Bucknell University Athletics
Field Hockey Opens Season Friday at Home vs. Rutgers
8/24/2016 9:08:00 AM | Field Hockey
Setting the Scene
What: Rutgers (0-0, 0-0 Big Ten) at Bucknell (0-0, 0-0 Patriot League)
Where: Graham Field, Lewisburg, Pa.
When: Friday, Aug. 26, 2016, 4 p.m.
Webcast: Patriot League Network
Live Statistics: BucknellBison.com
About the Bison
* Bucknell was picked to finish fourth in the Patriot League season. That would put the Bison in the conference tournament for the ninth consecutive season, all under the direction of head coach Jeremy Cook.
* Senior midfielder Amy Mucelli and senior defender Anna Wills were voted to the Preseason All-Patriot League Team. Both players earned the honor for the second consecutive season.
* Wills was a First Team All-Patriot League selection at the end of last season, while Mucelli was a Second Team honoree.
* Bucknell routinely plays a tough opponent to open the season, including games against Rutgers, Connecticut, Temple, Villanova, Albany and Iowa. The Bison will look to win their season opener for the first time since beating Kent State 3-2 in overtime in 2007.
* The Bison had success on their home field over the past four seasons, going 21-11 during that stretch.
* Sophomore Nicole Rupnik is the team's top returning scorer. She finished with 15 points on seven goals and one assist. Junior Stephanie Dressler and Mucelli each tallied three assists last season
Scouting the Scarlet Knights
* Rutgers had three players – senior midfielder Alyssa Bull, sophomore midfielder Linde van Schaik and senior back Sofia Walia – named Big Ten Players to Watch prior to the season.
* Bull is a former Big Ten Rookie of the Year and has tallied 11 goals and 14 assists during her career.
* van Schaik was named to the All-Big Ten Team last season after starting all 18 games and finishing with two goals and three assists.
* Walia has played in 52 career games for the Scarlet Knights, tallying 12 career goals and 12 assists.
* Rutgers finished 7-11 last season, which included eight games on its challenging Big Ten schedule.
Series History
* Rutgers leads 7-1 in the all-time series. The teams first met in 1984.
* Bucknell's lone win was a 5-2 victory in 2013.
* The teams have played in each of the past six seasons.
* This marks the third consecutive season the Bison have opened against the Scarlet Knights.
* Rutgers won last year's matchup 3-1. Wills scored the lone goal for Bucknell.
Up Next
* Bucknell will host York (Toronto) in an exhibition game at noon on Sunday at Graham Field. The Bison's next official game will be at Saint Joseph's on Friday, Sept. 2.
Bison Look to Continue Success During 2016 Season
Led by Preseason All-Patriot League selections Amy Mucelli and Anna Wills, the Bucknell field hockey team looks to continue its success in the Patriot League in head coach Jeremy Cook's ninth season with the team. One of the most consistent teams in the league, the Bison are in search of their ninth straight postseason appearance.
The Bison are just two seasons removed from a perfect 6-0 record in league play and a regular season conference title, and pushed nationally-ranked Boston University to two overtimes in the semifinals of the league tournament this past season. The team had outstanding senior classes graduate after each of those seasons, a trend that could very well continue with the group leading the charge this year.
“It seems like we do that every year,” Cook said. “We take a lot of pride in that. We want a big contribution from our senior class. That means they are maximizing their potential during their time with the program.”
Mucelli, who is expected to start in the midfield, and Wills, who will lead the defensive effort at center back, have already earned all-conference honors during their time with the Bison. Mucelli was a Second Team All-Patriot League selection last year, while Wills landed a spot on the First Team. Mucelli will be joined in the midfield by senior Kelsy Kauffman, who Cook says has significantly developed her game over the past four years, and Wills will be joined in the back by senior Emily Goodloe.
The rest of the projected starting lineup is relatively young with the group including one junior, three sophomores and two freshmen. The goalkeeper spot is still up in the air, but it is being contended for by a junior and a freshman.
The Bison will be especially young up front with sophomore Nicole Rupnik starting on the left side for the second straight year and sophomore Katie Mannino taking over on the right side. Brittany Willwerth, a talented freshman, will start at center striker. Senior Emma Fitzgerald and sophomores Mackenzie Haney and M.C. Evans are expected to see a lot of time off the bench as the Bison continue using a large rotation. Cook says the team will use about 18 players each game.
“We're really excited about our strikers and how dangerous they are up front,” Cook said. “We have a strong six-striker rotation this year. I don't think we have had that type of depth before.”
In the midfield, sophomore Lexi Quick, who started the first six games in the backfield before suffering a season-ending injury last year, will step up and play on the left side. Freshman Chloe Poltonavage is expected to start on the right side, while Mucelli and Kauffman will provide their senior leadership from the middle. Senior Estelle Palandjian is expected to push that group.
Joining Wills and Goodloe in the back will be Stephanie Dressler. The junior has played all over the field through her first two seasons, but will look to settle in at right back.
The starting goalkeeper battle is between junior Emily Finn and freshman Olivia Harris. Finn was 3-2 in five starts last season.
“She had an outstanding end to the season last year, including stepping in to help us take Boston to overtime in the conference tournament,” Cook said of Finn. “But she is being challenged by Harris, who Is excellent. It is a positive thing to have a battle at that position.”
Like every year, Cook and the Bison would like to win a conference title, but for the time being the focus is on the short term.
“The goal for us is to grow and improve every game,” Cook said. “We clarified our focus from the end of last year and heading into this year that we want to take every game as an opportunity to get better. No matter what the result is, we want to get something out of it.”
The Bison have already gained valuable experience in preseason games. They brought in Syracuse, the defending Division I national champion, and East Stroudsburg, the defending Division II national champion, for scrimmages.
Syracuse will return to Graham Field for a regular season game. The Orange are just one of numerous tough opponents at home for the Bison this season.
“It's great to have a team of that caliber come play us at home,” Cook said. “They are extremely talented and a hard-working team. It's always special to be able to host the returning national champions.”
Some of the other notable home games include No. 9 Albany, No. 17 Boston University, and two teams that received votes in the preseason national poll in American and Rutgers. Notable road games include No. 15 Princeton and No. 18 Penn State.
The schedule will certainly be challenging, but Cook has been impressed with what he has seen from his team in the preseason. Now he is excited to see where they stack up against the tough competition.
“The quality of the hockey on the field is better than we have ever been,” Cook sad. “The question is going to be whether that translates to wins or we just keep the pace with our competition. You never know where you stand until you actually get out there against a team that is trying to beat you.”
Led by Preseason All-Patriot League selections Amy Mucelli and Anna Wills, the Bucknell field hockey team looks to continue its success in the Patriot League in head coach Jeremy Cook's ninth season with the team. One of the most consistent teams in the league, the Bison are in search of their ninth straight postseason appearance.
The Bison are just two seasons removed from a perfect 6-0 record in league play and a regular season conference title, and pushed nationally-ranked Boston University to two overtimes in the semifinals of the league tournament this past season. The team had outstanding senior classes graduate after each of those seasons, a trend that could very well continue with the group leading the charge this year.
“It seems like we do that every year,” Cook said. “We take a lot of pride in that. We want a big contribution from our senior class. That means they are maximizing their potential during their time with the program.”
Mucelli, who is expected to start in the midfield, and Wills, who will lead the defensive effort at center back, have already earned all-conference honors during their time with the Bison. Mucelli was a Second Team All-Patriot League selection last year, while Wills landed a spot on the First Team. Mucelli will be joined in the midfield by senior Kelsy Kauffman, who Cook says has significantly developed her game over the past four years, and Wills will be joined in the back by senior Emily Goodloe.
The rest of the projected starting lineup is relatively young with the group including one junior, three sophomores and two freshmen. The goalkeeper spot is still up in the air, but it is being contended for by a junior and a freshman.
The Bison will be especially young up front with sophomore Nicole Rupnik starting on the left side for the second straight year and sophomore Katie Mannino taking over on the right side. Brittany Willwerth, a talented freshman, will start at center striker. Senior Emma Fitzgerald and sophomores Mackenzie Haney and M.C. Evans are expected to see a lot of time off the bench as the Bison continue using a large rotation. Cook says the team will use about 18 players each game.
“We're really excited about our strikers and how dangerous they are up front,” Cook said. “We have a strong six-striker rotation this year. I don't think we have had that type of depth before.”
In the midfield, sophomore Lexi Quick, who started the first six games in the backfield before suffering a season-ending injury last year, will step up and play on the left side. Freshman Chloe Poltonavage is expected to start on the right side, while Mucelli and Kauffman will provide their senior leadership from the middle. Senior Estelle Palandjian is expected to push that group.
Joining Wills and Goodloe in the back will be Stephanie Dressler. The junior has played all over the field through her first two seasons, but will look to settle in at right back.
The starting goalkeeper battle is between junior Emily Finn and freshman Olivia Harris. Finn was 3-2 in five starts last season.
“She had an outstanding end to the season last year, including stepping in to help us take Boston to overtime in the conference tournament,” Cook said of Finn. “But she is being challenged by Harris, who Is excellent. It is a positive thing to have a battle at that position.”
Like every year, Cook and the Bison would like to win a conference title, but for the time being the focus is on the short term.
“The goal for us is to grow and improve every game,” Cook said. “We clarified our focus from the end of last year and heading into this year that we want to take every game as an opportunity to get better. No matter what the result is, we want to get something out of it.”
The Bison have already gained valuable experience in preseason games. They brought in Syracuse, the defending Division I national champion, and East Stroudsburg, the defending Division II national champion, for scrimmages.
Syracuse will return to Graham Field for a regular season game. The Orange are just one of numerous tough opponents at home for the Bison this season.
“It's great to have a team of that caliber come play us at home,” Cook said. “They are extremely talented and a hard-working team. It's always special to be able to host the returning national champions.”
Some of the other notable home games include No. 9 Albany, No. 17 Boston University, and two teams that received votes in the preseason national poll in American and Rutgers. Notable road games include No. 15 Princeton and No. 18 Penn State.
The schedule will certainly be challenging, but Cook has been impressed with what he has seen from his team in the preseason. Now he is excited to see where they stack up against the tough competition.
“The quality of the hockey on the field is better than we have ever been,” Cook sad. “The question is going to be whether that translates to wins or we just keep the pace with our competition. You never know where you stand until you actually get out there against a team that is trying to beat you.”
