Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Prepares for Patriot League Tournament
10/31/2005 7:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Oct. 31, 2005
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell's field hockey team will travel to Washington, D.C. for the Patriot League Tournament, hosted by the number-one seed, No. 5 American. The number-two ranked (in the PL) Bison are scheduled to play the number-three team, Holy Cross. The last time the squad qualified for the tournament was in 2003.
In regular season play, the Orange and Blue finished in second place in the PL, losing only one game to the then No. 4 American, in a very close 3-1 defeat. In that game, Bucknell was on top of American at the end of the first half, 1-0, with a goal scored by freshman Steph Graf (Jamison, Pa./Central Bucks East), but could not hold onto the lead as the Eagles scored three goals in the second half. Graf's performance earned her the PL's Rookie of the Week honor.
The Bison took the American loss out on the PL's Colgate the following week, as they picked up their first conference win, on the road, 3-2. Senior goalkeeper Liz Jordan (Towson, Md./St. Paul's) received the PL's Defensive Player of the Week honor for her performance.
In the next PL match-up, against Holy Cross, Bucknell was able to scrape past the Crusaders in a 3-2, overtime win, putting the Orange and Blue second in the conference.
The Bison were able to hold onto second-place as they dominated over Lafayette, 5-1, and then recently, on Saturday, October 29, defeated Lehigh, 2-1, in double overtime.
In the Lehigh game, Jordan collected 25 saves, a career high, in order to pick up her eighth win of the season. Sophomore Kelly Hoffman (Boyertown, Pa./Oley Valley) scored the game-winning goal, after almost seven minutes had gone by in the second overtime period.
Jordan currently has 181 saves, for a save percentage of .823. Offensively, junior Alex Kyzmir (Lisle, N.Y./Whitney Point) is leading the team with seven goals scored and ten assists. She is currently tied for first among all Bucknell field hockey players with 10 assists in a single season. Freshman Amanda Faust (Kingston, Pa./Wyoming Valley West) is second on the squad with six goals and six assists, while senior Kelly O'Brien (Rye, N.Y./Rye) is tied with Kyzmir with seven goals, but only two assists. Jordan, Kyzmir, O'Brien and junior Callista Costopoulos (Shermans Dale, Pa./West Perry) are all former All-Patriot League selections.
Bucknell currently has a record of 8-9 overall, 4-1 in league play. The Orange and Blue will battle the Crusaders, who are most definitely looking for revenge from that overtime defeat, on Saturday, November 5, at 1:30 p.m. The first game of the tournament, between American and Lehigh, is scheduled for 11 a.m. If the Bison win, they will play on Sunday against the winner of the No. 5 American and Lehigh game.
