(Portions of this story were taken from the Salisbury
University website)
GRANTHAM, Pa. - The seventh-ranked Salisbury University
field hockey team defeated Rhodes College, 7-0, in the second round
of the NCAA Division III tournament. The win marks the Sea Gulls'
tenth shutout victory of the season. Boxscore
After first watching host school Messiah College earn a 7-0 victory
against Lynchburg College in the day's opening second-round
contest, Salisbury (16-3) came out swinging. Scoring for the Sea
Gulls was swift and consistent – starting with a rip from
junior forward Caitlin Walker just 3:24 into the contest.
It seemed as if good things came in pairs for the Sea Gulls, who
took a total of 22 shots and had three players score two goals
each. Junior goalkeeper Anna Cooke made two saves, including an
excellent diving stop in the 61st minute of play to preserve
Salisbury's shutout.
A pair of goals by senior midfielder Kandice Hancock, junior
forward Alison Bloodsworth and sophomore forward Erica Henderson
gave Salisbury its third-highest scoring total this season. In
standard Salisbury fashion, the defensive powerhouse led by senior
back Ashley Kisner and junior back Shannon Hanratty kept the Lynx
at bay and neutralized all chances for Rhodes to end its scoring
drought.
The NCAA meeting between the Sea Gulls and Lynx marked a
program-first. Rhodes (17-2), located in Memphis, Tenn., cracked
the Kookaburra/NFHCA (National Field Hockey Coaches Poll) rankings
this past week for the first time in the school's history by taking
the No. 20 spot in the country.
Salisbury now advances to the quarterfinal game against top-ranked Messiah, which will be played tomorrow (Sunday, Nov. 14) at 1 p.m. in Grantham, Pa.
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