Polytech girl’s soccer advances past Caesar Rodney to DIAA Semifinals

CAMDEN, Del. – Polytech girl’s soccer took down Caesar Rodney 4-1 on Wednesday evening in Camden.

The Panthers’ big day on offense started less than 14 minutes into the game, with Ava Gzym scoring from outside the box to give Polytech a 1-0 lead.

Nine minutes later the Panthers struck again, this time with Sierra Henry making a run down the left wing and sneaking a shot past Riders keeper Eva Sheppard.

Just before half Ava Gzym completed her brace, striking another goal from even deeper than her first. Polytech carried a commanding 3-0 lead into halftime.

In the second half, Henry joined Gzym by soaring to score a header off of a corner kick, giving the Panthers a 4-0 lead with 24 minutes to play.

Caesar Rodney would get on the board thanks to their goalie, Eva Sheppard. In the closing minutes of the game, Sheppard advanced past the midline to try for goal on two long free kicks, connecting on the second.

With their victory, Polytech advances to the DIAA semifinals, where they will play the winner of Appoquinimink vs. Padua on Wednesday, May 28.

After the game, Polytech Head Coach Shaune Gorman explained his team’s success, saying, “The goal was just trying to be able to create space in the middle, play the ball to the outside and, and give us some chances up top with Sierra [Henry]. I thought she did a great job of working from the outside, just like we planned. We finished, capitalizing chances that we needed to. I thought when we played [Caesar Rodney] earlier on in the year, that was one of the things–they capitalized on their chances, we didn’t. And I told the girls, I mean, just from from start to finish, I feel like this is the most excited and the most ready they’ve been, and I was really excited to come across town…and get a playoff win for the first time at least my tenure in, gives us a chance to go into the semis.”