Appoquinimink wins first state title, Caravel repeats in Delaware girls high school finals

Set pieces were the theme of the day at the DIAA girls state finals Sunday at Caravel Academy in Bear, Del.

Caravel scored off a corner kick in extra time to grab a 1-0 win over Saint Mark’s in the Division II final and Appoquinimink scored goals off three corner kicks and a set piece to get revenge on cross-town rivals Middletown with a 4-0 win in the Division I final to win the program’s first state title. Middletown won the derby match in each of the last two finals in 2024 and 2023.

Senior Maci Hood was credited with the goal three minutes into extra time of a 0-0 game with Saint Mark’s. It was the third time in the last five years that Caravel girls have lifted the trophy and the 8th time overall.

The win capped the Buccaneers season with a 14-1-1 record. Their only loss came to Appoquinimink on May 5 and was followed by a 1-1 draw with Sussex Academy.

Appoquinimink opened the scoring against Middletown in the 14th minute on an Avery Holland goal off a corner kick from senior captain Katie Donovan. The Jaguars thought they had doubled the lead through a Holland free kick to Kelsey Beatie but the offside flag waved off the goal and kept the lead to one. Holland and Beatie connected again on a dead ball from a similar spot a minute later and this time Beatie’s finish off the kick stood to make it 2-0. Lyra Ardila made it 3-0 heading in a Donovan corner kick at the back post in the 71st minute and Donovan scored directly off a corner kick two minutes later to make it 4-0.

Playing with the four goal lead, Appo was able to finish the clean sheet and lift the trophy after a convincing 4-0 win. They lost 1-0 to Middletown last season in the final on an early goal and 4-2 to Middletown in the 2023 final.