Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
American
Women's Soccer Caps 6-Point Week with 3-0 Defeat of American
10/4/2014 4:58:00 PM | Women's Soccer
LEWISBURG, Pa. -- Senior defender Hannah Bonotto scored her first career goal and also centered a rock-solid performance by the Bucknell back four as the Bison blanked American 3-0 in a Patriot League match on Saturday afternoon at Emmitt Field at Holmes Stadium. Sarah Bresette and Danielle Piccirilli also scored for the Bison, who won both of their league games this week and are now 7-5-2 overall and 2-1-1 in the Patriot League.
Bucknell gradually ramped up the pressure as the match progressed and finally busted open a scoreless contest with three goals in the final 23 minutes.
Bresette opened the scoring with her first goal of the year in the 68th minute. Just moments after she had the ball taken off her foot in a dangerous spot deep in the American box, Bresette circled back and Maddie Mulford found her on a diagonal run. Bresette shrugged off a defender at the top of the box and fired a left-footed shot into the right side-netting for a 1-0 Bison lead.
Just over nine minutes later Bucknell notched the all-important second goal when Bonotto came forward to head in a Brigit Falcón corner kick from inside the six-yard box. The Bison made it 3-0 in the 86th minute. Jackie Ham dribbled into the area from the right side, and as two defenders converged on her the ball squirted on to a wide-open Piccirilli, who slammed it into the right side of the net for her second goal of the season.
While the Bison exploded offensively late in the game, the defense was impenetrable all day. The back four of Bonotto, Courtney Nelson, Lauren Dandie and Kelsey Witt allowed only 11 total shots and just two on frame. Regular starting goalkeeper Jessie Ashworth suffered an injury in practice on Friday and was a late scratch, and Jessica Ratner recorded two saves and a shutout without seeing much traffic.
American's best look of the day came on a shot from Lindsay Muri that scooted just wide of the left post late in the first half.
"I thought the back four was the difference," said head coach Ben Landis afterward. "No disrespect to Jessica Ratner, but she just didn't have to do much. The back four was really tidy in terms of their organization. And then to get a goal from a center back, that's really a nice double. I'm happy with the adjustments we made in the second half. That was probably our most full 90 minutes that we have put together, so I'm really proud of that."
Bucknell finished with a 21-11 shot advantage, including a 12-5 margin in the second half. The Bison had 11 corner kicks to just two for the Eagles (3-10, 0-4). Charlene Belanger made seven saves in the American goal.
For Bonotto and the rest of the Bison seniors, this was their first career win over American. The Eagles had won the last three meetings, all by shutout, including a 3-0 decision in Washington, D.C., last season.
After playing six games in the last 14 days, the Bison now get nearly a week off before traveling to Navy next Friday at 7 p.m.
