Gabby’s Golden Goal Sends Bucknell Women’s Soccer to Season-Opening Win over Robert Morris

Thursday, August 22

Lewisburg, Pa.

4 p.m.

Bucknell University

1-0-0, 0-0-0

Robert Morris

0-1-0, 0-0-0

Robert Morris

Bucknell

Photo by: Marc Hagemeier

Gabby’s Golden Goal Sends Bucknell Women’s Soccer to Season-Opening Win over Robert Morris

8/22/2019 8:09:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

LEWISBURG, Pa. – Senior Gabby Bair tucked a shot inside the near post just under five minutes into overtime, lifting the Bucknell women's soccer team to a well-deserved 2-1 win over Robert Morris in the season opener for both teams on Thursday at Emmitt Field.

Bair's eighth career goal was also her first career golden goal, and it capped off a hard-fought effort in which the Bison outshot the Colonials 21-4, led 14-1 in corner kicks, and kept possession for 56 percent of the match. Of Bucknell's possession time, 76 percent came in Robert Morris' half of the field.

Junior center back Chloe Christakos, who played a strong 95 minutes in her first career start, set the winning goal in motion with a long, direct ball forward. Lilly Courts nodded the ball forward to Bair, who faced up her defender, took a touch to her right and curled a beautiful shot between goalkeeper Sydney Bruckner and the right post.

"I'm very happy with the chances we created, we just need to execute a little better in the final third," said head coach Kelly Cook. "I'm pleased with the effort, and it's always great to start the year with a win. I'm really happy for Gabby as a senior to have a moment like that when we needed her."

Bucknell completely dominated the game's opening half-hour and might have had a couple of goals were it not for the play of Bruckner in the Colonials goal. Freshman midfielder Abby Gearhart ran onto a ball in the ninth minute, and her rising shot was tipped over the bar by the RMU keeper. Five minutes later, Bair finished a pretty give-and-go with Ali Russo, but Bair was a step offside when she received the return pass. Then in the 23rd minute, another freshman, left back Leanne Engemann, saw her high shot tipped over by Bruckner.

The Bison generated seven corner kicks in the game's first 18 minutes, but their momentum was halted by a 40-minute lightning delay with 14:10 left in the first half. When play resumed, Bucknell had to deal with a Robert Morris free kick just outside the right edge of the box. The Bison got caught in a scramble trying to get the service cleared, and Kristina Kelley volleyed a headed clearance into the left side of the goal for a 1-0 Colonials lead.

The Bison promptly answered, however. Just 1:27 later, Bruckner punched out a free kick but got caught up with one of her teammates, and freshman Petie Nassetta volleyed the bouncing ball back into the goal from the top of the 18. It was the first collegiate goal for Nassetta, who played a strong 42 minutes off the bench for the Bison.

"I was really happy with our response to getting scored on after we came out of the weather delay," said Cook. "We didn't get down and immediately pressured them. We are going to need to have that mentality all year. It was great to see a freshman with the composure to finish there and tie the game."

Bucknell had another goal taken off the board on an offside call just four minutes into the second half. With rain falling again, Bruckner went low to stop Russo's drive, and Jenna Marek was a hair offside when she popped in the rebound.

Reserves Emilene Parham, Rylee Donaldson and Courts all set up chances later in the second half, but the Bison could not convert. But Bair put an end to it on Bucknell's first good chance in the overtime period.

The Bison received strong play from a new-look defense, backed by freshman goalkeeper Kaylee Donnelly, who made two saves in her collegiate debut. In addition to Christakos, Bucknell debuted two new outside backs in Engemann on the left and sophomore Alana Carlucci on the right. Sophomore Holly Burns moved to center back from the midfield late last season and is back in that spot again.

"Our young back line was solid," said Cook. "We won a lot of balls in the midfield, which kept a lot of the pressure off of them, but overall I was happy with how they played. It's a group that is going to get better and better with experience."

Bucknell continues its season-opening homestand on Sunday against Pittsburgh at 1 p.m. at Emmitt Field. The game can be seen on the Patriot League Network at PatriotLeague.tv.