DOVER, DE – Jill Stanley's
(Stewartstown, Pa./Kennard-Dale) first career a hat trick
catapulted the York College women's soccer team to a 3-0
victory over host Wesley College on a gray and damp Saturday
afternoon. The Spartans now sit at 10-6-1 for the year and close
out their 2008 conference play with a 5-3 mark, while the
Wolverines fall to 7-10 and 2-6 in league play.
Stanley opened the scoring a mere 1:42 into the
match. Sophomore Steph Mergler (Street, Md./North
Harford) collected the ball on the left side of the field
before serving a cross into the middle of the Wolverine penalty
area. Stanley ran onto the service, heading home her first goal of
the day into the lower left side of the goal.
Stanley and the Spartans struck again in the
21st minute of play on a well-executed corner kick. Mergler served
the corner from the left side of the field, placing it brilliantly
between the six yard box and the penalty mark. In a similar fashion
to her first goal, Stanley ran onto the service and snapped a
header, this time over Wesley goalkeeper Kim Fearnbach, to give
York the 2-0 advantage.
In the game's 54th-minute, Stanley
completed her hat trick, finishing a loose ball in front of
Wesley's goal. Mergler struck another dangerous corner kick,
this time from the right side, sending the service into the
Wolverine 18-yard box. The ball caromed around inside the penalty
area before landing at the feet of Stanley who promptly recorded
her third tally of the match.
Wesley looked to cut the York advantage to two
with only 22 minutes remaining in the contest. A Wolverine free
kick landed inside the Spartans' penalty area, as
Wesley's Gina Orrben attempted to get her squad on the board
slotting one just inside the post. Fortunately for the visitors,
that post was covered by senior defender Caitlin Allen
(Langhorne, Pa./Council Rock South) who cleared
Orrben's shot off the line to preserve the shutout.
York would finish off the final 20 minutes of
the game to secure the 3-0 win.
The Spartans owned a commanding 21-5 lead in
shots in addition to a 6-0 advantage in corners.
Freshman goalkeeper Sarah Spanarkel
(Toms River, N.J./Toms River North) recorded the win in
her first collegiate start notching two saves in her nearly 80
minutes of work. Senior Meagan Cahill (Crofton,
Md./Arundel) completed the clean sheet for the York side,
playing the final minutes of York's Capital Athletic
Conference regular season action.
York closes out their 2008 regular season on
Monday with a non-conference match at Rowan. The Spartans'
18th tilt of the year kicks off at 7:00 pm.
MATCH BOX
Jill Stanley photo courtesy of Scott Guise
