Cape beats Sussex Academy in fast, furious and friendly hockey game
A fast and furious field hockey friendly at Champions Stadium Oct. 8 saw Cape Henlopen protect its rep with a 3-1 victory, all goals in the game being scored in the second half.
“Izzy [Mekulski] made a couple big saves in the first half to keep them off the scoreboard,” said Cape coach Kate Austin. “We were not making good decisions in the first half and it was obvious they had us well scouted.”
Atia Sabbagh cracked the code in the third quarter, blasting home goals at 13:35 on an assist from Emily Wells and at 8:39 on an assist from Norah Block.
“My teammates set me up. I had time to hit it hard and put it in the cage,” Sabbagh said.
Ryan Lowe of Sussex Academy tipped home a shot off a corner at 11:07 of the fourth period to retighten the tension, as the Seahawks closed the gap to 2-1 with plenty of time on the clock.
Block found a loose ball in an unsettled situation on the front step of the Seahawks’ goal and sent it to the house with 5:06 left to play for the final 3-1 margin of victory.
“I told the team that they all played great and rose to the occasion. I think everyone agrees it was a great hockey game,” said Sussex Academy first-year head coach Caitlyn Hardy.
Cape will host Padua Saturday, Oct. 12. Sussex Academy will travel to Newark Charter the same day.
Stat line - Cape outshot Sussex Academy 9-6, with a 11-6 advantage in penalty corners. The Seahawks’ Kacie Rawlings was credited with six saves, while Izzy Mekulsi had four. Cape improved to 10-0 on the season, while the Seahawks dropped to 7-2, having lost to defending state champions Delmar and Cape.
Scoreboard - Milford lost to Saint Mark’s 6-0, while Smyrna beat Lake Forest 4-1. Cape started the season at 10-0 in 2022, 2015, 2014, 2011 and 2010. Cape beat Sussex Academy in the JV game 6-0 to improve to 9-0 on the season with only two games left to play. Cape goals were scored by Makenzie Todd with two and single goals from Mikaela Gordon, Teagan Baker, Blair Chubb and Angelina McCarthy. Jada White went the distance in goal. Limni Velasquez-Diaz had 13 saves for the Seahawks.Gordon and Layla Conn each had an assist for Cape.
