Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Marist
Bucknell Women's Soccer Blanks Marist on Late Matlack Goal
9/28/2008 8:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Sept. 28, 2008
POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - For the third time in nine days, the Bucknell women's soccer team snapped a scoreless tie with a late goal, this time parlaying a Christa Matlack (South Williamsport, Pa./South Williamsport Area) strike with 7:08 remaining into a 2-0 road win at Marist on a wet pitch at Tenney Stadium at Leonidoff Field on Sunday afternoon.
The Bison took both ends of a Friday-Sunday series for the first time this season, winning twice by shutout to improve to 6-3-2 heading into next week's conference opener at Navy in what will be a rematch of the 2007 Patriot League championship game.
Bucknell evened its road record at 3-3-1 on the season, and this was no easy trip. The Bison defeated a hot Robert Morris team 1-0 at home on Friday night, then stayed in town to participate in the Holmes Stadium dedication ceremony prior to Saturday night's men's game against Navy. They rose early on Sunday morning for the three-and-a-half-hour trip to Poughkeepsie, and then engaged in a grueling match that featured twice as many fouls as shots.
Both teams managed only five shots apiece in this one. Bucknell put all five on frame, while Marist was on target twice. Bison goalkeeper Kathryn Sutton (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville Area) made a terrific save to her right with 25 minutes remaining to keep it a scoreless game, and she walked off with her school-record-tying fifth shutout of the season.
Jennifer Dervarics (Emmaus, Pa./Emmaus) had a would-be go-ahead goal waved off on a referee's offsides call in the second half, then Matlack finally broke through in the 83rd minute. Matlack took the ball from a Marist defender, maneuvered around keeper Caitlin Nazarechuk and scored her fifth goal of the season into an empty net.
On Sept. 19, Matlack scored with 29 seconds left to give the Bison a 1-0 win over Temple, and in the 1-0 win over Robert Morris on Friday, it was Nicole Marotta (Bridgewater, N.J./Mount St. Mary Academy) scoring in the 72nd minute to break a 0-0 deadlock.
Less than three minutes after her go-ahead tally, Matlack helped the Bison add a big insurance goal. She won a 50-50 ball on a throw-in in the Marist end, then she sent a cross into the box that hit a Red Foxes defender and caromed in for an own goal.
Both teams were whistled for 10 fouls, and both sides were booked for two yellow cards. For the Bison, it was their first two cautions of the season.
Sutton now has nine career shutouts, tying current assistant coach Katie Dry for third-most in Bucknell history. Dry in 2006 and Becky Snover in 1995 also had five shutouts in a season.
Seven of Bucknell's final eight games of the regular season will be Patriot League affairs, beginning Saturday at Navy at noon. Last season, the Bison defeated the Mids 1-0 at home in the regular season, but Navy returned the favor with a 1-0 victory in the Patriot League championship match at Varsity Soccer Field.
