Box Score NORTH MANCHESTER, IND. – Four different Manchester University players registered goals Saturday, Oct. 24, helping the Spartans continue their climb up the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference standings.
The sophomore midfield duo of Courtney Hersick (Plymouth, Ind.) and Elena White (Greentown, Ind.) combined on the eventual game-winning tally in the 80 minute, leading MU (5-9-1 overall, 3-3-1 HCAC) to a 4-3 decision over Earlham College in its regular season home finale. Hersick's second goal of the season and first game decider, off White's second assist, lifted MU to its second successive victory.
Freshman midfielder/forward Maranda Birmingham (Kouts, Ind.), freshman defender/midfielder Kelsi Valencia (Lafayette, Ind.), and senior Brandy Crouse (Cleves, Ohio) helped set the stage for Hersick's heroics. Valencia and Birmingham tallied goals 58 seconds apart in the 18th minute after EC had scored to open the match, and Crouse broke up a 2-2 tie taking a nifty pass from sophomore midfielder/forward Bethany Molnar (Chesterton, Ind.) for a strike in the 61st minute.
MU held a 28-11 shots advantage on its guests. Hersick rattled off seven, four of which were on goal.
Sitting fifth on the league standings, just a match behind a third-place tie between Transylvania University and Mt. St. Joseph University, the Black and Gold travel to co-HCAC leading Franklin College Tuesday, Oct. 27. Kickoff is 7 p.m.
