Sussex Academy field hockey dominates Delmar 4-0

Redemption came in the form of a major milestone for the Sussex Academy field hockey team Sept. 30, when the Seahawks knocked off a storied Delmar program 4-0.

After the Wildcats defeated Tower Hill in 2016, field hockey split into two divisions, and Delmar has won every single Division II championship, including last year when they knocked off Sussex Academy in overtime of the semifinal game. Although the Wildcats are having a down year, it didn’t take any joy out of the victory for the Seahawks.

“I know we've had some struggles this season, but this game really brought us all together,” said senior Kacie Rawlings. “It's definitely nerve-wracking. I know all of us feel it, especially me after that last semifinal game, but I think having our team atmosphere and our chemistry that we have… we knew we had each other, and it showed on the field.”

Rawlings has made more than 60 saves against Delmar in her career, but she didn’t need to stop a single shot in the shutout victory. 

Following a scoreless first quarter, senior Shea Danahy lit the lamp for the eventual game-winner less than two minutes into the second frame. Freshman Mady Lehman doubled the Seahawks’ lead right after, and before they could blink, the Wildcats were down 3-0 following Danahy’s second goal.

“We came in with a lot of energy and a lot of intensity,” said Danahy. “We knew what we were playing for, and we really just portrayed that out on the field.”

The first goals came in bunches, finally breaking the Marleigh Wells wall that totaled 20 saves in the contest.

“Going into the game, I knew Marleigh was a really phenomenal goalie, and we really just used it to our advantage, just knowing where to play,” Danahy said. “They were playing a really defensively strong game, and we worked around that.”

After they came out of the break with a 3-0 edge, the Seahawks saw fit to add on, leading to Lehman’s second goal of the contest and the 4-0 final.

“It's trusting my teammates; I know they're gonna either put in the goal or put on pads, so it's just about being ready for whatever comes off of their goalie,” Lehman said. “It feels great to finally beat them; it's something that we've all wanted, especially with the rivalry we have going.”

“They wanted it so bad after coming so close last year, and being in the overtime in the semifinal was huge,” said coach Caitlyn Hardy. “This is my fifth season I've been up against Delmar – we've never won – and some of the scores were huge shutouts on their end, so it's really good to see the reverse.”

With the win over Delmar, Sussex Academy is in a three-horse race with Indian River and Lake Forest for the Henlopen South crown. The Seahawks have to play both, while IR has already defeated Lake.