Cape hockey goes beyond expectations to win state title
The young guns of Cape Henlopen field hockey exceeded all realistic expectations Nov. 9 at Mike Drass Field in front of a highly charged and partisan crowd, beating the Smyrna Eagles 2-1 to win the DIAA Division I state championship.
“I can’t believe we did this,” said coach Kate Austin. “After graduating 13 seniors off a state championship team in 2023 and with only two seniors on this team, we were just hoping to make the playoffs and do well.”
Cape cobbled together an overall record of 17-2, both losses to Delmar, the Division II state champion.
Sophomore Emily Wells converted a penalty stroke with no time left in the first half, going high to the goalie’s right for a 1-0 Cape advantage.
Coach Austin had spoken to the team after the 2-1 win over a rough-and-ready Charter Force team in the semifinals.
“The atmosphere in the state championship game against Smyrna will be 10 times this,” she said. “Smyrna always comes ready to play, and the stands will be full and it will be loud. The team that plays 60 minutes and stays focused has the best chance of winning, and hopefully that is us.”
The improbable season became the possible in the second half when Avary Miller intercepted a pass at the midfield and pushed it forward to a streaking Kailey McMahon, who found Teagan Baker stick down to goalie Nora O’Connell’s right, and the freshman who spent the season on the JV team drilled a one-time, no-hesitation goal, giving Cape a 2-0 lead at 4:33 of the third period.
“You don’t have time to think about it, you just go on instinct,” Baker said. "Obviously I have never played in an atmosphere like this.”
McMahon, another freshman who comes off the bench, knew she would get playing time because of her speed in open spaces.
“If Kailey’s stick skills ever catch up to her athletic talent [she’s a soccer-first athlete], it’s just scary how good she can become,” Austin said.
Smyrna cracked the code and opened the vault to the Cape cage with 0.07 seconds left in the third quarter when Addison Beamer scored on a corner off an assist from Mckenna Wilson.
The Smyrna crowd cheered “free Bree” as junior all-state star Bree Moffett served a 10-minute penalty for accumulated cards.
Cape’s unsung midfield marauders of Atia Sabbagh in the center, flanked by Avary Miller and Mairead Rishko, battled the Eagles for every possession. And when Moffett returned to the pitch, a scary script flashed over the Cape section of the bleachers.
“We were all aware of the noise energy coming from the stands, it was just crazy," Rishko said.
Cape managed 14 corners in the game (scored on none) compared to eight for Smyrna. The shots were 8-5 in favor of Cape.
O’Connell was credited with six saves for Smyrna, while Izzy Mekulski of Cape had four, which included a kick save in the final minutes to hold the Cape lead.
Cape backline defense of center-back Lina Frederick, flanked by Regan Best and Ally Diehl, weathered the red storm that is the Smyrna offense, which had beaten third-seeded Middletown 8-0 in the semifinals.
Awarded corner No. 14 with less than 30 seconds to play, Cape just stood around watching the clock wind down to zero for another field hockey state championship.
