Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Field Hockey Prepares for Pair of Instate Road Games
9/18/2008 8:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Sept. 18, 2008
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The Bucknell field hockey team will play the La Salle Explorers on Friday, Sept. 19, and the Lock Haven Eagles on Sunday, Sept. 21, both at the opponents' fields. The Bison (3-2) last played on Saturday, defeating the Cornell Big Red, 3-2. Amanda Faust led the Bison with a five-point game against the Big Red, and was named Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week and Damon's Bison Athlete of the Week for her efforts.
La Salle and Lock Haven played each other on Wednesday in Philadelphia, Pa., with the Eagles (5-2) earning a 2-1 victory on the road. Lock Haven outshot La Salle 23-2 and attempted eight penalty corners, compared to just one for the Explorers (2-5), but were not able to score the game-winning goal until just 12:05 remained. La Salle goalkeeper Emma Ruth made 11 saves, and her teammates combined to make three defensive saves against a potent Lock Haven offense that received its goals from Amy Hordendorf and Blair Wynne.
A Look at the Explorers
La Salle is led by head coach Sarah Catlin, a 1998 graduate of Bucknell. Catlin was a four-year defensive starter for the Bison, captain of the 1997 team and a two-time Second Team All-Patriot League selection. This is her eighth year as head coach of La Salle, and this year her top assistant coach is Michelle Marks, who served as an assistant coach with the Bison for the previous three years.
The Explorers return 18 letterwinners and nine starters from their 2007 team which finished with an 8-12 record. This is the 28th meeting between the two schools, and Bucknell has been victorious 16 times, including a 1-0 overtime victory at Graham Field last season. Current Bison junior Megan Krebs scored the game-winning goal 84:05 into the game, assisted by Faust.
Lechner and Maria Allegretto lead La Salle in scoring, each with three goals so far this season. Ruth has started all seven games in goal for the Explorers, making 26 saves, while saving 61.9 percent of the opponents' shots on goal.
A Look at the Eagles
Bucknell will be the third Patriot League team that Lock Haven plays this year. The Eagles defeated Lafayette at home, 3-1, on Sept. 14, and host Colgate on Saturday. Lock Haven has a 21-4-1 all-time record against Bucknell.
Lock Haven, finished 17-6 last year, and have won the Northeast Conference Tournament each of the past two years and the NEC regular-season title each of the last four seasons. The Bison lost to the Eagles, 6-2 last season in Lewisburg, Pa. Krebs scored one of Bucknell's goals. Lock Haven's star player, All-America selection Blair Wynne, scored two goals in last year's contest, and four against Bucknell in a 6-0 Lock Haven win in 2006.
This year, Wynne already has 18 points, scoring eight goals through her team's first seven games. She has 58 career goals and 148 career points. Hordendorf is second on the team in scoring, with five goals and 11 points, while Suzann Hobart has a team-high six assists.
Bison Bits
- Through games played on Sept. 14, Bucknell players can be found throughout the Patriot League's statistical rankings. Player's statistical ranking is in ( ).
- Faust: 10 points (t-1), 3 goals (t-3), 4 assists (2)
- Morgan Kauffman: 9 points (t-3), 2 goals (t-9), 5 assists (1)
- Katie Ruiz: 8 points (t-5), 3 goals (t-3), 2 assists (t-5)
- Corinne Raczek: 3 assists (t-3)
- Jessie Atieh: 22 saves (4), 1.78 GAA (2), .733 save pct. (2)
- Faust currently ranks first in Bucknell history in assists (28), sixth in points (70) and tied for 10th in goals (28). In addition to her five-point game against Cornell, Faust had five-point efforts against Colgate in 2006 and Monmouth in 2007.
- The Bison are averaging 6.8 penalty corners per game, tops in the Patriot League.
- The Orange and Blue also lead the league in assists with 15 and are tied for first in goals against, allowing just 1.8 per contest.
Up Next
Bucknell follows its road trip with two games at Graham Field, the first of which is on Wednesday, Sept. 24, against Saint Francis (Pa.) at 7 p.m. The Bison will then host Siena on Saturday, Sept. 27, at 12 p.m., the 600th game in the history of Bucknell's field hockey program. Bucknell's all-time field hockey record is 267-302-27.
