The Delmar varsity field hockey team secured its ninth straight state championship last Saturday at Delaware State University’s Drass Field, but it wasn’t easy. The Wildcats jumped out to a 2-0 lead but had to score a goal with under three minutes remaining in the game to seal the 4-3 win over Wilmington Friends.
“I’m very proud of these girls. We worked very hard each day in practice so to finish it is amazing,” said senior Laela Brown, who netted the game-winner.
Delmar’s Jordyn Hollamon (13) and Emily Smith hug to celebrate their team’s state championship win as their teammates converge on goalkeeper Marleigh Wells. Photo by Mike McClure
“We worked really hard. There’s been a lot of ups and downs this year,” senior Tylah Brown added.
Delmar had to fight past Sussex Academy in an overtime thriller on Wednesday to get to the Division II state championship game.
“On Wednesday this team showed me that they had so much love for this team. I knew they could accomplish anything,” said Delmar head coach Jodi Hollamon, who described her team as resilient, compassionate for each other, and all heart, “That’s what made me proud as a coach because I didn’t have to coach heart.”
Delmar senior Jordyn Hollamon scored on a penalty stroke with 14:01 left in the first quarter to give her team a 1-0 lead. The Wildcats scored again on their fifth corner of the quarter as Hollamon netted a goal off a feed from Zeny Hatton (3:58).
Around a minute later the Quakers’ Ella Fontanazza scored off a feed from Molly Dolan with 2:57 remaining to make it 2-1.
Following a Delmar corner, Wilmington Friends put together three corners with Fontanazza scoring again on the third corner with no time left in the first half.
Delmar recorded five corners to start the third corner. Hollamon scored her third goal of the game off a feed from Laela Brown (6:49).
The Wildcats ended the third quarter with a pair of corners and had three more corners early in the fourth. Wilmington Friends tied the score at 3-3 when Sawyer Rowland scored off a pass from Sara Clothier with 9:56 left in the contest.
Hollamon shot one wide with around eight minutes left off a corner. Delmar had four more corners. On the fourth one Brown followed a shot off the goalie’s pads for the game-winning goal (2:56).
“It went off the pads and in practice we worked on off the pads. It came right to my stick and I was able to finish it,” said Laela Brown.
Delmar was able to hang on to the ball and run out the clock to seal the win.
“They (Wilmington Friends) were very fast, very athletic,” Hollamon said, adding that her team got a little relaxed after scoring the first two goals. “They’re completely different than any team that I had in the past. It is hard because the expectation is Delmar field hockey is supposed to win. We still have the same goals and expectations regardless of the players that we have.”