McFarland Breaks the Career Goals Mark; Spartans Rally for Victory
YORK, PA- York College senior
April McFarland (York, Pa./Eastern York) made a
memorable day more memorable as the forward became the
Spartans’ all-time goal scoring leader on a strange Tuesday
afternoon in York. En route to breaking Jackie Russell’s
record of 46 goals, McFarland’s hat trick vaulted the
Spartans past a pesky McDaniel College squad, 4-3. The day had
everything as the game began in the sun and finished in the dark
courtesy of a one hour and 20 minute rain and lightning delay late
in the second half.
The Spartans improve to 6-6 overall while the
Green Terror falls to 5-5. The win snaps the Spartans’
three-game losing streak in the series with the Green Terror.
The Green Terror jumped on the Spartans early
as Kristin Mele scored off a pass from Michelle Fluty just 1:01
into the contest. McDaniel continued to hold the momentum in the
first 20 minutes of the game until the Spartans finally started to
wrestle control away from the guests. The Spartans started to
assert themselves in the later stages of the half and they finally
got on the board when McFarland began her record-setting day.
Junior Megan Spangler (Myerstown, Pa./Eastern Lebanon
County) slid a pass to McFarland and the senior finished
it off with just under 10 minutes remaining in the half.
The two squads went to the break tied as the
green and white held an 11-5 edge in shots and an 8-2 bulge in
penalty corners.
The Green Terror came roaring out of the
intermission as Jamie Smith untied the game with a goal off a pass
from Amanda Pickard just 4:07 into the half. Eight minutes later,
Mele tallied her second goal of the game, putting the Green Terror
up two goals with the skies darkening and the storm coming.
McFarland cut the Spartan deficit to one with
16:03 remaining in the game as she notched her second goal of the
game. That is when the officials pulled the teams off the field and
sent them to the Grumbacher Center as the storm was poised to
strike.
The two squads came back out 50 minutes into
the delay only to be pulled off the field again as there was more
lightning spotted. After waiting the required 30 minutes and with
darkness descending on Kinsley Field, the two teams got back to
it.
Spangler tied the game for York with 9:03
remaining in regulation and McFarland tallied the game-winner 5:39
later as she appeared to tip a shot in from the top of the circle.
It was originally ruled to not be a goal but after a conference,
the officials ruled that McFarland got a stick on the ball for the
game-winning goal.
The Spartans were able to run out the final
3:24 of the game to pick up the win.
The Spartans finished the game with a 23-11
edge in total shots and a 17-4 margin in penalty corners.
Spartan netminder Claire Rekitzke
(Seaford, Del./Seaford Senior) picked up the win as she
recorded four saves for the green and white. Erika Wawzyanick
suffered the loss as she allowed four goals while making five saves
in 70 minutes of action.
McFarland now stands first on the goals list
with 47 goals and second on the points list with 102 career points.
She is just the second player in school history to accumulate 100
points for her career. McFarland has played in 72 games and
today’s game-winning goal was the 13th of her career.
The Spartans travel to Elizabethtown on
Thursday to face the Blue Jays in the conclusion of their September
6 game that was suspended by tropical storm Hanna. There is just
under 15 minutes remaining in the contest. The game will resume at
4:30 pm.
The April McFarland photo courtesy of Steve Doemland