WILMINGTON — A late goal from Lillian O’Brien was the difference as Caravel defeated Padua, 2-1, in an entertaining soccer game on April 30 at Abessinio Stadium.
The annual meeting between the traditional Division I and Division II powers has often been appointment viewing, and this one was no different. The game featured solid goalkeeping for both teams, some outstanding chances and lots of physical play.
Before the game, Padua honored its lone senior, Alexis Greenjack (St. Agnes Parish, West Chester, Pa.). Along with family, she was cheered on by a group of Salesianum students wearing body paint spelling out her first name.
Early on it was Caravel keeper Taylor Fitzgerald who came up big. After her defense deflected a Pandas free kick over the end line, Padua got two shots on the resulting corner kick, but Fitzgerald stopped both. After the second save, the Buccaneers mounted a counter-attack, forcing Padua keeper Ellie Semmel (St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Mother Parish, Avondale, Pa.) to make a diving stop.
Semmel kept the game scoreless on a Caravel free kick in the 25th minute with a leaping, one-handed glove stop. The Bucs kept up the heat, and a handball in the box on Padua set Caravel up with a penalty kick. Maci Hood lined up to take the shot, but she sent the ball off the crossbar. The ball, however, fell down right in front of Hood, who tapped the rebound into the net for the 1-0 Caravel lead.
Caravel entered the game having allowed just two goals in its first eight games, so Padua had some work to do. The Pandas attempted two corner kicks in a three-minute span late in the half, and they struck gold on the second. Emme Mulvena (St. Mary Magdalen Parish) used her head to redirect the inbounds pass from Audrey Kehner, bouncing the ball past Fitzgerald for the tie in the 37th minute.
Fitzgerald kept the game tied with a diving stop in the 50th, but the game slowed a bit in the second half. Padua had the better chances, but they could not get that second goal.
Caravel had a shot at going ahead in the 66th when a player was fouled in the 18-yard box. Semmel, however, guessed correctly and stopped the penalty kick. A Caravel steal a minute later was more successful. O’Brien took a pass from Sydney Hayden and rocketed a shot from 35 yards off the bottom of the crossbar and into the net.
The Buccaneers outshot the Pandas, 8-6, although Padua had four corner kicks to Caravel’s two. Fitzgerald had five saves. The Bucs (9-0) travel to Appoquinimink on May 5 at 6 p.m.
Semmel made six saves for the Pandas (5-4-1). Padua is also below the canal on April 5, meeting Middletown at 6:30 p.m. as they start a four-game road trip to end the regular season.
Photos by Mike Lang.
