Bucknell University Athletics
Women's Lax Home Twice This Week
4/7/2015 3:26:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse
LEWISBURG, Pa. -- The Bucknell women's lacrosse team looks to bounce back from a tough overtime loss at Holy Cross over the weekend when it hosts a pair of contests this week at Graham Field. The Bison host Lafayette in a Patriot League matchup on Wednesday at 5 p.m., and then 20th-ranked Johns Hopkins comes in for a 1 p.m. start on Saturday. Both games will be streamed live on the Patriot League Network.
Saturday's game vs. Johns Hopkins will be part of a special day at Bucknell's West Fields. The Bison baseball, softball and women's lacrosse teams will all be in action at the same time, and fans attending those events will also have the opportunity to enjoy the Bison Fun Zone, which will feature inflatables, free pizza (while supplies last) and chances to win Bucknell Athletics apparel.
The Bison Fun Zone will run from noon to 5 p.m. and will be located beyond the Becker Field (softball) outfield wall. There is no admission charge for the Bison Fun Zone or any of the sporting events that day.
Bucknell will be looking to put an end to a nine-game losing streak when Lafayette comes to Lewisburg on Wednesday. The Bison nearly got back in the win column on Saturday at Holy Cross, as a late three-goal flurry gave them a 10-9 lead with less than two minutes remaining. But a turnover on a clearing attempt led to the Crusaders' tying goal, and Holy Cross went on to win it 12-10 in overtime.
The loss spoiled a career-best six-point afternoon for senior Emily Kookogey, who tallied two goals and four assists in her return to the lineup after a four-game absence due to injury. Kookogey now has 15 goals and 11 assists for 26 points on the season, and she is closing in on the 100-point mark for her career. Kookogey has 97 points on 74 goals and 23 assists over the last four seasons.
Maddy Molinari has the team scoring lead with 27 points on 21 goals and six assists. Christina Manis paces the squad in assists with 12, to go along with 12 goals.
Freshman middie Gretchen Richter ranks second in the Patriot League and eighth nationally in draw controls with 69 in 13 games. Every draw control that Richter nabs for the rest of the season adds to her school-record total. Even though she is just finishing her rookie season, Richter has already joined the Bucknell's top-10 list for career draw controls.
Goalie Elizabeth Duswalt is coming off a strong performance in the crease against Holy Cross. She made 12 saves in that game, including a key stop in the final 20 seconds of regulation that kept Bucknell alive and forced overtime. Duswalt's 103 saves on the season are the most among all Patriot League goalies and 14th-most nationally.
Lucia Smircich has 20 caused turnovers to lead a defense that ranks in the middle of the pack in the Patriot League in taking the ball away from the opposition. Now the Bison must trim their own average of 18.2 turnovers per game.
Against Lafayette, the Bison will need to keep tabs on Leopards middie Kirsten Wilhelmsen, who is tied for the Patriot League lead with 38 goals this season. Wilhelmsen, who was a Second Team All-Patriot League performer as a freshman last season, also paces the squad with 36 draw controls.
Amanda Case (27-2-29) and Charlotte Rath (19-5-24) have also topped the 20-point mark, and Ashley Tedesco (9-10-19) leads the team in assists. Six Leopards have at least 10 caused turnovers, led by Taylor McGinnis with 16. Goalie Anna Raymond has a .305 save percentage and a 13.41 goals-against average.
The Leopards come in with a 3-11 overall record and a 1-5 mark in the Patriot League. They are coming off an 11-10 loss to American on Saturday. Lafayette's lone PL win was a 13-9 decision over Holy Cross.
Last year in Easton, Lafayette defeated the Bison 12-9 behind five goals from Case. Molinari had two goals and an assist and Duswalt made nine saves for Bucknell, which jumped out to a 4-1 lead before the Leopards rallied.
Lafayette leads the all-time series 31-5 and has beaten Bucknell five straight times since a 14-11 Bison win in Lewisburg in 2009.
Bucknell and Johns Hopkins were originally slated to play on Feb. 21, but foul weather forced the postponement until this Saturday. The two teams will be meeting for the third straight season and for the third time in series history, but this will be Johns Hopkins' first trip to Lewisburg. The Blue Jays won each of the first two clashes convincingly, including a 19-7 verdict last year.
No. 20 Johns Hopkins is 9-2 on the season and ranks fifth nationally in scoring defense, allowing only 6.3 goals per game. Goalie K.C. Emerson's .567 save percentage is second-best in the nation, and her 5.60 goals-against average ranks No. 4.
Dene' DiMartino leads the team in scoring with 30 points on 23 goals and seven assists. A balanced offensive attack features eight players with 17 points or more. DiMartino and Haley Schweizer share the team lead in draw controls with 25, and Schweizer has a team-high 14 caused turnovers.
After a 2-2 start, the Blue Jays have won seven in a row heading into a mid-week game against Stony Brook on Tuesday. They are 1-1 against the Patriot League this season, including a 19-7 win over American and a 12-10 overtime loss to Loyola.
