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Saint Francis University Athletics

Madison Waldspurger
2
Winner St. Francis (Pa.) SFU (7-3, 3-0)
0
Sacred Heart SHU (3-7, 2-1)
Winner
St. Francis (Pa.) SFU
(7-3, 3-0)
2
Final
0
Sacred Heart SHU
(3-7, 2-1)
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
St. Francis (Pa.) SFU 0 1 1 0 2
Sacred Heart SHU 0 0 0 0 0

Game Recap: Field Hockey |

Waldspurger And De Castro Aid Saint Francis To Second 3-0 NEC Start In Program History

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
>> Thanks to goals by Madison Waldspurger and Consu de Castro, the Saint Francis field hockey team is 3-0 in Northeast Conference (NEC) play for the second time in team history after a 2-0 win against Sacred Heart on Friday.
>> Waldspurger also came up big on the defensive end with a defensive save in the first quarter.
>> Mia DiGenova made three saves and recorded her third solo shutout of her career.
>> The Red Flash is 7-3 on the year to mark its second-best start in program history.

TURNING POINTS OF THE MATCH
After the Pioneers nearly got on the board with a penalty-corner goal two minutes prior, Cruz Cánepa inserted the ball to Dolores Zavaleta, who nailed a clean shot through traffic for a 1-0 lead at the 19:05 mark.

FLASH MOMENTS
Castro increased the advantage to 2-0 when she took a pass from Brooklyn Widdess, made a nifty move to clear the Sacred Heart netminder, and hit the open cage at 33:09. 

In the first quarter, with the game scoreless, Waldspurger made a highlight-reel defensive save with four minutes left in the frame to keep the Pioneers off the scoreboard.

FLASH NUGGETS
Waldspurger has two goals and three assists in her junior campaign for seven points, nine tallies, and 10 assists for 28 points in her career. Her goals this season have proved to be the deciding goal after scoring the second goal in a 4-1 win against Mercyhurst on September 13. 

De Castro has scored every Friday this season that is the start of a two-game weekend. She did not score one week ago when the Red Flash only played Stonehill that weekend. The sophomore now has nine goals and three assists for 21 points, and all but one of those goals has come in the weekend's first game. The sophomore leads the team with seven goals and two assists for 16 points this season.

Zavaleta's success in recording game-winners with her stick is well documented. Still, she has also posted the decisive assist four times in her career, including all three wins against Sacred Heart and the 3-2 win at LIU on October 9, 2022, when she handed out a helper on all three goals. The senior leads the squad with four assists and ranks second with three goals and 10 points. She continues to inch closer to the top 10 in points, needing five points to crack the list and three assists to reach the top 10 in helpers.

Widdness posted her first Division I point on de Castro's goal after registering three goals and six assists for 12 points at NCAA Division II Converse College in 2023.

DiGenova continues her strong play with her third shutout in her last seven games and has allowed only one goal in the other four games in that stretch.

Saint Francis is 3-0 in NEC play for the second time in program history and the first since 2012. The Red Flash has won the first three league games four times when adding in its time from the Atlantic 10 with 3-0 starts in 2017 and 2018. 

The squad is 7-3 for the first time in team history and off to its second-best start in program history behind the 8-1 start by the 2014 team.

UP NEXT
Saint Francis returns to action in non-conference play at Drexel on Sunday. Match time is 11 a.m.
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