Ravens fly past Vikings on Gabbert’s free-kick goals

The Cape girls’ soccer team started off fast in its 3-2 overtime loss March 25 at Sussex Tech, as captain Shannon Rath scored in the first minute.

But in the competitive Henlopen Conference, it’s not how teams start, but how they finish.

“We looked great; we went down and scored in the first minute of the game,” coach Patrick Kilby said. “We have a rule on this after we score: In the next 10 minutes, we can’t give anything up, we have to lock in. We didn’t do it; we gave up a goal in the sixth minute.”

Sussex Tech freshman Ava Ruscavage answered the early goal. Kilby said she and sophomore Kyla Laz dictated play in the Vikings’ defensive third.

“They didn't score but one goal in the flow of play,” Kilby said. “We fouled two times in the back third, and they put them away.”

Sussex Tech’s first free-kick goal came 15 minutes into the second half after the Ravens were fouled just outside the semicircle. Sophomore Brianna Gabbert sent a rocket past the Cape wall that tucked under the crossbar to the right of goalie Brianna Burrell and gave her team a 2-1 lead.

Starving for an equalizer, the Vikings amped up their offensive pressure at midfield and in their attacking third. Sophomore Ava Brown began knocking on the Ravens' door, eliciting an exaggerated response from Sussex Tech’s junior goalkeeper Kimberly Garcia-Sandoval. Brown got a pass off in the nick of time that found sophomore Lily Holodick, who tied the game up with a surefire shot.

Cape continued to generate quality chances on goal, but the Vikings were unable to break through in regulation. Kilby said his team needs to execute in those situations.

“We created probably six or seven high-quality chances,” Kilby said. “We finished two, so there were probably two or three chances that we left on the field that could have won the game for us.”

In the second minute of the first overtime, Sussex Tech earned another free kick in nearly the same spot as the first one. This time, Gabbert went left with a bit more arc, finding the same success to give the Ravens a 3-2 victory over their Henlopen North rival.

Facing a quick turnaround, the Vikings travel to Smryna to take on the Eagles at 6 p.m., Tuesday, March 26.

“It's not ideal, but, we've got to deal with it, and we've got to do our best to deal with it,” Kilby said.