YORK, PA – The York College women’s lacrosse suffered a gut-wrenching 9-8 defeat to Susquehanna University Tuesday afternoon at York’s Kinsley Field. The loss, the Spartans’ third in a row, drops the Green and White to 2-6 on the year while the Crusaders up their early season mark to 4-1.
      The first half proved promising as the Spartans built a solid 3-0 lead by the 5:08 mark of the frame. With high defensive pressure draped all over Megan Bell (Westminster, Md./Francis Scott Key) and Megan Foy (Toms River, N.J./Toms River North), York’s two leading scorers, Molly Kerrigan (Bel Air, Md./Institute of Notre Dame) stepped up and provided the Green and White with the game’s first score. Kerrigan tallied her eighth goal of the year, this time by way of an Ashley Kanzler (Baltimore, Md./Perry Hall) assist, with 22:11 showing on the clock.
      Despite the defensive pressure, Foy could not be held in check for long. With a man-advantage opportunity, Foy drew a free position shot as the half neared its midway point. Foy made good on the attempt notching her team-leading 15th score of the year to put her squad up 2-0.
      Freshman Rachel Klado (Baltimore, Md./Perry Hall) increased the Spartan lead to three just over ten minutes later. Kerrigan, who ended the game with three assists, found Klado who promptly tallied the first goal of her collegiate career. Now up 3-0 the Spartans seemed to be well on their way to their third win of the year.
      Unfortunately for the home squad, Susquehanna had other ideas. Ally Bauer, who would prove to be a thorn in the Spartans’ side all game, scored twice over the final 4:01 to slash the Spartan lead to a mere 3-2.
      At the half, both squads had rattled off 14 shots while Susquehanna picked up 17 ground balls to York’s 14. The Spartans had the upper-hand in draw controls winning 4-of-6. Spartan senior goalkeeper Anne Feustle (Baltimore, Md./Catonsville) played an exceptional first half as she recorded seven saves in the opening frame including several a point-blank range.
      The second half would see the offensive floodgates open as the Spartans and Crusaders, who combined for only five first-half scores, would tally a combined 12 goals in the latter 30 minutes.
      Klado put the Green and White up 4-2 to begin the half as she scored the second of her career off of a Meaghan Doak (Pylesville, Md./Harford Tech) assist just 1:15 into the stanza.
      That lead would not last long however, as the Crusaders went on a three-goal blitz over a short 1:31 period. Sarah Wright registered her 12th and 13th scores of 2009 during that time while D.J. Jacobs sandwiched her fourth goal of the year between Wright’s pair. The short offensive burst vaulted Susquehanna into the lead, at 5-4, for the first time in the game.
      The Spartans answered the Crusader run with a dash of their own, regaining the lead at 6-5 with two scores in less than two minutes. Bell scored her first of the day, and 14th of the year, with 17:34 showing in the game clock. Bell’s goal, courtesy of another Kerrigan assist, knotted the score at 5-5. Kanzler then broke the deadlock, and gave the Spartans a 6-5 lead, 1:52 later on yet another Kerrigan helper.
      Unfazed by the Spartans’ response, the Crusaders went on an extended 4-0 to take a commanding 9-6 lead. Bauer, who opened the run with her 13th score of the year at the 12:42 mark, tallied two of Susquehanna’s four straight goals while Erin Dyer and Sara Franckowiak chipped in the other two.
      Down 9-6 with only 3:47 left, Kanzler gave the Spartans a glimmer of hope with her second on the at the 3:06 mark to cut the Crusader lead to 9-7. However, York’s eighth and final goal would come with only two ticks remaining on the clock, Doak’s third of 2009, as Susquehanna effectively killed off the majority of the three minutes in their offensive end.
      For the game, Susquehanna bested the Spartans 31-28 in shots as well as 32-23 in ground balls. The Spartans performed exceptionally well on their clear attempts, going 19-for-24 while they also won the draw control battle 10-8.
     Bauer led the visitors with four goals on the day to up her season mark to 14. She also collected two ground balls and one draw control. Wright scored twice and picked up three ground balls while Katelyn Deese secured a game-high eight ground balls. Goalkeeper Meredith Tompeck recorded ten saves in her 60 minutes of action.
     Klado scored her first two collegiate goals while Bell scored once for the Spartans as she now has 14 goals for the season. The senior captain stuffed the stat sheet with six ground balls, six draw controls, and three caused turnovers. Kanzler matched Klado’s pair as she also tallied two goals, her first multi-scoring game of her college career, while Foy scored for the 15th time this season and picked up six ground balls. Kerrigan notched a team-high four points on one goal and three assists. Freshman defender Courtney Heller (Reisterstown, Md./Franklin) posted a game-high five caused turnovers. Feustle finished the day with 13 saves in 60 minutes.
     The Spartans are now set to entertain Capital Athletic Conference foe St. Mary’s on Saturday, March 21. Game time from Kinsley Field is set for noon.

GAME BOX

Molly Kerrigan photo courtesy of Scott Guise