Harris Makes Nine Saves in Bucknell's 3-2 Win Over VCU

Sunday, September 30

Lewisburg, Pa.

1:00 PM

Bucknell University

(6-4)

VCU

(6-4)

VCU

Bucknell

Photo by: Marc Hagemeier

Harris Makes Nine Saves in Bucknell's 3-2 Win Over VCU

9/30/2018 4:22:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score

The Rams Entered as the Fifth-Best Scoring Team in the Nation

LEWISBURG, Pa. – Olivia Harris made nine saves against one of the best scoring teams in the country to lead Bucknell to a 3-2 win over visiting VCU in a non-conference field hockey matchup Sunday at Graham Field.

Bucknell improved to 6-4 overall and 4-0 at home this season. The Bison have won eight straight games at Graham Field dating back to last season. The last loss came to nationally-ranked Penn State on Sept. 12, 2017.

VCU fell to 6-4 overall and had its five-game winning streak come to an end. The Rams out-scored their opponents 27-5 during that stretch, including a 3-2 win over then-No.11 Old Dominion. They entered as the fifth-best scoring team in the nation, averaging 3.93 goals per game.

Bucknell's top three scorers on the season all had goals in the win. Lexi Quick scored her fifth to tie the game at 1-1 in the first half, Brittany Willwerth's seventh goal of the year gave the Bison a 2-1 lead, and Nicole Rupnik scored for the sixth time this season to make the score 3-1 before the break.

Willwerth registered an assist on Quick's goal, while Quick tallied her team-leading sixth assist on Rupnik's goal. Willwerth scored on a penalty stroke after the goalie made contact with her on a one-on-one situation.

Harris was great in the first half, stopping seven of the eight shots she faced. A few of the saves were on wide-open shots in front of the goal by the Rams.

VCU's Emily McNamara entered as the best goal scorer in the nation, averaging 2.0 per game. She put the Rams up 1-0 early but finished with just four shots, well below the 6.2 she had averaged on the season. The goal was her 17^th of the season.

Janne Wetzel scored the Rams' other goal, cutting Bucknell's lead to one, 3-2 with 20:17 remaining in regulation. Harris stopped the only shot she faced following that goal. The Bison only gave up two shots total for the remainder of the game.

The nine saves were a career-high for Harris. She ranks first in the Patriot League with a 1.659 goals against average.

Bucknell is back at Graham Field for its next two games, starting with a big league matchup with American on Saturday at 11 a.m. The Bison will host Yale for a non-conference game on Sunday at 3 p.m.