Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Field Hockey Hosts Colgate on Homecoming, Senior Day This Saturday
10/29/2010 8:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Oct. 29, 2010
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Saturday promises plenty of action as Bucknell field hockey hosts Colgate at 12 p.m. at Graham Field at Holmes Stadium on a day that includes Homecoming and Senior Day activities. The Bison will be looking to end a three-game winless skid as well as attempting to edge the Raiders out of the Patriot League Tournament's third seed when they meet for the final regular-season contest of 2010. Seniors Kelly Bruvik (Skillman, N.J./Stuart Country Day), Corinne Raczek (Ocean Township, N.J./Ocean Township), Christine Weiss (Bethlehem, Pa./Southern Lehigh) and Morgan Kauffman (Millersville, Pa./Penn Manor) will be recognized prior to the game.
ABOUT THE BISON
- Bucknell faced the toughest stretch of its 2010 schedule last week, taking on No. 11 Penn State, No. 7 American and Rutgers on the road. Outcomes did not go in the Bison's favor as they finished 0-3.
- Bucknell's current three-game losing streak is its longest since the team opened the season 0-4.
- Although the Bison earned a berth in the Patriot League Tournament a few weeks ago, seeding is still up for grabs. With a win on Saturday, Bucknell will be seeded No. 3 in league postseason play and Colgate will be No. 4. The top two seeds will also be determined on Saturday as the Patriot League's undefeated teams - Lafayette and American - face off. The winner of that game will earn the No. 1 seed and the right to host the tournament, while the loser will drop to No. 2.
- Bruvik tallied Bucknell's lone goal against the Nittany Lions last week. The score brought her season total to eight goals and tied her single-season high set as a junior. Bruvik's eight goals last year led the Bison.
- With a single-season high of 20 points, Bruvik needs just two more to enter the top 15 in program history. Two more goals will move her into the top 15 on that single-season list as well. The senior's name already appears on Bucknell's career points (13th, 54) and career goals (T-ninth, 24) ledgers.
- Bruvik's classmate Raczek is looking to move up in the record book as well. At 33 assists, the senior is still just one shy of tying the program record. She also needs one assist to move into a tie for 12th on the single-season list with seven helpers this fall. Raczek, whose last assist came on Oct. 9 at Lafayette, can already be found on the single-season record list at first (16) and fourth (10).
- Bucknell will be recognizing Bruvik and Raczek as well as fellow veterans Weiss and Kauffman prior to Saturday's matchup as part of Senior Day. Entering its final regular-season game, the group has amassed a 37-35 career record in the Orange and Blue, qualified for three Patriot League Tournaments and helped the Bison to a first-place finish in the Patriot League standings for the first time in program history in 2009. They have also been regular contributors to the squad's success off the field, earning several selections to the Bucknell Dean's List, Patriot League Academic Honor Roll and National Field Hockey Coaches Association National Academic Squad.
- Over the years, Raczek has become one of Bucknell's most experienced players. With just a handful of contests left in her collegiate career, Raczek has played in all 72 of the Bison's games and has earned a starting spot in all but four. While Raczek is the only senior able to make that claim, junior Marci Richard (Oley, Pa./Oley Valley) and sophomores Tayler Siegrist (Madison, N.J./Madison) and Katie Durkin (New Canaan, Conn./New Canaan) are attempting to follow in their veteran teammate's footsteps. Richard has appeared in all 55 possible contests, drawing 38 starts. Siegrist and Durkin have both played in the maximum 36 games for a sophomore with Siegrist earning starting assignments in every one.
- Rachel Misko (Morristown, N.J./Madison) has totaled 11 points on five goals and one assist this season to lead all Bison freshmen. That makes her the first rookie in double-digit points since Siegrist tallied 11 last season. The last Bison rookie to total more than 11 in a season was Amanda Faust in 2005. Faust, who had six goals and six assists for 18 points during her freshman campaign, eventually finished her career ranked third in program annals in points (92).
- Bucknell leads the all-time series with Colgate, 23-10-3. The Bison's 4-2 win last season gave them two consecutive victories and eight wins in their last nine attempts. Weiss led the scoring push in 2009 with two goals, while Kauffman added three assists and Raczek tallied two. Former Bison Austin Thomas and Megan Krebs also scored.
- The largest margin of defeat the Raiders have handed the Bison is two. Both the teams' 1997 and 1999 meetings ended with Colgate up 3-1. Bucknell's other eight losses came by just a single goal.
- The largest margin of victory for Bucknell is five goals. The Bison shut out the Raiders 5-0 in 1984 and 2002. Bucknell has blanked Colgate nine times in program history, including a 0-0 tie in 1981.
ABOUT THE RAIDERS
- Colgate comes to Lewisburg with a record of 5-10 overall and 2-2 in the Patriot League. The Raiders' league losses came against Lafayette (5-0) and American (6-1) earlier this season, while their wins came opposite Lehigh (5-1) and most recently, Holy Cross (1-0). Colgate has not won back-to-back contests this season.
- Laura Denenga leads the Raiders in goals, having claimed eight of her team's 25 scores this fall. The senior's 19 points is also a high mark for Colgate. Kendall Zaharris is tops on the squad in assists with seven. In goal, the Raiders rely on Kirsten Lalli, who has posted a 3.01 goals against average, a save percentage of .768 and three shutouts. Despite her 5-10 record, she has been named the Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Week four times this season.
- Colgate ranks third in Patriot League action in several team categories, including scoring margin (-1.25), scoring average (1.75), shutouts (1), assists (1.25), saves (10.75) and penalty corners (5.50).
- The Raiders struggled in 2009, finishing with a 1-15 record overall and going winless in the Patriot League. Katelyn Neronne, Mika Ella-Tang and Denenga were each named to all-league teams, but only Denenga returns in 2010.
LOOKING AHEAD
Following Saturday's contest, Bucknell will begin its preparations for the Patriot League Tournament. The Bison will take on either American or Lafayette in the semifinals when the postseason gets underway on Friday, Nov. 5. The league's championship game is slated for Saturday, Nov. 6.
