Sussex Academy soccer downs Mariner 4-1

Sussex Academy sixth-grader Lyla Fox scored four times to lead the Seahawks to a 4-1 victory over Mariner Middle April 22 in Georgetown.

Sussex Academy moves to 6-0-1, while the Vikings are 2-4-1.

Seahawks seventh-grader Eva Taylor tallied two assists, while sixth-grader Lexie Dare had a helper. Sixth-grade goalie Savannah Hope made one stop in the cage.

“I thought the team came out focused and ready to play, adding another win to our undefeated season. I am truly proud of them,” said Sussex Academy coach Holly Zorn. “They came out today giving me their all. I had players in different positions, and every single player contributed to another Seahawks’ win.”

Zorn was quick to give kudos for her players.

“Grace Ippolito stepped up to the plate at defensive midfielder and totally dominated the zone,” Zorn said. “Lexie Dare and Jordan Blades were her counterparts in the midfield. They controlled the ball the majority of the game and were able to feed the front line where we needed. Eva Taylor and Lyla Fox were positioned perfectly every time for the ball, which led to Taylor assisting Fox on two of her four goals. Layla Minnick, Catherine Ellis, Maggie Roblero-Chavez and Megan Krajewski were able to press up the majority of the game not letting any balls through our defensive third.”

Mariner coach Corbin Bean said he was proud of how his team played, especially in the second half. 

“We came out a little flat and couldn’t distribute the ball effectively to start the match, which helped [Sussex Academy] to land a few goals very early in the game,” Bean said. “Thankfully, we kept ourselves composed and regrouped at halftime. We took the field for the second half and came out strong, controlled the ball and progressed through the levels of the field nicely, which resulted in an aggressive goal by Alizzon Velasquez with an assist by Hannah McCabe. Unfortunately, our team wasn’t able to bring home the win, but we did gain a lot of knowledge about what we’re capable of when we’re playing as a cohesive unit, and we will carry this lesson into the last few matches of our season.”