Castleton, Vt. – Seniors Blake Wardwell and Rachel Preusser made sure they had a senior day to remember as each recorded a hat trick in a dominant 6-0 victory over Husson on Saturday afternoon in a matchup of the top two teams in the North Atlantic Conference. 

Preusser scored twice in the first half to stake the Spartans to a 2-0 lead they wouldn't relinquish, as Castleton finished NAC play with a perfect 9-0 mark and improved to 11-5 on the year. The win secured the Spartans the top seed in the upcoming NAC Tournament. Husson, meanwhile, dropped to 9-6 overall and 6-2 in conference action. 

Castleton's ten seniors all got the start on Saturday and proved up to the challenge, combining with junior netminder Jessica Galatioto to shut out the NAC's second-highest scoring offense. Galatioto made four stops to earn the shutout while senior sweeper Shannon Burns came up big with a pair of defensive saves. 

The Spartans opened up the scoring 10:29 into the contest. Kristy Pinkham took the ball at the top of the shooting circle and found Preusser on the near post for the 1-0 lead. Preusser made it 2-0 in the 25th minute, firing a shot from the right side of the net that was slightly deflected by a Husson defender and past goalie Maicee Gustin.

In the second half Preusser earned her hat trick at 52:17, scoring off a rebound right in front of the net. Wardwell followed just two minutes later, putting a rebound past Gustin for the 4-0 advantage. 

Wardwell concluded the scoring for the Spartans with unassisted goals in the 59th and 62nd minutes. It marked her third hat trick in the last four games. 

Castleton outshot Husson 39-15 in the contest and also held a 21-11 advantage in penalty corners. Gustin took the loss for the Eagles, allowing all six goals while making 18 saves. 

The Spartans return to action on Oct. 29 when they host Rensselaer at 7 pm.