Saturday, October 9
University Park, Pa.
2 p.m.
Bucknell University
at
Penn State
Photo by: Marc Hagemeier
Field Hockey Plays at No. 4 Penn State Saturday, Hosts Cornell Sunday
10/7/2021 11:09:00 AM | Field Hockey
Bucknell (6-4, 2-1 PL) at #4 Penn State (8-2, 3-1 Big Ten)
When:Â Saturday, Oct. 9 at 2 p.m.
Where: University Park, Pa.
Streaming: BTN+
Live Stats:Â GoPSUSports.com
Bucknell (6-4, 2-1 PL) vs. Cornell (6-3, 2-0 Ivy League)
When:Â Sunday, Oct. 10 at 3 p.m.Â
Where:Â Graham Field - Lewisburg, Pa.Â
Live Stats:Â BucknellBison.com
About Bucknell
- Bucknell plays two tough opponents this weekend in fourth-ranked Penn State and Cornell. The Bison will visit the Nittany Lions in University Park, Pa. on Saturday where they earned an NCAA tournament victory during the spring. Bucknell then hosts the Big Red at Graham Field on Sunday. Sunday will be Bucknell's first home game since Sept. 19. The Bison are facing a ranked opponent for a second consecutive game after taking on No. 25 American last weekend.
- Bucknell fell 3-2 to American in the team's only contest last weekend. After American jumped out to a 3-0 lead over the first three quarters, the Bison scored back-to-back goals to pull within one of tying. Bucknell's second goal was scored with just 34 seconds left in the game as the comeback fell short. Bucknell is coming off of back-to-back losses for the first time this season.
- Bucknell now sits tied for third in Patriot League standings with Lafayette. Lehigh is first with a 3-0 league record, and American sits in second at 2-0. The Bison have three Patriot League games remaining on the schedule.
- Bucknell ranks in the Patriot League's top three in shots (13.2/G), points (7.4/G) and goals (2.3/G). The team's 2.8 assists per game lead the league.
- Bucknell's Lily Neilson went without a point last game for the first time since Sept. 12. She remains the Patriot League's scoring leader with nine goals on the season. Neilson is one of only two players in Division I to score five goals in a single game this season.
- Senior Erin Zielinski still ranks second in the league with her seven assists this season despite going without one in the last three games. She's joined in the league's top five in the category by Maddie Rehak and Mackenzie Kile. Rehak and Kile are tied for second on the roster with Mary Kate Stefanowicz with nine points each.
- Kile added three points to her season total at American, scoring one goal with one assist. She's posted points in four different games this season. Emily Doyle also registered three points last weekend with a goal and an assist. They were the first points of the season for the senior.
- Bucknell has had nine different goal-scorers this season, and five have multiple goals. 11 different players have contributed assists.
- Goalkeeper Clara McCormick is fourth in the Patriot League with her 1.94 goals against average. She's faced a combined 38 shots over the last three games after facing just 12 over the previous three.
- Bucknell is 6-0 in games that go past regulation since the start of last season, including two overtime wins this fall.
- For the first time in program history, Bucknell entered the 2021 field hockey season as reigning champions after collecting a Patriot League title in the spring and posting a first-round win over VCU in the NCAA tournament. Bucknell finished the 2020-21 season with a 6-4 overall record. After dropping their first three games of the spring season by a combined score of 10-1, the Bison turned things around and won six in a row to reach the NCAA quarterfinals. Bucknell limited opponents to one goal per game during the winning streak, and four of the victories went past regulation.
- Head coach Jeremy Cook is in his 14th season with the program. With a 126-120 career record, Cook is two victories shy of matching the program's all-time wins record. Cook has guided the Bison to the Patriot League Tournament every season and has posted a .500 overall record or better in each of the last five.
Scouting Penn State
- No. 4 Penn State is 8-2 (3-1 Big Ten) and is in third place in the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions are coming off wins against Indiana and Northwestern last weekend. Northwestern is currently ranked sixth in the country, and Penn State also has a win over eighth-ranked Maryland.
- The Nittany Lions are averaging 2.8 goals per game and 2.6 assists. They're also posting 13.3 shots per game.
- Sophomore Sophia Gladieux, an NFHCA Second Team All-American last season, is leading the team with 22 points on 10 goals and two assists. She's followed by senior Anna Simon, who has 18 points on eight goals and two assists. Two-time All-American Mackenzie Allessie leads the squad in assists with seven.
- Penn State goalkeeper Brie Barraco has started every contest since the beginning of the 2019 season, and she sports a 1.55 goals against average with a .728 save percentage this season. She posted a shutout during a 3-0 victory over Delaware back on Sept. 12. Barraco has allowed just one goal in each of the last three games.
- The Nittany Lions are guided by long-time head coach Charlene Morett-Curtiss, who has put together a 518-215-8 record in her 35 seasons with the team. Morett-Curtiss is a seven-time Mideast Region Coach of the Year selection and has reached the NCAA championship game twice.
- Penn State will play fifth-ranked Rutgers on Friday before Saturday's matchup with the Bison.
Series History with Penn State
- Saturday will be the 38th all-time meeting between Bucknell and Penn State. The two teams typically face off once a year, but they did not meet last season due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the league-only schedule. The Bison are seeking their first-ever victory against the Nittany Lions.
- Bucknell fell 3-0 at home in the 2019 matchup. The Bison held Penn State off the scoreboard through the first three quarters before the Nittany Lions notched all three goals in the final 15 minutes.
Scouting Cornell
- Cornell enters this weekend 6-3 (2-0 Ivy League) and in second place in the Ivy League. The Big Red defeated Colgate 4-3 on Sunday after topping Columbia 5-0 the day before. They're currently riding a four-game winning streak. Cornell also has a 1-0 win over Lock Haven, who Bucknell defeated 2-0 back on Sept. 12.
- Cornell is averaging 2.2 goals and a league-best 2.78 assists per game. The Big Red have posted 11.44 shots per contest this season.
- Cornell's points (21) and goals (9) leader is Caroline Ramsey. She's posted goals in each of the last four games, including two in Sunday's win over Colgate. The junior also leads the team in shots with 36 and ranks third nationally with three defensive saves.
- Fellow junior Bridget Mahoney leads the Ivy League in assists (8), posting three over the last two games.
- Cornell goalkeeper Aerin Park has started all nine games and has a 1.03 goals against average as well as a .735 save percentage. She's helped the Big Red post three shutouts this season.
- Cornell head coach Andy Smith has a 16-10 overall record since joining the team in 2019. He previously spent six years coaching the Pacific Tigers.
- Cornell plays at Penn on Saturday before Sunday's game in Lewisburg.
Series History with Cornell
- Bucknell leads 16-12-1 in the all-time series with Cornell, which began with a 2-2 tie in 1974. The first meeting was Bucknell's 11th game played after the Bison field hockey program began in 1973.
- The series is split 3-3 going back to 2010 as the two teams have traded wins over the last six matchups. Bucknell's five-game win streak from 2006 to 2010 is the longest by either team.
- Cornell earned a 1-0 win over the Bison during the last meeting in 2019. The Big Red scored the only goal in just the 10th minute of action on a penalty stroke, and the Bison only managed to put three shots on goal. Bucknell held a 9-4 edge in penalty corners.
- Seniors Emily Doyle and Erin Zielinski are the only current Bison that appeared in the 5-0 win over Cornell at home in 2018.
Up Next
Bucknell hosts Lehigh, which is currently in first place in the Patriot League, and Kent State at Graham Field next weekend. Lehigh picked up its first victory over the Bison since 2011 last season, winning 4-0 in Bethlehem, Pa. The Bison have not faced Kent State since 2007.
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