YORK, PA – The #8 York College field hockey team got a late goal to edge #9 SUNY Cortland 1-0 in a battle of NFHCA Top Ten teams at Kinsley Field on a beautiful Wednesday afternoon.
The Spartans remained unbeaten at home as they improve to 5-0
York is now 9-3 overall while the Red Dragons suffered their first loss of the year, falling to 10-1 overall.
 
How It Happened
• The first quarter was void of much action in either scoring zone. York had one corner 5:28 into the game and one shot that was blocked in the ninth minute. Other than that, the two teams wore out the middle of the field trading possessions.
• The Red Dragons had an early second quarter flurry as they had a pair of shots that Belle Fields was forced to save while a third attempt was blocked. York answered just over a minute later as the Green and White forced Cortland goalie Emma Morgan to make a pair of saves. York got a third shot on goal by Libby Wild off a penalty corner in the 19^th minute of the match but it was blocked. Cortland almost broke through with just under five minutes left in the half. They drew a penalty corner and were able to keep possession in the Spartans defensive zone over the next minute. Keirra Ettere blasted a shot from the top of the circle that Fields saved. The rebound came to Hanna Corrigan who had her shot saved by Wild to keep the game scoreless heading to the half.
• The third quarter saw the two teams have limited offensive opportunities. York got a shot from Kelbie Linebaugh that was saved by Morgan. Cortland got a pair of Ettere shots in the final stages of the quarter but neither shot found their mark.
• York got off to a great start in the fourth quarter starting with a penalty corner 41 seconds into the period. Wild put a shot on goal but Morgan registered the save. York got another penalty corner with just over 11 minutes left and Olivia Miller blasted a ball into the cage off the corner but the shot was deemed too high and the goal was waved off. The game remained tied until there was just over seven minutes left in the game while Riley Buschert picked off a Cortland pass from in front of the Spartan bench. She drove the ball across the top of the circle, cut just inside the circle on the left wing and unleashed a backhanded shot that lofted over Morgan for the 1-0 Spartan lead.
• York had to kill off the remainder of the game and Fields made that goal stand with a pair of saves in the final four minutes of play. York finished the match with a 10-9 edge in total shots and a 7-6 margin in shots on goal. York also had a 9-3 bulge in penalty corners. Fields finished the day with five saves. Morgan recorded six stops for the Red Dragons.
 
Spartan Notes
The meeting was the first between the two programs … Cortland entered the game averaging 4.8 goals per game but were shut out for the first time this year … the Red Dragons were riding a six-game shutout streak as the Spartan goal was just the sixth they have conceded all year … Cortland came into the game riding a 17-game regular season winning streak as they had won their final seven games of the 2023 regular season … Cortland is 28-3 over the last two campaigns … Cortland has not been shut out since October 1, 2022 when they lost at SUNY Geneseo 2-0, a span of 41 matches … York is now 5-3 in on goal games and are 3-3 against nationally ranked teams … Cortland was facing their third ranked opponent for the year as they beat #18 Franklin and Marshall and #17 Ithaca 2-1 before falling to York … York has outscored their opponents 6-1 in the fourth quarter … York has outscored their five home opponents 13-1 … senior goalie Belle Fields recorded her 40^th career win as she is now one win away from tying Meg Eckenrode's school record of 41 … Field notched her 23^rd career shutout as the continues to extend her own school record … senior Libby Wild earned her conference-leading eighth defensive save of the year with her second quarter stop … Wild now has 15 career defensive saves as she tied with former Spartan Lauren Redmond for fourth place on the career list … Wild is tied for third in single season defensive saves with at eight … Wild is tied with Julie Reahl and Danielle Gaitings … the game-winning goal for Riley Buschert is her fourth of the year while the goal is her eighth of the campaign … Buschert leads the team with 20 points on her eight goals and four assists … Buschert now has 23 career goals and 63 career points.
 
Up Next
The Spartans remain at home as they open up MAC Commonwealth play with a tough test against Stevenson University on Saturday afternoon at 1:00 pm. The Mustangs are 9-1-1 heading into their Wednesday night match up against #4 Johns Hopkins in Owings Mills, MD. The game will be the conference opener for both squads.