Jessica Pankey	Alyssa Whitman
Kathleen Keale	Meghan Kearney
Krista Osborne	Bridget Brady

Box Score

SCRANTON, Pa.—Sophomore forward Alyssa Whitman (Bethlehem, Pa./Saucon Valley) provided the offense and sophomore back Jessica Pankey (Pompton Lakes, NJ/Pompton Lakes) keyed the defense in The University of Scranton field hockey team’s 1-0 victory over Arcadia University Saturday afternoon at Fitzpatrick Field.

The win was a historic one for the Royals, giving them their seventh straight victory to break the former record of sixth consecutive wins to open a season by the 1998 team.

Pankey, along with fellow backline mates Bridget Brady (Plymouth Meeting, Pa./Mt. St. Joseph Academy) and Michelle Lennon (South Walpole, Mass./Walpole) and midfielders Alyssa Fania (Annandale, NJ/North Hunterdon), Kathleen Keale (Wall, NJ/Wall), and Megan Kearney (Broomall, Pa./Cardinal O’Hara), continually frustrated the Knights by consistently clearing away the ball whenever they got on the offensive side of the field.

Overall, Scranton’s defense allowed only four shots—none on goal—en route to snapping the Knights’ four-game winning streak and handing them their first shutout of the season.  Arcadia, which entered the game averaging over three goals per game, did not get off its first shot attempt until late in the second half.

Even though the Royals put together their most impressive defensive effort of the season, the game remained a scoreless tie until the 45th minute of the second half.  Scranton finally broke through when sophomore forward Krista Osborne (Blue Bell, Pa./Gwynedd-Mercy) ran down a loose ball in the scoring circle and drilled a shot that was saved by Knight freshman goalkeeper Brittany Hodson (Hughesville, Md./North Point).  After the ball deflected away from  Hodson, Whitman tapped in the rebound for her second goal of the season.

In the closing minutes, Arcadia was awarded a number of penalty corners, but the Royals clamped down to help junior goalkeeper Krista Mundy (North Caldwell, NJ/West Essex) earn her first shutout of the season and the sixth of her career.

Hodson finished with four saves for Arcadia and junior back Morgan Paese (Harrisburg, Pa./Bishop McDevitt) recorded a defensive save on a shot attempt by Osborne midway through the first half.

The Royals will return to action this Tuesday, September 24, against Immaculata University in Immaculata, Pennsylvania, beginning at 8:00 p.m.

News & Notes:  Scranton held a 10-6 advantage in shots and an 11-5 edge in penalty corners…the Royals now lead the all-time series with Arcadia, 2-1…Royals have held three of their last four opponents scoreless.

--ROYALS--