Women's Soccer Begins Home Slate vs. Monmouth, FDU this Week

Monmouth (0-2) at Bucknell (0-2)
When: Thursday, Aug. 21, 7 p.m.
Where: Emmitt Field at Holmes Stadium, Lewisburg, Pa.
Streaming: ESPN+
Live Stats: BucknellBison.com

FDU (0-1) at Bucknell (0-2)
When: Sunday, Aug. 24, 1 p.m.
Where: Emmitt Field at Holmes Stadium, Lewisburg, Pa.
Streaming: ESPN+
Live Stats: BucknellBison.com

Bucknell at a Glance

After suffering two tough one-goal losses on the road last week, the Bison start a run of three straight home games with Thursday's clash against Monmouth at Emmitt Field. Bucknell then hosts FDU this Sunday and Villanova the following Sunday, Aug. 31.
Bucknell is 25-4-10 at Emmitt Field over the last four seasons, including 7-2-2 last year.
On the heels of the most successful four-year run in program history, the Bison have a new look in 2025. Eight players have already made their first career starts, including freshmen Gaby Parker, Dani Howard, and Emma Gavin.
Bucknell opened the season with four first-time starters on the back line, with center backs Gavin and Reilly Traynor flanked by outside backs Ava Palladino and Leah DeLaurentiis. Julia Palitti, a starter in every game last season, missed the opener at La Salle due to injury but played 57 minutes as a reserve on Sunday at Delaware.
Senior Jess Benattar returns as the lead goalkeeper. Benattar is coming off a terrific 2024 campaign in which she earned Second Team All-Patriot League honors after leading the league in goals-against average (0.46), save percentage (.863), and shutouts (eight). The 0.46 GAA broke Bucknell's single-season record and ranked seventh nationally. Sophomore Reese Dolan backs up Benattar after a strong preseason.
Forwards Henna Andican and Katie Connell both earned Preseason All-Patriot League honors, and both scored goals last week. Andican, who is back after missing most of last season with an injury, notched the team's first goal of the season at La Salle, while Connell scored a 78th-minute equalizer at Delaware.
Andican, Louisa Thomsen, and Connell have accounted for the team's three goals, all of them sensational strikes from outside the box that came with the Bison trailing by a goal. A point of emphasis for the Bison heading into the home opener will be what happens just after scoring, as they have conceded within eight minutes after all three goals.
The goal frame has not been kind to the Bison in the early going. On Sunday at Delaware, Connell tied the game in the 78th minute, and then freshman Audra Toth rocked a shot off the crossbar moments later. Inside five minutes to play, Benattar made a diving save but the shot hit the right post and fell to Taisiya Reid who knocked in the rebound. In the opener at La Salle, the Explorers' go-ahead goal went bar down and barely over the line, and then Bucknell hit the crossbar twice in the final 75 seconds while trailing 3-2.
Head coach Kelly Cook is in her 11th season at Bucknell, and she has led the Bison to five league titles in her first 10 years. Cook owns a career record of 95-65-27 (.580) and a Patriot League mark of 52-20-14 (.722). She holds the program records for most coaching wins and highest winning percentage.
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.

Monmouth at a Glance

Thursday's game should be an intriguing one between two traditionally strong programs who are off to 0-2 starts against challenging schedules. Bucknell went 12-4-3 last season (7-2 PL) and lost in penalty kicks in the Patriot League championship match. Monmouth finished 12-3-5 last season (7-1-2 CAA) and lost 2-1 to Stony Brook in the Coastal Athletic Association final. While Bison dropped matches at La Salle and Delaware last week, the Hawks fell by identical 3-1 scorelines at Seton Hall and at home against Pittsburgh.
Monmouth is on a run of 19 straight winning seasons, and the Hawks have won 11 regular-season league titles in that span. They were especially dominant during their nine-year stint in the MAAC (2013-21), going 74-6-6 in league play with eight regular-season titles and five tournament crowns. Monmouth was the No. 1 seed in the CAA Tournament last season but fell at home to Stony Brook in the final despite a 28-10 shot advantage.
Forward Summer Reimet was picked as the CAA Preseason Player of the Year after recording 14 goals and five assists in 2024. Monmouth was picked to finish second behind Stony Brook in the CAA North Division poll.
Emily De Almeida scored Monmouth's goal against Seton Hall, and Ashley Lavrich tallied in Sunday's loss to Pitt. Lavrich was the 2024 CAA Rookie of the Year after tallying five goals an eight assists.
Tallulah Miller, a graduate transfer from Kentucky, has played all 180 minutes in goal for the Hawks. She played in 20 games with 17 starts in four years with the Wildcats.

The Bucknell-Monmouth Series

The Bison and Hawks have met five times previously, with Monmouth winning three of the five. Bucknell captured the first two meetings, 2-0 in 2014 and 3-1 in 2016. Monmouth then won 1-0 in 2018, 3-2 in 2021, and 3-0 last season.
A year ago in West Long Branch, Liza Suydam scored twice in the first half and Lavrich added a third early in the second to hand the Bison one of only four losses all season.
The 2014 game was notable, because twin sisters Kendall and Jackie Ham scored Bucknell's goals in just their second collegiate game. Kendall, who would go on to become one of the most prolific scorers in program history, struck in the 41st minute, and then she assisted on Jackie's insurance goal in the 83rd.
The 2016 meeting is the only one of the five so far to be played in Lewisburg. After spotting Monmouth an early goal, Bucknell scored three straight to post the opening-night win. Karli Cirovski and Maddie Dano scored for the Bison, with the final tally coming on an own goal.

FDU at a Glance

FDU opened its campaign on Sunday with a 4-0 loss at Boston College. The Eagles stunned the Knights with three goals in the first 13 minutes and added a fourth in the 39th minute.
FDU is coming off a strong 2024 season. The Knights finished 8-6-6 overall and 7-2-1 in the Northeast Conference. They fell 2-1 to top-seeded Howard in the NEC Tournament final. Marina Burzaco scored in the 53rd minute to level the match at 1-1, but Howard scored the eventual game-winner just 20 seconds later.
The Knights were picked second in this year's NEC Preseason Poll, behind only Howard. They return 10 of 11 starters and 26 of 32 goals from last year.
Ana Salas was the team's top point-producer last year with 16 points from five goals and six assists. Burzaco finished with five goals and two assists, and seven other Knights scored at least twice.
Rosemarie LeBlanc returns after starting all 20 games in goal as a freshman last season.

The Bucknell-FDU Series

These two teams met for the first time last season and played to a scoreless draw in Teaneck, N.J.
Bucknell outshot the Knights 14-4 and did not concede a single shot on goal. It was a frustrating day on the attacking end, as the Bison had a penalty kick saved and had a shot cleared off the line in the 87th minute.

The Road Ahead

After Sunday's FDU match, the Bison will take a full week off before hosting Villanova on Sunday, Aug. 31 at 1 p.m. Bucknell defeated the Wildcats 1-0 on the road last season thanks to a first-half goal from Teresa Deda and a big second-half PK save from Jess Benattar.

Women's Soccer Begins Home Slate vs. Monmouth, FDU this Week

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Henna Andican

Jess Benattar

Katie Connell

Teresa Deda

Leah DeLaurentiis

Reese Dolan

Emma Gavin

Dani Howard

Julia Palitti

Ava Palladino

Gaby Parker

Louisa Thomsen

Audra Toth

Reilly Traynor

Women's Soccer Begins Home Slate vs. Monmouth, FDU this Week

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Henna Andican

Jess Benattar

Katie Connell

Teresa Deda

Leah DeLaurentiis

Reese Dolan

Emma Gavin

Dani Howard

Julia Palitti

Ava Palladino

Gaby Parker

Louisa Thomsen

Audra Toth

Reilly Traynor

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