FIELD HOCKEY, MEN’S SOCCER WIN AT HOME

Muhlenberg’s field hockey and men’s soccer teams both opened the 2001 season with home wins.

• Field Hockey: Muhlenberg 1, Moravian 0. Freshman Kristen Bruschi scored her first career goal and junior goalie Josephine Fasolino recorded a shutout as Muhlenberg won its season opener over local rival Moravian.

Bruschi broke a scoreless halftime tie with an unassisted goal directly in front of the net at the 22:38 mark in the second half to provide the game’s only offense, while Fasolino and the Mule team defense contained and frustrated the Greyhound offense all game long. Muhlenberg held Moravian to only two shots, keeping the action mainly in front of the opponent’s goal. Greyhound freshman goalie Kirsli Spinks played well, making some tough saves and keeping Morvian within striking distance the entire time. Click here for box score.

• Men’s Soccer: Muhlenberg 3, Western New England 1. Freshman Tim Sparta scored his first career goal and tallied an assist, while sophomore Justin Marx also added a goal and an assist as Muhlenberg won its first-ever meeting against Western New England in the season opener for both teams.

The Mules scored three times in the first 15 minutes of the game and never relinquished their 3-0 halftime lead. Junior Scott Lermack scored the game’s first goal – the first of his career – only 1:45 into the contest on a rebound off a shot by Marx. Roughly six and a half minutes later, Sparta scored his first career goal from the right of the net.

“It was a great start for us,” said Sparta. “The hard work the team puts in is really paying off, and that hard work is pushing me more and making me a better player.”

Muhlenberg topped off its scoring 15 minutes into the first half when Marx scored in front of the net on an assist from Sparta. Western New England cut into the lead eight minutes into the second half, but could get no closer. Click here for box score.

WOMEN’S SOCCER SPLITS; VOLLEYBALL DROPS TWO HEARTBREAKERS

The women’s soccer and volleyball teams both finished up their season-opening trips out of the region.

• Women’s Soccer: Muhlenberg 1, Schreiner 0. Freshman Kim Klicka scored her first career goal with just 30 seconds remaining in regulation to lift Muhlenberg to its first win of the season and a split on its trip to Texas. The Mules dominated Schreiner, rolling up a 25-0 edge in shots, but could not hit the back of the net until the final minute. Click here for box score.

• Volleyball: Muhlenberg 3, Western New England 1; Brandeis 3, Muhlenberg 2; Brockport State 3, Muhlenberg 2. The Mules dropped two of three matches on the second day of competition to wind up 1-3 at the Springfield Invitational, which ended with three teams (Springfield, Rochester Institute of Technology and Otterbein) tying for first place.

Muhlenberg overcame a Game 1 loss to defeat Western New England, 3-1, and finish second in its pool. Junior Lisa Giammalvo had 13 of her team-high 15 kills in the three games the Mules won. Against Brandeis, Muhlenberg won the first two games, but dropped the next three, the last by a 15-12 score. Junior Dana Ferrelli recorded 17 kills.

The Mules sweated out another five-game match in their finale, falling to Brockport State. Junior Meaghan Billie, who had a team-high 45 kills for the tournament, led the attack with 15. Senior Laura Funsten amassed 129 assists in the four matches. Click here for box scores.

Junior Justin Jones produced three touchdowns with his arm and one with his legs.

Jones completed 15 of 20 passes in the first two periods and led the Mules to touchdowns on all six of their first-half drives. He began the scoring by keeping on an option play for a 1-yard touchdown to cap a 13-play opening drive.

“I had some high expectations, but I didn’t expect to do this well,” said Jones, who played in parts of seven games as an understudy to the program’s all-time passing leader the last two years. “Our o-line had a great day, and Matty [Bernardo] ran the ball well. It was just a total team effort.”

After two short touchdown runs by Bernardo, Jones ended the next three drives by finding senior Joshua Carter in the end zone. Carter finished with six catches for 115 yards for the third three-touchdown game of his career. He now has 37 career TDs, just three off the school record.

Bernardo, who scored at least two touchdowns for the second time in three games, had 87 yards rushing on 19 carries.

Muhlenberg, which won its sixth straight game, had advantages of 308-95 in total yards and 18-4 in first downs at the intermission. The Mariners spoiled the shutout bid by scoring a touchdown on their first drive of the second half.

Starting defensive ends Michael Ferreira and Tyler Cathey, both returning to action after a season off, combined for five tackles for loss, including three sacks.

Click here for box score.