Cape’s GK Burrell registers clean sheet, scores on her birthday
What better way to celebrate a birthday than with a clean sheet, three cookies and a trio of career firsts?
Cape battled Woodbridge in girls’ soccer March 21 on a spring day that felt like winter. The Vikings iced out the Blue Raiders 9-0 with a relentless attack and stellar defense. In a game originally scheduled for May 4, the girls' performance could be a big boost for the team moving forward.
“It was a great segue from playing a great defensive game for 70 minutes [at Sussex Academy] to coming out today to get the clean sheet and having the offensive output that we did have,” Cape coach Patrick Kilby said.
Notching six goals in the first 40 minutes, Cape saw Ava Brown (one goal, two assists), Cadence McMahon (one goal), Jaidyn Jones (one assist), Emily Cook (two goals), Ella Marinucci (one goal), Shannon Rath (one goal) and Nevaeh Landis (one assist) registering points in the offensive outburst.
Brown scored the first in the eighth minute on an assist from Rath. McMahon followed suit three minutes later with a long blast on a helper from Jones. Cook would go on to produce a hat trick by scoring the third goal off a pass from Brown, the sixth goal on her own efforts, and the seventh goal on another touch from Brown. Cook assisted Rath on the eighth goal to give the two captains three and two goals, respectively.
“I think as a whole, our offense has been getting better,” Cook said. “I usually don’t take as many shots on goal, but I feel like today I took a lot of opportunities, which was different for me.”
Her coach backed up her claim as Cook professed she is more of a helper than a shooter. Rath echoed those claims.
“I also don’t shoot a lot. When I do shoot it, I usually shoot over a lot,” Rath said. “Actually getting the ball in the back of the goal is kind of a nice feeling, especially having two goals.”
Another senior registered a first for her career: goalkeeper Brianna Burrell, who was celebrating her birthday. After stopping a Woodbridge breakaway in the first half, Cape made it a mission to give Burrell a gift she never had before – a goal.
“It was pretty fun. I mean, I’ve never scored a goal before,” Burrell said. “This was my first goal playing school soccer.”
Burrell’s celebration said it all as she struck twine. Throwing her hands up, cheering and running to meet her smiling teammates, the birthday girl put a ribbon on an outstanding performance from the Cape girls’ soccer team.
