Field Hockey Plays Host to Lafayette on Friday, Drexel on Sunday

Bucknell (2-5, 1-0 PL) vs. Lafayette (2-6, 0-1 PL)
When: Friday, Sept. 23 at 7 p.m.
Where: Graham Field – Lewisburg, Pa.
Streaming: ESPN+
Live Stats: BucknellBison.com

Bucknell (2-5, 1-0 PL) vs. Drexel (4-3, 0-0 CAA)
When: Sunday, Sept. 25 at noon
Where: Graham Field – Lewisburg, Pa.
Streaming: ESPN+
Live Stats: BucknellBison.com

About Bucknell

Bucknell returns to Graham Field to host Lafayette on Friday for its second Patriot League contest of the season. The Bison then play host to the Colonial Athletic Association's Drexel Dragons on Sunday. The Bison are 1-1 when playing at home this season.
Bucknell opened league play with a 3-1 win at Holy Cross on Saturday. The Bison scored two goals over the first two minutes of action and added a third shortly after halftime to secure the victory. Bucknell then traveled to Providence on Sunday and suffered a 2-1 loss in a shootout after tying the game in the fourth quarter. Bucknell is 2-2 over its last four games.
The Bison joined American and Boston U. as one of three teams in the league to start 1-0. Lehigh, Lafayette and Holy Cross are all 0-1, and Colgate has yet to play its first conference match.
Bucknell remains atop the league with 2.14 goals and 6.43 points per game. It sits fifth with a 2.71 goals against average.
Adding to her league-leading total, Lily Neilson scored in the Providence game and now has eight goals on the season. She also posted a season-high 13 shots, including nine on goal, and she leads the league in that category as well.
Mackenzie Kile supplied her sixth assist of the season in the Providence game and ranks first in the Patriot league in the category. With 25 assists in her career, Kile ranks fifth all-time in Bucknell's record book.
Other Bison adding goals over the weekend were Kari Melberger, Noor Kaur and Isabella Pavlides. Pavlides also posted two assists in the last two games, giving her four total points on the year.
Bucknell goalkeeper Nora Frederick made her first career start against the Crusaders and was in the cage again at Providence. She allowed just one regulation goal during both outings and has a 1.09 goals against average with a .700 save percentage against 27 shots faced.
Bucknell was picked third in the 2022 Patriot League Field Hockey Preseason Poll. American finished first in the poll and was followed by Lafayette, which is how the standings ended up last fall.
Bucknell is under the direction of first-year head coach Kelsey Kolojejchick. Kolojejchick, a former four-time All-American out of the University of North Carolina and a Junior Pan American Games gold medalist, arrived at Bucknell after spending the past four years as an assistant at Harvard.

Scouting Lafayette

The Leopards are 2-6 overall and 0-1 in Patriot League play. This past weekend they fell 2-1 in overtime to No. 22 American before defeating New Hampshire 1-0. American was Lafayette's second loss to a ranked opponent after it dropped a 6-1 decision at No. 20 Wake Forest. Outside of the Wake Forest game, all of Lafayette's losses have been by a single goal.
Lafayette and Bucknell have shared one common opponent this season in Temple. The Leopards lost 1-0 to the Owls back on Aug. 26.
The Leopards have maintained the second-best defense in the Patriot League this season, allowing just 2.0 goals per game. Freshman goalkeeper Raffi Fragomeni ranks second in the league with a 1.91 goals against average and has one shutout on the season.
Lafayette has seen six different goal scorers this season, and three have scored two goals apiece. Sophomore Lineke Spaans, who was voted Patriot League Rookie of the Year in 2021, ranks ninth in the league in shots per game (1.88) and has scored two goals with one assist this fall.
The Leopards were picked second in the Patriot League preseason poll after finishing runners-up in the tournament in 2021.
Lafayette is led by Jennifer Stone, who in her 10 seasons has guided the Leopards to a 73-90 overall record.

Series History with the Leopards

Bucknell is 16-40-2 in all-time meetings with the Leopards, dating back to 1977. The matchups are even when Bucknell hosts the Leopards in Lewisburg at 10-10-1, and Bucknell has won four in a row when playing on its home turf.
Lafayette came out on top in two thrilling matchups last season, winning 3-2 in double-overtime in Easton, Pa. before defeating the Bison 4-3 in overtime in Washington, D.C. during the Patriot League semifinals. Neilson scored twice in the tournament game, while Kile combined for three assists over the two 2021 meetings.
Bucknell's last win over the Leopards was a 3-2 victory in Lewisburg during the spring 2021-22 season.

Scouting Drexel

Drexel is 4-3 this season, including losses to No. 16 Saint Joseph's and No. 4 Maryland. The Dragons have won each of their last two against Saint Francis and Penn, and they'll face Rider on Friday before traveling to Lewisburg. Drexel has yet to play a Colonial Athletic Association game.
Drexel was picked fifth in the 2022 CAA Preseason Poll after going 6-24 (2-4 CAA) last season. The Dragons are currently one of three CAA teams with an overall record above .500.
Senior goalkeeper Megan Hadfield currently ranks fourth in the conference with a 2.61 goals against average. Meanwhile, junior Eline Di Leva leads the squad with six points on two goals scored and two assists. Di Leva as named to the 2022 Preseason All-CAA squad.
Drexel is led by head coach Denise Zelenak, who has been with the Dragons for 28 seasons. Zelenak is an even 265-265 for her career and has guided the program to two NCAA tournament appearances.

Series History with the Dragons

Bucknell is 9-18-1 in the all-time series with the Dragons, dating back to 1980. Bucknell's last win over Drexel was in 1996. The Bison are 6-8 when playing Drexel at home.
Nine of the 28 matchups between Bucknell and Drexel have gone beyond regulation, including a 2017 contest that went to a shootout.
The Bison fell 2-1 to the Dragons on the road last year in the regular season finale. A goal by Rachel Apa in the 18th minute gave Bucknell the early lead, but Drexel scored twice in the final 11 minutes to earn the win.

Up Next
Bucknell hits the road for games at Colgate and Cornell next weekend. The Bison challenge the Raiders in Hamilton, N.Y. at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 1.