Bucknell University Athletics
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Holy Cross
Bucknell Women's Soccer Clinches Playoff Berth with 3-2 Win over Holy Cross
10/24/2010 8:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Oct. 24, 2010
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The Bucknell women's soccer team clinched a berth in the Patriot League Tournament for the sixth year in a row and moved back into a tie for first place in the league standings after a 3-2 home victory over Holy Cross on Sunday. Kelliann Doherty (Voorhees, N.J./Eastern Regional) scored two goals and Caitlin Holtz (Freehold, N.J./Peddie School) assisted on all three goals for the Bison, who improved to 4-2 in Patriot League play.
All eight Patriot League teams were in action Sunday on the penultimate day of conference action, and the Bison were the only winner. The Army-Colgate, Navy-Lafayette and Lehigh-American games all ended in draws. That allowed Bucknell to jump back into a first-place tie with Army with 12 points apiece (the Black Knights are 3-0-3). Lehigh is one point behind the leaders with 11 points, while Colgate has 10. Navy has eight points and still has a chance to pass Colgate for the fourth and final Patriot League tournament berth.
Bucknell, which is the only league team with as many as four wins, hosts Colgate next Saturday at Emmitt Field. The Bison can capture the regular-season championship and the right to host the Patriot League Tournament with a win and an Army loss or tie at Holy Cross on Friday night.
Holy Cross came to Lewisburg Sunday riding a seven-game winless streak in which it had not scored a goal, but the Crusaders (3-11-2, 0-5-1) gave the Bison all they could handle. Holy Cross snapped their scoreless streak in the 29th minute of the game after the Bucknell defense made a mistake trying to pass the ball back to goalkeeper Sandita McDermott (Rhinebeck, N.Y./Red Hook). Hannah Earner, a substitute forward who had been on the field for less than a minute, took the ball away, made a move around McDermott and scored into the vacated net.
The Bison tied it with 47 seconds remaining in the first half. On their only corner kick of the half, Holtz played a short ball to Doherty near the end line to the left of the goal. Doherty pivoted and lofted a shot from a tough angle over the head of keeper Ashlyn Angell into the far side netting.
Bucknell dodged a bullet in the final seconds of the half when Holy Cross had a good look in the box, but then the Bison garnered their first lead just 3:55 into the second half on the first goal in a Bucknell uniform by Tara Cort (Wellesley, Mass./Wellesley). Holtz sent a long pass ahead to Christa Matlack (South Williamsport, Pa./South Williamsport) on the right side, and Matlack squared it back across the box. The ball grazed off the head of a defender, and Cort punched it in with the outside of her foot.
It stayed 2-1 until the 75th minute, when Holtz's corner kick into the goal mouth was knocked home by Doherty. Things got tense moments later, however, when Bucknell committed a foul just outside the penalty box, and Maura Fox drilled the free kick into the left side of the net.
The defense was solid over the last 10 minutes, however, and the Bison walked off with their fifth victory in the last seven games.
Holtz's three assists were one shy of the school single-game record of four, set by Lisa Gibbons against Lycoming in 1994. Holtz now has 17 career assists, fourth-most in program history. Matlack's assist gives her 76 career points, tying her with Kerry McDonnell for fifth on Bucknell's all-time list. Doherty produced her second career two-goal game, with the other coming in 2007 against Saint Francis (Pa.). She now has 17 career goals.
McDermott finished with four saves for the Bison, who had a 16-12 shot advantage. Angell had five saves for Holy Cross and did well to thwart a number of breakaway opportunities.
Bucknell hosts Colgate next Saturday at 4 p.m. The Homecoming Day game will also be Senior Day, as the team's seven seniors will be honored prior to the contest.
