A come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Delmar Sept. 29 bumped Sussex Academy field hockey up to 4-3 on the season and kept its record in the Henlopen South unblemished in a quest for a second straight division title.

“It was really exciting meeting them on their home ground, because last time we played [in Delmar] we did not win,” senior Liz Layton said. “We beat them last year on our home field, so it was good, but it was extra great to beat them here.”

The hosts took a 1-0 lead on an untimed corner when junior Kennedy Harris sent a rocket into the cage. Sussex Academy was able to regroup at the break and ultimately kept the Wildcats off the board the rest of the game. The Seahawks' belief remained strong throughout the contest.

“It's playing 100% and really working with your teammates,” senior Meredith Schiff said. “It's not just a one-person game; you really have to work with your teammates and trust them.”

Plugging away at the cage paid off for Sussex Academy late in the third quarter when sophomore Emma Orlen beat Delmar keeper Marleigh Wells to tie the game.

“At the end of the day, you have to do whatever it takes to get the ball in the cage,” Schiff said. “You just have to work everything out with your teammates and look beyond, like how much Delmar has won, because we can do the same thing.”

Sticking to the theme of a close game, the refs were holding the talented rosters to accountability and making sure the players were in compliance. While there was no controversy, players on both sides needed to remain focused on the task at hand.

“You can control what you can control, and you can't let the refs get to your head,” Schiff said. “They're not going to change their mind just because you say something; whatever they say, you just have to go with and move on and try to win the ball back.”

The senior practiced what she preached, and her IQ and speed led to Schiff tallying the game-winner with just a few minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. A patient game plan on offense led to the breakthroughs against the top-notch Wells.

“Marleigh is a great goalie, but she does come out high, so we just needed to get the ball around her and then through the goal,” Layton said.

“We knew how to work around it,” senior Bailey Mears said. “We knew going into the game what to expect, so we knew that we had to pull her out, pass around her, and then we were able to score on her.”

For the trio of seniors, it potentially caps off a career against Delmar that started with some heartbreak but has been a joyous occasion the last two years.

“We fell to Delmar three times before we even won, so it feels really good, especially after my sophomore year – that loss in the semifinals was a really hard loss for us,” Mears said. “Last year when we won and this year when we won feels so good because it makes us feel so accomplished.”