BOX SCORE
Center Valley, PA (October 6, 2007) – Senior Ashley Sparango (Salfordville, PA/Souderton) tied the single-game record for goals (4) and points (8) in leading the DeSales University field hockey team past Arcadia University, 7-1, in the Freedom Conference opener on Saturday afternoon.
Sparango scored four times including the game-winner to total eight points to the single-game record in both categories. The Bulldogs are now 6-7 overall and 1-0 in the Freedom Conference, have scored 16 goals in their last two games and have won three straight overall with the win.
Freshman Jamie Matthews (Gilbertsville, PA/Boyertown) started the scoring 29:44 into the game when she tallied her seventh goal of the season on an assist from fellow freshman Kelsey Strowhouer (Wilmington, DE/Brandywine). Sparango then added the eventual game-winner off a feed from Matthews just five minutes later and just 13 seconds before the half giving DSU the 2-0 halftime edge.
In the second half freshman Amy Pulcini (Easton, PA/Easton) scored unassisted at the 42:28 mark before the Scarlet Knights (4-8, 0-2 Freedom)got on the board at the 44:32 mark. The next 20+ minutes belonged to Sparango as she scored three unanswered goals, two of which were assisted by freshman Laura Gibbs (Pitman, NJ/Pitman) off penalty corners and the third of which was unassisted. The Matthews/Strowhouer combination put the exclamation point on the scoreboard with 23 seconds left to provide the final 7-1 margin.
The Bulldogs out-shot Arcadia, 37-1, and held a 19-2 edge in penalty corners on the afternoon. The Bulldogs return to action on Thursday, October 11th when they host King's College in another Freedom Conference game beginning at 4:00 pm.
