BRANDYWINE HUNDRED — Saint Mark’s applied relentless offensive pressure on Brandywine, and on defense the Spartans held the Bulldogs without a shot in a 3-0 field hockey victory on Oct. 6. It was Brandywine’s first loss of the season.
The Spartans wasted no time going on the offensive. They earned a penalty stroke inside the first two minutes, but the shot sailed wide left. The penalty corners came next, with the first three not bearing any fruit. The fourth, however, paid dividends. Leah Pala sent the inbounds pass to Katie Hanich, and her shot from just inside the scoring circle got through a few bodies and past the Bulldogs’ goalkeeper with 3:25 left in the first.
They doubled their lead at the 9:07 mark of the second. This time, Saint Mark’s got things going on a restart just outside the circle. Pala was credited with the goal after she deflected a shot by Riley Fleetwood. The Spartans kept the pressure on, but that was the only other goal of the half.
The second half resembled the first, with the Spartans in control. They scored one more time, early in the fourth quarter, on a pretty goal by freshman Marcelle Kappes. She one-timed a crossing pass from Morgan Hall into the cage from about six feet out.
Final statistics were not available, but Spartans goalkeepers Abigail McIlvain and Jenna League combined for the shutout. The Spartans improved to 6-3 and take on Middletown on Friday at 3 p.m. at Rullo Stadium at the University of Delaware as part of the annual Turf Bowl.
Brandywine (6-1-1) is also back in action Friday, traveling to McKean for a 3:30 p.m. start.
All photos by Mike Lang.
