HURLOCK — Kent County built a 3-0 lead and then held off a late charge by host North Dorchester for a 3-2 victory in high school girls soccer Oct. 9.
The Trojans swept the home-and-away series, improving to 3-8.
While the win itself was significant, the stories within the story also deserve the spotlight.
For the first time this season, players other than the two proven scorers — Delilah Markovic and Morgan Kendall — found the back of the net.
Junior striker Zuleika Nava netted a pair of goals, including what held up to be the game-winner, and freshman Madison Garcia from the wing scored the other goal.
“The support and joy from the whole team after those goals were scored was something that really illustrates how much the girls mean to one another,” Kent County head coach Ben Joiner said in an email. “They feel really good when they see their teammates succeed. That’s exactly the kind of culture that we want to cultivate here.”
Also noteworthy was the play of sophomore keeper Sophie Cousineau, who is a first-year soccer player after running cross country last fall.
North Dorchester (1-9) had the best scoring chances early, but Kent County’s defense held and Cousineau came up with some big saves.
Soon the Trojans figured out how to attack, and by halftime they had a 2-0 lead thanks to Nava and Garcia.
Another Nava goal extended the spread to 3-0.
But North Dorchester seemed to get stronger as the match went on and just kept pressing, according to Joiner.
“There was a weird issue with us giving up a goal on a direct kick off a handball call fairly close to the 18. The girls were getting set waiting for a whistle to start the kick but there was no whistle. North Dorchester took the shot and scored, so it took us by surprise,” he wrote in his email.
The home side closed to 3-2 in the 75th minute but ran out of time.
This was a match that the Trojans can be really proud of, Joiner told The Evening Enterprise.
“North Dorchester is well coached and their players are tough,” he wrote in an email. “They’re physical and they’re sound fundamentally, so anytime we play them we have to bring our best game.”
Kent County wraps up its regular season Wednesday, Oct. 16 at home against Colonel Richardson (5-6). It’s Senior Night, and the match starts at 5:30 p.m.
A win might be just enough to move the Trojans up to third in the Class 1A East Region I standings, thereby avoiding a first-round playoff pairing with top-seeded Perryville (7-4).
Kent County has faced some fierce competition over the last week and a half — Mardela (9-2) and Snow Hill (7-4), the top two seeds in the 1A East Region II, and Class 2A North Caroline (5-6).
Joiner’s take on the challenging schedule is positive.
He said, “These hard-fought games against tough opponents really show the character of the team. We are starting to string together longer stretches of better soccer and that’s giving the team a lot of confidence.”
The tournament seeding is Oct. 21, with tournament play to begin Oct. 23.