Box Score MANSFIELD, Pa. – Junior
Alexis Versak (Limerick, Pa./Spring-Ford) registered a hat trick, and sophomore
Marnie Kusakavitch (Pittston, Pa./Holy Redeemer) added a pair of goals as well to lead No. 3 West Chester University to a 6-1 victory over host Mansfield University in a PSAC field hockey contest Wednesday afternoon.
West Chester (4-0, 2-0 PSAC) scored the first five goals of the match and never looked back against Mansfield (1-4, 1-2).
Versak single-handedly put the Golden Rams on top with a pair of back-to-back goals within the first seven minutes of the game. Versak deflected a shot from
Kristina Scherrer (Enola, Pa./Cumberland Valley) into the top corner of the goal in the fourth minute to break onto the scoresheet. She then collected a pass from
Alayna Brown (Telford, Pa./Souderton) off another penalty corner and blasted a shot into the cage from 10 yards away.
Kusakavitch finished off an opportunity right out in front in the 19th minute, before
Rachal Toppi (Glassboro, N.J./Glassboro) tapped in a pass from
Dayle Paustian (Martinsville, N.J./Bridgewater-Raritan) in the 25th minute to put West Chester in front 4-0 by halftime.
By then, sophomore
Sarah Krause (Lancaster, Pa./Conestoga Valley) (1-0), making her first start of the season in the cage, was in control. Krause picked up her first win of the season, recording five saves in 70 minutes of action.
Scherrer registered her second assist of the night on Versak's final tally in the 56th minute of the game. Mansfield's Brianna Hathaway spoiled Krause's shutout bid four minutes later. Kusakavitch then notched her second goal of the game and team-leading eighth of the season in the 63rd minute.
West Chester continues its road trip Saturday with another pivotal PSAC showdown at Bloomsburg at 12 p.m.
