Gretchen Kempf	Cassie Mullen

Box Score

GLENSIDE, Pa.—The University of Scranton field hockey team scored twice in the final 18 minutes of play, but it wasn’t enough to overcome a 3-0 deficit en route to a 5-2 loss to Arcadia University in non-conference action Thursday afternoon.

The loss was the second straight for the Royals, now 9-5, while the Knights improved to 12-4.

Remarkably, all seven goals were scored in the final 30 minutes of play, including three by Arcadia within a nine-minute span to take what appeared to be a comfortable lead.

Scranton, which scored three goals in the final six minutes of play to stun Oneonta St., 3-2, on October 10, made things interesting by cutting the lead to one with less than six minutes remaining.  

Senior Gretchen Kempf (Warrington, Pa./Central Bucks South) got the Royals on the scoreboard with an  unassisted goal in the 52nd minute and sophomore forward Cassie Mullen (Chester Springs, Pa./Villa Maria Academy) followed 12 minutes later with a goal off a scramble in front of the Knights’ cage off of a penalty corner.  Sophomore defender Jessica Pankey (Pompton Lakes, NJ/Pompton Lakes) was credited with an assist on the play.

Arcadia then ended any hopes of a dramatic comeback by the Royals by successfully converting two penalty corners into goals to set the final score.

Freshman defender Taylor Dalisera (Millersville, Md./Severna Park) led the Knights with two goals, sophomore midfielder Katrina Dull (Coopersburg, Pa./South Lehigh) had a goal and three assists, and senior forward Marilyn Beatty (Chalfont, Pa./North Penn) finished with a goal and two assists.  

Arcadia out-shot the Royals, 13-4, and held a 17-6 advantage in penalty corners.

Kempf’s goal was her team-leading 12th of the season and the 38th of her career.  In addition, she is now one of only four players in Scranton history to score at least 90 points in a career, joining Denise Atkinson (125 points, 1982, 1983, 1985), Judy Grimaldi (119, 1985-1988), and Traci Zarbatany (117, 1986-1989).  Kempf now has 91 points in 67 career games.

The Royals will return to Landmark Conference action on Saturday, October 20, against 19th-ranked Catholic University at 1:00 p.m. at Fitzpatrick Field.

--ROYALS--