Seahawks hockey falls to the Bucs

Milford goalie Madison Stahl, making her first varsity start, stopped seven shots and led her team to a 4-3 victory over a strong Sussex Academy squad Sept. 21 in Georgetown.

“I feel amazing out here,” said Stahl. “This is my first year starting on varsity, and it’s high energy and I love it. I faced a lot of strong shots from them. My adrenaline is still pumping.”

“For a sophomore and in a high-pressure game like this, Maddie did excellent,” said Bucs coach Andrea McPike. “Especially against a great team like [Sussex Academy] when it’s back and forth ... that’s a lot of mental toughness.”

It’s the first time since 2016-17 that the Bucs have had a 5-0 start.

“The best thing about this team is its unity,” McPike said. “They know each other; they know when to pick each other up and when to dig in.”

On the other end of the field, Sussex Academy sophomore goalie Kacie Rawlings also put forth a high-quality performance, making five hard saves on the barrage of 16 shots. She also stopped a penalty stroke in the second half.

“It was definitely an intense game,” said Seahawks coach Leah Hunsinger. “I think it was a good fight from both teams. These kinds of equally matched games are exciting to play.”

“We knew coming into the game that they were going to be a great team to play,” said junior midfielder Rilyn Lehman. “We worked hard and gave our all out there.”

Hannah Zimmerman scored twice to lead the Bucs. Madisyn Hitchens and Carley Mackert each scored one. Erin Dunlap and Bailey Masten each had a helper.

Seahawks players Emma Campbell, Ryan Lowe and Lehman each hit the back of the net with a score. All were unassisted.

The 5-0 Bucs host Woodbridge Tuesday, Sept. 26, while the 2-3 Seahawks travel to Polytech.