Talk about a festive night. Before Eastern Mennonite's Homecoming Weekend contest against Virginia Wesleyan, the Lady Royals honored their parents and seniors. After the game, EMU retired the jersey of field hockey great Jeane' (Horning) Hershey. Sandwiched in the middle of the ceremonies was a 6-1 squashing of the Marlins.

The women wasted little time getting on the board against VWC, as senior Hailee Rittle (Jonestown, Pa./Northern Lebanon) knocked in a penalty stroke 5:05 into the game. Only 18 seconds later, fellow senior Linda Cimini (Cape May, NJ/Middle Township) put a goal into the right corner of the cage, vaulting EMU ahead 2-0.

Cimini added two more scores in the next six minutes, putting the Lady Royals up 4-0 and notching her first career hat trick.

The game settled down and coasted into halftime, with EMU outshooting the Marlins 13-0 in the first 35 minutes.

Cimini was back at it five minutes into the second, putting in a pass from Nicole Bencsik (Telford, Pa./Souderton) to make it 5-0. Bencsik added her own goal six minutes later.

Virginia Wesleyan got a tally in the 59th minute to produce the final 6-1 score.

Eastern Mennonite controlled the game, outshooting the Marlins 23-13, including 12-2 in shots on goal. Cimini's four goals were a career high.

Rittle, Linda Cimini and her sister Katie Cimini (Cape May, NJ/Middle Township), defender Vanessa Landis (Quakertown, Pa./Quakertown) and goalie Becky Nolt (East Berlin, Pa./Bermudian Springs) were the five seniors recognized before the game.

The win pushes the Lady Royals to 7-5 and builds a two-game winning streak. EMU will put its 3-1 conference record on the line next Tuesday at Washington & Lee in an important match for league standings. The Generals are 3-0 in ODAC play heading into the weekend.

Hershey, who had her playing jersey retired following the game, played on the 1990-93 field hockey teams. She won ODAC Championships as a junior and senior and was also named NFHCA All-American twice. She is the first field hockey player to have her jersey retired by EMU and just the eighth athlete overall.