Home Local Sports Archmere falls to Delmar in DIAA Division II field hockey final: Photo...

Archmere falls to Delmar in DIAA Division II field hockey final: Photo gallery

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Ava Hughes makes one of her 39 saves in the state championship game against Delmar on one of the Wildcats' penalty corners. Photo courtesy of Nick Halliday

Archmere completed a very successful field hockey campaign with a 7-1 loss to Delmar in the DIAA Division II championship game Nov. 19 at Rullo Stadium at the University of Delaware. The second-seeded Auks were playing in the title game for the first time in more than three decades, while the No. 1 Wildcats were looking for their seventh straight title.

The game was scoreless for more than nine minutes before Josie Hollamon, a member of the U.S. national team who will play collegiately at Maryland, opened the scoring. The assist went to Maci Bradford, who added the second goal with 4:04 remaining in the first. Bradford will join Hollamon, her cousin, at Maryland next season.

The Auks’ Bella Dell’Oso, who will play collegiately at Temple, got her team on the board late in the first, cutting the Delmar lead in half. But Laela Brown restored the two-goal margin when she connected with just 31 seconds remaining in the quarter.

The Wildcats added two goals in the second quarter and one each in the third and fourth.

Delmar entered the game having won their last 114 contests. They last lost on Oct. 22, 2016, a 1-0 decision at Cape Henlopen. The program has spent time in the national rankings for the past several years. Archmere appeared in its second final, the first being in 1991, a 2-1 loss to Tower Hill.

Bradford finished with two goals and three assists, and Brown also had two goals. The Wildcats (18-0) fired 50 shots on goal to one for Archmere and had a 23-0 edge in penalty corners.

Auks goalkeeper Ava Hughes had 39 saves. Archmere ended the year 15-3, with one of the losses coming against Division I champion Smyrna.

All photos courtesy of Nick Halliday.