Center Valley, PA (October 9, 2006) – Sophomore Amanda Deal (Macungie, PA/Whitehall) scored three goals to lead the DeSales University field hockey team past Drew University, 5-1, in a Freedom Conference game.

 

        Deal now has a team-high tying nine goals on the season and coming into the game had scored two goals in a game three times this season but this time she topped herself by one recording the hat trick.  The Bulldogs (8-5, 2-2 Freedom) find themselves right in the thick of the Freedom Conference playoff chase with the win and three conference games remaining.  The loss is the eighth straight for Drew (2-8, 0-4 Freedom) after starting the season with two wins.

 

        Deal started the scoring at the 18:21 mark knocking in a rebound of a saved shot.  Junior Ashley Sparango (Salfordville, PA/Souderton) got into the scoring act with a spectacular goal at 32:11.  Sparango took a pass at the midfield line, dodged about four Ranger defenders and fired a shot just inside the scoring circle and past the DU keeper.  Drew got on the board with just 53 seconds left in the half when Ryan Hoover re-directed a centering pass from Whitney Kerns into the cage and DSU led 2-1 at the midway point.

 

        Drew started strong in the second half, earning four corners in the first five minutes but was unable to score and DSU eventually took advantage.  Deal scored her second at 48:39 on a rocket shot just inside the scoring circle and made it 4-1 at 58:46 when she re-directed a shot to the corner from senior Stephanie Milowicki (Hockessin, DE/St. Mark’s).  Junior Erica Ecklund (Burlington, NJ/Burlington Township) ended the scoring with her second tally of the season with just one second left to post the final margin.

 

        Freshman Molly Pope (Eldridge, MD/Long Reach) made three saves in between the pipes as DSU out-shot Drew, 41-10 in the game.  Stef Rutkowski made 17 stops for the Rangers in the loss.