Cape hockey beats Delmar 2-1, all goals on corners
Cape senior field hockey goalie Morgan Newcomb knew the Cats were coming to her crib.
Cape’s backline defense kept Devon DeGregory in the middle, but flipped Lina Frederick and Ally Diehl so Ally, the Blades Middle School Invitational 200-meter champion, could run with Delmar’s speedy attack player Laela Brown.
“Lina is more of a muscle-type player,” said assistant coach Debbie Windett.
The Champions Stadium lights were up with the western sun sinking down, and a crescent moon shone in the southern sky. The ball dropped at 6 p.m., and it was on like Donkey Kong.
Newcomb and Delmar’s Marleigh Wells each made eight real-deal saves. Both teams had 13 shots. Cape escaped into Homecoming weekend with a 2-1 victory, all goals coming on corners off hard and high shots where the goalie had no chance.
The win ended a Delmar streak in the rivalry of nine straight wins going back to 2016, when Cape won 1-0. Between 2009 and 2016, Cape had won 12 in a row, including nine state championship finals.
“I’d rather play games like this where every hit counts and every play matters,” said Delmar coach Jodi Hollamon. “The rest of our season is in front of us. We have the Henlopen Conference Championship game against Smyrna [at Delmar], then the state tournament with a really strong field this year.”
Cape got on the scoreboard at 6:36 in the second quarter when Hannah Maney took an insert pass from DeGregory and dropped it to freshman Atia Sabbagh, who zipped a shot past Wells for a 1-0 Cape lead.
Grace Wiggins smacked home a screamer off a DeGregory insert with four seconds left in the half for a 2-0 halftime advantage.
“We are a tough team and a deep team,” said Cape coach Kate Austin. “The players had no hesitation, no apprehension playing Delmar in such a big game for us, not only a chance at beating a great program, but also for the postseason tournament.”
Delmar’s Jordyn Hollamon scored on an untimed corner to close out the third quarter.
The game became a battle of midfields where Cape’s Maney, Lulu Rishko and Avary Miller battled Regan Wells, Hollamon and Baylie Phillips.
Cape (12-1) has home games remaining against Sussex Tech for Youth Night Tuesday, Oct. 24, and Sussex Central for Senior Night Thursday, Oct. 26. Both start at 6 p.m.
Delmar has home games remaining with Laurel and Seaford before hosting unbeaten Smyrna at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 28, in the Henlopen Conference Championship game.
Corner conversations - Delmar was awarded a home game for the conference championship because procuring neutral sites has become problematic. The new Henlopen Conference secretary is Bob Cilento, who replaces the retired Bud Hitchens. Cilento was Cape’s athletic director for many years. The 2023 Smyrna field hockey team is the only Delaware team to have beaten both Cape and Delmar in the same season.
