Sussex Academy girls’ soccer beats Cape in season opener
Sussex Academy and Cape battled each other March 18 to kick off the 2024 girls’ soccer season for both schools. The Seahawks claimed a 4-0 victory in a game much closer than the final score.
Fans were treated to a back-and-forth battle in the first half featuring quality chances and outstanding defense to snuff out those opportunities. Cape coach Patrick Kilby was pleased with his team’s performance in the first 40.
“We played really well,” Kilby said. “We competed at a very high level. We executed the game plan to perfection. We broke the game down into 10-minute segments; our goal was to play shut-out soccer for eight 10-minute segments. We were successful in seven of those eight segments.”
Locked in a scoreless tie to start the second half, the Seahawks used just a six-minute time frame to gather all their goals. Senior Cate Brown said the Seahawks were in a 4-1-4-1 formation during the first half, but after noticing Cape was playing two deep-lying midfielders, they switched to a 4-3-3.
Sussex Academy junior Natalie Roblero Chavez took advantage of the wider space and earned a penalty kick in the 45th minute. Brown converted the penalty kick with a rocket to the back of the net.
“Getting that first goal really flowed the momentum moving forward,” Brown said.
Just two minutes later, Roblero Chavez finished off a Maya Hastings pass to double the lead. As if on a timer, exactly two minutes later, Brown booted a corner kick that found senior Carmen Merrick in the box to score the third goal. Merrick complimented Brown and Tayler Flaherty for their corner kick abilities, but said she has a responsibility when jostling for the ball.
“Coach puts me in there because I’m a ball winner,” Merrick said. “That’s super important to the game of soccer – I just want the ball.”
Flaherty earned Sussex Academy’s second penalty kick two minutes later. As she struck a no-doubter, the captain joyously celebrated her first notch of the season.
“Kudos to these kids that have been around the game for a while now; they are smart players,” Sussex Academy coach R.J. Dina said. “They understand that not everything is going to go the way you’d expect it to or the way you prepare. You have to be willing to change and adapt.”
Dina credited the Cape players for making things rough for his team in the first half. He said the Vikings outplayed his squad in the first 40.
“It's great to start off on the right foot against a great team,” Dina said. “They're always well coached and well prepared.”
Kilby said his players were disappointed they lost the game, but he thinks there are positives to work from.
“The takeaway is that our girls can compete with anyone,” Kilby said. “They are smart enough and physically capable to execute game plans against a high-talent team like Sussex Academy.”
