Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Lehigh*
Bucknell Women's Lax Claims Third Straight Victory, 15-5 over Lehigh
4/15/2006 8:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
April 15, 2006
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Jackie Bodnar (Madison, N.J./Madison) scored a career-high six points on three goals and three assists and Bucknell used another stifling defensive effort to claim its third straight victory, 15-5 over Lehigh Saturday afternoon at sun-drenched Graham Field.
The victory was an important one for the Bison in the Patriot League Tournament race, as Bucknell, Lehigh and Lafayette entered the day in a three-way tie for fourth and final playoff berth. Bucknell (5-9 overall) improved to 2-3 in Patriot League play, as did Lafayette, which defeated Villanova 14-13 in double overtime on Saturday in Easton, Pa.
Both Bucknell and Lafayette also pulled within one game of American (3-2) for third place, as the Eagles lost 17-3 at Colgate on Saturday. Next weekend, Bucknell hosts American, while Lafayette travels to Lehigh. Based on head-to-head tiebreakers, Bucknell would pass American with a victory.
The Bison, who have now outscored their opponents 41-14 during the current three-game winning streak, were outstanding in all phases against Lehigh (6-7, 1-4). Bucknell featured six multi-goal scorers, getting three goals each from Bodnar, Sarah Collins (Goldens Bridge, N.Y./John Jay) and Emily Burman (Kensington, Md./Stone Ridge) and two apiece from Lauren Kremer (Chadds Ford, Pa./Unionville), Colleen Evans (Lexington, Va./Rockbridge) and Bonnie Buechel (South Orange, N.J./Columbia).
Ten of the 15 goals came with assists, including the three from Bodnar and two each from Collins and Kremer. Collins, who has 16 points in her last four games, set a career high with five points against Lehigh, while Kremer's four points tied her career best.
Draw controls were a major factor in the game, as not only did the Bison win 16 of 21 draws, but they converted a number of them into quick scores. In fact, three times in the first half Bucknell scored within 11 seconds of a previous goal.
Bucknell outshot Lehigh 36-17 and forced 28 turnovers, 13 coming on clearing attempts. Goalie Lizzy McDaniel continued her fine play of late, making 10 saves, seven in the second half, while allowing only five goals. Over her last seven games, McDaniel has 91 saves and only 58 goals against.
In front of McDaniel, close defenders Rachel Prowler (Philadelphia, Pa./William Penn Charter School), Catherine Barry (Liverpool, N.Y./Liverpool) and Alex Radebaugh (Freeland, Md./Notre Dame Prep) combined for six takeaways, and they held the Patriot League's leading scorer, Sara McIntyre, to just a single goal on a free-position shot in the first half.
Things didn't start out so well for the Bison, as Christy Smith scored for Lehigh just 32 seconds into the game. But the Mountain Hawks would not score again for more than 26 minutes, while the quick-strike Bison tore off seven straight goals to take control.
Collins had a hand in the team's first three goals of the day, all coming in less than two minutes. First, Collins beat two defenders to quickly tie the game at the 27:09 mark, then at 25:25 Collins fed Buechel for the go-ahead tally. It was 3-1 only eight seconds later, as Lauren Deitrich (Collegeville, Pa./Hill School) grabbed a draw control on the fly and fed Collins for a goal. After yet another draw control win, Evans made it 4-1 just 36 seconds later after Brittany Besler saved her initial shot, then she collected the rebound and scored from point-blank range.
Later in the half Buechel and Burman scored 11 seconds apart to make it 7-1. After Lehigh crawled within 7-3 on free position shots from Smith and McIntyre, the Bison finished the half with a flourish. Collins scored with 14 seconds remaining to make it 8-3, then Bodnar collected the draw and was fouled 30 yards from the Lehigh goal. On the restart, Bodnar found Burman, who ran past a defender and scored a backbreaking goal with only four seconds left in the half.
Bucknell started slowly in the second half, going scoreless for the first 16:27 of the half while the Mountain Hawks got two goals back to pull within 9-5, but the Bison would outscore Lehigh 6-0 the rest of the way. Kremer scored off a Bodnar feed with 13:33 left, then Bodnar scored two in a row herself to make it 12-5. Evans, Burman and Kremer finished the scoring, the last goal coming off the first career assist from freshman Casan Van Langan (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif./Torrey Pines).
The Bison have a non-league game at Saint Francis (Pa.) on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m., then they host American in a critical season finale next Saturday at noon at Graham Field.
