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A.I. du Pont head soccer coach Jen Harden is a former University of Delaware player who led the Tigers to the quarterfinals of the state tournament as a rookie coach, losing to Padua. Her team is among the state’s elite, but still arrived with three losses to other elite teams Charter, St. Mark’s and Middletown. And the Tigers were missing three starters who were off somewhere with their club teams.
“We try to accommodate our athletes as best we can,” Harden said with a smile. “We only have one or two conflicts a season.”
Cape, playing well with a 5-3 season record, was missing Devon Price, Madison Hines and Brittany Morris - all out due to illness.
Cape began the game with its best field player, Rachel Sadowski, sweeping up loose balls in front of goalie Sarah Watson.
“We always start out with Rachel back before moving her up to midfield once we see how the game is going,” said Cape head coach Robin Fruehauf. “Unfortunately, it seems our entire team went into defensive posture. That was not the plan. I think we gave them too much credit.”
The Tigers drew all the blood scoring goals one through five and winning the game 5-0. Gretchen Wagner scored with 9:09 left in the half, then Leigh Waters at 6:44 to lead 2-0 at the half. The Vikings only managed a single shot on goal while athletic Sarah Watson, just a sophomore, was jumping high and sliding sideways turning back shots.
“I come from playing soccer and volleyball but just for school teams,” Watson said after the game. “I don’t do all that travel stuff.”
Sadowski is an all-around athlete who does do all that travel stuff and at one time or another has played with all the state’s top players. “The competition in club teams is so good and it’s just fun if soccer is your main sport,” said Sadowski, who has run cross country and played varsity basketball as a freshman.
The Tigers scored three unanswered goals in the second half to put the game away.
“I had the team on hand to support the opening of the Henlopen Soccer spring season,” Fruehauf said.
“Hopefully with hard work over time we can get this program to the point where we can compete with the best in the state.”
Cape plays at Sussex Central on Tuesday, April 22, and at Smyrna on Thursday, April 24. Varsity game time is 7 p.m.
Contact Dave Frederick at davefredman@comcast.net
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