Women's Soccer Hosts Binghamton Thursday, Visits Youngstown State Sunday

Binghamton (1-2-1, 0-0-0 America East) at Bucknell (2-1-0, 0-0-0 PL)
When: Thursday, Sept. 1, 7 p.m. ET
Where: Emmitt Field at Holmes Stadium, Lewisburg, Pa.
Streaming: ESPN+
Live Stats: BucknellBison.com

Bucknell (2-1-0, 0-0-0 PL) at Youngstown State (0-4-0, 0-0-0 Horizon)
When: Sunday, Sept. 4, 1 p.m.
Where: National Bank Field, Youngstown, Ohio
Streaming: ESPN+
Live Stats: YSUSports.com

Bucknell at a Glance

The Bison return home to face Binghamton on Thursday, fresh off a split of its two-game weekend trip to Colorado Springs. After hosting the Bearcats, the Bison head back out on the road to take on Youngstown State on Sunday afternoon.
Bucknell's first trip to Colorado since 2006 resulted in a win and a loss. Last Friday, Colorado College scored two second-half goals to steal a 2-1 verdict, but the Bison bounced back on Sunday with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Air Force.
Sophomore Reece Evans scored her first collegiate goal to give the Bison the lead late in the first half at Colorado College.
Paige Temple's perfectly struck free kick in the 49th minute was all the Bison needed in Sunday's win over Air Force.
Playing the second leg of a weekend trip at high altitude, coach Kelly Cook used 22 players in the Air Force game, with all of them playing at least 20 minutes. Only center back Brooke Tracey and goalkeeper Jenna Hall played the full 90 minutes.
Hall made her season debut after missing the first three matches due to injury. She recorded four saves on the way to her ninth career solo shutout.
Bucknell made its season debut against Saint Francis (Pa.) on Aug. 18 and scored the game's first four goals on the way to a 4-1 victory. Two days later, the Bison had a 1-0 lead and a 16-1 shot advantage against Mount St. Mary's, but the game had to be canceled at halftime after heavy thunderstorms came through the area.
In what hopefully will not become a Sunday theme, this past Sunday's game at Air Force also featured a two-hour weather delay.
Rylee Donaldson picked up right where she left off last year in the goal-scoring department. Donaldson, who led the Patriot League with 10 goals on the way to Offensive Player of the Year honors last season, nabbed a brace in the win over Saint Francis and then scored again in the first half against Mount St. Mary's. Donaldson, who was the 2022 PL Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, was named the league's Offensive Player of the Week after those performances.
Donaldson did not score on the Colorado trip, but she caused all sorts of havoc in the Air Force game. She drew a foul just outside the box that led to the Temple free kick goal.
Sophomore Teresa Deda was selected as the PL Preseason Midfielder of the Year after leading the conference with 12 assists as a freshman a year ago. Like Donaldson, Deda continued to rack up the points with a pair of assists on opening night against Saint Francis. Just one game into her sophomore year, Deda already ranked eighth on Bucknell's career assists chart with 14.
Abby Gearhart and Hannah Stuck also scored goals in the Saint Francis win. It was Gearhart's ninth career goal and the second for Stuck. Gearhart also picked up an assist on Donaldson's opening goal, giving her a three-point evening.
Bucknell is the defending Patriot League champion. Seeded fourth in the 2021 league tournament after being picked ninth in the preseason poll, Bucknell posted consecutive shutouts of Lehigh (2-0), Navy (1-0 OT), and Boston University (1-0) to claim the fifth conference title in team history. The Bison then held their own in a 2-0 loss to top-seeded Rutgers in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Scarlet Knights later advanced all the way to the College Cup semifinals.
The pundits have a more favorable opinion of the Bison heading into this season. After returning nine starters from last year's championship team, Bucknell was picked a close second in the preseason poll. In fact, only four points separate Navy (145), Bucknell (144), and Boston University (141) at the top of the poll. Loyola (116), Army (92), Lehigh (72), Colgate (71), Lafayette (47), American (38), and Holy Cross (21) rounded out the predictions.
Bucknell also garnered two of the preseason major awards. Donaldson was selected as the Patriot League Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, while Deda was named Preseason Midfielder of the Year.
Donaldson led the Patriot League with 10 goals a year ago, leading to 2021 Patriot League Player of the Year honors. She is one of four returning All-Patriot League honorees for the Bison. Donaldson and Deda were both first-team all-stars, while Gearhart and Hall were third-team selections. Donaldson also made the Academic All-Patriot League Team, and Deda was the PL Tournament MVP.
Bucknell returned 26 of its 30 goals from last year, with the missing four coming from graduated center back Claire Mensi. The Bison were the second-highest scoring team in the league in 2021, behind only Navy.
Three of the five members of last year's senior class are playing as graduate students with their extra year of eligibility this fall. Mensi is continuing her career at Boston College, Holly Burns is now at Monmouth, and Emilene Parham is playing at Appalachian State.
Bucknell last year became the first team to win three Patriot League Tournament games since the league expanded to a six-team format in 2013. Only teams seeded No. 1 or 2 — and thus earning a bye straight into the semifinals — had ever won the title.
Bucknell was also the only team in the country seeded fourth or lower to win its conference tournament. Of the 28 Division I conference tournaments, 25 were won by No. 1 or 2 seeds. Michigan in the Big Ten and Memphis in the AAC won as No. 3 seeds, and Bucknell did it as a No. 4.
The Bison went 6-1-2 at home last season, with the lone loss coming to No. 12 West Virginia.
Seniors Leanne Engemann and Petie Nassetta are the team co-captains in 2022.
Kelly Cook is in her eighth season on the Bison sideline. Cook owns a 65-50-13 (.559) overall record at Bucknell, including a 35-16-8 (.661) 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.

Binghamton at a Glance

The Bearcats are off to a 1-2-1 start in 2022. Their lone home game thus far resulted in a 2-0 win over Temple, and they followed that up with a 1-1 draw at Marist. Binghamton opened the season with a 4-1 loss at Buffalo, and most recently the Bearcats dropped a 2-0 decision at Michigan State.
Maya Anand scored 46 seconds into the second half, and Olivia McKnight added an insurance goal in the 67th minute in the win over Temple. Nicole Scott and Kaitlyn Williams split the game in goal, each making four saves.
Anand scored again in the second half to help Binghamton salvage a draw at Marist.
Peyton Gilmore was the goal-scorer on opening night at Buffalo. Her tally gave the Bearcats a 1-0 lead at the half, but the Bulls erupted for four in the second half.
Binghamton finished 8-8-3 overall and 4-3-2 in the America East last season. The Bearcats were the No. 5 seed in the America East Tournament and fell to No. 4 Albany 2-0 in the quarterfinals.
The Bearcats returned six starters from last year's squad and were picked fourth in the America East preseason poll, behind UMass Lowell, Vermont, and New Hampshire. Vermont is the defending champion.

The Bucknell-Binghamton Series

Bucknell is 0-3 all-time against Binghamton, with all three meetings held in Lewisburg.
Binghamton won 3-2 in overtime in 2005, followed by 3-0 verdicts in 2010 and 2012.
The two teams were scheduled to meet in Binghamton in 2011, but heavy rains and flooding washed out the match.

Youngstown State at a Glance

The Penguins are off to a tough start, with four straight losses to start the season against Akron (1-0), Valparaiso (1-0), Duquesne (2-1), and Loyola Maryland (4-0).
Youngstown State visits St.Bonaventure on Thursday before hosting Bucknell.
Youngstown State's lone goal came from Maddie Root 8:42 into the Duquesne game.
In their most recent outing on Sunday, the Penguins conceded twice in the first 11 minutes on the way to a 4-0 defeat at Loyola.
Brooklynn Kirkpatrick has started all four games in goal and tallied 19 saves with eight goals against.
Youngstown State finished 2-11-5 overall and 2-5-4 in the Horizon League last season. The Penguins' wins came against Detroit Mercy and Northern Kentucky.
The Penguins were picked to finished 9th out of 11 teams in the Horizon League preseason poll, although they did pick up a first-place vote. Oakland is the preseason favorite.

The Bucknell-Youngstown State Series

These two teams met for the very first time in last year's season opener at Emmitt Field. Bucknell prevailed 1-0 on Rylee Donaldson's goal in the 16th minute.
Jenna Hall earned the clean sheet, as Bucknell finished with a 23-2 shot advantage.

Women's Soccer Hosts Binghamton Thursday, Visits Youngstown State Sunday

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Holly Burns

Teresa Deda

Rylee Donaldson

Leanne Engemann

Abby Gearhart

Jenna Hall

Claire Mensi

Petie Nassetta

Emilene Parham

Hannah Stuck

Paige Temple

Brooke Tracey

Women's Soccer Hosts Binghamton Thursday, Visits Youngstown State Sunday

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Holly Burns

Teresa Deda

Rylee Donaldson

Leanne Engemann

Abby Gearhart

Jenna Hall

Claire Mensi

Petie Nassetta

Emilene Parham

Hannah Stuck

Paige Temple

Brooke Tracey

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