Bucknell University Athletics
Field Hockey Closes Regular Season at American on Saturday
10/30/2015 2:08:00 PM | Field Hockey
LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Bucknell field hockey team closes the regular season Saturday at American, the same team it could be playing in the semifinals of the Patriot League Tournament next weekend. The game between the Bison (8-9, 3-2 PL) and Eagles (10-6. 4-1 PL) is scheduled for a noon start.
Bucknell is third in the conference standings, while American is one game ahead in second. The Bison would clinch the second seed with a win, but can finish either third our fourth with a loss. The last three regular season meetings have been decided by one goal, including a 1-0 shutout by the Bison last season.
The Bison are coming off a 4-1 win at Yale, fueled by three goals in the second half from Kiersten Sydnor. The senior leads the Patriot League with 14 goals, which is tied for the fifth most goals in a season in program history. She has three assists on the year and is tied for sixth on Bucknell's single-season points list with 31.
Abby Watson has been voted Academic All-Patriot League in each of the past two seasons and appears to be on her way to a third straight selection. The senior's off-the-field resume is always impressive, and she has continued her consistent play this season. She scored the game-tying goal in the second half against Yale, her third of the season, and then added an assist on Sydnor's final goal, also her third of the season. She has had at least nine points in each of the past three years and has totaled 13 goals and 13 assists during her career.
Emily Finn made her third career start and stopped four of five shots to record the win. The sophomore is a perfect 3-0 on the year. She has made 20 saves on 27 shots on goal for a .741 save percentage. She has not seen enough time to qualify for the Patriot League leaders, but her save percentage matches that of the current leader, Colgate's Maria Krull.
American will play their fifth straight home game, going 2-2 in the first four. The Eagles are coming off a 4-3 win in double overtime over Indiana. Natalie Konerth scored the game-winning goal in the 98th minute, her eighth of the season. She ranks second in the league with 27 points, just four behind Sydnor.
