Cape girls win state lacrosse title 17-10 over St. Andrew's
There are many words that can describe the 2012 Cape girls' lacrosse team, but only one is needed - perfect.
The Lady Vikings capped off an undefeated 18-0 season May 24 in Dover with a 17-10 win over St. Andrew's in the championship game of the DIAA state tournament. It is the fourth straight state title for Cape, which continues to dominate every school in the state.
"I never even thought about [an undefeated season]," coach P.J. Kesmodel said. "Now that we've won it, it's nice to be 18-0 against by far the toughest schedule in the state."
The Lady Vikings have not lost to a Delaware school since they fell to St. Andrew's May 2, 2009. Cape hasn't lost a game to any school since April 9, 2011. The Lady Vikings recorded notable wins over Episcopal Academy of Pennsylvania and Sts. Peter and Paul and Severn School of Maryland this season.
"Proving we could hang with tough competition from out of state too - that was almost as good as winning a state title," said junior Anna Frederick.
The lacrosse team completed a banner year for girls' sports at Cape Henlopen, joining the undefeated field hockey team in the fall and the track and field team just a week ago as state champions.
Only three schools have ever won the girls' lacrosse state title since the sport was added in 1998. St. Andrew's has five championships, Tower Hall has five and Cape now adds its fourth. In the five years Kesmodel has been at the helm of the program, the Lady Vikings have posted a record of 83-6-1. The four-year championship run has produced a 68-4-1 record, including two undefeated teams.
"We have a bunch of kids who want to be the best and are willing to put the time and effort in to be the best," said Kesmodel. "That's a good thing. That's why we're here."
Senior Jacki Coveleski was a member of all four championship lacrosse teams, as well as a member of the field hockey team and girls' basketball team. After a career full of state tournament successes and failures, it all came to a crescendo in her senior year with two state championships.
When asked what it means to her personally to cap off her high school athletic career with an undefeated season, she said, "Everything. Being with Anna, Kelly, Jenna, all my best friends on the team - it was just awesome being with them all four years, and three years for Anna and Sara. It was more than special."
Cape loses seven seniors from this year's team, but returns two top players in Sara Young and Frederick.
"We're really going to miss Jacki Coveleksi and Erin Ricker, who are obviously two big offensive kids," Kesmodel said. "We lose all our senior defense, and that'll be tough to replace, but I think we'll be very good. I don't know how good we'll be, but we'll be pretty good. I'll have a day of rest, then I'll start getting ready for next year."
Cape asserted itself almost immediately against the Cardinals. With St. Andrew's bagpipes and drums still playing after the opening face-off, Ricker whipped a shot past the Cardinals' goalkeeper just 20 seconds into the game. Allie Yeager, Coveleski and Ricker tallied three more goals before St. Andrew's could even hold a possession in Cape's defensive zone.
But the resilient Cardinals squad battled back to tie the game at 4-4, and continually answered Cape's goals throughout the first half.
"That was a little bit intimidating only because it showed that they had just as much fire as us, and they wanted to win just as bad as us," said Frederick. "But I think that was the moment when we realized we wanted to win it more than them."
Coveleski also saw that as a key moment in the game.
"It meant that we had to pick it up," she said. "I told the girls to get the ball because possession is key, and then we just started running plays and got down to business. I feel like we got our jitters out and started going for it."
As halftime approached, Cape began showing its dominance, building a five-goal lead before allowing a late goal to take an 11-7 lead into the half.
Frederick scored three straight goals to open the second half and increase the Lady Vikings' lead to a comfortable seven goals, allowing Cape to cruise to victory.
Frederick and Ricker each scored five goals to lead the Vikings. Coveleski, Yeager and Young scored two goals apiece and Jordan Brown added another. Frederick and Coveleski each added two assists, while Ricker tallied one.
"I really think our chemistry played a really big part in this," Coveleski said. "We went into the game saying we weren't going to lose."
