Delmar hockey beats Cape 2-1 in OT
Cape hockey was locked in a 1-1 game in overtime at Champions Stadium Oct. 7 in front of a packed crowd. Many Cape students in the crowd were dressed like “Apocalypse Now” duck hunters sporting camo and eyeblack. The students chanted “Defense! Defense!” having watched Cape fight off 25 shots and 19 penalty corners.
Maci Bradford, a University of Maryland commit, banged home a sudden-death corner with 2:22 left in the 7-on-7 overtime to give Delmar the 2-1 victory.
The Wildcats improve to 9-0 on the season, while Cape drops to 7-1. Delmar has beaten Cape six times in a row, and the two teams will meet again in the Henlopen Conference Championship if the Vikings win the Northern Division.
“What a great hockey game,” said Delmar coach Jodi Hollamon. “Cape’s corner defense was incredible. We turned back a crucial corner in overtime moments before Bradford’s game-winner.”
Cape jumped on top at 4:40 of the second period when Emma Duffield scored on a corner off an assist from Reagan Ciabattoni. It was the first goal yielded on the season by Delmar goalie Kelly Davis. The Wildcats were 19-0 last season with Davis in goal, and that included 17 shutouts.
Bradford leveled the game just 66 seconds after Duffield’s goal on an assist from Laela Brown at 3:34 left in the first half.
Cape leading scorers Ciabattoni and Noelle Sabbagh did not score in the game, but never left the field, playing defense on 19 Delmar corners and offense on five Cape penalty corners.
“All our kids played hard and played great, and it was a great game and atmosphere for field hockey,” said Cape coach Kate Austin. “But 19 corners is ridiculous. We’d make a great stop, then have to make another. We will talk about it in practice.”
Sophomore goalie Morgan Newcomb saw more shots than she had cumulatively seen the entire season and was credited with 16 saves.
Hannah Maney was a standout for Cape the entire game coming down the right side.
Delmar will play at Polytech and Lake Forest next week, while the Vikings will host Lake Forest and Milford.
Cape won the JV game 5-0 on goals by Lexi Silicato, Cadence McMahon (Silicato), Mallori Stevenson (Katie Cerf), Victoria Miller (Stevenson) and Samantha Swift (Miller).
