WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
>> Olivia Muffitt (Newport, Pa.) tallied two goals to power Saint Francis past Merrimack 4-1 in Northeast Conference (NEC) field hockey action on Friday.
>> Eva Valentini (Junin, Argentina) added a goal and an assist, while Madison Waldspurger (Hatfield, Pa.) dished out two assists on the afternoon.
>> Claudia Ortiz (Madrid, Spain) also hit the back of the cage in the winning effort.
>> With the win, the Red Flash clinched its first non-losing season since 2016 and its sixth in program history.

TURNING POINTS
Saint Francis scored two times in the first 21 minutes of the match and never looked back. Muffitt got the scoring started off feeders from Valentini and Waldspurger at 8:42 before Valentini hit the back of the cage off a Marie Sattler insert at 20:29 for a 2-0 lead.

FLASH NUGGETS
Muffitt notched her second career two-goal performance in the third quarter off Waldspurger's second assist of the day at 45:40 before Ortiz sealed the its first win at Merrimack unassisted at 47:27 for a 4-1 lead.

FLASH MOMENTS
It was the second time in Muffitt's career she has posted two goals in a game and the first time since hitting the cage twice at Sacred Heart on October 28. The senior, who has three game-winners in her career, has three goals and three assists for nine points in 2023 and 10 tallies and four assists for 24 points in her career.
 
Coming off her thrilling two-goal performance in a 2-1 double overtime win against LIU one week ago, Valentini notched her third match with three or more points this season. The four-time NEC Player of the Week has 28 goals and 15 assists for 71 points in her career. Valentini became the fifth player in team history with 70 points in her career.
 
Waldspurger dished out two assists for the first time in her career and now has three tallies and five assists for 11 points in her sophomore campaign. For her career, she has seven markers and six assists for 20 points.
 
Sattler, who came into the match leading the league in assists, added her eighth assist of the season to go along with two goals for 12 points.
 
Amber Bryan (Thorndale, Pa.), the current NEC Defensive Player of the Week, played the first 30 minutes and did not record a stat, while Mia DiGenova (King of Prussia, Pa.) made one save in the final 30 minutes.
 
With a 9-6 record, Saint Francis has its third-best start in program history, while the 4-1 start in league play is the second-best start in NEC history for the Red Flash.

UP NEXT
Game time is 12 p.m. With a win, the Red Flash would clinch a spot in the NEC Tournament for the second-straight year and the No. 2 seed in the upcoming tournament.