DEFIANCE, OHIO – A breakout offensive attack in the final 33 minutes lifted Manchester University to a Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference road win Wednesday, Oct. 7.

Trailing the host Yellow Jackets of Defiance College 1-0 at the break and for better than 12 minutes of the second half, the Black and Gold (3-6-1 overall, 1-0-1 HCAC) took control at Winsper-Knoble Memorial Field. Freshman midfielder/forward Maranda Birmingham (Kouts, Ind.) struck home a pair of goals nearly two minutes apart (57:07-59:16), as part of a five-point afternoon, for a 2-1 lead with just under 31 minutes to play. Senior forward Brandy Crouse (Cleves, Ohio) matched Birmingham's output with two goals of her own about three minutes apart (76:50-79:56) in route to a five-point match, while freshman defender/midfielder Kelsi Valencia (Lafayette, Ind.) turned in a goal between towards a 5-1 decision.

Birmingham and Crouse's match lines were identical (seven total shots, five shots on goal, two goals and an assist) to guide the offense. A trio of Spartans – sophomore midfielder Elena White of Greentown, Ind.; junior defender Kari Carpenter of Hartford City, Ind.; and sophomore midfielder Jenny Pudlo of Crown Point, Ind. – tallied two shot attempts each.

Defensively, freshman and sophomore goalkeepers Caroline Smith (Mason, Ohio) and Megan Erwin (Attica, Ind.) shared time in net. Smith picked up the win with five saves in 79:58, while Erwin turned in a clean sheet for 10:02.

MU resumes its conference schedule when preseason favorite Hanover College comes to North Manchester for a 1 p.m. kickoff Saturday, Oct. 10.

NOTES: Crouse's two-goal effort was the fourth such in her collegiate career and the first since her sophomore season … The five goals were the most in a match for the program since the 2014 squad posted a similar number last October at Bluffton.