Bucknell University Athletics
Women's Soccer's Matlack, Sutton Honored After Successful Week
9/28/2009 8:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Sept. 28, 2009
LEWISBURG, Pa. - A pair of Bucknell women's soccer student-athletes were honored on Monday for their roles in the team's best week of the season thus far. Junior forward Christa Matlack (South Williamsport, Pa./South Williamsport) was named the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week following a five-point performance in Sunday's win at Cornell, and senior goalkeeper Kathryn Sutton (Coatesville, Pa./Coatesville Area) was selected as the Damon's Bison Athlete of the Week after a sensational showing against Penn State that helped her break the Bucknell career shutouts record.
Last Wednesday before a large crowd at Emmitt Field at Holmes Stadium, Sutton backstopped the Bison to a scoreless tie against a high-powered Penn State team that had been ranked as high as No. 5 in the nation earlier in the year. It was Bucknell's first point in 14 all-time meetings with the Nittany Lions, and it would not have been possible without a spectacular effort from Sutton.
She made a career-high 11 saves in the match, six of which came on point-blank shots. Two of her four saves in sudden-death overtime came on breakaways. It was her first shutout of the season and 13th of her career. That broke the Bucknell career record, surpassing the old mark of 12.5 previously set by Becky Snover from 1993-96 in an era when combined shutouts were credited.
Bucknell had a number of good offensive chances against Penn State, including a first-half shot from Matlack that struck the left post and caromed away. Matlack took her frustration out on Cornell in the team's next game on Sunday afternoon. In Bucknell's 4-2 victory, Matlack exploded for two goals and an assist.
With the game tied at 1-1 with 10:47 left in the first half, Matlack put the Bison ahead for good when she finished a nice through ball from teammate Caitlin Holtz. Matlack scored again in the 60th minute of play, and less than two minutes later she assisted on Megan DeGennaro's goal that made it a 4-1 rout.
The five points equaled her career high, set in 2007 against Lafayette. It was Matlack's third career two-goal game, and the five points pushed her up into ninth place on Bucknell's career scoring list with 48.
Now 5-5-1 on the season, the Bison will open up Patriot League play on Saturday afternoon at American.
