YORK, Pa. – The York College field hockey team suffered a 7-3 setback on Saturday afternoon at Kinsley Field as No. 13 Mary Washington tallied five goals in the second half to claim the victory.

Mary Washington's Jenna Steele stole the show as she tallied four goals, including three in the second half, as she ranks first in the Capital Athletic Conference with 14 goals on the year.

The Spartans (6-4, 0-1 CAC) looked strong in the first half as they owned most of the time on attack and scored the game's first goal. Freshman Lindsay Nye (Duncannon, Pa. / Susquenita) drove to the end line on the right side and passed back to the middle where Autumn Mallory (Leonardtown, Md. / Leonardtown) received the pass and put the ball in the back of the cage for the game's first tally.

York held the 1-0 lead for just over six minutes before Mary Washington (7-3, 1-0) recorded back-to-back goals 30 seconds apart to take a 2-1 lead.

York shook off the two quick goals by the Eagles and went back on the offensive. The Spartans were rewarded for their efforts and tallied a critical goal with less than five minutes to play in the first half. Nye tallied the goal, her eighth of the year, as she collected a loose ball on a clear attempt by the Eagle defense.

The Green and White held an 11-9 shot advantage though the first half and seemed well-equipped to do more damage in the second. However, Mary Washington had other plans and the Eagles tilted the field in the second half, owning most of the possession and racking up 14 shots to just one by York.

The Eagles scored within the first two minutes of the second half and tacked on another five minutes later. After tallying those goals to start the second half, the Eagles put the game on cruise control and tacked on an additional three goals for insurance.

Mallory tallied York's only second half shot and goal with less than two minutes to play when she finished from the middle after receiving a pass from Holly Martin (Hanover, Pa. / South Western) on the right end line.

Mary Washington finished with a 23-12 shot advantage and a 9-4 advantage in penalty corners, while York owned a 12-6 advantage in saves.

The Spartans return to play on Wednesday when they host Stevenson University at 4:00 p.m. 

Autumn Mallory photo courtesy of Joe Rodgers