Eagles fly high: Smyrna ends Cape Henlopen's reign in Division I field hockey

NEWARK - Smyrna senior Kirsten Johnson knew she had to make the most of a scoring opportunity in overtime against Cape Henlopen in the DIAA Division I Field Hockey championship game.

Johnson lunged at teammate’s Dru Moffett’s pass, deflecting it into the cage 4:03 into overtime to set off a raucous celebration as the second-seeded Eagles upended the top-seeded Vikings 2-1 to win the program’s first state title on Saturday at Rullo Stadium.

“I saw my teammate Dru dribbling the ball down, and she was winding up to hit the ball across,” Johnson said. “I saw that ball go past the circle, and I knew that the only way it was going to go in is if I laid out. So I did.

“Nobody thought that it did. I saw the ball in the back of the net, and I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh.’”

Smyrna coach Loveita Moffett had to confirm it with her own eyes before celebrating.

“I had to make sure that it scored because it was such an amazing shot and hit the inside of that left corner bar,” Moffett said. “So it had popped up, and it had snuck right into the where the boards meet the metal.

“So after I knew that I jumped up and down and didn't really wait for anybody to blow the whistle. I knew we had scored.”

Cape Henlopen had won all five of the Division I titles since the field hockey tournament split into two divisions in 2017, and 10 of the last 11 championships overall. Smyrna became the first team other than Cape or Delmar to win the state title since Sussex Tech in 2010.

The Vikings (16-3) took the early lead on Hannah Meaney goal in the eighth minute, but Smyrna equalized when Reese Narcelli scored with 1:15 left in the first quarter.

Then the teams battled through three scoreless quarters to send it to overtime. Cape Henlopen got the first quality chance in extra time, but the Smyrna defense pushed the ball away from the net to set up the counter that led to Johnson’s winner.

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Eagles goaltender Halle Geiger had to take several moments to process what had happened after Johnson scored.

“Your mind is just blown in the sense that it is only our second time coming to the state championship, and all of a sudden, you're winning the second time in,” Geiger said. “It's just an amazing feeling. … We worked so hard throughout the season to get to this point, being able to accomplish it. It's just, it's just a great feeling.”

Loveita Moffett said everyone on the Smyrna defense stepped up throughout, as the Eagles held Cape to four goals below its season average.

“They’re amazing, aren’t they? Oh my goodness,” the coach said. “… I feel like defense is such an underrated side of the field, and I believe in the cliche defense wins championships.

“I mean, they just battled and just crushed it. Our goalie making some amazing 1 vs. 1, 2 vs. 1 plays and baseline plays and then our center back Meghan Shirey absolutely shredding it with a defensive save.”

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: DIAA field hockey playoffs: Smyrna upsets Cape Henlopen for D-I title