Box Score
SCRANTON, Pa. – Senior Gracie McClatchy (Havertown, Pa./Archbishop Carroll) scored a pair of goals and added an assist as The University of Scranton field hockey team (9-5, 4-0 Landmark) remained unbeaten in Landmark Conference play with a 4-1 win over the Drew Rangers (2-13, 0-4 Landmark) on a chilly Thursday night at Weiss Field in Scranton.
Scranton sits on top of the Landmark Conference standings at 4-0 with three conference games remaining.
McClatchy opened the scoring with 5:11 left in the first quarter as she collected a loose ball in front off an initial shot from sophomore Shaelin de Wit (New Tripoli, Pa./Northwestern Lehigh) and found the back of the net to give the Royals a 1-0 lead. Senior Brianna Witt (Sloatsburg, N.Y./Suffern) struck just over three minutes later with a rebound opportunity off a shot from sophomore Allie Benadon (Hillsborough, N.J./Hillsborough) to extend the lead to 2-0. The goal was Witt's third of the season. McClatchy struck again with 12:07 left in the second quarter as she blasted a shot past Drew goalie Joie Slossar to make it a 3-0 game in favor of the hosts. The senior's eight goals are tops on the team and rank third in the Landmark Conference. Scranton held an 11-1 shot advantage in the first half.
The two teams battled through a scoreless third quarter before Drew got on the board with 11:10 left in the game on a goal from Sami Strathern to cut the lead to 3-1. Senior Nicolette Keale (Wall Township, N.J./Wall) closed the scoring just over three minutes later as she notched her fifth goal of the season off a feed in front from McClatchy to stretch the lead to 4-1.
Scranton held a 21-5 shot advantage led by six shots from Witt, five from McClatchy and four apiece from Keale and Benadon.
Senior goalie Claire McAllister (Plymouth Meeting, Pa./Plymouth-Whitemarsh) tallied a pair of saves to earn the win for the hosts, while Slossar had 12 saves for the Rangers.
The Royals will host Elizabethtown in a key Landmark Conference matchup on Saturday afternoon at Weiss Field at 1 p.m.
--ROYALS--
