Here is a weekly wrap-up of University of Scranton athletic events during the period of Monday, Oct. 11, through Sunday, Oct. 17. To see the full link to the Royal Review, visit http://matrix.scranton.edu/athletics/gnoct182010.shtml.

Field Hockey (5-9 Overall/1-3 Landmark Conference)

The field hockey team lost three games during the period, but the final score was not truly indicative of the effort turned in by the Royals.

On Tuesday, Oct. 12, Scranton dropped a 4-2 decision to Oneonta State in upstate New York. The Royals fell behind 2-0 late in the first half before senior forward Kaitlyn Tirney (Springfield/Springfield) scored her team-leading sixth goal of the season to cut the margin to one by intermission. The Red Dragons put the game out of reach by scoring twice within a six-minute span early in the second half.  In the closing minutes, Royal senior back Beth McLaughlin (Middletown, N.J./Middletown South) scored her first goal of the year to set the final score.

The Royals jumped out to a 1-0 halftime lead against Ramapo University in Mahwah, N.J., on Thursday, Oct. 14, but the Roadrunners pulled out a 2-1 victory by scoring twice within a four-minute span early in the second half.  Sophomore midfielder Gretchen Kempf (Warrington, Pa./Central Bucks South) tallied her third goal of the year on a play set up by Tirney.

Scranton hosted Catholic University on Saturday, October 16, in Landmark Conference action at Fitzpatrick Field.  After a scoreless first half, the Cardinals scored four times, including three goals in the final seven minutes of play, to pull out a 4-0 victory.

Men’s Soccer (4-9-1 Overall /0-4 Landmark Conference)

The men’s soccer team suffered losses on the road to Dickinson College, 4-0, and Catholic University, 1-0, during the period.

And even though the Royals are winless in league play, Scranton is just two games behind Moravian College, which it plays this week, in the battle for the fourth and final spot in the upcoming Landmark Conference postseason tournament.

Women’s Soccer (10-4-1 Overall/3-0 Landmark Conference)

The women’s soccer team battled Western Connecticut State University to a 0-0 tie in double overtime on Wednesday, Oct. 13, in Danbury, Conn. 

On Saturday, Oct. 16, sophomore midfielder Sarah Gibbons (Monroe Township, N.J./Monroe Township) scored her second match-winning goal of the season in the first half to lift the Royals to a 1-0 victory over Catholic University, which propelled Scranton into sole possession of first place in the Landmark Conference with three league matches remaining.

Senior goalkeeper Caitlin Byrne (East Rutherford, N.J./IHA) had a big week for the Royals, tying her season-high with seven saves against Western Connecticut and had two more in the victory over Catholic. She also posted her seventh and eighth shutouts of the season to bring her career total to 21, which is now tied for third place with Kim McCormick (21 shutouts, 2001-2004) on the Royals’s all-time list. The women’s soccer team has won seven of its last nine matches to move into seventh place in the latest Mid-Atlantic rankings by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).

Volleyball (12-13 Overall/1-5 Landmark Conference)

The volleyball team competed in the second stage of Landmark Conference round-robin competition on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 16-17, at the United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, N.Y.

The Royals dropped all three of their matches, losing to third-ranked Juniata, 3-0, and Catholic, 3-0, on Saturday and Moravian, 3-0, on Sunday. Despite the losses, Scranton is the number six seed in the upcoming Landmark Conference tournament and will play at third-seeded Catholic University in quarterfinal action on Wednesday, Nov. 3, in Washington, DC, beginning at 7 p.m.

Sophomore setter Juli Woods (Wallingford, Pa./Strath Haven) recorded 35 assists this past weekend to go over the 900 mark for her career. She is now seventh all-time in Scranton history with 929.

Here is the upcoming schedule for Royal Athletics.

Tuesday, Oct. 19

Women’s Soccer – at Moravian (4 p.m.)

Wednesday, Oct. 20
Men’s Soccer – at Moravian (3 p.m.)

Thursday, Oct. 21

Volleyball – LYCOMING (7 p.m., LONG CENTER)

Saturday, Oct. 23

Field Hockey – at Juniata (1 p.m.)

Men’s Soccer – JUNIATA (3:30 p.m., FITZPATRICK FIELD)

Women’s Soccer – JUNIATA (1 p.m., FITZPATRICK FIELD)

Men’s & Women’s Swimming – FDU-FLORHAM (1 p.m., BYRON CENTER)

Volleyball – at Lebanon Valley (1 p.m.)
vs. Gallaudet (3 p.m.)