Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Lehigh
Bucknell Women's Lacrosse Starts League Play With Triple-OT Win over Lehigh
3/7/2009 7:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
March 7, 2009
BETHLEHEM, Pa. -- In serious trouble with 12 minutes to play in its Patriot League opener at Lehigh on Saturday, Bucknell stormed back and scored the final five goals of the day, capped by senior Bonnie Buechel's game-winner in triple overtime. The dramatic 12-11 victory upped Bucknell's season mark to 4-1 overall and 1-0 in league play.
With 17:37 left in regulation Allison Thomas scored to give Lehigh an 11-7 lead. Bucknell's high-scoring duo of Buechel (South Orange, N.J./Columbia) and Carol Donohue (West Bablyon, N.Y./West Babylon) had been held to just a single goal to that point, but they heated up when it mattered most.
Buechel scored with 11:44 left to make it 11-8, then Donohue scored three unassisted goals in a span of only 2:41, the last knotting the game at 11-all with 5:20 to play.
After two scoreless overtime periods, Buechel sent the Bison home happy with a goal with 27 seconds left in the third OT session. The victory avenged an overtime loss to Lehigh last season. It was the third straight one-goal game between the two teams.
Buechel, Donohue and Michelle Milot (Basking Ridge, N.J./Ridge) all scored three goals for Bucknell, and Lauren Peyser (Manhasset, N.Y./Manhasset) had a goal and an assist. Donohue also tacked on an assist, giving her a four-point day.
Midfielder Julia Braun (Tomkins Cove, N.Y./North Rockland) tied the school record for ground balls in a game, just one contest after she nabbed seven ground balls against Robert Morris en route to Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week honors. Braun also registered eight draw controls, tied for second-most in a game in Bucknell history.
Kelly Draper had four goals and an assist and Lauren Dykstra had three goals and an assist for the Mountain Hawks (2-2, 0-1), who returned six all-conference players from last year's squad that finished third in the league.
Bucknell did a good job on one of those stars, Inneke Carmola, who was kept off the stat sheet. Carmola had six shots on goal, but sophomore goalie Alyssa DeLorenz (Garland, Texas/Plano East) stopped each of them. DeLorenz had 13 saves in the game, none bigger than the stop on Dykstra's free-position attempt with 12 seconds left in the second overtime period.
Lehigh scored four times in under three minutes to turn a 2-2 tie into a 6-2 lead. It was a 6-3 game at the half, but the Mountain Hawks led by at least two goals throughout the second half until the Bison mounted their late flurry.
The Bison, who are off to their best start since 1997, return to action on Wednesday at Duquesne at 4 p.m.
