By Andy Walter

WOODSIDE — Winning can be fun, of course.

But trying to keep winning when the expectations are high can be a little stressful, too.

The Polytech girls’ soccer team did a lot of memorable things last spring — like winning the Henlopen North and Henlopen Conference championship game for the first time.

With most of their starters returning, though, the Panthers knew there was pressure to do it all over again this season.

“I think that we do have a little bit of confidence but also it’s a little bit of stress,” said senior co-captain Julia Coleman. “We have to defend it now instead of just achieving it for the first time.

“We could make school history with winning two years in a row. ... In the beginning, it was stressful but now we’re bonded as a team and we’re having fun out here, not just focusing on our wins.”

With the calendar getting ready to flip to May, all Polytech’s goals are still intact.

The Panthers are 3-0-1 in the North, 5-1-2 overall going into a 4 p.m. Henlopen North home game today against Milford. Sussex Tech is also 3-0-1 in the North with the two squads set to square off on May 9 in Woodside.

After its success over the last several seasons, Polytech has gotten used to playing in big games. The Panthers have posted six straight winning seasons while making four DIAA Division I state tournament appearances in that stretch.

They haven’t had a losing season since 2016 and are 59-32-5 in their last six campaigns. They also currently own a 14-game unbeaten streak in Henlopen North matchups.

Freshman Sierra Henry of Polytech (right) celebrates with teammates Natalie Velazquez (left) and Julia Coleman after she scored a goal against Caesar …

Of course the last thing Polytech’s players want to do is simply assume they’ll keep winning without putting in the work.

“People are not really going to underestimate us any more,” said senior Natalie Velazquez, another co-captain. “That puts us in a spot where we have to actually earn our wins. ... We’re a team to beat.”

The Panthers may have suffered their biggest loss before the season even started. Four practices into preseason, standout goalie Kendall Maday was lost for the year with a torn knee ligament she suffered in practice.

The senior was a second-team Division I All-State selection a year ago.
Junior Marie Cadet stepped into the starting goalie position and has kept Polytech on track. The Panthers have two shutouts this season.

“That was kind of a gut-punch for us early just because you knew what you had,” said Panthers’ coach Shaune Gorman.

“She’s done a great job for us,” Gorman said about Cadet.

“I was worried at first on how that would impact the season,” Velazquez said about losing Maday. “She (Cadet) was eager and wanted to learn. I feel like she picked it up pretty fast.”

Offensively, Polytech is still led by Sierra Henry and Ava Gzym, who are now sophomores. Henry has a team-leading 10 goals with three assists while Gzym has seven goals and three assists.

Both players earned first-team Division I All-State honors as freshmen last season.

Gorman said there’s at least eight starters who returned this season.

“They understand that it’s all there,” he said. “We’ve just got to put it together and hopefully come out with wins at the end of the year and get back to where we left off last year.”

For this year’s five seniors, this is their last chance to accomplish some more things before they end their careers.

Polytech has never won a state tournament game. Last year the Panthers lost to perennial state power, 5-4, after making a late comeback.

They know to collect some more good memories, they’re going to have to stay focused.

“We’ve done a good job this far,” said Velazquez, who is from Dover. “We’re still putting in the effort.”

“We need to get past that first round and now we know what to expect,” said Coleman, who is also from Dover. “I think if we all come together as a team, we bond together and play our game, we can do it.

“I do want people (on the outside) to respect the program. We’ve always been a winning team but we’ve never been a winning team as much as we are now.”

Extra points
•After beating Caesar Rodney for the first time in its history last season, Polytech topped the Riders again, 2-1, this year.

•The Panthers’ one loss this season was a 4-0 setback to Sussex Academy. The Seahawks (8-1-1) just faced two of the state’s other top contenders in Division II falling to Saint Mark’s, 4-0, but tying Caravel, 1-1.

•Barring any changes, Sussex Academy will host the Henlopen Conference championship game on May 18.

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