Eight Players Score As W&J Cruises Past Bethany
BETHANY, W. Va. – Washington & Jefferson College received goals from eight different players and eased to a 10-1 victory against Bethany in field hockey action from Bison Stadium on Thursday night.
The Presidents (1-0) won their sixth-straight season opener, while the Bison dropped to 0-3 during their inaugural season.
Senior Tori Patrick (State College, Pa./State College) scored the first of her two goals to put W&J on the board nearly eight minutes into the game.
Sophomore Gina Taglieri (Huntington Beach, Calif./Huntington Beach) and senior Jennifer Marabella (Sinking Spring, Pa./Holy Name) scored two minutes apart midway through the first half to give W&J a 3-0 edge. The Presidents added two more tallies for a five-goal lead before the first half ended.
W&J scored five more times in the final 35 minutes, including the first career goals for senior Meaghan Thornlow (Hudson, Ohio/Hudson) and freshman Alyssa Schlegel (Thompsontown, Pa./East Juniata).
Three players recorded four-point matches. Patrick and junior Catherina Villa (Poway, Calif./Poway) both scored pair of goals, while senior Amanda Pflumm (Shoreham, N.Y./Shoreham Wading River) contributed a goal and two assists.
W&J held a 32-1 advantage in shots on goal and attempted 18 penalty corners compared to just one for Bethany. The Presidents scored 10 goals in a match for the first time since Oct. 6, 2010, when they downed Oberlin 11-2
Freshman Kira Bunker (Magnolia, Del./Polytech) did not face a shot in 35 minutes of action and earned the first victory of her collegiate career. Jacqueline Harrison stopped 18 shots in net for the Bison, while Courtney Gill scored Bethany’s lone goal.
W&J opens Empire 8 Conference play on Saturday when it travels to Nazareth for a rematch of last year’s conference championship game. The Presidents defeated the Golden Flyers 2-1 to earn the first NCAA Division III Tournament berth in program history. Game time is 1:00 pm in Rochester, N.Y.
