Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
La Salle
Kauffman's Overtime Penalty Stroke Lifts Bucknell Field Hockey to a 3-2 Win over La Salle
9/18/2009 8:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Sept. 18, 2009
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Morgan Kauffman (Millersville, Pa./Penn Manor) converted a penalty stroke 7:17 into overtime, lifting the Bucknell field hockey team to a 3-2 victory over visiting La Salle on a pretty day at Graham Field. Christine Weiss (Bethlehem, Pa./Southern Lehigh) and Austin Thomas (Tunkhannock, Pa./Tunkhannock) scored first-half goals for the Bison, who improved to 5-2 on the season.
This one was a tale of two halves, as the Bison dominated the opening 35 minutes, only to see La Salle (3-5) pick up the pressure in the second half. Bucknell took the game's first 11 shots and outfired the Explorers 11-3 in the opening frame.
Bucknell converted on one of its seven first-half penalty corners 18:01 into the game, when Weiss blasted one past a screed goalkeeper off assists from Kauffman and Marci Richard (Oley, Pa./Oley Valley). Only 2:05 later the Bison scored again, when Megan Krebs (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./GAR Memorial) slipped a pretty through pass ahead to a streaking Thomas, and the Bison senior buried her fourth goal of the season.
La Salle still had not attempted a shot with eight minutes left in the half when the Explorers finally tested Bison keeper Jessie Atieh (North Caldwell, N.J./West Essex). Atieh was up to the challenge, first denying Janel Paukovits on a breakaway, then sprawling to turn aside Kara Harpel's rebound attempt.
The Explorers broke quickly in the second half, earning six penalty corners in the first 13 minutes. They capitalized in the game's 49th minute, when Pauovits tipped in a shot from Rebecca Chylack to make it 2-1.
La Salle kept up the pressure and scored the equalizer about 10 minutes later. As Bucknell tried to break out of its own end, Lindsay Fry stole a pass, walked in alone and scored from close range to make it a 2-2 game.
With 6:38 remaining the Bison thought they had the go-ahead goal when Kauffman deflected in a shot on a penalty corner, but it was ruled that the ball went in off her leg and the goal was waved off. Both teams had chances in the waning minutes of regulation. Atieh and defender Sarah Ebright (Hummelstown, Pa./Lower Dauphin) cleared away a two-shot flurry with four minutes to play, and with just one second left La Salle keeper Emma Ruth had to make a tricky save on Thomas' deflection.
After La Salle outshot Bucknell 13-6 in the second half, in overtime the action remained in the north end of the field as it had all day. The Bison earned three corners and attempted all four shots in the extra period. Midway through the first overtime stanza Weiss blasted one from the top of the arc on a corner, the ball touched a La Salle defender standing on the line. That resulted in a penalty stroke, and Kauffman buried it for her fourth goal of the season and 13th of her career. With a goal and an assist on the day, Kauffman now has a point in six straight games.
The Bison, who were playing their third straight overtime game, finished with a 21-16 shot advantage and a 14-12 edge in corners. Atieh made eight saves, while Ruth had seven for La Salle, which is coached by former Bison assistant coach Michelle Marks.
At 5-2 on the season, the Bison are off to their best seven-game start since 2003, when they won seven of eight to begin the year.
Bucknell will be back in action on Sunday, traveling to Villanova for a 1 p.m. start.
