On a rainy Friday night, the 11-1 St. Marks women's soccer team visited Cavalier Stadium and a 12-0 Middletown team in the distant days before most sports in Delaware switched to a multidivision format. It was a game that many thought could be the state finals. . Despite having talent up and down the field, both teams made their way through the game early, as both teams seemed content to kick and chase. St. Mark's Lily Phillips found Emma Manley multiple times early on but was unable to secure quality scoring opportunities, while the Cavaliers found their own offensive rhythm in the first 15 minutes. The climax culminated with Gabby Reilly's goal in the 18th minute. He found the back of the net from a Cavalier corner kick. This goal seemed to energize the Cavaliers. Reilly and his comrades pushed forward in run after run, putting pressure on the Spartan defense who were on the back foot until the seventh minute when Lily Holcroft found the ball at her feet from about eight yards out. Holcroft fired a left-footed shot that sailed over the goalmouth and into the far side netting, giving Middletown a 2-0 lead with time left in the first half. For the first time this season, the visiting Spartans found themselves with little to no answers to the opposing team's offense.
The Cavaliers' offensive pressure continued into the second half, as Middletown's passing continued to keep the Spartans off balance despite the wet conditions. Then, just four minutes into the first half, the home team won a free kick from 25 yards out. Gabby Riley hit a low shot from the wet turf past a diving Marissa Cirillo to give the Cavaliers a 3-0 lead. But St. Mark did not go away quietly. In the 50th minute, St. Mark's Ava Hronapfel, who coincidentally conceded a foul that led to Middletown's third goal, converted a St. Mark's corner into the back of the net for her first goal of the game. With 16:06 left in the game, the Spartans struck again. Emma Manley took advantage of the momentum and fired a shot past the diving keeper, falling just wide of the target to make the score 3-2. St. Mark's continued to put pressure on the Cavaliers' defense, but they couldn't even get on the scoreboard, giving the Cavaliers their 13th win of the season. This win should definitely give the Middletown team confidence heading into the state tournament, which is less than two weeks away.
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