Delmar field hockey team blanks Newark Charter, 6-0, to take Division II state title
The Delmar varsity field hockey team entered last Saturday’s Division II state championship game at the University of Delaware’s Rullo Stadium as the number two seed despite only losing a pair of games to the two teams that played for the Division I title. Although Newark Charter came into the game as the top seed, the Wildcats dominated in the 6-0 victory to take the program’s eighth straight championship.
“It’s amazing. It always is every year,” said Delmar junior Jordyn Hollamon, who scored four of her team’s goals. “I think this year was even sweeter coming off of those two losses.”
Delmar’s Emily Bitters knocks the ball into the net for her team’s sixth and final goal of the game in a 6-0 win over Newark Charter. Photo by Mike McClure
“It feels great, it’s what we worked for all season long,” Delmar senior Emily Bitters, who had a goal and three assists in the win, said of the championship. “We just made sure to come back (after the regular season losses to Cape Henlopen and Smyrna) and practice and work harder.”
“It feels really good for us girls (seniors) working hard since our eighth grade year for our final game to be a win,” said Delmar senior Brook Morris. “We (defense) have to have confidence in ourselves. Us having confidence in ourselves allows the others to have confidence.”
Hollamon scored on a feed from Bitters on a corner in the game’s opening minute (11:42) for a 1-0 Wildcat lead. Hollamon had a shot stopped later in the opening quarter before scoring another goal with 4:04 left. Delmar had six corners in the first quarter and held a 2-0 lead.
Delmar kept picking up corners and taking shots on goal. Hollamon netted her third goal of the half off a feed from Bitters (6:44) as the Wildcats took a 3-0 advantage into half-time.
Delmar had four more corners early in the third quarter before Hollamon scored off an assist from Bitters with 6:30 left. Emily Smith tipped in a shot by Laela Brown (4:09) to make it 5-0.
In the fourth quarter, Delmar’s Jordyn Bunting took a shot which was stopped by the Patriots’ goalie before Bitters followed with the final goal of the game with 12:20 to go in the contest. Hollamon later had a backhanded shot go off the bar and deflect out of the goal.
Delmar held on for the 6-0 win, outshooting Newark Charter, 24-0, and holding a 21-0 advantage in penalty corners.
“We practice on corners all the time. She (Bitters) always gives me a hard ball on the ground,” Hollamon said.
The Wildcats used the two regular season losses, which ended the program’s winning streak, to their advantage. They also had a chance to avenge one of those losses by defeating Smyrna in the Henlopen Conference championship game.
“We learned and we finally had a revenge game (against Smyrna). It taught us it’s really not about the losses but how you can get better to win a championship,” said Delmar head coach Jodi Hollamon.
