Field Hockey Starts Conference Play against Lafayette; Heads to #12 Penn State

Bucknell (3-3, 0-0 PL) at Lafayette (1-4, 0-0 PL)
When: Friday, September 15 – 7 p.m.
Where: Rappolt Field – Easton, Pa.
Streaming: ESPN+
Live Stats: goleopards.com

Bucknell (3-3, 0-0 PL) at #12 Penn State (4-2, 0-0 BIG 10)
When: Sunday, September 17 – 12 p.m.
Where: Penn State Field Hockey Complex – University Park, Pa.
Streaming: BIG+
Live Stats: gopsusports.com

About Bucknell

Last weekend, the Bison played two home games against Towson and Kent State. Bucknell triumphed in both games, winning 7-4 over Towson and edging Kent State 2-1. The results progressed Bucknell to 3-3 on the season.
The Lafayette game will be on ESPN+, and the Penn State contest is a BIG+ exclusive. Both streaming sites require a subscription. The live stats and streaming links are available in this preview and on the Bucknell field hockey schedule page. Live updates will be posted on the Bucknell Field Hockey Twitter page.
Bucknell finished 5-13 overall and 3-3 in Patriot League play in the 2022 season and earned a spot in the Patriot League Tournament for the 15th consecutive season. The Bison fell 2-1 to Boston University in the Patriot League semifinals.
The narrow loss to Boston University capped a notable trend in the 2022 season, where the Orange & Blue lost eight games by one goal margin, including a 2-1 heartbreaker to #9 Louisville. The pattern continued with two 2-1 losses to Ohio State and Temple this season. Bucknell flipped the script against Kent State by winning 2-1.
Head coach Kelsey Kolojejchick enters her second season in Lewisburg. With the victory over Ball State, Kolojejchick moved into eighth place in Bucknell history.
Bucknell was projected to finish third in the Patriot League preseason poll. American was slotted for first, and Colgate was picked to finish last.
Lily Neilson leads the Bison with four goals and is tied for second in the conference.
Neilson has 33 career goals, which ties her for fourth in Bucknell history with Kiersten Sydnor.
Isabella Pavlides is the main Bison supplier of assists with four, which ranks her third in the Patriot League.
Freshman Sarah Althouse has seized the starting goalkeeper job and shows no sign of letting the role go, having earned a 3-2 record in the cage.

Scouting Lafayette

Lafayette is 1-4 on the season. The Leopards started the campaign with a 5-0 win over Wagner, but have lost four straight games, including a 4-1 defeat to shared foe Ohio State. A matchup against #7 Syracuse was canceled.
The Leopards went 7-11 overall last season and 3-3 in Patriot League play. But their 2-1 defeat to Bucknell cost them entry into the Patriot League Tournament.
Lafayette was projected to finish fourth in the seven-team Patriot League. The Leopards placed two players, Lineke Spaans and India Ralph, on the preseason All-League Team.
Josephine van Wijk leads the Leopards' attack with six of their ten goals.
Jennifer Stone enters her 11th season as Lafayette's head coach. She graduated from the Easton college in 2004.

Series History with the Leopards

Bucknell trails in the series, 17-40-2. The Bison won last year's meeting 2-1.

Scouting Penn State

Penn State is 4-2 on the season against a vigorous schedule. Penn State opened the season with four straight road games against top-notch competition. The Nittany Lions fell to #6 Virginia and unranked Cal but rallied to beat Patriot League foe American in overtime and decisively handled Stanford. Penn State recently played two home games and beat Kent State 5-0 and #19 Delaware 4-1.
Bucknell's Route 45 Rival had a banner year in 2022, going 17-4, before falling 3-0 to eventual champion UNC in the National Semifinals.
The Big Ten did not issue a preseason poll or team, but PSU seniors Mackenzie Allessie, Brie Barraco, and Phia Gladieux were named to the Big Ten Preseason Watch List.
Sophia Gladieux leads the team with ninth goals, nearly half of Penn State's tallies.
Head coach Lisa Bervinchak Love is in her first season at Penn State. She was recently promoted from the position of associate head coach and enters her 30th season on the PSU sidelines.

Series History with the Nittany Lions

Bucknell is searching for its first win against the Route 45 Rival, having gone 0-39 in the series. The rivalry has been played every season since 2000 except for the 2020-21 COVID spring season. The Bison's closest result against Penn State came in 2009's 2-1 defeat.

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