Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Lehigh
Bucknell Women's Lax Outlasts Lehigh 13-12 for Fourth Straight Win
3/24/2007 8:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
March 24, 2007
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Freshman Alison Heffernan (Malvern, Pa./Agnes Irwin School) scored the tie-breaking goal with 1:15 left to play, leading the Bucknell women's lacrosse team to its fourth straight victory, a thrilling 13-12 decision at Lehigh on Saturday afternoon in the Patriot League openers for both teams. Sophomore Bonnie Buechel (South Orange, N.J./Columbia) scored a career-high five goals while freshman Carol Donohue (West Babylon, N.Y./West Babylon) continued to pile up points with a goal and four assists.
While Bucknell's previous three victories came by an average margin of seven goals, Saturday's win was a roller coaster of momentum changes. The Bison quickly fell behind by three goals before storming ahead, but in the second half they twice allowed Lehigh to come all the way back from three-goal deficits, only to win it on Heffernan's second goal of the season.
Bucknell seemed to be in good shape when Buechel scored off a feed from freshman Paige Kasschau (Rockville Centre, N.Y./South Side) to go up 12-9 with 13:26 to play. But Inneke Carmola, Lissy King and Amy Chamberlain all scored in succession less than two minutes apart to draw Lehigh even at 12-all with 6:20 to play.
The Bison proceeded to hit the pipe three times in the next four minutes, while freshman goalie Katie Hartsock (Wayne, Pa./Conestoga) made two saves to preserve the tie. After forcing a turnover and clearing the ball, Buechel found a cutting Heffernan, who scored with a high shot to put Bucknell ahead 13-12.
Heffernan secured the ensuing draw, but the Bison lost possession with 34 seconds remaining. With less than five seconds to play and Lehigh knocking on the door, senior Lauren Kremer (Chadds Ford, Pa./Unionville) turned in the game's biggest defensive play when she drew a charging foul on a Mountain Hawks attacker. The Bison were able to drain the clock and improved to 4-3 overall, 1-0 in the Patriot League.
Lehigh (2-5, 0-1) got off to a great start, with Carmola scoring twice in only 11 seconds, followed by a Chamberlain goal that made it 3-0 just 12:15 into the game. Bucknell finally got on the board 12:33 in when Lauren Deitrich (Collegeville, Pa./Hill School) finished a Donohue feed. Only 30 seconds later Buechel scored to make it 3-2.
The Bison tied it for the first time at 4-4 on Kremer's tally with 14:31 left in the first half, but Sara MacIntyre and Carmola scored back-to-back to put the Mountain Hawks back in front 6-4. Bucknell dominated the last eight minutes of the half, however, scoring five straight goals to take a 9-6 lead to the locker room.
Donohue got the run started with 7:29 remaining, then Buechel scored twice in 55 seconds to give Bucknell its first lead of the day at 7-6. Kremer made it 8-6 when she converted an 8-meter attempt, then Erin Weinstein (Stanfordville, N.Y./Deerfield Academy) scored her first goal of the year with just 1:04 left in the half to make it 9-6.
Just like in the first half, Lehigh started strong again in the second, scoring three unanswered goals to knot the game back up at 9-apiece. Sarah Collins (Goldens Bridge, N.Y./John Jay), Casan Van Langen (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif./Torrey Pines) and Buechel then scored three goals in 3:15 to make it 12-9, only to see Lehigh charge back once again to tie it up late.
Donohue scored at least four points for the fifth game in a row, giving her a team-high 26 points on 15 goals and 11 assists, all coming in that span. Buechel now has a team-high 19 goals on the year. Collins also had a four-point day with a goal and three assists.
Bucknell outshot Lehigh 34-30 and won 16 of the 27 draws. Hartsock finished with 11 saves for the Bison, while Lehigh goalie Kelsy Ferris was credited with 16 saves.
The Bison return home on Wednesday, hosting UC Davis in a non-conference game at Graham Field at 7 p.m.
