Box Score HUNTINGDON, Pa. – The York College field hockey team wrapped up its regular season schedule with a 4-2 loss on the road against Juniata College on Tuesday afternoon.
Both sides each had chances early with shots and penalty corners, but it was the Eagles (10-5) who capitalized on its chances and put the Spartans (9-8) in 2-0 deficit within the first 13 minutes.
After being denied on their first four penalty corners, the Spartans finally caught a break on the fifth when senior captain Holly Martin (Hanover, Pa. / South Western) rattled the cage with her third goal of the season in the 21st minute of play.
York blitzed the Eagles in the remaining 14 minutes of the first half with 3-0 advantage in penalty corners and a 5-1 shot advantage with three of those shots landing on goal and one hitting the post. Despite the effort, the Spartans came up empty and trailed Juniata into halftime.
Juniata produced the majority scoring chances through the early part of the first half which lead to a goal less than six minutes into the period.
York scratched back six minutes later as the Spartan penalty corner unit once again produced a tally. Autumn Mallory (Leonardtown, Md. / Leonardtown) was responsible for putting York on the board this time as she recorded her 10th goal of the season.
With a chance at taking the lead still in striking distance for the Spartans and plenty of time left to play, Juniata delivered a punishing blow in the 50 minute of play when Melissa Rutherford scored in a one-on-one breakaway to push the lead back to two goals.
York managed to out-chance the Eagles in the remaining 20 minutes of play with a 3-2 shot advantage and 2-1 advantage in penalty corners, including one inside two minutes to play, but came up empty on all accounts.
The Spartans were very active around the cage the produced a 12-4 advantage in penalty corners, but only two goals to show for their efforts.
York returns to action on Sunday in the opening round of the Capital Athletic Conference Championship Tournament. The Spartans enter the tournament as the fourth seed and will host either Frostburg State or St. Mary's on a time to be determined later.
Holly Martin photo courtesy of David Sinclair
