YORK, PA – Sophomore Ali Jones
(Riva, Md./Archbishop Spalding) tallied a pair of goals
Saturday afternoon to lift the York College women's soccer
team to a 2-0 Capital Athletic Conference victory over visiting
Mary Washington. The win catapults the Spartans to 4-2-1 overall
and a 2-0 mark in the CAC while the Eagles fall to 3-2-2 including
a 2-1 conference record.
The Spartans came out strong from the opening whistling,
pressuring the Eagles all over the pitch. York rattled off four
shots, and Mary Washington goalkeeper Laura McCarthy to make three
saves, before the visitors could notch a single attempt.
York's high pressure was able to break the Eagle defense
in the 26th minute. Freshman midfielder Stephanie Rice
(Glen Rock, Pa./Susquehannock) launched a cross into the
box from the left side of the field. The cross found its way to
Jones who promptly tallied her first goal of 2008 and put the
Spartans up 1-0.
Just over ten minutes later, Jones found the back of the net yet
again, putting York up by two. After another feed from Rice, Jones
hit a strike that was blocked by the Mary Washington defense. Jones
alertly followed her own shot and was rewarded with the rebound
goal, her second score of the day.
The Spartans dominated play in the first 45 minutes, registering
nine shots to the Eagles' one. York also led in corner kicks
4-2.
Neither side would tally in the second frame but both sides had
quality chances. Perhaps the second frame's best opportunity
came for Mary Washington in the 84th minute. A defensive error by
the Spartans left the Eagles with an indirect free kick just
outside York's six-yard box. With almost the entire Spartan
squad lined up on the goal line, Mary Washington's subsequent
shot clanged off the cross bar and was cleared out of danger by the
green and white.
Jones' pair of prove to be the margin of victory, as York
grabbed their second CAC victory of the year.
For the match, York held 15-6 bulge in shots while the sides
tied in corners with eight apiece.
Sophomore goalkeeper Desiree Halaka (Southampton,
N.Y./Southampton) picked up her fourth win and third clean
sheet of the season as she made a pair of saves in her 90 minutes
of action. McCarthy performed valiantly in the Eagle net,
registering seven saves to keep her squad in the game.
The Spartans will hit the road for their next match on Saturday,
September 27. The green and white will travel to CAC rival
Salisbury for a 12:30 pm tilt.
BOX SCORE
Ali Jones photo courtesy of Steve Doemland
