WEST CHESTER, Pa.- The No. 2 ranked West Chester field hockey team (1-0) had its first test of the new season on Friday night in its home and season-opener vs No. 4 Assumption (0-1). West Chester passed this early season test with flying colors as eight different Golden Rams found the back of the net as West Chester rolled to a 10-1 victory in front of the home crowd on Friday night.
With The first quarter appearing as if it would go scoreless, West Chester broke the ice in the 14
th minute when
Ella Shockley (Delmar, Del./Delmar) scored following a penalty corner to give West Chester a 1-0 lead. This lead did not last long as Assumption responded quickly with a goal of its own just over 30 seconds later to even the score at 1-1 heading into the second quarter.
The second quarter was all West Chester as the Golden Rams scored three goals in short order, scoring all three within a three-minute span to take a 4-1 lead into the halftime break. West Chester opened its second quarter scoring in the 24
th minute when
Valerie Van Kuijck (Denbosh, The Netherlands/Pierson School) followed her own shot and converted the rebound from the left side of the cage to put West Chester back out in front.
The Golden Rams added another tally just over a minute later when
Dara Spavlik (Hockessin, Del./Conrad) buried a shot from the top off a penalty corner feed from
Montana Ott (Mount Bethel, Pa./Bangor) to make the score 3-1. West Chester extended its lead once more in the 27
th minute when
Claudia Jaszcak (Coatesville, Pa./Downingtown West) chipped a shot over a diving goalkeeper off a pass to the middle from
Sophia Morrison (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Mechanicsburg) to give the Golden Rams a 4-1 lead heading into the halftime break.
In the first half of action, West Chester outshot its guests 11-4, behind a significant 6-1 advantage in this category in the second quarter.
Megan Gula (Lincoln University, Pa./Avon Grove) played well through the first 30 minutes of action, making two saves on three shots on goal to limit the potent Greyhound offense.
In the third quarter, West Chester added three more goals courtesy of a pair of goals from
Paige Wolfe (Downingtown, Pa./Downingtown East) and
Jasmine Miller's (Millersville, Pa./Penn Manor) first goal as a Golden Ram on an assist from Van Kuijck.
In the fourth quarter, West Chester added to its advantage quickly when
Rory Strom (Jenkintown, Pa./Jenkintown) found the back of the net on a penalty stroke less than a minute into the period to make the score 8-1 in favor of the Golden Rams. West Chester added two more goals before the end of the fourth via another Strom penalty stroke and a first career goal by
Caitlynn Szarko (Eldersburg, Md./Liberty) off an assist from
Adrianna Palumbo (West Deptford, N.J./West Deptford) with just over a minute and half to play in regulation to roll to the 10-1 victory.
West Chester ended the contest with an impressive 27-9 advantage in shots and a 21-7 lead in shots on goal. The Golden Rams also ended the game with a 17-4 advantage in penalty corners thanks in part to an 11-2 advantage in this category during the second half of action. Between the pipes, Gula played well making five saves to slow the Assumption offense throughout the evening.
Up Next:
West Chester will continue its season opening homestand on Sunday afternoon vs Bentley beginning at 12 p.m.
