Bucknell University
(7-6, 3-1PL)
Lehigh
(9-5, 3-2PL)
Kaur's Five Assists Lead Bucknell Field Hockey to 6-1 Win Over Lehigh at Home
10/16/2021 2:04:00 PM | Field Hockey
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Bucknell field hockey scored on four of five penalty corner attempts, and seven different Bison recorded points to lift Bucknell to a 6-1 victory over Lehigh in a pivotal Patriot League matchup at a rain-soaked Graham Field on Saturday. After the Mountain Hawks took a 1-0 lead seven minutes in, the Bison scored six unanswered goals to improve to 7-6 overall and 3-1 in league play. Bucknell junior Noor Kaur broke the program's single-game assists record with five in the contest.
In addition to Kaur's outstanding performance, rookie Lily Neilson posted her second hat trick of the season. Junior Mackenzie Kile tied the previous Bucknell record with three assists of her own, and senior Grace McEvoy notched her first career goal.
Shots were fairly even at 13-12 in favor of the Bison, and Lehigh held a 9-5 edge in corner opportunities, but a .462 shot percentage for Bucknell was the difference. Bucknell goalkeeper Clara McCormick finished with four saves on the afternoon. Lehigh moved to 9-5 overall and 3-2 in Patriot League play with the loss.
Lehigh's only goal of the contest came with 6:59 gone in the first period as Sydney White scored on the team's second penalty corner. Bucknell responded six minutes later when Mary Kate Stefanowicz blasted a shot from the top of the circle on a corner to tie the contest at 1-1.
The Bison then scored back-to-back goals on penalty corners within a two-minute span in the second quarter. Neilson had both goals, scoring in the 23rd and 25th minutes of the game to put the home team up 3-1. Kile and Kaur received assists on all three first-half goals.
Bucknell added one goal in the third, scoring less than two minutes into the half. Sophomore Rachel Apa poked the ball away from the furthest-back Lehigh defender, leaving the goalkeeper alone with two Bison attackers. Apa slid a pass to Doyle on the breakaway, who squeezed the shot between the keeper and the post for her third goal in the last four games.
Already leading 4-1, the Bison added two more goals in the fourth quarter for good measure. McEvoy converted on a corner in the 54th minute for her first career goal, and Neilson scored on a backhanded blast from the top of the circle with under three minutes to play to give her a Patriot League-best 12 goals this season. With four games still to play in the regular season, Neilson's 12 goals rank ninth in the Bucknell record books for a single season. Kaur assisted on both fourth-quarter goals.
Kaur's five assists were one shy of the Patriot League's all-time single-game mark, which was set by Lafayette's Deanna DiCroce back in 2010. No other player in Division I has registered more than three in a game this season.
The Bison have two league games remaining on the schedule, and they're currently outscoring Patriot League opponents 17-7 on the season.
Bucknell is back at Graham Field on Sunday to host No. 24 Kent State. It's also Senior Day on Sunday, and the Bison will be honoring the careers of seven graduating players. Sunday's game begins at noon and will broadcast on ESPN+.
Team Stats
White, Sydney (2)
Assisted By: Havas, Lenke
Stopper passes to 8, gets pass back for
6:59
Stefanowicz, M.K. (6)
Assisted By: Kile, Mackenzie , Kaur, Noor
Off penalty corner, blast from top of ci
13:12
Lily Neilson (10)
Assisted By: Kile, Mackenzie , Kaur, Noor
Off penalty corner, shot from top of cir
22:40
Lily Neilson (11)
Assisted By: Kile, Mackenzie , Kaur, Noor
Off penalty corner, shot from top of cir
24:09
Doyle, Emily (3)
Assisted By: Apa, Rachel
Clear 2v0 breakaway, 11 dishes to 8 for
31:56
McEvoy, Grace (1)
Assisted By: Kaur, Noor
Shot from left wing to far post off pena
53:45
Lily Neilson (12)
Assisted By: Kaur, Noor
12 reverse stick blast from top left cir
57:05
