Bucknell University
Lehigh
Bucknell Women's Soccer Falls in Double Overtime at Lehigh, 2-1
10/19/2012 8:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Oct. 19, 2012
BETHLEHEM, Pa. - Chelsey Garkowski scored her team-leading eighth goal of the season just 30 seconds into the match, but Lehigh tied it 11 minutes later and then dealt Bucknell a 2-1 setback when Isabelle Li scored in the second overtime period Saturday night at a wet and slick Ulrich Sports Complex. The good news for the Bison is that at the end of a full night of Patriot League action, they are still tied for the fourth and final Patriot League Tournament position with two games remaining in the regular season.
Bucknell (9-8, 2-3 PL) entered the night tied for fourth place with Holy Cross, and the Crusaders lost to American 1-0. Army and Lafayette could have joined the Bison and Crusaders with six points, but both lost as well. Bucknell, which plays at Lafayette on Sunday, owns the head-to-head tiebreaker with Holy Cross.
The fans had barely settled into their seats when the Bison got the early goal they were looking for. Garkowski played a cross from the right side of the box that floated into the upper corner to put Bucknell up 1-0. Garkowski's eight goals are the most by a Bucknell player since Christa Matlack scored nine goals in 2009.
Lehigh was able to generate plenty of offense as the game progressed, and the Mountain Hawks evened the match at the 11:30 mark on a goal from Darby Dustman off a feed from Murphee Greeley.
That was one of 32 shots fired by Lehigh on the night. Sandita McDermott had a huge night for the Bison, keeping them in the game with a season-high 12 saves. She made two saves in the final four minutes of regulation, then stopped four more shots in overtime. There was little she could do on the game-winner, however, as a Bucknell defender slipped on the wet surface, allowing Emily Korber's long pass to get through to Li for a breakaway. McDermott charged off her line, but Li slipped a low shot in off the post, sending the Bison to a defeat in their first overtime game of the season.
The Mountain Hawks (3-12, 1-4 PL) hit a crossbar and a post just moments before netting the game-winner, and they finished with a 32-13 edge in shots and an 8-1 advantage in corner kicks. Goalkeeper Ani Nahapetian finished with five saves for Lehigh.
"Give credit to Lehigh for playing as hard and as well as they did," said coach Ben Landis after the game. "We were certainly not as sharp as we needed to be, and we did not deal with the field conditions as well as we should have. We have some things we need to get shored up before Lafayette on Sunday, and most importantly we just need to relax, play together and play our style. We still control our own destiny as far as the postseason goes, and we will be excited and ready to go on Sunday."
Lafayette dropped a 4-2 decision at home against Colgate on Friday night. The Leopards quickly fell behind 2-0, then just as quickly tied it at 2-2 before conceding a pair of second-half goals. Sunday's game starts at 1 p.m. in Easton, Pa.
