Sophomore Jenna Steele and freshman Ashlin Jones each scored twice to lead the eighth-ranked University of Mary Washington field hockey team to a 7-1 win at York College on Saturday in both teams' Capital Athletic Conference opener. The Eagles improve to 11-0.
Steele started the scoring with 21 minutes left in the first half, on an assist from senior Caitlin Baker. Jones scored with 5:10 left after a rebound from a Haley Kane shot. The Eagles closed the half on a penalty corner score, as Carlee Budd scored on assists from Kane and Kathleen Namey.
In the second, UMW erupted for four goals in a 10-minute span to put the game out of reach. Kane scored 5:29 into the second, after Steele created space in the arc. Jones scored her second goal 2:14 later to up the advantage to 5-0, on a Christine Loehr feed. Three minutes later, Loehr fe Steele for a breakaway score, and Katlyn Taliaferro capped the Eagle outburst on a Nicole Guinn assist.
York scored with 3:55 left to break up the shutout. UMW led in shots, 20-10, and in penalty corners, 10-7. Junior Emily Badis had five saves for the Eagles, and freshman Christina Malave had two defensive saves. Abby Baker had seven saves for York.
"It's always great to start conference play with a win", said UMW head coach Lindsey Elliott. "Our conference games are important and for us to come away with a win on the road was great. We played well in the second half, and it was great to have several different players score goals."
The Eagles will visit Johns Hopkins University on Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. in nonconference action.