Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Field Hockey Opens Home Slate Sunday with Lock Haven
8/31/2012 8:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Aug. 31, 2012
LEWISBURG, Pa. - With eight of Bucknell's next nine games at Graham Field, Bison field hockey fans have plenty to look forward to. Up first on the home slate is Lock Haven, which will make the trip to Lewisburg for a 12 p.m. match on Sunday. The Bison (1-1) are looking to make it two straight wins against the Lady Eagles (1-1) for the first time in more than a decade. Live stats on GameTracker for the in-state battle will be available at BucknellBison.com.
Overtime games have been a key theme for Bucknell both in its recent games and in the series against Lock Haven. The Bison claimed their first victory of the season last Sunday when it defeated Fairfield 2-1 in an extra period. That gave them six straight overtime wins, the longest such streak in program history. Now in its 40th year of existence, Bucknell field hockey has an all-time overtime record of 46-46-11.
Against the Lady Eagles, the Bison are 3-0-1 when the game goes past regulation, and the last time Bucknell did not need overtime to defeat Lock Haven was in 1997. Last fall, the Orange and Blue came out on top 2-1 thanks to a goal by Ellie Riegel just 45 seconds into OT. Vickie Resh (Hamburg, Pa./Hamburg Area) tallied her first career goal on a penalty corner late in the second half to extend the game. The victory ultimately snapped Bucknell's nine-game losing streak to Lock Haven.
Bucknell has a long history with Lock Haven having started the series in 1980. During that time, the Lady Eagles have taken a 24-5-2 lead in the meetings. All five of Bucknell's wins have been by one goal, while Lock Haven's largest margin of victory is six in its 2006 shutout. The Lady Eagles also have the advantage in winning streaks. While their longest in series history ended last fall at nine, Bucknell has won back-to-back games just once in 1999 (3-2 OT) and 2000 (2-1 OT).
After one week of play in 2012, Bucknell has already claimed two awards from the Patriot League. Erica Perrine (Bridgewater, N.J./Bridgewater-Raritan) was named the Goalkeeper of the Week, while Kiersten Sydnor (Shippensburg, Pa./Mercersburg Academy) was selected as the top rookie. Perrine's honor, which was the third of her career, came after she allowed just four goals and registered a .789 save percentage in games against No. 6 Connecticut and Fairfield last week. The junior also had 10 saves against the Huskies, giving her one of the highest totals of her career. Sydnor's recognition came after she scored the game-winning goal in overtime against Fairfield. It was her first career goal.
Lock Haven has seen its share of tight contests early in 2012 as well. The Lady Eagles are also 1-1 after falling to Saint Francis (Pa.) by a score of 3-1 before defeating Longwood 2-1 last week. All three of the team's goals have been scored in the first half and each by a different player including sophomore Taylor Kennedy, freshman Jennifer Felice and senior Nikki Weaknecht.
That Lock Haven's offense has come largely from its youth is no surprise. The Lady Eagles graduated all three of their Atlantic 10 all-conference players from a year ago. Lock Haven went 10-10 overall and 3-3 in the A10 last season.
Bucknell will spend much of the month of September on its home field. After its bout with Lock Haven, the Orange and Blue will welcome Cornell for a 7 p.m. matchup on Wednesday, Sept. 5. The Bison will also take on Saint Francis (Pa.) (Sept. 9), Towson (Sept. 15), Ohio State (Sept. 16), Michigan (Sept. 22), Temple (Sept. 23) and Colgate (Sept. 29) at Graham Field this month. The matchups with Ohio State and Colgate can be seen live on Bison Vision at BucknellBison.com.
