DOVER – For part of the DIAA boys soccer postseason, Saint Mark’s had capitalized on penalty kicks. After defeating Wilmington Friends in PKs in the semifinals, the Spartans took a 1-0 lead early in the state championship game on another penalty kick. But that was the only goal they could get, and Sussex Academy would score late on their own PK, then win the game in the same manner, 1-1 (5-4), on Nov. 18 in front of a large crowd at Dover Stadium.
The sixth-seeded Spartans withstood an early push by Sussex Academy, making its first appearance in the championship game as the No. 1 seed. Saint Mark’s took advantage of an early opportunity when a Spartan was fouled inside the 18-yard box in the 14th minute. The referee signaled for a penalty kick, and Dan Otlowski delivered, giving Saint Mark’s the 1-0 lead.
For much of the next 60 minutes of game time, the ball moved freely up and down the field, but few shots reached either of the keepers, Carter Norton of Sussex Academy and Ryan Betts of the Spartans. Those two came up big when necessary. For Betts, that included a save in the 20th minute where he reached back to grab a shot that had been deflected after he had started moving to his right, all the while staring into a bright sunshine. Early in the second half, he made another stop from in close after the Seahawks put on a clinic in precision passing. He also had help from his defense and the crossbar on a Seahawks free kick in the 55th. A defender headed it back toward the goal, but he lifted it just enough to glance off the crossbar and out of play.
Fast forward to the 74th minute, and Sussex Academy was putting pressure on the Spartans. The referee spotted a push in the box, sending Andree Mendoza to the line. He sent a shot to his left and into the net, leveling the score.
Two 10-minute overtime periods were not enough to decide a winner, although both teams had a few chances. Norton kept the Seahawks’ hopes alive in the 96th after the Spartans were awarded a penalty kick following a hand ball call. Diving to his left, he got a piece of the ball. On the corner kick that followed, the Spartans headed the ball out of play.
Sussex Academy made all five of their penalty kicks, while Norton guessed correctly on the second one for Saint Mark’s, providing the winning margin.
The Seahawks finished with a record of 17-2.
Saint Mark’s went 12-6-1, reaching the Division II final for the second consecutive season. The Spartans had wins over several tournament teams, including a pair over Caravel, the defending state champion. Three of their losses came to Division I tournament teams, including the top seed, Delcastle, and eventual champion Salesianum in overtime.
All photos by Don Blake and Mike Lang.
