YORK, PA – The #11 York College field hockey team opened their 2024 season with a hard fought 2-1 win over the University of Scranton on Saturday afternoon in York.
The Royals opened the scoring in the first quarter but the Spartans scored a pair of goals in the second to earn the one-goal victory.
The Spartans improve to 1-0 overall while the Royals, who were playing their second game in as many days, are now 1-1.
 
How It Happened
• The Royals had the better of the play early as they looked like the team that had shaken off the rust in their Friday game. The Royals had three shots and three penalty corners in the opening 6:20 of the game. Scranton finally found the mark 14 seconds later as Katie Redding played a ball to the right side of the circle. Reagan Dolan received the pass, wound up and fired a shot that rode up and over Spartan goalie Belle Fields for the goal and the 1-0 lead.
• While Scranton carried the play in the first 15 minutes, the Spartans seized momentum to start the second. The Spartans got a run of Tori Heiserman shots early in the quarter. The first shot was cleared off the line by Scranton defender Lauren Franco. Her second shot went wide and her third shot found the back of the cage, tying the game at one in the 23^rd minute. Heiserman collected a loose ball in front of the cage, made a spin move and finished off the chance for her first collegiate goal.
• York continued the momentum as the Spartans earned a pair of consecutive penalty corners. The second corner resulted in the game winner. Riley Buschert inserted the ball to the wing to Maggie Spadafora. Spadafora fired a pass towards the goal but it was stopped by Gianna Travia. Fortunately for the Spartans, the ball dropped right to the stick of Buschert who drilled home the shot that became the game-winning goal.
• The two teams took turns with momentum in the third quarter. York had four penalty corners and one shot in the first two minutes of the quarter but the Royals answered quickly. Scranton had two corners and three shots on goal in a 45 second flurry but Fields kept the Royals off the board. Senior Libby Wild also cleared one of the shots off the line for a defensive save to maintain the lead.  York had another spurt late in the quarter as they got a pair of corners and shots but were unable to find the back of the cage.
• The Spartan carried the majority of play in the fourth quarter as York out shot Scranton 4-1 and held a 4-0 bulge in penalty corners as they were able to close out the one-goal win.
• York finished the game holding a 14-10 margin in shots while Scranton held a 7-4 margin in shots on goal. York held a significant 13-5 edge in penalty corners.
 
Spartan Notes
The Spartans have now won both of the all-time meetings against the Royals as both have been one-goal wins … the Spartans are 4-3 in season openers under head coach Katie Fost as York has won four straight lid lifters … York is now 5-2 in home openers under Fost … sophomore Tori Heiserman picked up her first collegiate goal in the Spartan win … the game-winning goal by Riley Buschert was her fourth career game winner and 16^th career goal as a Spartan … senior Belle Fields registered five saves as she earned her 32^nd career win … York is now 27-5 at Kinsley Field dating back to the start of the 2021 campaign … York has won six in a row at home … Kate Egan, Claire Burrows, and Michaela Cokinos made their collegiate debut as starters for the Green and White … Kelbie Linebaugh and Bella Reiss made their Spartan debuts off the bench for the Spartans.
 
Up Next
The Spartans head out on the road on Wednesday afternoon when they head to Carlisle to tangle with the Dickinson Red Devils. The game is slated for a 4:00 pm start. York has won five of their last six in the series against Dickinson.