WILMINGTON – When Salesianum’s soccer team traveled to Georgetown last season, they left with a 3-2 loss, their only setback against a Delaware opponent in 2025. The series moved this weekend to Abessinio Stadium, and the Sals put it away early, scoring five first-half goals on the way to a 9-0 shutout on Sept. 12.
There was no doubt about this one from the start. The Sals pressured the Sussex Academy defense relentlessly, sending a number of passes and shots toward the goal. They earned four corner kicks in the first eight minutes, finally connecting on the fourth. On that one, Gianni Sutor was stationed on the left side of the 6-yard box, and he poked the ball past Seahawks keeper Benjamin Figueroa-Morales.
Two minutes later, the Sals doubled the lead when Joseph Ricciardi took a long through ball in stride to the keeper’s right. Ricciardi sent a left-footed rocket into the short side upper corner.
Figueroa-Morales made several saves to keep the Seahawks within two, but Salesianum put the game away with three goals in a four-minute span later in the half. Brady Esser scored the first of his three goals with a spectacular spinning kick in which he caught the ball flush from about 25 yards out and drilled it into the left side of the net. That was in the 29th minute. In the 32nd, Caden Walpole followed a diving save by Figueroa-Morales by smacking the follow-up over the line. Finally, less than a minute later, the Sals scored again.
They added four goals in the second half.
Thomas DeRosa put up the clean sheet for the Sals, who have outscored their first two opponents, 16-0. Salesianum (2-0) is back on the pitch Sept. 15 at 7 p.m. against Kingsway (N.J.) at Abessinio Stadium.
Sussex Academy, which fell to 1-1, visits Appoquinimink on Sept. 15 at 6:30 p.m.
Photos by Mike Lang.
