Bucknell University
Cornell
Matlack Scores Twice as Bucknell Women's Soccer Upends Cornell 4-2
9/27/2009 8:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Sept. 27, 2009
ITHACA, N.Y. - Christa Matlack (South Williamsport, Pa./South Williamsport) registered two goals and an assist and Caitlin Holtz (Freehold, N.J./The Peddie School) added a goal and an assist to lead the Bucknell women's soccer team past Cornell 4-2 on Sunday afternoon at rain-soaked Berman Field.
Bucknell backed up an inspired performance in Wednesday's scoreless tie against Penn State with its best offensive showing of the year. The Bison put four of their 11 shots into the net and scored more than two goals in a game for the first time all season, evening their record back up at 5-5-1 in the process.
In the 30th minute of the contest, Holtz scored Bucknell's 10th goal of the season - and became the 10th different Bison to do it - with a shot from 30 yards out that keeper Kelly Murphy fumbled into the cage. It was Holtz's second career goal, and her first since her rookie season in 2007 against Lafayette.
Bucknell's lead lasted a mere 31 seconds, however, as the Big Red (1-7-1) countered with Maneesha Chitanvis' breakaway goal that tied the game up at 1-apiece.
The Bison needed only four more minutes to grab the lead back for good. Matlack became the first Bucknell player to score her second goal of the season at the 34:13 mark, when she finished a precise through ball from Holtz. It was Holtz's team-leading third assist of the season and the 12th of her career, putting her in a tie for eighth place on Bucknell's all-time list alongside 1998 graduates Leigh Raymont and Amy Riviere.
Still a 2-1 game into the second half, Matlack scored again, this time off a nice feed from freshman Kayla Yee (Centennial, Colo./Heritage) in the 60th minute. Only 2:56 later it was 4-1, when Matlack served a ball into the box and Megan DeGennaro (Westlake Village, Calif./La Reina) headed it home.
Cornell capped the scoring in the 82nd minute when Hannah Labadie scored on a header on a corner kick from Sam Wright.
Statistically, the Big Red finished with a 16-11 shot advantage. Bucknell put five shots on frame, and four of them went in and another was cleared off the line by a defender. Kathryn Sutton (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville Area), who was coming off a brilliant 11-save performance against Penn State, recorded seven more stops in this one. Cornell's Murphy and Megan Bartlett each played a half, but neither recorded a save.
Matlack's five points equaled her career high, previously set against Lafayette in 2007. It was her third career two-goal game. With those five points, Matlack jumped in to the top 10 on Bucknell's career points list. She now has 48, putting her in ninth in program history.
Bucknell will now have nearly a full week to prepare for its Patriot League opener, which takes place next Saturday against American in Washington, D.C., at 1 p.m.
