Cape soccer wins showdown with Ravens

There were some great rivalries in the world of sports, like North Carolina vs. Duke in basketball, Ali vs. Frazier in boxing and Redskins vs. Cowboys in football, but the local soccer rivalry is the matchup between Cape and Sussex Tech. The two teams met on the Ravens’ field Oct. 5, and when the final whistle had blown, the Vikings had taken a 1-0 victory.

The first half saw the Vikings and Ravens battling back and forth with a fast-and-furious pace. Cape drew first blood when Uly Slagle bounced a pass off Troy Humphries’ back that hit the back of the Ravens’ cage. The goal was disallowed, however, when the refs determined it was a hand ball.

“We possessed the ball really well in the first half,” said Cape coach Patrick Kilby. “It was aided by Tech sort of feeling us out and kind of sitting in to just to see how we would attack. Then they kinda released a little bit, making it harder for us to possess in the second half. We were proficient, and I was pleased.”

Zack Gelof scored the lone goal at the 29-minute mark.

“I just saw the ball and took a pump fake and put it in,” said Gelof. “People are gonna be on me from now on. I just have to keep a cool head and get the victory.”

Cape took 21 shots in the win, while Tech put 13 on the Vikings’ cage. Cape’s goalie Jake Gelof stopped every shot by the Ravens, while Tech goalkeeper Jodi Johnson made 20 stops. The Vikings had a 7-2 edge in corners.

“When we play Tech, we know it’s going to be an emotional match,” said Kilby. “We know it’s going to be a well-fought match on both sides, and we really honed in on the boys not letting their emotions get the best of them, so they have to be applauded for that. They all had a businessman mentality and did a wonderful job with composing themselves.”

Cape will travel to Delmar Tuesday, Oct. 10, to face the Wildcats, while Tech will travel to Milford for a match with the Bucs.