It’s not how you start, but how you finish.

A 5-0 loss to a tough Wilmington Friends team Sept. 16 followed by an early 1-0 deficit against Milford Sept. 18 could have broken the Sussex Academy field hockey team, but the girls showcased their perseverance by coming from behind to repel the Bucs 2-1 and break even for the week. 

“We took a lot from our last game ... so we brought a lot out here,” said coach Caitlyn Hardy. “We worked on press, worked on pace, worked on transfers so we were ready. We started off a little rocky, but I think we finished well.”

The Bucs lit the lamp halfway through the first quarter on a penalty corner to take the initial lead.

“As a team, we came together after that goal and we really talked about what we needed to improve on,” said senior Shea Danahy. “We made those improvements and we stepped up as a team.” 

Danahy evened the score on a pass from senior Ryan Lowe in the second period with just over half of the quarter played. Taking a lesson from the Wilmington Friends game, pressing, pacing and ensuring clean transitions led to the equalizer.

“We really grew as a team, especially during the drills that we did,” Danahy said. “I think they really prepped us for this game, and knowing how this team played in the past, I think that really applied to our game.”

It took Lowe roughly 20 seconds to notch her second helper of the contest when she found junior Bailey Mears in front of the frame.

“We had really high intensity the whole game,” Mears said. “We had a really strong bond with each other, and Ryan and I said that it was probably one of the best games we played this season. I saw Ryan hit it to me, and we practiced that a lot. I saw her ball to me, and I was like, ‘Let me just shoot, I guess,’ and I scored.”

Like a lot of the players, Mears has been asked to take on more responsibility. 

“I definitely got more aggressive this year because we did lose a lot of seniors last year, so I've learned to kind of take up that space,” Mears said. “Being aggressive is probably one of my favorite things to do.” 

As the sun began to set, Milford began to ask questions of the Sussex Academy defense, but the girls held strong to keep the Bucs’ cannon fire away from their goal.

Coming from behind to beat a Division I school that has picked up double-digit wins the last two years was plenty of cause for celebration from the girls.

“That's exactly what I've been working for,” Danahy said. “It's exactly what we wanted to achieve.”