Women’s Soccer Keeps Rolling with 3-0 Win over American, Bison Now Alone at Top of Table in Patriot League

Wednesday, September 22

Lewisburg, Pa.

7 p.m.

Bucknell University

5-4-1, 2-0-0PL

American

3-5-1, 0-1-1PL

American

Bucknell

Photo by: Marc Hagemeier

Women’s Soccer Keeps Rolling with 3-0 Win over American, Bison Now Alone at Top of Table in Patriot League

9/22/2021 10:21:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

LEWISBURG, Pa. – Paige Temple and Rylee Donaldson scored first half goals, Abby Gearhart added another in the second half, and the red-hot Bucknell women's soccer team ran past American 3-0 in a Patriot League match Wednesday night at rain-soaked Emmitt Field at Holmes Stadium.

The Bison backed up Saturday's four-goal outburst against Navy with three more against American, and Bucknell moved into sole possession of first place in the Patriot League with six points from its first two conference matches.

"This was a great team win," said head coach Kelly Cook afterward. "Keeping the shutout was something we talked about and was a big goal going into the game. The defense did a great job limiting their chances, and offensively it was important to finish our own early chances to set the tone for the game. We've been able to score some early goals of late, and those can really give the team a boost."

Make it 10 goals in the last three games, including three beauties in tonight's win over American! #rayBucknell pic.twitter.com/u5v7faQnuL
— Bucknell WSoccer (@Bucknell_WSOC) September 23, 2021

A light rain at the start of the match turned into a deluge by the midpoint of the second half, and the game was halted with 12:30 remaining due to lightning.

Bucknell was on the attack from the opening whistle, and this week's Patriot League Midfielder and Rookie of the Week Teresa Deda nearly found an early goal but went barely over the bar after a long run down the right flank by Donaldson.

The Bison did catch the lead in the 18th minute when the freshman Temple flicked home a volley off a beautiful cross in from Petie Nassetta. It was Temple's third goal of the season.

Less than 10 minutes later, Donaldson scored her Patriot League-leading sixth goal of the season off an assist from Kenar Gelman. Center back Lea Tarzy got it started by taking the ball off the foot of an American midfielder. Tarzy played the ball out wide to Gelman, who sent Donaldson in along the right edge of the box. Donaldson took a deft touch around charging goalkeeper Julia Kato and scored into the empty net for a 2-0 lead.

Bucknell was buzzing in the final 10 minutes of the first half but couldn't quite find a third. Deda ripped a shot to the right post, but Kato made a sprawling save. Gearhart's volley just missed the right post with 4:30 left in the half, and 90 seconds later Deda threaded a perfect ball through the back line to Kalli Wethern, who grazed the left post with her shot.

American's brightest moment came when Juliana Saling hit the crossbar in the opening moments of the second half. The woodwork was kinder to the Bison at the other end, as moments later Gearhart ran onto a half-cleared ball outside the box and fired home a shot off the right post for her second goal of the season.

Kato made her best save of the night to rob Kelley Francis in the 73rd minute, and five minutes later the lightning alert sounded.

Cook substituted liberally in the second half, and 23 Bison players saw action. Freshmen Olivia DeConinck, Tess Sutter and Laura Schmidt all made their collegiate debuts and helped finish off the clean sheet.

"It was nice to see a lot of people who have been working very hard in practice get some minutes tonight," said Cook. "They all did well in tough conditions and helped us preserve the shutout."

Bucknell finished with a 16-8 shot advantage and has now scored at least three goals in each game in this current three-game winning streak. It is the first time Bucknell has scored at least three in three straight games since 2017, when it did so in four games in a row.

Next up is Bucknell's first conference road game of the season, Saturday at Colgate at 7 p.m.