Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Lafayette
Bucknell Field Hockey Advances to Patriot League Championship Game
11/7/2008 7:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Nov. 7, 2008
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Bucknell field hockey team took an early 2-0 lead against Lafayette and never looked back, defeating the Leopards, 4-2, on Friday, Nov. 7, to advance to Saturday's Patriot League Tournament championship game against top-seed American at its home field in Washington, D.C. Bison senior Trina Boyer (Macungie, Pa./Upper Perkiomen) scored two goals, and classmates Katie Ruiz (Lewisburg, Pa./Lewisburg Area) and Amanda Faust (Kingston, Pa./Wyoming Valley West) each scored once for the Orange and Blue.
The Leopards (12-7) had allowed only four goals during their five Patriot League regular season games, including shutouts of Holy Cross, Colgate and Lehigh. However, the Bison (11-7) offense could not be contained on this day. Ruiz started the scoring for Bucknell nine minutes, 23 seconds into the opening half, scoring her seventh goal of the season from directly in front of the goal cage. Bison sophomore Corinne Raczek (Ocean Township, N.J./Ocean Township), the league's leader in assists, drove the ball along the baseline before finding Ruiz with a pass in front of Leopards' goalkeeper Kelsey Andersen. Boyer tacked on her ninth goal of the season just 1:55 later, assisted on the play by Kelly Bruvik (Skillman, N.J./Stuart Country Day).
Lafayette would get on the board on a goal by Maggie Condon, her 15th of the season, following a penalty corner at the 21:48 mark. The Leopards would attempt four penalty corners on the day, three in the first half, compared to two for Bucknell. The Bison outshot the Leopards 5-3 in the first half and entered halftime with a 2-1 lead.
Bucknell would extend its lead back to two on Boyer's second goal of the game and 10th of the season, scored on a breakaway, 9:39 into the second half. Boyer took the ball from about 25 yards out, beating the Leopard defense, stopped to let a defender fly past her and unleashed a shot to beat Andersen. The senior now has seven goals in her last four games and has moved into sole possession of 11th place on the Bison's all-time goal scoring list with 22 career goals.
Faust would record her 10th goal of the season on a Bison penalty corner with 12:38 left to play in regulation, giving Bucknell a 4-1 lead. Sophomore Morgan Kauffman (Millersville, Pa./Penn Manor) and senior Steph Graf (Jamison, Pa./Central Bucks East) assisted on the goal. Faust is now tied for fifth on the Bison's all-time goal scoring list with 28 in her career, and she and Boyer have become the fourth set of teammates in Bucknell field hockey history to each have at least 10 goals in the same season. Faust has 30 points this season, marking just the sixth time and becoming only the fourth player in Bison history to reach that mark.
Lafayette's Bridget Hilbig cut her team's deficit back to two, scoring 1:33 after Faust, but the Leopards simply ran out of time to be able to mount a comeback. Bucknell goalkeepers Jessie Atieh (North Caldwell, N.J./West Essex) and Sarah Zargarpour (North Vancouver, Canada/West Essex) combined to make three saves in the win.
This is the only the fourth time that Bucknell has won at least 11 games in a season. The 1999 team had a program best 14-7 record, while teams in 1979 and 1984 also won 11 games. With 49 goals this season, Bucknell is one short of tying its single-season record of 50, set in 1977 and tied in 1999. Bucknell has played in the championship game of the Patriot League Tournament three previous times, losing each time. The Bison fell to Lafayette in 1995, 3-1, and again in 1999, 3-0, and Holy Cross in 2000, 4-1.
The Eagles are now 11-7 this season, but have won 42 consecutive Patriot League games. The team has been perfect throughout league play since 2003, and is search for its sixth straight conference tournament title. Including its 5-1 semifinals win against Colgate on Friday, American has outscored league opponents 24-2 this year. American had eight all-league selections this season, including the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year (Irene Schickhardt), Defensive Player of the Year (Anne-Meike De Wiljes) and Rookie of the Year (Tatum Dyer). American's head coach, Steve Jennings, was honored with his fourth consecutive coach of the year award, and fifth overall.
Ranked No. 19 in the latest STX/NFHCA Poll, American defeated the Bison, 4-0, on Oct. 18, in Washington, D.C. Schickhardt and De Wiljes combined for three goals and two assists in the game, and American outshot the Bison, 18-4.
Saturday's game, a 1:30 p.m. start, will be available to watch via Patriot League All-Access. Registration and payment of a small fee are required.
