Women's Lax Hosts Lehigh Friday in Patriot League Opener

LEWISBURG, Pa. -- Patriot League play has arrived for the Bucknell women's lacrosse team, as the Bison will host Lehigh on Friday at 5 p.m. at Graham Field. Bucknell is 2-3 on the season, while Lehigh comes in with a 2-2 ledger and will also be making its 2015 conference debut.

The Bison have been idle since an 11-9 loss at Villanova last Saturday. Sophomores Maddy Molinari and Christina Manis had five-point games against the Wildcats -- Molinari with four goals and an assist, and Manis with three goals and two assists. Seven of Bucknell's nine goals in that game were assisted, compared with 12 of 32 coming into the contest.

Molinari is now Bucknell's leader in goals with nine in four games played. Emily Kookogey continues to lead in points with 12 on eight goals and four assists. Manis has three goals and a team-high six assists. Molinari ranks sixth in the Patriot League in goals per game, while Manis is fifth in assists per game.

Freshman Gretchen Richter has been a stalwart on draws, leading the team and ranking fourth in the Patriot League in draw controls with 24. Ten of those -- one shy of the school record -- came in a win over Saint Francis (Pa.) on Feb. 25. Bucknell has a 53-51 advantage on draw controls on the season.

Goalie Elizabeth Duswalt had a 12-save performance against Villanova, and she has a .396 save percentage on the season.

Lehigh opened its season with a 15-7 loss to Penn State, then won back-to-back games over UC Davis (7-2) and Niagara (14-7) before suffering a 5-4 loss to Fairfield at home last Saturday.

Allison LaBeau (8-4-12) and Carli Sukonik (8-2-10) are the Mountain Hawks' top scorers. Lauren Beausoleil leads the team with 15 draw controls, while Kierstyn Voiro has a team-high 10 ground balls. Goalie Taylor Tvedt has a .432 save percentage, and her 6.52 goals-against average ranks No. 2 in the Patriot League. As a team, Lehigh ranks No. 2 in the league in scoring defense at 7.25 goals allowed per game.

Lehigh owns a 26-11 lead in an all-time series that dates back to 1978. The Mountain Hawks have won the last five head-to-head meetings, including a 10-4 decision last season in Bethlehem. Manis paced the Bison with two goals and an assist, while Krista Dampman and Kendall Garden logged hat tricks for Lehigh.

Following the Lehigh game, the Bison will head south for a pair of non-conference games over Spring Break. Bucknell visits Winthrop on Monday at 4 p.m. before traveling to Davidson on Wednesday at 6 p.m.

This will be the first-ever meeting between Bucknell and Winthrop. The Eagles are off to a flying start. They are 4-1 and are averaging 15.4 goals per game. Jenna Kasmarik has already reached the 20-goal mark. Winthrop has an 11-10 win over Michigan and is coming off a 19-7 rout of Saint Francis (Pa.) on Sunday. The Eagles will host Vermont this Saturday before the Bison come in on Monday.

Davidson is 1-2 on the season. The Wildcats opened with a 21-4 rout of Kennesaw State before falling to Navy (16-11) and Old Dominion (10-8). Annie Brocket leads the team with 10 goals.

Bucknell is 5-0 all-time against Davidson, with the last meeting coming in 2010 when the Bison won 8-7 in Lewisburg.