Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Field Hockey Opens Patriot League Play Saturday with Holy Cross
9/30/2011 8:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Sept. 30, 2011
Additional Links:
LEWISBURG, Pa. - It's a full week of Patriot League action as Bucknell field hockey kicks off its conference schedule with Holy Cross at 12 p.m. on Saturday at Graham Field at Holmes Stadium. The Bison will be looking to make it three straight wins against the Crusaders before hosting Villanova at 1 p.m. on Sunday. Live stats on GameTracker will be available for both showdowns.
The Bison (2-6, 0-0 PL) are 2-0 in their last two Patriot League openers, including a 2-0 win at Holy Cross last year. That brings the Orange and Blue's record to 7-14 all-time in league openers.
A continuation of Bucknell's success against Holy Cross is just what the Bison need after two tough contests last weekend. After falling 6-0 to Rider, which received votes in the latest Kookaburra/NFHCA National Coaches Poll, they lost 3-1 against Rutgers despite another goal from Kate Bowen (Forty Fort, Pa./Wyoming Valley West). Bowen now has two goals for four points on the season.
When Bucknell and Holy Cross last faced off, Sarah Zargarpour (North Vancouver, British Columbia) recorded her third shutout of the season. It was probably the easiest blanking of her career, however, as she did not face a shot on goal in 70 minutes of play. The win was Bucknell's second straight against Holy Cross after having lost the previous four meetings.
The Crusaders are 1-8 this fall after earning their lone win, 1-0 in overtime, against Siena. The victory snapped a 23-game losing streak that dated back to the end of the 2009 season. Since the matchup with Siena, Holy Cross has lost their last five outings by a combined score of 21-7. Rookie Mackenzie Peet leads the team in goals with three, including the game winner opposite Siena.
Holy Cross is 0-4 on the road this fall, a trend Bucknell hopes to extend for at least one more game. The Bison are 5-5 against the Crusaders when playing Lewisburg. Four of those five wins have been shutouts in favor of Bucknell, and eight of the 10 meetings have been decided by one goal.
Villanova comes to Lewisburg for the first time since 2008 and brings a 5-5 overall record with it. The Wildcats have won three of their last four games with the only blemish coming in a 3-0 loss to Rider last Wednesday. After going 7-10 overall and 2-4 in the BIG EAST last season, Villanova moved to the Mid-American Conference in 2011 and is now relying heavily on its freshmen for offensive production. Twelve of the team's 16 goals and 29 of its 46 points have come off the sticks of its rookies. Leading the way is newcomer Jessica Swoboda with 14 points (5g, 4a).
Bucknell's only two wins against Villanova came in their first meeting in 1981 and more recently in 2006. The Bison have lost the last two matchups with the latest coming by a score of 4-2 in 2009. Austin Thomas and Mallory Smith (Schnecksville, Pa./Parkland) had the two goals at Villanova. The Bison trail the Wildcats 2-7 in series history but are 2-3 on their home turf.
Bucknell will wrap up its homestand with Lafayette at 12 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 8. The team will then hit the road for their next three games, which include matchups against Cornell, Lehigh and Towson. The Bison outscored those opponents a combined 9-1 last year, earning shutouts over Cornell and Towson.
