Stone-Hard Hat Trick
SWARTHMORE, Pa. -- On a warm Tuesday night, the Swarthmore Garnet (3-1) defeated the Richard Stockton Ospreys 5-1 at Clothier Field.
After just one shot was taken in the first 15 minutes, Stockton (0-4) was the first team to get on the board when junior Samantha Horner (Newfield, N.J. / Buena) snuck a shot through traffic and into the net from just inside the circle.
Swarthmore quickly knotted the score at 1-1 when junior Natalie Stone (Philadelphia, Pa. / Friends Select) tipped the ball just over the stick of Osprey netminder Debi O'Kane (Cologne, N.J. / Absegami). Stone's tip-in came off a Jordan Schmidt '09 (Houston, Tex. / St. Johns School) outside shot.
The score became 2-1 soon after a penalty corner, when Schmidt's shot flew into the goal from the top of the arch. Schmidt's connection at 34:22 was her first collegiate goal.
Quick into the second half a third Garnet goal sailed into the cage from senior Stone--her second of three in the game.
Mid-way through the second half, Swarthmore forward Abbie Fischer '08 (Sudbury, Mass./ Lincoln-Sudbury Regional) assisted Stone to complete her hat-trick, a quick pass that bounced off Stone's stick into the Osprey goal at 51:24.
It is the second career hat-trick for Stone; her first came in an 11-0 drubbing of the College of Notre Dame on Sept. 9, 2006.
After a long shot tried to creep its way into net, Abbe Muller '10 (West Hartford, Conn./ Conrad) took advantage of the rebound to get in one last goal for the Garnet at 60:04.
Garnet freshman Katie Ashmore (Princeton, N.J. / Princeton) posted three saves in goal. Playing the whole game in net, O'Kane recorded nine saves for the Ospreys.
The Garnet will continue their non-conference schedule on Sunday, September 16th when Randolph Macon comes to Clothier Stadium for a 1:00 p.m. contest.