Delaware’s stay in the NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Tournament was a short one

The Blue Hens, making their third trip to the national tournament in the last six seasons, battled No. 22 Providence throughout Thursday night’s NCAA tourney first-round game at Anderson Stadium.

But two defensive lapses made the difference as Delaware dropped a 2-0 decision to end their season.

Providence (13-5), a 2014 NCAA Final Four team, won for the ninth time in the last 10 games as Brendan Reardon scored a first-half goal and Julian Gressel added some insurance with a second-half tally for the Friars.

Reardon’s goal came just 7:12 into the contest after he stole the ball from Delaware goalie Todd Morton and scored into the open net.

The Hens (12-8-1), who captured the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament title last week, finished with their fourth straight 10-win season for coach Ian Hennessy.

“I thought we left it all on the field tonight,” said Hennessy. “That’s life, it’s about moments.

“That first moment (the first goal by Providence), that calamitous first moment that everyone wants back, does change the course of games. I thought we were very good in the second half, chased them down, had good possession, but lacked the quality plays that we needed to get back into the game.”

Delaware outshot Priovidence, 12-7, in the second half, finishing with an 18-13 advantage for the game. The Hens also held a 6-5 edge in corner kicks, taking all four in the second half.

Morton made five saves in the contest.

Unified football

State title game set: Newark Charter advanced to the first Special Olympics Unified Flag Football championship game with a 24-20 win over Caesar Rodney on Thursday afternoon.

Junior quarterback Keegan Cahill tossed touchdown passes to three different receivers as the fourth-seeded Patriots advanced to face McKean in the title game. The contest will be played between the the Division I and II high school football championship games at Delaware Stadium on Dec. 3.

A trio of juniors, Kyle Mullen, Ellis Dorr and Lucas McCully, were on the receiving end of Cahill’s scoring passes. Dorr also rushed for a touchdown.

“It’s really fun and a great opportunity for us to be Unified partners,” Dorr said. “It’s just great to be part of it.”

Unified flag football teams are made up of three Special Olympics athletes and two Unified partners (peers without disabilities) on the field at the same time.

With Unified flag football becoming an official Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association sport last week, Newark Charter now has a chance to win the school’s first state championship.