Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
American*
Bucknell Women's Lax Makes it Five Straight Wins, 14-5 over American
4/22/2006 8:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
April 22, 2006
LEWISBURG, Pa. - On Senior Day at Graham Field, it was a freshman who stole the show. Bucknell rookie Sarah Collins (Goldens Bridge, N.Y./John Jay) exploded for 10 points on four goals on six assists to lead the surging Bison to a 14-5 victory over American in the regular-season finale on Saturday afternoon. The victory was Bucknell's fifth in a row and moves it into a tie for third place in the Patriot League standings.
Both Bucknell (7-9) and American (5-11) have identical 3-3 Patriot League records, and Lafayette can join them at 3-3 with a victory Saturday night at Lehigh. Should the Leopards win, there would be a three-way tie for third place, and with all tiebreakers a wash a draw would be necessary to determine the third and fourth seeds in the Patriot League Tournament. If Lehigh defeats Lafayette, Bucknell would be seeded third and American fourth.
Faced with a must-win game, the Bison shrugged off a driving rain and put together their most complete performance of the season. Their clicking offense scored at least 13 goals for the fifth straight game, while the defense, backstopped by a terrific 15-save performance from senior Lizzy McDaniel (West Chester, Pa./Unionville), held an opponent to five goals or less for the fifth straight game. The game was tied at 4-4 late in the first half, but Bucknell shut out the Eagles for 32:20 and outscored them 10-1 over the final 36:44.
Bucknell has now outscored its opponents 72-22 during the five-game winning streak, which is the team's longest within a season since 1998. That was also the last year Bucknell defeated American, as the Bison snapped the Eagles' six-game series winning streak.
Collins was brilliant, coming within two of the Bucknell single-game points record and within one of the single-game assists mark. Melissa Montefusco (2002) and Sue Gray (1984) had 12-point games, while Pam Brooks (1984) holds the record with seven assists in a game. Collins' 10 points were the most by a Bucknell player since Meredith Wright had five goals and six assists for 11 points against Denver in 2004.
Collins either scored or assisted on each of Bucknell's first seven goals of the day, and four of her assists went to Lauren Deitrich (Collegeville, Pa./Hill School), who also had a big game, setting career highs for goals (4) and points (5). Deitrich also had a team-high five ground balls and corralled three draw controls.
Bonnie Buechel (South Orange, N.J./Columbia) and Emily Burman (Kensington, Md./Stone Ridge) added two goals each for the Bison.
Collins fed Deitrich twice for goals in the opening three minutes, then Collins scored herself to stake Bucknell to a quick 3-0 lead. American fought back to tie the game at 4-4 on Moriah Linnell's goal with 6:44 left in the half. With the game still tied, American goalie Kathleen Finnegan made two straight point-blank saves, first on Colleen Evans (Lexington, Va./Rockbridge) on a breakaway, then on Jackie Bodnar (Madison, N.J./Madison) on the rebound. But later on the same possession, Bodnar scored off a Collins assist to put the Bison ahead to stay with 3:47 left in the half.
Draw controls played a major role in this game, and after Bucknell won the next one Deitrich fed Collins for a goal just 24 seconds later to make it 6-4 at the half. The Bison won 14 of 21 draws, including 9 of 10 in the second half when they blew the game open.
Buechel potted the first two goals of the second half, coming just 57 seconds apart, to quickly push the margin to four goals at 8-4. Six minutes later Lauren Kremer (Chadds Ford, Pa./Unionville) then scored off a Buechel feed, and after another draw control, Collins bounced a shot over Finnegan's shoulder on a free position shot to make it 10-4.
Deitrich, Collins and Burman later scored to make it a 9-0 Bucknell flurry and a 13-4 lead with 6:56 to play. Caitlin Bell finally ended the American drought with 4:24 to play, and Burman finished the scoring 38 seconds later.
Bucknell's 14 goals came on 28 shots, while American scored just five goals on 27 shots. McDaniel made 10 of her 15 saves in the first half.
Prior to the game Bucknell honored the team's five seniors - Burman, McDaniel, Rachel Prowler (Philadelphia, Pa./William Penn Charter), Tory Field (North Hampton, N.H./Middlesex School) and Jenny Osborn (Columbia, Md./Hammond).
