Women's Lax Makes Final Playoff Push Friday at Holy Cross in Regular-Season Finale

Bucknell (6-9, 3-5 PL) at Holy Cross (5-10, 2-6 PL)
When: Friday, Apr. 29, 4 p.m.
Where: Kuzniewski Field, Worcester, Mass.
Watch: ESPN+
Live Stats: GoHolyCross.com
Follow on Twitter: @Bucknell_WLAX

Bucknell at a Glance

The Bison are down to a single game remaining on the regular-season schedule, and the team's postseason hopes are resting on the outcome. Bucknell enters the final round of Patriot League play tied for sixth place with American -- but with a head-to-head loss to AU -- which means it needs a win over Holy Cross along with some outside help in order to get into the six-team Patriot League Tournament field.
If the Bison win in Worcester, they would climb to the No. 5 seed if Colgate loses to Lehigh on Thursday. Even if Colgate is victorious, Bucknell can be the No. 6 seed with a win and an American loss to Boston University.
The 3-6 seeds will have a quick turnaround, with the Patriot League Tournament quarterfinals coming right up on Sunday.
The Bison fell out of top-six position after dropping their last three contests, including a pair of one-goal heartbreakers to American and Boston University. Last Saturday at Graham Field, the Bison forced overtime on a dramatic tying goal from Caroline Miller with 12 seconds left in regulation, but the Terriers won it on the first possession of OT.
Freshman attacker Allie Boyce continues to lead the Bison in goals (35) and points (40). She has recorded a point in every game this season and a goal in all but one. That includes a seven-goal outburst against Colgate that tied the Bucknell freshman single-game record. Now Boyce needs only three goals to tie the freshman single-season standard. Arriana Sajjad (2012) and Michelle Manion (1986) both scored 38 goals in their rookie campaigns.
Boyce ranks third in the Patriot League with a .538 shot percentage, and she is 12th in goals per game (2.33). Her 55.0-percent conversion rate on free-position attempts is the fifth-best in the league.
Laurel McHale (22-11-33), Emma Cashwell (22-10-22), Tatumn Kohlbrenner (19-10-29), Katie Wendell (19-8-27), Taylor Kopan (18-4-22), and Miller (13-7-20) have all reached the 20-point mark for the first time in their respective careers.
Defender Ella Payer has a team-high 67 draw controls this season, which are fourth-most in team history. Her 104 career DCs are 10th-most in Bison history.
Bucknell turned in perhaps its most complete performance of the season in an 18-12 win over Army on Apr. 9. The offense recorded 18 goals on only 31 shots, and the defense limited the Patriot League's highest-scoring team to nine goals in the first 57 minutes of the game, with Army's last three coming in the closing minutes after the Bison had already built an 18-9 lead. The Black Knights entered the game averaging 19.0 goals en route to a 5-0 Patriot League record.
Payer and Neff rank 3-4 in the Patriot League in caused turnovers with 1.40 and 1.33 per game, respectively. Neff also ranks fourth in ground balls (2.07), and Payer ranks ninth in draw controls (4.47).
As a team, Bucknell ranks second in the league and 22nd nationally in caused turnovers at 9.27 per game.
The Bison have also done a good job protecting the ball this season. They rank third in the league in fewest turnovers per game at 14.3, and they are clearing at a terrific 87.5-percent clip. That clearing rate ranks third in the league.
Bucknell was picked to finish eighth in the Patriot League preseason poll. Loyola was tabbed the preseason favorite, followed by Navy, Army, Lehigh, Boston University, Colgate, Holy Cross, Bucknell, American, and Lafayette.
Seniors Cashwell and Eva Macris, along with junior Payer, have been named captains for the 2022 season. Macris is in her second year as a captain.
Payer is Bucknell's lone returning All-Patriot League selection. She earned the honor as a sophomore after leading the team with 24 draw controls while playing strong defense. Midfielder Mason Rode, who graduated last spring, joined Payer on the All-PL Second Team.
Head coach Jackie Dando is in her third season as Bucknell's head coach. Each of the first two were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, however. Former Colgate star Haley O'Hanlon and Veronica John joined the staff this season as assistant coaches.

Holy Cross at a Glance/Series Records

The Crusaders come in with a 5-10 overall record and a 2-6 mark in the Patriot League. Holy Cross has also dropped three straight to Navy, Colgate, and Lehigh, and has been eliminated from postseason contention.
Holy Cross' conference wins were one-sided affairs against Boston University (19-12) and Lafayette (16-4). The Crusaders have three one-goal losses this season, to Colgate (16-15 OT), Brown (14-13), and Bryant (15-14).
Bucknell will have to contend with the Patriot League's top scorer in Jolie Creo, who has 51 goals and 24 assists for 75 points. Creo leads the league in goals and points per game, and her raw totals trail only Loyola All-American Livy Rosenzweig, who has 52 goals and 27 assists for 79 points while playing two more games.
Isabela Miller (26-7-33), Jordyn Arakelian (14-19-33), and Jenna Giardina (19-4-23) are other top scorers for Holy Cross.
Finley Cassidy leads the team with 44 draw controls. Goalie Grace Flink has a team-high 29 ground balls, and Maggie Cooney leads the squad with 22 caused turnovers.
Flink has started all 15 games in the cage and has a .418 save percentage and 13.56 goals-against average.
Bucknell and Holy Cross are meeting for the first time since 2019. The 2020 season was cut short by the pandemic, and the teams did not meet in last year's modified divisional format.
Bucknell has a 16-14 lead in an all-time series that dates back to 1991, but Holy Cross has won the last two. The Crusaders captured the most-recent matchup by a 19-13 count in Worcester in 2019. Creo, then a freshman, scored five goals to pace Holy Cross, which broke open a 7-7 halftime deadlock with a 12-goal second stanza. Morgan Steinhacker, Julia Bradbury, and Kali Peeples scored three goals apiece for the Bison. Abby Neff is the only current Bison who started in that game, while Emma Cashwell, Laurel McHale, Meredith Murphy, and Amy Roche saw time off the bench.
Bucknell's last series win was an 11-8 verdict in Worcester in 2017 behind a hat trick from Audrey Walsh.

Next Up

If Bucknell is able to qualify for the 2022 Patriot League Tournament, it would be on the road for the quarterfinal round. Possible opponents are Navy, Army, and Lehigh.

Women's Lax Makes Final Playoff Push Friday at Holy Cross in Regular-Season Finale

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Allie Boyce

Julia Bradbury

Emma Cashwell

Tatumn Kohlbrenner

Taylor Kopan

Eva Macris

Laurel McHale

Caroline Miller

Meredith Murphy

Abby Neff

Ella Payer

Kali Peeples

Amy Roche

Mason Rode

Katie Wendell

Women's Lax Makes Final Playoff Push Friday at Holy Cross in Regular-Season Finale

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Allie Boyce

Julia Bradbury

Emma Cashwell

Tatumn Kohlbrenner

Taylor Kopan

Eva Macris

Laurel McHale

Caroline Miller

Meredith Murphy

Abby Neff

Ella Payer

Kali Peeples

Amy Roche

Mason Rode

Katie Wendell

Related Videos