BERLIN- It’s always special when the Worcester Prep and Cape Henlopen girls’ varsity lacrosse teams clash and this year was no different with the Vikings edging the Mallards, 13-11, in a tight contest last Friday in Berlin.
Last year, Worcester beat Cape Henlopen, 14-13, in an overtime thriller for the second win in a row in the long-running rivalry. In 2014, The Mallards beat the Vikings, 10-8. The last win in the series for Cape came in 2013 when the Vikings beat the Mallards, 9-6, but that changed last Saturday with another classic.
The two teams battled back and forth and were separated by only a single goal as Cape led 6-5 at the half. A similar scenario played out in the second half with the Vikings outscoring the Mallards, 7-6, in the period. Combined, the two one-goal halves added up to a narrow 13-11 win for the Vikings over the Mallards and their first win in three years in the rivalry.
Worcester outshot Cape, 25-22, in the game, but the Vikings had 10 saves to the Mallards’ five. Karlie Southcomb led the Mallards with three goals, while Grace Tunis and Leigh Lingo added single tallies. Julie Talbert, Delaney Abercrombie and Gracie Gardner added single tallies.
The loss snapped a 10-game winning streak for the Worcester girls, who had cruised past another Delaware power Indian River, 20-3, just a day earlier. The Mallards record now stands at 11-2, their only other loss coming to Baltimore area power Dulaney, 14-4, during the Karl Wolf Tournament in March. Looming this afternoon is a rematch with another familiar rival Saints Peter and Paul. The Mallards beat the Sabres, 16-11, at home on April 15, but will hit the road for the second of what could be a three-game trilogy on Friday.