Cape girls’ lax beats Sts. Peter and Paul 11-10
Cape girls’ lacrosse coach Lindsey Underwood congratulated her team for being battle tested and ready for the impending war of the state tournament after the Vikings fell behind Sts. Peter and Paul 10-9 with 8:09 to play, but came back after a timely timeout to win 11-10.
Goalie Anna Lopez had a bevy of big saves in the first half, recorded 12 for the game, and did a great job clearing the ball.
“Coach Lindsey talked to the team and I talked to Anna,” said goalie coach Bruce Leibu. “Protecting the cage in a game like that is an emotional ride. I told her to take a deep breath and relax, and get ready for the final eight minutes. None of her 12 saves were routine. Anna was incredible.”
Cape completed the regular season with a record of 14-1, which included one-goal wins over Queen Anne’s 13-12, Broadneck 12-11 and Sts. Peter and Paul 11-10. The Vikings’ lone loss was 10-8 to Severna Park.
The Sabres’ only previous loss was 12-11 to Severn School. Sts. Peter and Paul will host Worcester Prep Thursday, May 11, for the ESIAC championship.
Cape led the game 6-3 at halftime, then 9-6 after Lulu Rishko’s third goal of the game. But a surging Sabres team tied the score at 9-9 with 8:44 remaining, then took their first lead with 8:06 left.
“We had to win draws and play smart and be patient and not force anything,” Underwood said.
Cape is “crazy for cutters,” throwing the ball into tight windows, and it was Lexi Nowakowski to Lexi Truitt resulting in a tying goal to knot the score at 10-10. Rishko won the draw, setting up a Lexi Truitt-to-Claire Lopez go-ahead goal with just over three minutes remaining.
Cape went spread yellow to milk the clock, but they turned the ball over. Luckily, that was followed by Grace Wiggins’ interception of a long pass as time wound down to zero.
“Prom on Saturday and state tournament brackets released on Saturday night,” Underwood told her team. “It’s time to get ready for the second season.”
Cape goal scorers included Rishko with three, and single goals from Landon Diehl, Avary Miller, Claire Lopez, Macy Steinwedel, Nowakowski and Truitt.
Cape assists came from Carrie Clausius with three, Claire Lopez with two, and Steinwedel, Nowakowski and Truitt each with one.
The Sabres’ goal scorers were Morgan Quade with four, Hattie Messick with three, Evelyn Murphy with two and Eryn Callahan with one.
Katherine Bryan had four saves for the Sabres.
Notes: The first round of the state tournament begins Tuesday and Wednesday, May 16 and 17. One-loss teams in Delaware are Cape, Tatnall and Archmere. Postseason seeding will shake down once records of opponents are fed into the matrix. Cape has 14 one-goal wins since the 2009 season. The 2014 Cape team lost five games out of state while winning the Delaware state championship. Cape’s in-state win streak is now at 174, with the last loss coming in May 2009, a 13-12 defeat by St. Andrew’s.
