Cape hockey seals the deal, wins second straight state championship

“Win today! Walk Together Forever.” Written on Flyers coach Fred Shero’s blackboard, Stanley Cup Final 1974

Crushing disappointment is always one certainty when two teams step between the lines with a state championship up for grabs. “Rolling with your high school homies” in front of family, friends and hometown, it just never gets any better.

Cape had a total of 25 state championships rings from lacrosse and field hockey represented in the Nov. 17 game between two 17-1 teams. The Vikings women have not lost in a state championship game in a generation.

The 2012 Cape hockey team hit the turf running and beat Delmar 2-1 for back-to-back state titles, but only the school's fourth over 43 years of playing the sport. Cape’s regular combined record over the last six years is 87-1-2.

Cape dominated time of possession, field position, corners and shots on goal, but as the clock wound down to under 7 minutes, the contest was tied at 1 and the pressure-packed 7-on-7 golden goal scenario was staring everyone in their collective mugs.

“I knew we would score and avoid overtime," first-year head coach Kate Windett said after the game. “It seemed like we sent 50 shots in on goal.”

Somewhere inside the circle of the agitated wash cycle, Anna Frederick sent in a shot that was kicked away by goalie Tressie Windsor and there was Sara Young. “I just hit it as hard as I could; it got up and over her stick to the goalie's left,“ she said.

The winning goal was just Young’s second of the season; her first came in the second half in the semifinals against Caravel, tying the game at 1. A later goal by freshman Tess Bernheimer gave Cape the win.

Tiara Duffy broke the scoreless tie at 24:59 into the Delmar game on a Cape corner, sending home a pass from Allie Yeager.

Early in the second half Delmar’s “Big Banger” and leading scorer Sara “Booter” Ellis cranked a slap shot from the top of the circle that hit a stick, went over goalie Katie Kolobielski’s head and was ticketed for the cage until it was swatted out of the air by Tiara Duffy, who always has the goalie’s back. The referee called a penalty stroke.

Ellis hit it just wide of the cage, but a photo reveals Kolobielski was locked on for a potential stick save.

Amy Wilson flipped a ball over Tiara Duffy’s stick and cracked home a shot from just inside the circle to the goalie's left at 40:40, tying the game.

Cape was unfazed went back into attack mode and sealed the deal on the goal by Young.

Corner kicking:  All four Cape state championship coaches were at the game including Carolyn Ivins 1979, Ruth Skoglund 1995, Nicole Hughes 2011 and Kate Windett 2012. Izzie Delario has been on four straight state championship teams, the first two at Sussex Tech. Seniors Anna Frederick and Sara Young, best friends since Beacon Middle School, have been on three lacrosse and two field hockey state championship teams. Juniors Allie Yeager and Kat Judge, always mentioned together, have shared four state championships, two each in lacrosse and field hockey. Maggie Delp, a junior, has two state titles as lacrosse goalie and two in field hockey as a midfielder. The 2012 Cape team only returned starters Tiara Duffy, Sara Young and Kat Judge. A special tear and smile for Karissa LeMaire, who lost her dad, Kevin, last summer, then earned a starting defensive spot on Cape’s state championship team. “Our bench made such a difference - how all these girls hung together as a team all year,” Windett said.