Field Hockey Holds Gray Out Versus Lafayette and Celebrates Senior Day on Sunday Against Lock Haven

Bucknell (4-5, 2-0 PL) vs. Lafayette (5-4, 1-1 PL)
When: Friday, October 4 – 6 p.m.
Where: Graham Field at Holmes Stadium – Lewisburg, Pa.
Streaming: ESPN+
Live Stats: bucknellbison.com

Bucknell (4-5, 2-0 PL) vs. Lock Haven (2-8, 1-1 A-10)
When: Sunday, October 6 – Noon
Where: Graham Field at Holmes Stadium – Lewisburg, Pa.
Streaming: ESPN+
Live Stats: bucknellbison.com

About Bucknell

The Bison return home to Holmes Stadium for two matches after defeating conference foe Holy Cross 5-1. The Bison trailed 1-0 before scoring five straight goals. Kira Leclercq tied the game with a tally before Lily Neilson ripped off two goals in two minutes. Leclercq added two more goals obtaining her first career hat trick.
Neilson's two-goal performance boosted her career total to 49 sending her past Bucknell Hall of Famer Kathy Kline for second all-time. She also moved into a tie for ninth place in Patriot League history. The milestones earned Neilson her second straight Offensive Player of the Week award.
Leclercq's hat trick and assist granted her Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week. She remains first nationally in defensive saves by three over Rutgers's Puck Winter.
Bucknell faces Lafayette in a pivotal Patriot League game for seeding on Friday night before hosting I-80 rival Lock Haven on Sunday.
Friday will feature a Gray Out and Bucknell students will receive free long-sleeved gray shirts until supplies run out.
Sunday will serve as Senior Day.
Both games will be streamed on ESPN+. The links are available in this preview and on the Bucknell field hockey schedule page. The Live Stats links are also available on the Bucknell field hockey schedule page. Live updates will be posted on the Bucknell Field Hockey X page.
Bucknell finished 8-9 overall and 3-3 in Patriot League play in the 2023 season and earned a spot in the Patriot League Tournament for the 16th consecutive season. The Bison fell 3-2 to the top-seeded American Eagles in the Patriot League semifinals. Bucknell battled back from a 3-0 deficit to have a game-tying chance as time expired. The Eagles blocked the shot, escaping overtime.
The heartbreaking loss finalized Bucknell's painful habit in the 2023 season, when the Bison lost eight games by one goal margin. The losses included a 2-1 defeat to #12 Penn State and a 3-2 defeat to #18 UMass Lowell. Over the last two seasons, Bucknell has lost 18 one-goal games. The trend has continued this season with the losses to Delaware, Miami (OH), and #20 Penn State.
Head coach Kelsey Kolojejchick enters her third season in Lewisburg. The Columbia victory gave Kolojejchick full possession of seventh place in Bucknell history.
The Bison return 19 players from last season's roster and welcome six newcomers.
Bucknell was projected to finish tied for second with Lafayette in the Patriot League preseason poll. Reigning champion American was slotted for first, and Colgate picked to finish last. Bucknell will host American in 2024.
Junior Kira Leclercq won Patriot League Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. Leclercq was outstanding as a defender in 2023, notching four defensive saves, and earning First Team All-Patriot League and Second Team All-NFHCA honors. She also scored five goals.
Senior Lily Neilson made the Preseason All-Patriot League Team after winning her second-straight Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year award. Her 13 goals led the circuit, despite Neilson missing several games to play for the Australian Junior World Cup squad. She became the first Second Team All-American in Bucknell history. With 47 career goals, she ranks third all-time for Bucknell.
The Bison named Lily Neilson & Hope Davis as captains.

Milestone Watch

Lily Neilson's 49 goals moved her into second place all-time and six scores away from tying Karin Wegener for first place in Bucknell history.
Neilson's 15 points (seven goals and one assist) ties her with Kline for second in career points (103).
The Australian forward has broken into the Patriot League top ten for career goals. 49 goals has tied her with American's Camila Infante (2003-06). One more goal will create a three-way deadlock for eighth place with Maureen Connolly of Holy Cross (2014-17) and Irene Schickhardt of American (2005-08). Two more tallies puts her at fifth place with American's Christine Fingerhuth (2007-10) and Lafayette's Jennifer Stone (2000-03).
Kira Leclercq has already established herself one of Bucknell's and the Patriot League's finest defenders with her 20 career defensive saves. The total ranks second in Bucknell history and fifth in Patriot League history.
Senior Isabella Pavlides tallied two assists against Holy Cross, becoming eighth all-time in career assists.

Senior Day

Bucknell will honor eight seniors on Sunday: Zoe Carlson-Pietraszek, Hope Davis, Lindsey Fogelsanger, Nora Frederick, Tallulah Fuhs, Hannah Guarente, Lily Neilson, and Isabella Pavlides. The graduating class has collected 25 wins and counting, the program's first Second Team All-American honor, two NFCA All-Region laurels, three First Team All-Patriot League awards, and two Patriot League Player of the Year trophies.

Scouting Lafayette

Lafayette are 5-4 overall and 1-1 in Patriot League play. The Leopards defeated Holy Cross 3-0 but fell in double overtime to American 1-0. Lafayette started the year 3-0 but has gone 2-5 in their last seven games. They battled ranked Syracuse to a 2-1 loss but were recently defeated 5-1 by #19 Penn State.
The Leopards enjoyed a banner year in 2023, going 12-7 overall and 5-1 in conference play. They received the number two seed in the Patriot League Tournament and defeated No. 3 Boston before falling 1-0 to American in the championship game.
Lafayette tied for second with Bucknell in the projected Patriot League standings. This game will likely prove a tiebreaker for top-three seeding.
Lineke Spaans received Preseason Patriot League Offensive Player of the League honors. Both she and Makenzie Switzer notched Preseason All-Patriot League Team spots.
Spaans leads the Leopards with four goals and four assists.
Raffi Fragomeni has played every minute but five in the cage for the Leopards, recording a sparking 1.54 goals against average.
Jennifer Stone enters her 12th season as leader of the Leopards.

Series History with the Leopards

The Leopards hold a 41-17-2 lead. The last seven games have been one-score affairs with Lafayette winning five of the games. The Maroon & White won last year's game 2-1.

Scouting Lock Haven

Lock Haven sits at 2-8 overall and 1-1 in the difficult Atlantic 10 conference. The Bald Eagles began the year with shutouts against top-ten Syracuse and Temple. LHU regrouped with a 4-3 win over Colgate. In conference play, they defeated La Salle and lost to VCU. Lock Haven is Division II in most sports but have an exception for field hockey.
The Eagles finished 5-12 overall and 2-5 in A-10 competition. They did not qualify for the A-10 conference tournament.
Lock Haven is projected to finish sixth in the eight-team A-10.
The A-10 does not select a preseason all-league team.
Melanie Beall leads the Eagles in goals (3) and points (6).
LHU uses two goalkeepers but have yielded 44 goals.
Anna Rogers enters her second year as head coach.

Series History with the Bald Eagles

The I-80 Romp has been a long standing series for the Bison. Lock Haven leads the all-time series 27-12-2 but Bucknell has won the last six games. However, five of the contests were one-score affairs. The two teams have met every year since 2003 except for the COVID-19 season of 2020-21 and last year when field conditions at Lock Haven forced cancelation.

Up Next

Bucknell heads to the wilds of New York to play Colgate (Oct. 11) in a conference showdown and Cornell (Oct. 13) in a non-conference matchup.

Field Hockey Holds Gray Out Versus Lafayette and Celebrates Senior Day on Sunday Against Lock Haven

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Zoe Carlson-Pietraszek

Hope Davis

Lindsey Fogelsanger

Nora Frederick

Tallulah Fuhs

Hannah Guarente

Kira Leclercq

Lily Neilson

Isabella Pavlides

Field Hockey Holds Gray Out Versus Lafayette and Celebrates Senior Day on Sunday Against Lock Haven

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Zoe Carlson-Pietraszek

Hope Davis

Lindsey Fogelsanger

Nora Frederick

Tallulah Fuhs

Hannah Guarente

Kira Leclercq

Lily Neilson

Isabella Pavlides

Related Videos