Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Women's Lax Hosts Reigning PL Champs Saturday at Graham Field
4/5/2007 8:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
April 5, 2007
LEWISBURG, Pa. -- The Bucknell women's lacrosse team can gain a share of first place in the Patriot League standings with a victory Saturday against defending champion Holy Cross. Game time is set for noon at Graham Field. Admission is free of charge.
The Crusaders come in with a 7-4 overall record, 2-0 in the Patriot League, but Bucknell (4-6, 1-1) is just a game behind them in the standings. The Bison have dropped three games in a row on the heels of a four-game winning streak, however, and they will be looking to avenge a pair of losses to Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass., last season, including a 13-7 setback in the Patriot League Tournament semifinals.
Prior to last year, Bucknell had beaten Holy Cross three straight times, including a 9-7 win in the last meeting at Graham Field in 2005, which also happened to be coach Jess Spadafora's first Bucknell victory. The Bison have an 11-6 all-time lead in a series that dates back to 1991.
Bucknell is led offensively by sophomore Bonnie Buechel (South Orange, N.J./Columbia), who ranks sixth in the Patriot League in both goals (23) and points (30). Freshman Carol Donohue (West Babylon, N.Y./West Babylon) leads the team in assists with 12 and is second to Buechel in goals (17) and points (29).
Buechel, who had a hat trick against Drexel on Tuesday, leads the Patriot League in draw controls with 25. Junior Lauren Deitrich (Collegeville, Pa./Hill School) is the league leader in caused turnovers (24), and she leads all Bison defenders in ground balls with 25.
Holy Cross features the Patriot League's top goal scorer in Patricia Sutton, who has 33 tallies along with a team-high 12 assists. Sutton, who had 54 goals and 75 points last season, was the 2006 Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year and the 2003 PL Rookie of the Year.
Crusaders goalie Megan Orr, a two-time PL Goalkeeper of the Year, leads the league in both save percentage (.557) and goals-against average (9.19).
Saturday's game begins a stretch of five out of six home games for the Bison. They will host Wagner next Thursday, then after a road trip to American on Apr. 14, Bucknell finishes out the regular season with consecutive home dates with Saint Francis (Pa.), Lafayette and Ohio State.
