YORK, PA – The York College field hockey squad finished their 2009 regular season home slate with flair on Monday afternoon, topping visiting Gwynedd-Mercy College 4-1. With the victory, the Spartans improve to 13-6 on the year, the highest win total since recording 14 triumphs in 1998, while the Griffins fall to 11-7.

On the Spartans’ “PINK OUT” day, their culminating match after a month of raising funds for the “Play 4 the Cure” campaign, the Green and White donned pink t-shirts before the game and pink socks throughout the match.

That pink gear suited Spartan freshman Sandee Reich (Pitman, N.J./Glassboro) just fine as she posted her best scoring output of the season. Recording a natural hat trick within a 26:03 span. Reich tallied the game’s first score in the 12th minute of play. Allison Roush (Lancaster, Pa./Manheim Township) fed a beautiful lead pass to Katie Dawkins (Easton, Md./Easton) inside the circle. Dawkins then rapped a shot that was initially saved by Griffin netminder Kate Eschbach. The goalkeeper however, could not clear the Spartan opportunity before Reich hammered home the rebound to put York up 1-0.

Reich struck again in the 26th minute, as she was the recipient of another Dawkins play. The pair combined well in front of the visitor’s cage allowing Reich to finish for the eventual game-winner – the rookie’s second such tally this season.

Reich would finish her hat trick just 2:33 into the second half, as she once again proved to be in the right place at the right time. Roush struck a shot that Eschbach was able to keep out of the goal but knocked it high into the air. In a quick-thinking maneuver, Reich jabbed at the airborne sphere with a baseball-like swing. Her flawless timing knocked the ball into the back of the cage for her seventh goal of 2009 and put the Green and White up 3-0.

A mere 29 seconds later, the Spartans finished their fourth and final tally of match as Megan Spangler (Myerstown, Pa./Eastern Lebanon County) tallied on an assist from Roush. The junior slid a pass to Spangler on the left post allowing Spangler to record her seventh of the year.

In the 50th minute, Dottie O’Neil spoiled York’s shutout bid when she tipped home a Kerri Boon attempt. Boon struck a solid rip from near the edge of the circle on the right flank. O’Neil set herself up right in front of Spartan goalkeeper Claire Rekitzke (Seaford, Del./Seaford Senior), tipping Boon’s shot up into the air. Rekitzke nearly made a brilliant reaction save but when the ball landed it was over York’s goal line for the Griffins’ lone score.

The match would come to a close 20:53 later, as the Green and White secured a solid 4-1 victory.

For the game, York unleashed 21 shots to Gwynedd-Mercy’s ten, while the Spartans also led in penalty corners 6-3.

Rekitzke made six save for the Green and White over her 61:55 of play as she continues her stellar 2009 campaign. Maggie Schlauch (Breinigsville, Pa./Parkland) relieved the senior and was not forced to make a stop over the final 8:05. Eschbach performed admirably between the posts for the Griffins, making 13 saves throughout her 70 minutes of action.

York’s 13th win of the year leaves the Spartans two victories short of the 41-year-old program’s highest win total. The 1998 squad registered a record-setting 15-win campaign finishing that year with a mark of 15-4.

The Green and White will line up for the final time in the 2009 regular season on Wednesday, October 28, in Lancaster, Pa. York travels to nearby Franklin & Marshall for a 7:00 p.m. non-conference tilt.

BOX SCORE

For more information on the "Play 4 the Cure" campaign please click here.

The Spartan field hockey squad sporting their pink "Play 4 the Cure" t-shirts prior to Wednesday's game against Gwynedd-Mercy. Photo courtesy of Scott Guise.