Bucknell University Athletics
Four Bison Named to All-Patriot League Teams
11/5/2003 7:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Nov. 5, 2003
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Four Bucknell field hockey players were chosen to the two All-Patriot League teams, including senior defender Lindsey Gentel (Sudbury, Mass./Lincoln-Sudbury), who was named to the first team, and Kelly O'Brien (Rye, N.Y./Rye), Liz Jordan (Towson, Md./St. Paul's), and Kate Ruda (Mountaintop, Pa./Crestwood).
Gentel was also named to the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Senior All-Star roster, playing on the "South" squad later this month as part of the NCAA field hockey Final Four. She captains a defense that has held its opponents to 25 goals in 16 games through the regular season, good for second in the Patriot League. Gentel has also chipped in with six assists throughout the year. This is Gentel's second time on an all-league team, as she received second-team honors in 2002.
O'Brien leads the Bison in scoring, with 10 goals, and is tied for the team in points, with 21. O'Brien made the difference in five of Bucknell's nine wins this season, as five of her ten scores were game-winners. Just a sophomore, O'Brien doubled her scoring total from last season and continued her streak of starting every game this season as she did in 2002.
Jordan completed her first year as Bucknell's top goalkeeper in 2003, starting and finishing all 16 Bucknell contests. She ranks second in the Patriot League with a 1.45 goals against average, and her .818 save percentage ranks third in the league. Jordan also had two shutouts this year, a 1-0 season opener against Siena, and a 4-0 rout of UMBC in September. Through Bucknell's 16 games this season, Jordan never gave up more than three goals, allowing that amount only twice, to Yale and American.
Ruda co-captained the 2003 Bison with Gentel, and can take credit for contributing to Bucknell's much-improved defense this season. Ruda also helped out on the offensive end, as she is the Bison's second-leading scorer, with eight goals, and is tied for the team lead in points, with 21. This is the second time on the all-league list, after having made the first team last season.
The four honored Bison will take the field against some of their co-honorees this weekend in the Patriot League Tournament held in Worcester, Mass. Bucknell faces Holy Cross on Friday at 2 p.m. The game follows a noon matchup between American and Lafayette, and the winners of the two contests will meet on Saturday at 1 p.m. for the league title and a bid in the CCA play-in game to the NCAA Tournament versus Northeast Conference winner Quinnipiac.
