Dialog reporter
CLAYMONT – On three consecutive possessions in overtime of the Oct. 28 field hockey game between Wilmington Charter and Archmere, Leah DaCosta inbounded the ball on a penalty corner for the Auks, and three times Charter was whistled for an infraction resulting in another penalty corner. The fourth time was the last, as DaCosta picked up a rebound and sent it into the cage to lift Archmere to a 2-1 win.
The play unfolded two and a half minutes into the extra session. After the inbounds, DaCosta positioned herself to the right of the Charter goalie, received a pass and took a shot that was kick-saved. DaCosta got her own rebound, but her second shot was rejected. Delaney Dearing picked up the ball and sent a short cross to DaCosta. The senior turned and rolled a shot on net that got through a defender and the goalie.
After a slow start, Archmere (10-3) was in control most of the chilly afternoon, but they could muster just the 1-0 lead. That came at the 6:01 mark of the first half, again resulting from a penalty corner. The Auks appeared to have scored on the play, but the Force was called for an infraction, giving the Auks a penalty stroke. Lorin Donovan’s shot was about waist high and went off the left arm of the goalie before trickling into the cage.
Earlier in the half, Dearing was stopped by a waffleboard save, and the rebound was knocked off the goal line by a defender. They were also foiled on a diving save minutes after Donovan scored, and again a defender knocked away a rebound. The score was 1-0 at intermission.
Neither team could muster much offense in the second half. Charter’s Paige Lamey saved a goal by laying out to stop an Archmere shot with 7:45 left, and the Force finally got some momentum. Charter earned a rare penalty corner with less than six minutes remaining, and Amber Ritzinger sent a shot to the far post to tie the score with at the 5:29 mark. Kendall Adkins picked up the assist.
The Auks host upstate power Tower Hill on Tuesday at 3 p.m. before ending the regular season next Thursday at Mount Pleasant at 3:45 p.m. Charter lost its fourth straight to fall to 6-7. They wrap up the regular season with a pair of road contests, at A.I. DuPont on Monday at 3:45 p.m. and at Padua on Thursday at 4 p.m.
