Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Women's Soccer Travels to American on Saturday for Regular Season Finale
11/2/2007 8:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Nov. 2, 2007
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The Bucknell women's soccer team, which has won six of its last seven games, will travel to Washington, D.C., this Saturday to take on American at noon in a battle for the Patriot League regular season crown and the right to host the league championship. Currently in first in the league standings with a 5-1-0 record with 15 points (10-7-0 overall), the Bison could secure their second consecutive regular season title with either a win or a draw against the Eagles, while a loss for the Orange and Blue would give American its second PL regular season title in program history.
BISON WOMEN'S SOCCER NOTEBOOK
Broadcast Coverage
- Live audio available via AUEagles.com (CSTV All-Access subscription required).
About the Series with American
- Since the teams first met in 2001, Bucknell holds a 4-3-0 series advantage over the Eagles and has won the last three contests between the squads. Bison senior Krista Lee Gentile (North Haledon, N.J./Immaculate Heart Academy) has six career points against American (2g, 2a) with two game-winning tallies. Both of the last two road games for the Orange and Blue against the Eagles have come down to the wire. In 2004, Gentile scored the deciding goal in overtime in the 106th minute, while in 2005, the Bison netted the deciding tally with 53 seconds remaining in regulation to take home a 3-2 victory. Last season, Bucknell used three goals in the first half to roll to a 3-1 win. In addition to a goal and an assist by Gentile in the contest, sophomores Chelsea McGorry (Charlton, Mass./Shepherd Hill Regional) (2a) and Molly Linhart (Pittsburgh, Pa./Fox Chapel Area) (1g) both recorded points, as well.
Scouting the American Eagles
- American enters Saturday's match with an overall record of 10-5-2 and is undefeated in league play at 4-0-2, for a six-game unbeaten streak.
- Kelly Brasher leads the Eagles' offense with 27 points on 12 goals and three assists, while Krystn Hodge follows with nine goals and four assists for 22 points.
- Kelsey Wiggins and Hannah Radley have split time in net for American, both seeing action in 11 matches. Wiggins has played 800 minutes, 16 seconds, and has allowed five goals for a 0.56 goals-against average. She has made 25 saves for a .833 save percentage and is 5-1-2 with three shutouts. Radley, in 765:05 minutes, has allowed nine goals for a 1.06 goals-against average and holds a .791 save percentage with 34 saves on the year. She is 5-4-1 and has one shutout to her credit.
Recapping Wednesday's Win Over Princeton
- Junior Jennifer Dervarics (Emmaus, Pa./Emmaus) and freshman Kelsey Johnson (Monroe, Conn./Masuk) tallied two goals apiece, helping Bucknell close out its home regular season slate with a 4-1 victory over Princeton this past Wednesday evening on Varsity Soccer Field. The win marked the first in program history for the Bison against the Tigers, who began the week ranked seventh in the Mid-Atlantic Region, and gave Bucknell its third consecutive 10-win season for the first time in program history. Prior to the match against the Orange and Blue, Princeton had won 18 of its last 19 games against Patriot League schools in a streak that dated back to 1997. At the 10:55 mark, Dervarics netted her first of the evening as she drove the ball past Princeton netminder Maren Dale off a feed from Kelliann Doherty (Voorhees, N.J./Eastern Regional) along the endline to put the Orange and Blue in front, 1-0. Johnson followed up in the 26th minute with her first collegiate goal, which would be the eventual game-winner. After corralling a throw-in from McGorry, Johnson lofted a shot from the top of the box that found its way over Dale and into the back of the net. In the 29th minute, freshman Christa Matlack (South Williamsport, Pa./South Williamsport Area) sent a cross from the right that found Linhart on the left-hand side of the goal, which Linhart then fed to Dervarics in the middle, who punched it in. The tally was Dervarics' 11th of the year, tying her for the ninth-best single season total in program history while her 27 points ranks eighth. Capitalizing on a corner kick opportunity at 71:44, Johnson added her second of the evening as she tipped in the kick from junior Leah Grimm (Chagrin Falls, Ohio/Chagrin Falls). The lone tally of the night for Princeton came when Diana Matheson converted on a penalty kick in the 75th minute, bringing the final score to 4-1. Bucknell led the Tigers in shots, 12-9, and in corner kicks, 5-3. Sophomore Kathryn Sutton (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville Area) made four saves for the Bison.
The Patriot League Playoff Picture
- Both Bucknell and American clinched playoff berths last weekend, while the top seed and host of the 2007 Patriot League Championship, will be determined by this Saturday's match between the squads. A win or a tie for the Bison would give the squad the regular season title and the right to host. If the Eagles come away with the victory, they would claim the regular season championship and the tournament would be held at American.
- The two other seeds have yet to be determined but the four squads still alive for those spots are: Army, Colgate, Navy and Lehigh.
Two Bison Recognized for Performance in the Classroom
- Sophomore midfielder Chelsea Brinkman (Clearwater, Fla./Palm Harbor University HS) and sophomore defender Lauren Stoller (Basking Ridge, N.J./Ridge) were named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District II University Division Women's Soccer Second Team, it was announced this past Thursday. The accolades raise the count to nine academic all-district selections all-time for the Bison women's soccer program, including 2007 graduate Shannon Curd, who earned Academic All-America recognition as a senior last year. Brinkman and Stoller are just the second and third members of the Orange and Blue to receive the award as sophomores. Kerry Fitz-Patrick '06 was the only prior second-year player to earn a spot on the all-district squad, doing so in 2003. Brinkman holds a 3.83 grade-point average as a biology major with a minor in Spanish, while Stoller carries a 3.71 GPA as a psychology major.
About the Bison
- The Bison have played 17 matches so far, eight on the road and nine at home, and have collected wins over Sacred Heart (1-0), UMBC (5-1), Saint Francis (Pa.) (5-2), Cornell (1-0, OT), Navy (1-0), Holy Cross (6-0), Army (2-1), Colgate (3-1), Lafayette (6-0) and Princeton (4-1).
- As a squad, Bucknell began the week ranked 25th nationally in scoring offense at an average of 2.25 goals per game.
- Bucknell has allowed just three first half goals this season, outscoring opponents, 19-3, before the intermission.
- Dervarics leads the Bison offense with 11 goals and five assists for 27 points, while Matlack follows with eight goals and five assists for 21 points, the fourth-highest total posted by a freshman in program history.
- Doherty and Gentile hold double-figure point totals as well, Doherty with 15 (6g, 3a) and Gentile with 14 (5g, 4a). Doherty is tied with Dervarics and Matlack for the team lead in game-winning goals with two.
- Sutton has played 1337:04 minutes in goal for the Bison and holds a 1.48 goals-against average and a .7536 save percentage. She has made a total of 68 saves and has a record of 9-6-0 with four shutouts on the year. Against then-ranked No. 12 Rutgers, Sutton made a career-high 10 saves.
Bison Milestones
- On Sept., 12, Bucknell played its 300th in match in program history, celebrating with a 5-2 win over Saint Francis (Pa.). The program currently holds an all-time record of 147-149-16 (.497).
- Bucknell's shutout of Lafayette (6-0) on Oct. 28 was the fifth of the season for the squad, tying the program single-season record, which has been set six previous times (1993, '94, '95, 2002, '04 and '06).
- Bucknell career records update: Gentile is third in career points (81), third in career goals (33), fourth in career assists (15) and needs two to move into third in that category. With 14 career game-winning goals, Gentile is one shy of matching Gibbons' record (15). Dervarics is sixth in career points (58, needs nine to pass Jennifer Margolis (5th)), is seventh in career goals (23, needs four to pass Katie McElligott) and is tied for seventh in career assists (12, needs one to pass Leigh Raymont and Amy Riviere).
- Dervarics' seven-point game against Holy Cross marked her first career hat trick and tied the third-highest single game points total in program history. Only two players (Lisa Gibbons and Kerry McDonnell) have posted more in a single contest, Gibbons holding the record at nine (4g, 1a). Dervarics became the sixth player in school history to record a hat trick, as well.
- Dervarics' three assists versus Saint Francis (Pa.) matched the second-highest single-game total in program history. The only other Bison to ever notch three or more assists in a match was Gibbons as she totaled three against Scranton in 1994 and set the Bucknell record in the same season with four against Lycoming.
Weekly Awards and Honors
- Patriot League Honorable Mention: Jennifer Dervarics (Sept. 4), Christa Matlack (Sept. 17).
- Patriot League BRINE Rookie of the Week: Christa Matlack (Sept. 10, Oct. 22, Oct. 29), Kelliann Doherty (Sept. 24, Oct. 15)
- Patriot League BRINE Goalkeeper of the Week: Kathryn Sutton (Sept. 10, Oct. 8, Oct. 15, Oct. 22)
- Patriot League BRINE Player of the Week: Krista Lee Gentile (Oct. 15), Jennifer Dervarics (Oct. 22)
- Damon's Bison Athlete of the Week: Jennifer Dervarics (Oct. 15, Oct. 22)
In the Polls
- The week of Oct. 23, Bucknell earned its first regional ranking of the 2007 season as the squad debuted at No. 10 in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Mid-Atlantic regional poll. The Bison, who received their first NSCAA regional ranking in program history last season, were tied for 10th on the list with Virginia Commonwealth.
Looking Ahead
- Bucknell will next play on Friday, Nov. 9, in the Patriot League Tournament. Opponent, location and time have yet to be determined.
