Women?s Soccer Set For PL Tournament Semifinal Contest Against Navy

LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Bucknell women's soccer team begin their quest for a third Patriot League Championship on Friday with a Patriot League Tournament Semifinal showdown against Navy. Friday's contest will take place at Boston University on Nickerson Field at 7 p.m., and will broadcast on the Patriot League Network.

Bucknell finished the regular season 10-5-3 overall with a 6-1-2 mark in the league to earn the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in the Patriot League Tournament. Boston University nabbed the No. 1 seed in the tournament, earning the right to host both the semifinal and championship games.

The Bison wrapped up the regular season with a 1-0 win over Army West Point on Senior Day. Senior co-captain Madison Loos found the back of the net in her final home game to seal the deal and extend the team's unbeaten streak to a program-best eight games.

In her first year as a head coach, Kelly Kuss was named Patriot League Coach of the Year. Coach Kuss is the third Bucknell women's soccer head coach to earn the award and is the first coach to win since Chrissy Findlay in 2001.

Under her tutelage this season, seven Bison earned All-Patriot honors. Sophomore Kendall Ham was a First Team selection, while co-captain Lauren Dandie and Jessica Ratner earned Second Team honors. Loos, Meghan Holtz and Jackie Ham earned Third Team accolades, while Alexis Gannon earned Patriot League Academic All-League honors on Wednesday.

Navy is the third-seed in the tournament, following an 11-6-4 (3-4-2 PL) regular season. The Midshipmen tied the Patriot League record for most points (17) in a postseason game in their 6-0 win over American on Tuesday night in the quarterfinal game. First Team All-Patriot League forward Clare MacAdam and forward Ash Fairow finished with two goals each, while Second Team all-leaguer Lizzy Rullan and Nat Dzhandzhapanyan finished with two assists apiece.

Including MacAdam and Rullan, four members of the Midshipmen earned all-conference honors. Senior defender Lexi Ricketts earned First Team honors, while goalkeeper Dayton Wetherby received Third Team accolades.

MacAdam is the team's leading scorer with 12 goals and four assists for a league-high 28 points. Fairow has tallied seven goals, while Rullan has recorded a team-best seven assists.

Bucknell and Navy played to a 0-0 tie in their regular season matchup in Lewisburg back on Oct. 10. The Bison outshot the Midshipmen 32-10, including 10-0 in overtime and 22-6 after halftime. Ratner finished with six stops in the contest, while Weatherby finished with seven saves.

The Bison are 1-2 all-time in meetings against the Midshipmen in Patriot League postseason competition. The two teams last met in the 2007 title game, with Navy winning a 1-0 verdict.

In last season's Patriot League Tournament, the Bison advanced to the semifinals as the fifth-seed. Bucknell opened up with a 2-1 win at No. 4 Navy before falling at top-seeded Colgate.

Bucknell enters as the No. 2 seed for the fourth time in program history. The Bison return as the second-seed for the first time since 2010. Bucknell has won the Patriot League Tournament twice, in 2001 and 2005.

The Patriot League Tournament Championship game will be on Sunday (Nov. 8) at 1 p.m.