Blue Hens Battle JMU to 1-1 tie, CAA Tourney Hopes Still Alive

Sunday, October 21

Harrisonburg, VA

1:00 PM

University of Delaware

4-11-2, 3-5-2CAA

James Madison University

10-7-1, 7-1-1CAA

OT 3

OT 4

Delaware

James Madison

Blue Hens Battle JMU to 1-1 tie, CAA Tourney Hopes Still Alive

10/21/2018 4:00:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

HARRISONBURG, Va. – The University of Delaware women's soccer team has the '4 Hs' as its pillars – hungry, humble, hard-working and high-energy. After this 2018 season, it might need to add a fifth 'h' – heart.

The heart of the Blue Hens was on display yet again on Sunday when they battled their way to a 1-1 tie at James Madison, who clinched a share of the regular season title. The only other conference team to earn a point against the Dukes was second-place Northeastern.

Delaware finishes the regular season going unbeaten in its final three matches to earn 10 points in league play. That currently earns them the sixth and final CAA Tournament spot. However, due to the rescheduling of an earlier contest, UNCW has one final match on Tuesday at home against Elon. The Seahawks must win the contest to take the final spot. A tie or loss by UNCW will send the Blue Hens to its first CAA Tournament since 2015.

Much of the first half of the contest was played in the midfield with neither team having many scoring opportunities.

In the 24^thminute Toni Starova got loose and fired a shot to force a diving save from the JMU keeper. Less than a minute later, Damali Simon-Ponte would do the same to nearly put the Blue Hens up 1-0, but the game would stay 0-0 into the half.

Less than five minutes into the second half, sophomore Olivia Schuck got Delaware on the board with her first goal of the season, taking a corner from Helen Dyer and sending a header into the back of the net to make it 1-0.

JMU would ratchet up the pressure from there and exactly five minutes later would do the exact same thing, scoring off a corner to even the score at 1-1.

From there, it was a scrap-and-claw battle with Delaware's defensive unit holding strong and freshman keeper Kamryn Stablein making five saves in the contest as the Blue Hens held on through the overtime periods to earn the one point needed to keep CAA Tournament hopes alive.

Quotable

"Obviously we are going to have to wait patiently for Tuesday's finale between UNCW & Elon to see where we stand with regard to the conference tourney. It's certain to be an excruciating few days for sure. That being said, the things we can control, we did a wonderful job with. To come down to the regular season conference champs and gut out an incredible 1-1 tie is just the ultimate showing of how much this team has grown over the course of the season. JMU has a style and traits that make them incredibly difficult to deal with. I thought, for the most part, we executed our game plan and dealt with what they try to do. I'm proud of this group, their character and their resolve. There is no doubt about it, we deserve to be in that conference tournament, but now all we can do is hurry up and wait." – head coach Mike Barroqueiro