By James Wagner
Director of Athletic Communications
COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – Two goals each from junior midfielder Megan Keenan (Sinking Spring, Pa./Wilson) and junior forward Devin Brakel (West Windsor, N.J./West Windsor Plainsboro North) were more than enough as the 13th-ranked Ursinus field hockey team (2-0) defeated seventh-ranked William Smith (1-1) 6-1 Saturday afternoon at Snell Field.
Junior forward Danielle Stong (Gilbertsville, Pa./Boyertown) and junior midfielder Stephanie Cooper (Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks West) each added goals for the Bears, as part of a 28 shot attack on the afternoon. Stong posted an assist, as did sophomore defender Annie Kopera, junior forward Samantha Macchio, sophomore defender Rachel Zane and junior midfielder Kelsey Reed.
William Smith got a penalty stroke goal from first-year midfielder Maura Moran (Garwood, N.J./Arthur L. Johnson) with just over three minutes remaining in the contest. For the Herons, who defeated Ursinus 2-1 last season, senior goalkeeper Catherine Hare (Red Hook, N.Y./Red Hook) made 14 saves.
Ursinus scored 5:40 into the contest when Stong scored her second goal of the season on a shot from the right side of the cage on a pass from Macchio. Just before halftime, Brakel scored her first goal of the season on a pass from Zane, as Zane fed Brakel from the left side for a 2-0 halftime lead.
Cooper scored the Bears' third goal of the game on a shot off of a corner play, with Kopera providing the assist at 39:50.
Brakel's second goal came at 51:12 when she tipped it in off of a Heron defender for a 4-0 lead, followed by Keenan's first goal of the game on a corner play with 9:26 left. Reed and Stong assisted on the corner.
After Moran's penalty stroke goal, Keenan netted a penalty stroke with 25 seconds left in the contest. After the penalty stroke goal, the Herons brought an extra field player on as they pulled Hare.
Junior goalkeeper Danielle DeSpirito (Mountain Top, Pa./Crestwood) made ten saves, while junior back Jordan Miller (Stevens, Pa./Cocalico) made two defensive saves. Junior defender Madison Finn (Short Hills, N.J./Milburn) had a defensive save for William Smith.