Women's Lax Welcomes UMBC for Home Opener Wednesday, Visits Marist Saturday

UMBC (1-0) at Bucknell (0-1)
When: Wednesday, Feb. 15, 5 p.m.
Where: Graham Field at Holmes Stadium, Lewisburg, Pa.
Internet Video: ESPN+
Live Stats: BucknellBison.com
Follow on Twitter: @Bucknell_WLAX

Bucknell (0-1) at Marist (0-0)
When: Saturday, Feb. 18, 1 p.m.
Where: Tenney Stadium at Leonidoff Field, Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
Live Stats: GoRedFoxes.com
Follow on Twitter: @Bucknell_WLAX

Bucknell at a Glance

The Bison opened their 2023 season with a tough task at Penn State on Saturday, and now the difficult early-season schedule continues as UMBC visits Graham Field for Bucknell's home opener on Wednesday evening. The Bison will then head back on the road to face Marist on Saturday for the first meeting with the Red Foxes in five years.
Bucknell fell 16-6 at Penn State but had several bright moments. The Bison jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead on goals by Carly Cenci and Caroline Miller in the first 3:11 of the match. Bucknell's six goals came from six different players. Taylor McClain (1G, 2A) and Katie Browne (1G, 1A) were multi-point scorers, with Browne collecting her first points in her collegiate debut.
Senior goalie Symone Ryans had a strong game with a career-high 16 saves. The Nittany Lions, who are receiving votes in the IWLCA national poll, peppered the Bison cage with 43 shots.
Bucknell's six goals came on just 11 shots for a strong .545 shooting percentage. In 17 all-time meetings with Penn State, the six goals were the second-most ever scored by the Bison, and the 10-goal margin was the closest in series history.
Senior Ella Payer, a Preseason All-Patriot League selection, led the team with four draw controls at Penn State. She now has 123 in her career, pushing her past Maddy Molinari into fifth place on Bucknell's career list.
The Bison are coming off a 6-10 season in 2022. Bucknell was 6-6 overall and 3-2 in the Patriot League after an 18-12 win over second-place Navy, but the Bison dropped their final four games – two coming by just one goal – and finished one game out of a Patriot League Tournament spot.
Bucknell was picked to finish seventh in the Patriot League preseason poll. Loyola, which is ranked 10th nationally in the IL/IWLCA Preseason Poll, was tabbed the preseason favorite, followed by Army, Navy, Lehigh, Colgate, American, Bucknell, Boston University, Holy Cross, and Lafayette.
The Bison graduated three of their top five scorers, but they do bring back 110 of their 176 goals from last season. That includes a team-high 36 from Allie Boyce (36-5-41), who was one of the Patriot League's top newcomers a year ago. Tatumn Kohlbrenner (20-10-30), Taylor Kopan (22-5-27), Caroline Miller (14-7-21), and Taylor McClain (6-12-18) are other top returning point-producers.
Payer is in her second year as a team co-captain, and she is joined this year by classmates Caitlin McHale and Caroline Miller.
Payer is a two-time Second Team All-Patriot League selection (2021, 2022), and she was recently named to the 2023 Preseason All-Patriot League Team. Payer, who was also an Academic All-Patriot League honoree last season, ranked third in the Patriot League in caused turnovers with 21 and seventh in the league in draw controls with 82. That draw control total was the second-highest in team history and was boosted by a school-record 15 DCs in the final game of the season at Holy Cross.
Payer and McHale are returning starters on defense, and McHale will also be one of the team's primary draw specialists.
Head coach Jackie Dando is entering her fourth season as Bucknell's head coach, and she is joined by a new pair of assistants in Liza Oakley and Katie Lasater. Oakley handles the defense and draws, while Lasater works with the attackers and goalies.

UMBC at a Glance/Series History

UMBC won its season opener 19-10 at George Washington on Saturday. The Retrievers never trailed in the game, and they used a four-goal run in the final 6:22 of the first half to turn a 6-5 lead into a 10-5 advantage at halftime.
Lauren Cremen led UMBC's potent attack with five goals, while Claire Bockstie and Megan Halczuk tallied four apiece. Isabella Fontana finished with 13 saves.
UMBC was picked tied for third in the America East preseason poll. Vermont and UAlbany were a close 1-2, followed by UMBC and Bryant.
Bockstie was a First Team All-America East selection last season after leading the league with 63 goals and 81 points. She had multiple goals in all but two games, including an eight-goal, 10-point explosion against Robert Morris.
Dymin Gerow (46-11-57), Kolby Weedon (45-7-52), and Halczuk (24-13-37) are also top returning scorers from a team that averaged 13.4 goals per game in 2022. Halczuk also nabbed a league-high 111 draw controls.
Bucknell is 5-10 all-time against UMBC, including an 11-10 overtime win in the last meeting at Graham Field in 2019. Sarah Dohler netted the game-winning goal on a free-position shot after Jamisen DeWitt had made three big saves in extra time.
Since that 2019 contest, UMBC has won the last two meetings, both on its home field. A winter storm forced last year's game to move from Lewisburg to Catonsville, and the Retrievers took advantage with a 20-5 whitewash. It was just an 8-5 game after Emma Cashwell scored in the first minute of the second half, but UMBC scored the final 12 goals of the contest.

Marist at a Glance/Series History

The Red Foxes will be playing their season opener when they host Bucknell on Saturday.
Marist finished 3-13 overall and 1-7 in the MAAC last season, with the lone conference win coming against Iona (15-12) in the season finale.
Marist was picked eighth of nine teams in the MAAC preseason poll, one spot ahead of Quinnipiac. Four-time defending champion Fairfield is the preseason favorite.
Senior attacker Kerri Gutenberger represented the Red Foxes on the Preseason All-MAAC Team. Gutenberger is coming off a big 2022 season in which she led the team in goals (37), points (53), and draw controls (63). She was a Second Team All-MAAC selection a year ago.
Senior Kelly Trotta (32-10-42) is also coming off a 30-goal season, and the Red Foxes also return last year's assist leader in senior Olivia Arntsen (18-20-38).
Bucknell is 1-4 all-time against Marist. The Bison won the initial meeting 18-5 in 1998, and the Red Foxes have won the last four, coming between 2009-18.
The last meeting was a 13-8 Marist win at Graham Field in 2018. Eve Calabria had three goals and an assist that day for the Bison, but the hosts could not dig out of an early 5-1 hole.
This is just the second game between the two teams to be played in Poughkeepsie. Marist defeated Bucknell 14-11 there in the final game of the 2013 season, despite four goals and three assists from Katelyn Miller.

Looking Ahead

Following the Marist game, Bucknell will have a week off before heading to the Pittsburgh area to face Robert Morris. The Bison defeated the Colonials 17-6 in Lewisburg last season behind a four-goal, two-assist performance from Katie Wendell.

Women's Lax Welcomes UMBC for Home Opener Wednesday, Visits Marist Saturday

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Allie Boyce

Katie Browne

Emma Cashwell

Carly Cenci

Tatumn Kohlbrenner

Taylor Kopan

Taylor McClain

Caitlin McHale

Caroline Miller

Ella Payer

Symone Ryans

Katie Wendell

Women's Lax Welcomes UMBC for Home Opener Wednesday, Visits Marist Saturday

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Allie Boyce

Katie Browne

Emma Cashwell

Carly Cenci

Tatumn Kohlbrenner

Taylor Kopan

Taylor McClain

Caitlin McHale

Caroline Miller

Ella Payer

Symone Ryans

Katie Wendell

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