Sussex Academy girls hope to replicate boys’ fall success
Last season, the Sussex Academy girls’ soccer team’s season ended in the second round of the state tournament when they lost to eventual Division II champion Archmere Academy.
After watching their boys capture a title in the fall, the girls are hoping they can be the last team standing this spring.
“Last year, we got really close and ended up losing to the state champions,” said senior Samira Zahraoui. “We want to win states and bring it home for the girls' program. We did a lot of firsts last year, so this year we want more firsts.”
Sussex Academy will be led by seniors Cate Brown, Grace Fiorilla, Tayler Flaherty, Grace Kilroy, Carmen Merrick and Zahraoui. Last fall, Brown signed her letter of intent to play for the University of Chicago this upcoming fall; Flaherty recently committed to play at Alvernia University. Coach R.J. Dina, who won Delaware’s Coach of the Year honors during the boys’ season, said he’s optimistic about the upcoming season because of the returning players and last year’s success.
“We have some high standards that we’ve set from last year to now and we want to keep them high,” Brown said.
Dina believes his seniors will mesh well with the incoming eighth- and ninth-graders.
“We have a good group of girls that have been playing together for a while and a good core of new players coming in, so we’re pretty well-rounded,” Dina said.
Brown and Flaherty combined for 88 points last season with 35 goals and 18 assists between the two. Natalie Roblero Chavez chipped in six goals and six assists in 2023, with Zahraoui adding another five. Deb Williams and Yuvia Velazquez-Juarez exhibited playmaking abilities as freshmen. The former had five assists, while the latter tied Sienna Seprico with four assists.
“We’ve got seniors that have been playing every game since they were a freshman,” Dina said. “They know what to expect in a Henlopen Conference with a grueling schedule.”
In addition to the seniors, the Seahawks return juniors Ashley Alvarez Chavez, Jenica Jean-Louis, Serpico and Roblero Chavez, as well as sophomores Velasquez-Juarez and Williams. Freshmen Riley Moriarty and Maya Hastings gained valuable experience last year, and the freshmen could help eighth-graders Paige Ballinger, Addyson Bliele, Carley Couch, Isabell Laupert-Visioli and Ella Sprucebank transition to the varsity level.
Sussex Academy battles Cape Henlopen Monday, March 18, to open their season when there will be a championship ring ceremony for the boys' team at halftime. The Seahawks welcome defending Henlopen Conference champions Polytech Thursday, April 11, in a shot for redemption after losing 2-1 in that title game last year. The girls’ Tuesday, April 23, visit to Henlopen South rival Indian River is the first of six games they will play on the road.
“We’re looking to come back from the losses that we had,” Zahraoui said. “We know that all those games we lost last year could have been won.”
