Vikings Punch Ticket Back To State Title Game
The Cape Henlopen High School boy’s lacrosse team traveled to Caravel Academy Wednesday afternoon looking to punch its ticket back to the state championship to defend its title, but had to get through Caesar Rodney to do so. Holding off a late-game push by the Riders, the Vikings advance to Saturday’s championship with a 9-8 victory. CR finishes the season with a 13-3 record, while Cape moves to 11-5.
It was the Vikings that struck first in this one, seeing Kyle Orton blast one into the furthest part of the net in the top-right corner for the early 1-0 lead in the first quarter. The Riders wouldn’t sit back though, answering just minutes later off a Nolan Aloe roll around the net for a turnaround rip from the left side to draw the score even.
Before the end of the first quarter, Cape reclaimed the lead. A shot by the Vikings would find the post and fall to the left side of the crease where Hank Coveleski scooped it up and shoved it to the back of the net.
This ignited a four-goal run for Cape, seeing Coveleski tack on another while James Ashby put in two of his game-high three for the day in the run.
CR didn’t lay back in the second quarter, erasing that four-goal deficit with four of its own to send both teams into the halftime all knotted up at 5-5. In the run, Aloe, Thomas Aloe, Sean MacLeish, and Luke Rankin all found the back of the net.
Opening the second half was a carry over from the Riders momentum that closed the first half, grabbing the 6-5 lead off a hook up between Jacob Pangle and Patrick Matsko. But Cape wouldn’t let that bother it, going four-straight goals again to take a commanding 9-6 lead into the closing minutes of the fourth quarter.
With four minutes remaining in the game, Caesar Rodney showed hope off back-to-back finishes by MacLeish to get within one, but the possession played in favor of the Vikings for the remainder to hold off the comeback and head back to the title game.
Ashby paced the Cape offense with his three goals, while MacLeish led the Riders with three as well.
In the cages, Cape’s Christopher Argo turned away 10 shots, while CR’s Tyler Gross made seven saves.
With the victory, the Vikings look to defend their title on Saturday in a rematch of last year’s championship against Salesianum, who downed Tower Hill in the following game Wednesday night, 12-2. First face off is set for 2 p.m., at Caravel Academy.
