Delsea beats Gloucester, 1-0, in field hockey

Coming off a tough loss to rival Woodstown, Delsea needed a boost of adrenaline in preparation for the South Jersey Group 2 field hockey state tournament next week.

When the clock hit 5 minutes, 26 seconds in overtime, the Crusaders got just what they needed, and they rushed onto the field to celebrate a 1-0 win at Gloucester (13-3-2), in a rainy tri-county matchup on Wednesday afternoon.

"This is huge right before we go into the playoffs," Delsea coach Meg Unger said. "This is what we needed. It means so much to the girls and I think it's a great motivator for them."

While Gloucester will go on to compete in the Central Jersey Group 1 tournament, Delsea moves into the playoffs with a 13-3-1 record.

The game-winning goal came from Crusaders captain Lexi Brown, who scored off a corner from forward Destini Parker.

Gloucester's defense had been a consistently solid force, holding off 15 unsuccessful Delsea corners, but the sweet 16th flew into the left pocket of the cage, ending the game.

"Throughout the game all you want to do is score," Brown said. "But when you have to go into overtime, it's stressful because you're tired and all you want do is just score, and when it happens, it's a rush."

After dominating the first half offensively, Delsea struggled in the second, giving several scoring opportunities to Gloucester.

The Lions kept driving in with the aggression of Kylee Hirst and the speed of Cassie Francis, but Crusaders goalie Hailey Abbott thwarted their efforts.

Abbott made huge saves in the final 10 minutes of regulation to keep her team alive - and ultimately allow it to eke out the overtime win.

"She did an amazing job, she really came up big," Unger said.

Once the overtime whistle sounded to begin play, Delsea rediscovered its first-half chemistry, storming through the slippery grass with the determination to finish on a corner, after so many missed opportunities.

"The girls didn't give up, they just kept on playing," Unger said. "It was sweet to get this victory. It's just a good feeling and I'm so happy for them."

Gloucester 0 0 0 - 0

Goal: D-Lexi Brown Saves: D- Becca Randals 1, Hailey Abbott 8, G- Sarah Deetz 11