Wednesday, October 13
Baltimore, Md.
7 p.m.
Bucknell University
at
Loyola
Photo by: Marc Hagemeier
Pivotal Week Ahead for First-Place Women's Soccer with Games at Loyola, Home vs. Boston University
10/12/2021 8:14:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Bucknell (7-6-1, 4-1-0 PL) at Loyola (6-5-2, 3-1-1 PL)
When: Wednesday, Oct. 13, 7 p.m.
Where: Ridley Athletic Complex, Baltimore, Md.
Streaming: ESPN+
Live Stats: LoyolaGreyhounds.com
Boston University (8-5-1, 4-1-0 PL) at Bucknell (7-6-1, 4-1-0 PL)
When: Saturday, Oct. 16, 2 p.m.
Where: Emmitt Field at Holmes Stadium, Lewisburg, Pa.
Streaming: ESPN+
Live Stats: BucknellBison.com
Bucknell at a Glance
When: Wednesday, Oct. 13, 7 p.m.
Where: Ridley Athletic Complex, Baltimore, Md.
Streaming: ESPN+
Live Stats: LoyolaGreyhounds.com
Boston University (8-5-1, 4-1-0 PL) at Bucknell (7-6-1, 4-1-0 PL)
When: Saturday, Oct. 16, 2 p.m.
Where: Emmitt Field at Holmes Stadium, Lewisburg, Pa.
Streaming: ESPN+
Live Stats: BucknellBison.com
Bucknell at a Glance
- The postseason chase heats up this week as Patriot League co-leader Bucknell takes on the two teams closest in the table. The Bison are 4-1 in Patriot League play for 12 points, which is tied with Boston University for the top spot with four games remaining. Loyola looms only two points back, and Bucknell takes on both of those title contenders this week. The Bison visit Loyola on Wednesday night before hosting the Terriers on Senior Day at Emmitt Field on Saturday.
- Bucknell started 2-0 in Patriot League play with wins over Navy (4-2) and American (3-0). After a 3-0 slip at Colgate on Sept. 25, the Bison returned to the top of the table after a pair of shutout wins over Holy Cross (2-0) and Lafayette (1-0).
- Bucknell is now 5-1-1 at home this season and 2-5 on the road. That road ledger includes a 1-5 record on artificial turf.
- Junior striker Rylee Donaldson continued her magnificent season by scoring the lone goal in Bucknell's 1-0 win over Lafayette on Saturday. Donaldson entered the year with one career goal, but she now has a Patriot League-high eight this season. Navy's Caitlin Doran is two goals behind with six.
- Donaldson, who was named the Bison Athlete of the Week on Tuesday, leads the Patriot League in shots (41), goals (8) and points (17). She also ranks 36th nationally with those eight goals.
- Donaldson's goal-scoring form includes six goals in her last six games and five goals in the five Patriot League games.
- Donaldson isn't the only Bison scoring goals this season. The team how has 21 in 14 games after producing only 32 goals in 42 games over the previous three seasons. Abby Gearhart, Paige Temple, Claire Mensi and Kelley Francis all have three goals apiece, while Teresa Deda has a goal and a league-high seven assists.
- The play of the midfield has been a major reason for the scoring resurgence. Deda, Kenar Gelman (5), Abby Gearhart (4) and Petie Nassetta (1) have combined for 17 assists on the team's 21 goals. Nassetta has been a beast in the holding defensive center midfield position, sitting behind the three attacking midfielders.
- Deda has two Patriot League Midfielder of the Week citations and one PL Rookie of the Week honor this fall.
- Deda's seven assists are tied for fifth-most in a season in Bucknell history. Only four players have registered more. Lisa Gibbons had a whopping 19 assists to go along with 19 goals during her jaw-dropping senior season in 1994. Maddie Mulford (2016), Caitlin Holtz (2008) and Gibbons (1992) all tallied eight assists in a season.
- With 21 goals in 14 games, the Bison are the second-highest scoring team in the Patriot League. Only Navy, with 24 in 14, has scored more. No other team has more than 17 goals.
- Bucknell leads the league in shots per game (15.6) and first in corner kicks (6.6).
- Sophomore goalkeeper Jenna Hall ranks second in the Patriot League in saves with 65. Her 22 goals allowed are somewhat misleading, given that three have come on penalty kicks and three more on own goals. Half of her 22 goals allowed came against three teams that are or have been ranked in the top 25 this season: West Virginia (3), Hofstra (2) and Princeton (6).
- Bucknell was picked ninth in the Patriot League preseason poll, ahead of American and behind Navy, Boston University, Colgate, Army, Loyola, Lehigh, Lafayette and Holy Cross.
- Saturday's game against Boston University will be Senior Day. The Bison have six seniors: Raegan Dunwoodie, Claire Mensi, Emilene Parham, Molly Mishler, Alana Carlucci and Holly Burns.
- Kelly Cook is in her seventh season on the Bison sideline. Cook owns a 59-47-11 (.550) overall record at Bucknell, including a 34-15-6 (.673) mark in Patriot League play. Cook knows the Patriot League very well, as she was a two-year captain and three-time Second Team All-Patriot League selection at Colgate, where she recorded 27 goals and 23 assists in her career. She ranked in the top 10 in program history in career points (77) and assists. As a junior in 2004, Cook (then Kelly Kuss) was named Patriot League Tournament MVP after leading the Raiders to the league title, and then her team knocked off Arizona in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, marking the first NCAA win in school and league history.
- Bucknell assistant coach Riley Piechnick is a 2016 Loyola graduate. She was a three-year starting defender for the Greyhounds and was part of Loyola's 2012 MAAC championship team. After Loyola moved to the Patriot League, Piechnick helped the squad reach the 2015 PL Tournament semifinals.
- Wednesday's game will be a homecoming for freshman forward Kalli Wethern, who typically plays about 30 minutes off the bench. Wethern is a Sykesville, Md., native who attended McDonogh School.
- Like Bucknell, the Greyhounds are coming off back-to-back shutout wins over Lafayette and Holy Cross, just in reverse order. Kaleigh Gallagher scored in the 11th minute in Saturday's 1-0 win at Holy Cross.
- Loyola's only dropped points in league play are a 2-0 loss to Navy and a 1-1 draw with Army.
- The Greyhounds are the league's second-toughest team to score on this season. Loyola's 1.12 goals-against average is second behind Colgate at 0.78. Loyola and Bucknell are tied for the league lead with five shutouts.
- Goalkeeper Paige Sim ranks second in the league with a .806 save percentage, while her 1.05 GAA ranks fourth.
- Ada Clare Tempert leads the team with three goals, followed by Sarah Mirr, Baylee DeSmit, Kelly Hutton and Gallagher with two each.
- Bucknell is 6-4-2 all-time against Loyola, but the Greyhounds snapped Bucknell's eight-game series unbeaten streak (6-0-2) with a 1-0 decision in Baltimore last spring. The Bison had been 6-0-1 since the Greyhounds joined the Patriot League.
- Loyola won the first three games of the series in 1992, 1993 and 2007.
- Three of Bucknell's six series wins have come in Baltimore.
- The Bison had posted five straight shutouts against the Greyhounds until Ada Clare Tempert scored in the 73rd minute in the game last spring. That ended a Loyola scoreless string at 568 minutes against Bucknell.
- No current Bison has scored a goal against Loyola, as now the Greyhounds have started their own scoreless streak. Prior to their 1-0 win last spring, the two teams played to a 0-0 tie in Lewisburg in 2019. Bucknell's last goal against Loyola came from Kate Henesey in a 1-0 Bison win at Emmitt Field in 2018.
- The Terriers take a 4-1 Patriot League record into a Wednesday-night home match with in-state rival Holy Cross.
- Since falling to Colgate 1-0 on Sept. 22, Boston University has won four straight, the last three by 1-0 margins against Lehigh, Yale and American.
- The Terriers have scored 17 goals and conceded 18 on the season.
- First Team All-Patriot League striker Jenna Oldham is having another strong season with four goals and six assists. In the abbreviated spring campaign, she scored or assisted on every Terrier goal, finishing with five goals and three assists.
- Margaret Berry and Amy Thompson have collected three goals apiece.
- The Terriers have split the goalkeeping duties this season, with Gretchen Bennett and Celia Braun each playing a half. The duo has posted near-identical stat lines. Both have conceded nine goals, while Bennett has 28 saves to Braun's 24.
- The Bison and Terriers are all even at 5-5 in 10 all-time meetings. Bucknell has won five of the last six after Boston University captured the first four.
- The Bison and Terriers were in opposite divisions during the modified 2021 spring season, so the two teams will be meeting for the first time since Bucknell's 1-0 win in Lewisburg in 2019.
- Emilene Parham scored the goal in that game in the 43rd minute, and Kaylee Donnelly made three saves to backstop the shutout victory.
- Bucknell owns a couple of memorable postseason wins over Boston University. The Bison downed the Terriers 2-1 on Cora Climo's overtime goal in the 2016 Patriot League championship game. One year later in Annapolis, Bucknell clipped the Terriers 1-0 in the PL semifinals, and then went on to beat Navy two days later to claim a second straight title.
- The 2016 game avenged Boston University's 1-0 win over Bucknell in the 2015 Patriot League final in Boston.
- Following this week, only two games remain in the regular season, and Bucknell will be on the road for both of them.
- The Bison visit Army West Point on Friday, Oct. 22, and then travel to Lehigh on Wednesday, Oct. 27.
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