YORK, PA – The York College field hockey squad earned a 3-0 win over Denison University in the opening round of the 2023 NCAA Division III Tournament.
The ninth-ranked Spartans earned a home tournament win for the second straight year. The Green and White advance to face Lynchburg in the second round of the tournament on Saturday. 
York improves to 16-4 overall while the Big Red finish their campaign with a mark of 13-6.
 
How It Happened
• The opening seven minutes of the game was played between the circles as neither team created any offensive chances early. The Spartans finally earned their first corner at the 7:10 mark and got a Maycee Collison shot that was blocked. The Spartans got another great chance a minute later as Riley Buschert fired off a shot on goal. Denison goalie Athena Joannou made the save but the rebound came to the stick of freshman Olivia Miller who drove the ball home for the game's opening goal 8:20 into the game. The goal as Miller's sixth of the year. The remainder of the quarter would be quiet on both sides.
• The Spartans had a few chances in second quarter as squeezed off five shots with Joannou making a pair of saves for Denison. York had four corners in the quarter.
• The Big Red came out of the break and took it to the Spartans for the opening ten minutes of the quarter. Denison drew their lone corner of the game after pressuring York out of the break. Kate Hinshaw fired off a shot coming off the corner but Spartan keeper Belle Fields made the stop to preserve the shutout.
• York tacked on to the lead with 2:46 left in the third as York drew a penalty corner. Katie Martino fired a shot on goal that was cleared off the line by defender Rachel Gilio. The ball settled on the stick of Buschert who finished off the chance for the 2-0 Spartan lead. The goal was Buschert's fifth of the season.
• York closed out the scoring three and a half minutes into the fourth quarter as the Spartans drew another corner. York created a penalty stroke and grad forward Hannah Huffman drove home the chance for her sixth goal of the campaign. The Green and White salted away the win and preserved their 11^th shutout of the year.
• The Spartan held a 12-1 margin in total shots and an 8-1 bulge in shots on goal. York also held an 8-1 advantage in penalty corners.
 
Spartan Notes
The meeting was the first between the two programs … York improves to 3-0 all-time against teams from the state of Ohio … the Spartans improve to 2-1 all-time in the NCAA Tournament and 2-0 at Kinsley Field in the tournament … the Spartans finished the year 10-1 at Kinsley Field as they have won five in a row at home … the 16^th win for the Spartans ties the school record for wins in a season, matching the mark of the 2022 squad … the clean sheet is York's 11^th of the year … York is now 5-4 against teams in the 2023 NCAA Tournament field … the Spartans strength of schedule is fifth in the country while their goals against average is currently seventh … junior Belle Fields, the MAC Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Year, earned her 31^st career victory and her 17^th career shutout … Fields also earned her 16^th win of the year which sets a new single-season record for the Green and White … Fields' 11^th shutout extends her current school record … Fields lowered her season goals against average to 0.55 … Hannah Huffman and Olivia Miller both scored as they both now have 16 points on six goals and four assists … Miller now has three game-winning goals … Huffman's penalty stroke goal was the Spartans' second off the year … Riley Buschert joined the Spartans in double figures in scoring as she now has 12 points on five goals and two assists.
 
Up Next
The Spartans face #11 Lynchburg in the second round of the tournament at Christopher Newport in Newport News, Virginia on Saturday afternoon at 1:00 pm. The Hornets downed the Spartans 2-0 on September 23 in Sweet Briar, Virginia. The winner of the second round game will face the winner of the Christopher Newport – Kean game on Sunday at 1:00 pm for the right to go to the Final Four.