September 23, 2000

ETOWN DEFEATS SCRANTON, 3-1, BLUE JAYS OFF TO BEST START SINCE 1986

ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- With a 3-1 home victory over Scranton Saturday, Elizabethtown improves to 6-1 overall, the best start to a season for Blue Jay field hockey since 1986, when the team went 20-4-1 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament. Also, the victory places Etown head coach Yvonne Kauffman only six wins away from her 1,000th career collegiate coaching victory.

Etown's Beth Purcell (Lancaster, PA/Penn Manor) wasted no time in scoring the game winning goal less than four minutes after the start of play. Brandy Espenshade (Grantville, PA/Lower Dauphin) added the second for the Blue Jays on an assist from Marthe Vehmeijer (Rotterdam, The Netherlands/Erasimaans Gymnasium) with 18:38 remaining in the first half.

Mandi Ewing (McClure, PA/West Snyder) scored Etown's final goal, again on an assist from Vehmeijer, with 23:28 remaining in the game.

Scranton avoided a shutout when Kara Kopach (Eatontown, NJ/Monmouth) scored with only 1:02 left in the second half. Etown outshot the Royals 27-6.

Elizabethtown returns to action on the road Tuesday against Commonwealth Conference powerhouse Lebanon Valley, currently ranked number one in the nation in NCAA Division III. Game time is 4:00 p.m.

At Elizabethtown, Pa.
Elizabethtown 3, Scranton 1
Scranton (5-4)        0   1 — 1
Elizabethtown (6-1)   2   1 — 3

First Half Scoring:
EC—Beth Purcell, 31:04
EC—Brandy Espenshade (Marthe Vehmeijer), 18:38

Second Half Scoring:
EC—Mandi Ewing (Vehmeijer), 23:28
US—Kara Kopach, 1:02
Shots: US 6, EC 27. Corners: US 7, EC 15. Goalie Saves: Danielle Shoesmith (US) 21. Kate VanValkenburgh (EC) 5.