SALISBURY, MD – The York College
women's soccer squad advanced to the Capital Athletic
Conference championship match Tuesday afternoon as the green and
white outlasted top-seeded Salisbury 3-1 in penalty kicks after the
two squads played to a 1-1 tie in 110 minutes of action. The result
moves the Spartan record to 11-6-2 while Salisbury ends their
season with an 8-4-5 mark.
After the 90 minutes of regulation play
and two scoreless ten minute overtime periods the score was knotted
at one, forcing the tied CAC semifinal into a penalty kick
shootout. Each squad's shooters tallied their initial
attempts with York's Sam Shultz (Stewartstown,
Pa./Kennard-Dale) setting the tone for the Spartans
slotting home her first attempt. Round two went the Spartans'
way as Salisbury pushed the attempt wide right while sophomore
Steph Mergler (Street, Md./North Harford) added
York's second notch to the scoreboard. The third cycle saw
the Sea Gulls' attempt sail wide right once again before
freshman Rachel Allen (York, Pa./Christian School of
York) stepped up and buried number three for the green and
white. Now up 3-1, York's sophomore goalkeeper
Desiree Halaka (Southampton, N.Y./Southampton),
inserted specifically for the shootout, made a brilliant sprawling
stop on Salisbury's fourth shooter to send the Spartans into
the conference final.
After a scoreless first half of play, the
home squad posted the match's first tally less than five
minutes into the second stanza. Sea Gull Katie Marshall lofted a
service from the right side of the pitch to the left side of the
Spartan six-yard box. Sarah Jessilonis redirected the service with
a header back across the face of goal that clanged off the inside
of the right post before slipping across the goal line.
Now facing a 1-0 deficit, the Spartans
pressed for the equalizer deep into the second frame. With only
6:26 showing on the second half clock, Mergler found the back of
net for the fourth time this season. The Spartans swung the
ball inside the Sea Gull 18-yard box. An errant clearance came
directly to Mergler who one-timed her right-footed shot to the far
right post to notch the game's tying score.
Both overtime periods would go scoreless
as neither side was able to break through for the game winner,
setting up the penalty kick shootout which moved the Spartans into
the CAC title game.
For the match, York held a 27-9 bulge in
shots and a 13-2 margin in corner kicks.
Freshman goalkeeper Sarah
Spanarkel (Toms River, N.J./Toms River North) played all
110 minutes in net for the green and white registering a trio of
saves including two big stops in overtime. Halaka replaced
Spanarkel for the shootout and made the huge save to send the
Spartans into the final. Gena Goodson played the entire match for
the Sea Gulls, making six saves over her 110 minutes.
York now focuses their attention on
Saturday seeking to defend last season's CAC tournament
title. The Spartans travel to St. Mary's College of Maryland
for a date with the Seahawks who advanced to the final via a 2-0
victory over Hood. The championship tilt from St. Mary's
City, Md. begins at 1:30 pm.
MATCH BOX
Steph Mergler photo courtesy of Steve Doemland
