In all seriousness, I hope everyone stays safe through the brunt of the storm. But when I think Delaware and hurricanes, the first thing that comes to mind is the game I lovingly call "Hurricane Cahill."
The game started out with a rainy forecast, but plenty of sun shining down on Rullo Stadium (this was a good few years before they moved into the big house when fieldturf was installed). Delaware started the year on a 4 game win streak and was looking to continue their success against a strong Albany team who they fell to the previous year. This was back when I was one of the 5 core people helping to run the Cockpit, so we were on hand at the game, myself dressed in lacrosse gear and a hoodie, yelling at future pro Brett Queener constantly from start to finish of the game. With the small crowd on hand, I was looking forward to the Hens first real test of the year.
From what I remember, Delaware and Albany traded blows throughout the game. There was tons goals scored early, but the home-side held the advantage going into the break. That's when the rain started to fall. Nothing special. Your average Delaware rain clouds, with some sun in the distance with the long views that come from the stands of Rullo. As halftime came to and end, the rain went from a tad more than a drizzle to a legit storm, heavy enough downfall that most fans were struggling to keep dry with just their umbrellas. I was soaked at this point with the sweatshirt absorbing most of the moisture. We continued to yell and be supportive of our Hens, but the bad weather was leading to an entirely different half and it resulted in a more defensive game. A scoreless 3rd quarter was followed by a low scoring 4th. It seemed like the Hens would get out of the rain just in the nick of time, but Albany tied it up late and sent the game to overtime.
As if the clouds above knew that the game was going to sudden death, the winds began to pick up, resulting in north to south sheets of rain beginning to fall sporadically on the field. Every face-off and shot was filled with so much tension because on the line was a victory over a ranked team to add to the resume, and a loss could end up being caused by this horrendous weather. Somehow the game remained scoreless after the first OT session, and right on cue, the skies unleashed another level of chaos on the few remaining fans in the stands.
OT2 gave us a full blown torrential downpour, slanting down on us from the north that any kind of covering would have been pointless. Good thing us Cockpit officers were nuts and never bothered to try and protect ourselves from the elements. Again, from what I remember, it was sloppy play from both sides, and the rain was falling into the face of the Delaware goalkeeper, making this even more nerve-racking for the Hens. However, neither team could find the back of the net and we would proceed to a 3rd Overtime.
This is where my memory gets much clearer. It felt like the wind was coming on even stronger at the backs of the Delaware players. Albany won the face-off and the potential of a loss after surviving all of this chaos started to set in. The Danes had to use a timeout to settle the situation down, and when the play resumed, Albany fired a shot that surely would have gone in, but was saved by Delaware's Tommy Sherr.
It was at this moment where I swear the rain went from falling at an angle to being completely sideways. Hurricane-style winds blowing into the Hens' sails as the clear began and the ball found Martin Cahill. He set up the fast break and ripped a shot towards Queener from just outside the box. I can promise you that even the best goalies could not have seen the ball coming in that rain, especially with it flying straight in to Queener's face. The ball found the back of the net and the game was over. 8-7 Hens. The rain began to slow back down and you could tell this was a huge game for all the players on the field that day. I have since always known that game as "Hurricane Cahill" for the insane weather and the way he was able to storm up the field on the break and finally end the long battle.
I hope this brought back a good memory about a stormy Delaware victory you sat through. I know I'll never be able to forget it.
Stay safe!
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