Women's Soccer Looks to Extend PL Win Streak Saturday at American

LEWISBURG, Pa. -- Coming off back-to-back Patriot League victories over Lehigh and Loyola, the Bison women's soccer team goes in search of its third straight win when it visits American on Saturday at noon at Reeves Field. Bucknell is 2-1 in Patriot League play and 5-6 overall, while the Eagles 4-7, 2-0.

Five teams currently sit atop the Patriot League women's soccer table with six points. American, Colgate and Navy are all 2-0, while Bucknell and Boston University are 2-1. Two games involving Army and Navy were postponed on Wednesday due to the government shut-down, meaning some teams have played three league games and others two. All matches appear to be on as scheduled for this weekend.

Bucknell's only league loss came in double overtime against Army on Sept. 21. The Bison rallied from 2-0 down at the half to beat Lehigh 3-2 in overtime last Friday, and then on Wednesday they made first-half goals from Cassie Denger and Corey Tipton hold up in a 2-1 victory over Loyola.

With Denger and Tipton picking up their first goals of the season, that makes nine different players accounting for the team's 14 goals. Eleven Bison have at least one point. Sarah Bresette, this week's Patriot League Player of the Week, and Chelsey Garkowski have three goals apiece. Garkowski also has an assist, giving her a team-high seven points. Liz Dwornik had three assists in the Lehigh win and leads the team with four on the season.

American has yet to give up a goal in league play thus far. The Eagles have beaten Lehigh and Holy Cross, both by 1-0 counts. Lindsay Muri leads American with four goals. Marley Jennings has two and Erin Mulhern and Michaela Garcia one each for the Eagles, who have been outscored 13-8 in 11 games.

Bucknell first played American when the Eagles joined the Patriot League in 2001, and since then American has a narrow 7-6-1 series lead. American won three of the first four meetings -- Bucknell's win in that span came in the 2001 Patriot League Tournament semifinals -- then the Bison went 4-0-1 in the next five head-to-head matchups before the Eagles beat them twice in 2009.

Last season at Emmitt Field, American spoiled Bucknell's Senior Day with a 1-0 decision. Jasmine Mohandesi scored in the 25th minute, and then the Eagles survived a missed penalty kick and some other good chances from the Bison in the second half.

Following Saturday's game, the Bison will be down to five games remaining in the regular season, all of them against Patriot League competition, and three of them coming at home. Bucknell will have back-to-back home contests coming up against Navy on Oct. 11 and Colgate on Oct. 19.