Cape hockey survives early goal, roars back for 5-1 victory

“Hit me with your best shot! Fire away!” - Pat Benatar, 1980. It may be your only shot. 

Padua hockey was awarded a corner at 10:50 of the first quarter Nov. 15 at Rullo Stadium on the University of Delaware campus in the Division I semifinal.

Ava Getty received the inserted pass and shot far post beyond the reach of Cape goalie Morgan Newcomb. Shannon Salerni had her stick down and deflected the ball into the cage. The power of the Panda was unleashed. Padua led 1-0 at the end of the first quarter. 

The wireless world of cyber updaters from Newark to Sussex County sounded like a Marvin Gaye lyric, “What’s going on?”

Cape responded with a 4-0 second-quarter scoring explosion on the way to a 5-1 victory and a berth opposite Smyrna in the Division I championship game at Rullo Stadium at 2 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 19.

Smyrna reached the final for the second year in a row, beating Charter 1-0 in a relentlessly rainy game.

Historians of Cape hockey journeys remembered the Vikings trailed Caravel 1-0 at halftime in the 2012 semifinals, but came back to win 2-1 on second-half  goals by Sara Young and Tess Bernheimer. Cape trailed Tower Hill 1-0 in the 2015 semifinals on a first-half goal by Kiva Walsh, but came back to win 2-1 on a pair of second-half goals by Bernheimer.

Cape cracked the code in the second quarter with goals by Lexi Truitt (13:10) on an assist from Lulu Rishko, Hannah Maney (11:51) from Truitt, Lexi Nowakowski (7:46) on an assist from Grace Wiggins, and Nowakowski unassisted with 0.46 seconds left in the half. 

Maney scored her second goal of the game at 7:53 of the third quarter just as the rain went insane, sending the Vikings to the cover of the Fred Harvey bus with a 5-1 victory.

Cape outshot Padua 16-1, with a 10-1 advantage in penalty corners.

Padua goalie Taylor Kozink was credited with 11 saves.