SALEM, VA--Freshman Leanne Clark (South Burlington, VT/South Burlington) scored a goal on a redirected shot with just 4:34 remaining on the game clock to give the Roanoke College field hockey team a 3-2 victory over visiting St. Mary's (MD) College on Wednesday afternoon. The Maroons improve to 4-2 overall on the season with their second win in as many years over the Sea Hawks. St. Mary's falls to 2-4 overall on the year.

Junior Melanie Bartnek (Springfield, VA/Annandale) got the game-winning play started with a free hit from outside the circle. The ball traveled through several Maroon and Sea Hawk players before it got to the stick of Clark, who redirected the ball into the cage. The game-winning goal came just over five minutes after the Sea Hawks had tied the score at two on a Allison Femi penalty stroke. The Maroons were called for illegally covering the ball in the crease resulting in the stroke.

Prior to the St. Mary's penalty stroke tally, the Maroons had rallied back from a 1-0 deficit by scoring the first two goals of the second half. Liz Hudson (Culpeper, VA/Culpeper) evened the score at one with a goal off of a loose ball in the SMC crease. Senior Heather Mosser (Whitehall, MD/Dulaney) had her original shot stopped, but Hudson collected the rebound and scored the tying goal. Six minutes following, freshman Ashley Chambers (Towson, MD/Towson) put the Maroons up by one. After taking a pass from Kaylin Leavitt (Arlington, VA/Yorktown), Chambers moved around a Sea Hawk defender to get free to take the shot.

The Sea Hawks went up on the lone goal of the first half, a Femi tally about 24 minutes into the game. Like Hudson's later goal, the score came on a scramble around the Maroon goal.

Roanoke's Lindsey Paz (Mountain Lakes, NJ/Mountain Lakes) continued her outstanding play in goal, making 10 saves, including six in the second half. Paz was able to help the Maroons keep St. Mary's from converting on 13 second half penalty corners. On the other side of the field, St. Mary's keeper Whitney Fahrman made four saves, all in the first half.

The Maroons return to action on Saturday in their first Old Dominion Athletic Conference action of the season. The team will host Randolph-Macon College at 1:00pm on Roanoke's Elizabeth Campus field.

Roanoke vs. St. Mary's Box Score