Woodstown’s Walker scores her 200th career goal with little fanfare, just the way she likes it; Morgan scores six as Wolverines outscore West Deptford

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WOODSTOWN — Delaney Walker reached a milestone Tuesday than normally is cause for celebration. But when the historic moment came, there were no balloons, no posters, no stoppage of play, no fanfare.

And the Woodstown senior was absolutely OK with it.

“I like simple,” she said quietly.

Walker scored the 200th career goal of her high school lacrosse career in the fourth quarter of the Wolverines’ 15-12 win over West Deptford.

Her teammates let out a big cheer when she flashed across the crease and threw an over-the-head behind-the-back rocket past Eagles goalie Sofia Shirey with 8:28 left in the game to hit the magic number. After the game she stood with her mother Raechelle holding the ball that scored the historic goal along with three white cards spelling out “2-0-0” in fruit-scented orange and blue numerals that coach Chris Murray put together at the end of the school day. A bigger poster is expected to come Wednesday.

“It’s awesome to get this milestone, and honestly getting it with one of my coaches who holds the record,” she said. “I just feel like my teammates just carry me through everything. It’s just my teammates, so I don’t really need anything but my teammates to get that milestone.”

There was a set of “2-0-0” balloons spotted flapping in the far corner of the stadium, but that was for West Deptford senior Maddie Eastlack, who surpassed 200 career points with her four goals and two assists in the game.

Murray deferred comment on the milestone to Raechelle, an assistant coach she lovingly called “the coach of that player,” and in addition to expressing pride in Delaney’s accomplishment mom confirmed her daughter’s reluctance on making a big fuss on her behalf.

“That’s definitely part of her personality, part of how we are in our home,” Coach Mom said. “We always expect the best, put the best foot forward and leave it all out there on the field. All the hoopla and everything … at the end of the day it’s what did you get.”

Walker needed five goals coming in to hit the milestone, and while they may have been counting it down her mom said they didn’t really talk about it before the game. She scored three times in the first half and nailed No. 199 in the first minute of the third quarter. Her first goal (196) answered West Deptford’s first goal. Her second (197) came 21 seconds into the second quarter and again answered an Eagles’ score. Her third (198), with 5:10 left in the half, broke a 6-6 tie. 

The Eagles made her work for No. 200.

She was either stoned by the goalie or denied by the West Deptford defense five times before getting No. 200 on a move she hasn’t been doing “as much as I used to” and seen her lacrosse idol Chloe Humphrey use many times, but she finally broke through.

“I was getting frustrated, but I kept my composure; that’s the most important part,” she said. “It finally it went in, so it was meant to be.”

The milestone left her 37 goals shy of breaking the all-time Woodstown record, held by Abby Evans, the daughter of the Woodstown trainer. Thirty-seven, ironically Walker’s “favorite number,” the one worn by her uncle during his days as a Woodstown football player and the one she’ll wear at UMass-Lowell when she goes to college.

The Wolverines got all their goals from four players. In addition to Walker’s five, Emma Morgan scored six and Angelina Lindenmuth and Arianna Hyman had two each. Part of that is a result of all the attention Walker commands. Morgan and Hyman combined for three goals in the final 1:45 to the second quarter — the last two off face-offs Walker won — to give the Wolverines the halftime lead after the Eagles tied the game at 7

“Since last year just because I scored so much and stuff (86 goals, 105 points) I’m kind of the distraction,” she said. “It opens up opportunities for everyone else, and we all take advantage of that. I think we work really well together.”

Plain and simple, that’s something worth celebrating.

West Deptford	2	5	2	3-	12
Woodstown	4	6	3	2-	15