie. Delmar held on to win, 2-1.
“It took a lot of practice. Defensively we had to figure out what we did last game,” said Smith.
“She worked, she didn’t give in. She picked off several passes for us,” Hollamon said of Smith. She also credited Melvin for her play against Cape Henlopen’s Avary Miller and Wells for her play in goal. “We’ve been expecting that from her (Wells) all season and today she showed why she is one of the best goalies in the state.”
