YORK, PA-The York College field hockey team continued their march through a tough part of a very difficult 2007 slate with a 6-2 loss to #8 Messiah College on a sun-splashed Fall Fest Weekend at York College Saturday afternoon. The Spartans fall to 4-11 for the year as they have lost three straight and seven of their last eight. Messiah improves to 6-3 overall with the win.

The Falcons opened the scoring just 6:28 into the game as Lauren Tennis tallied a goal when Amber Philpot slid a pass across the box. Tennis drilled the pass home as the Falcons took the 1-0 lead. The visitors added to the lead just 4:14 later as Beth Sandowich hit a pass from the top of the circle that Lindsey Garber knocked in for the 2-0 Messiah advantage.

The Falcons scored two quick goals late in the half as Lindsey Hunter tallied a goal with 10:27 remaining in the half and Lisa Strausbaugh scored the Falcons' fourth goal just 55 seconds later.

York got on the board with 4:55 remaining in the half as senior Jami Hassler (Derwood, Md./Magruder) fed junior April McFarland (York, Pa/Eastern York) with a pass that McFarland converted for the goal, her eighth of the year.

Messiah needed just 24 seconds to answer the Spartan tally as Hunter scored her second goal of the game, this time off a pass from Garber.  The first half scoring wasn't done as Hassler scored off a pass from McFarland with 40 seconds remaining in the half as the teams went to the break with Messiah holding a 5-2 lead.

 The Falcons' got the only goal of the second half as Hunter completed the hat trick with a goal off a pass from Katie Love just over 10 minutes into the second half.

The Falcons ended the game holding all the statistical advantages. Messiah outshot York 36-5 while they also held a commanding 24-4 edge in penalty corners.

Renee Herbster earned the win in goal for Messiah. She went the distance, allowing two goals and recording one save. The Spartans' started senior Katie Cuff (Newton, N.J./Newton) and she allowed one goal in 9:01 of work. Sophomore keeper Claire Rekitzke (Seaford, Del./Seaford Senior) entered the game and recorded a career-high 20 stops in 60:59 of action.

The Spartans return to action on Tuesday as they travel to Goucher to face the Gophers in a non-conference contest. Game time in Towson is set for 4:00 pm.

GAME BOX