Thursday, September 11
Lewisburg, Pa.
7 p.m.
Bucknell University
vs
Georgetown
Photo by: Breanna Ruppel
Women's Soccer Wraps Up Non-League Play with Home Games vs. No. 16 Georgetown, Towson
9/10/2025 11:02:00 AM | Women's Soccer
#16 Georgetown (3-1-2) at Bucknell (2-4-1)
When: Thursday, Sept. 11, 7 p.m.
Where: Emmitt Field at Holmes Stadium, Lewisburg, Pa.
Streaming: ESPN+
Live Stats: BucknellBison.com
Towson (2-2-2) at Bucknell (2-4-1)
When: Sunday, Sept. 14, 1 p.m.
Where: Emmitt Field at Holmes Stadium, Lewisburg, Pa.
Streaming: ESPN+
Live Stats: BucknellBison.com
Bucknell at a Glance
- The Bison enter the final stretch of non-conference play feeling good after notching a one-sided win over Saint Francis and hard-fought 1-1 tie with Pittsburgh on the road last week. Bucknell finishes up the non-league slate with two tough home games against No. 16 Georgetown on Thursday and Towson on Sunday.
- Bucknell's 4-1 rout of Saint Francis last Thursday is the only one of the team's seven games decided by more than one goal. All four of the losses are by the slimmest of margins, and all came against quality sides in La Salle, Delaware, Monmouth, and Villanova.
- Sunday's 1-1 draw at Pittsburgh was a good result for the Bison, who had fallen 5-0 and 5-1 to the Panthers in 2023 and 2024. Bucknell conceded a goal in the seventh minute before blanking Pitt for the final 83 minutes. That left the door open for a sensational game-tying strike from Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week Katie Connell with 20 minutes remaining.
- Connell also had two important goal involvements in the win over Saint Francis. The Bison were dominating the game but did not have a goal to show for it until Connell weaved through four defenders and scored with 40 seconds left in the first half. Connell then assisted on freshman Gaby Parker's first career goal early in the second half, and Henna Andican tacked on two more in quick succession to make it 4-0.
- Andican (4-1-9) leads the team in goals and points, while Connell (3-2-8) is right behind her. Parker, Dani Howard, Louisa Thomsen, Emma Gavin, and Reilly Traynor all have one goal, and it was the first career goal for all of them.
- The Bison are averaging 1.7 goals per game, fourth-most in the Patriot League, and they lead the league with 14.0 shot attempts per game.
- Andican is tied for second in the PL in goals (4) and third in points (9). Connell is tied for sixth in goals (3) and tied for fifth in points (8).
- Sophomore Reese Dolan has started the last four games in goal and has conceded only four goals (one in each game). Her 1.00 GAA ranks fourth in the Patriot League.
- On the heels of the most successful four-year run in program history, the Bison have a new look in 2025. Twelve Bison have made their first career starts this season, with the latest being forward Presley Sutter against Villanova on Aug. 31.
- Andican and Connell both earned Preseason All-Patriot League honors. Andican was a Second Team All-PL pick in 2023, but last year she suffered a season-ending injury in just the fifth game of the campaign. Connell was a Third Team All-PL pick as a freshman in 2024.
- Andican, Sydney Hess, and Meghan White are this year's captains.
- 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 97-67-28 (.578) 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.
Georgetown at a Glance
- The Hoyas remained at No. 16 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll this week, despite beating No. 10 South Carolina 1-0 on Sunday. The Hoyas are 3-1-2 on the season, with the only loss coming on the road at No. 25 Vanderbilt (1-0). They also have wins over James Madison (4-0) and No. 15 Virginia Tech (2-1) and draws with Old Dominion (2-2) and No. 13 Virginia (1-1).
- Georgetown was picked as the preseason favorite in the Big East. Cara Martin was named Big East Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year, and she was joined on the Preseason All-Big East Team by forwards Maja Lardner and Natalie Means.
- Lardner, the reigning Big East Offensive Player of the Year, was named to the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List. She recorded 11 goals and seven assists last season and already has five goals this year, including two in the win over James Madison.
- Georgetown has scored 10 goals in six games, with half of them coming from Lardner. Means has a goal and three assists, and Shay Montgomery has a goal and two assists. Mary Cochran and Henley Tippins also have goals.
- Means scored the lone goal from the penalty spot in the 39th minute against South Carolina on Sunday.
- Martin has played every minute in goal and has 19 saves with only five goals against, good for a 0.83 GAA and .792 save percentage.
- Head coach Dave Nolan's team has made 13 straight NCAA Tournament appearances, including Final Four runs in 2016 and 2018.
- Georgetown sophomore midfielder Caroline Spengler and Bucknell sophomore defender Leah DeLaurentiis were teammates at Fairfield Ludlowe High School in Connecticut.
The Bucknell-Georgetown Series
- Bucknell is 2-5 all-time against Georgetown, with the wins coming in consecutive seasons in 1994 (4-1) and 1995 (2-0). The Hoyas have won all five since then, including a 1-0 verdict in the most recent meeting in 2023.
- Georgetown Is making only its third visit to Lewisburg, with the others a 4-1 Bison win in 1994 and a 4-0 Hoyas win in 2004.
- In the first meeting in 1994, Bucknell Hall-of-Famer Lisa Gibbons scored twice and became the Patriot League's all-time leading scorer in the process. Leigh Raymont and Liz Woodrow also scored for the Bison, and Becky Snover (5) and Kristin Coates (4) combined to make nine saves.
- Georgetown was ranked No. 20 when the two teams met in D.C. two seasons ago. The Hoyas outshot Bucknell 21-0, but the Bison almost escaped with a scoreless draw thanks to some stout defending and a strong game in goal from Jenna Hall. Only six of those 21 shot were on target as the Bison defense blocked eight attempts, but Brianne Riley scored on a goal-mouth scramble in the 86th minute to win it for Georgetown.
Towson at a Glance
- The Tigers will bring a 2-2-2 record to Emmitt Field on Sunday, and they will have the benefit of extra rest with no mid-week matches on the schedule this week.
- In its most recent outing, Towson blanked George Washington 2-0 on the road on Sunday thanks to early goals from Emma Levin in the 11th minute and Sydney Feiler in the 28th. Th Tigers outshot GW 17-3.
- Towson's other win was a 5-0 rout of Mount St. Mary's in the season opener. The Tigers also have draws against Delaware (2-2) and UMBC (1-1), and losses at Florida (4-2) and at Saint Joseph's (3-2).
- Towson already has 14 goals in six games, and the distribution has been even with six players sharing team-high honors with two goals apiece. Kale'a Perry has two goals and four assists, and she leads the team with eight points.
- Defensively, the Tigers have allowed only 57 total shots in six games, but 10 of them have found the back of the net. Teagan Gardner is in her first season as the starting goalkeeper, and she has 17 saves with the 10 goals allowed.
- Towson was picked to finish fourth in the North Division in the Coastal Athletic Association preseason poll, behind Stony Brook, Monmouth, and Hofstra. The Tigers won the CAA title and made their first-ever NCAA appearance in 2023, and last year they finished 6-4-9 overall and 4-2-4 in league play.
The Bucknell-Towson Series
- This will be the 14th all-time meeting between the Bison and Tigers, and Bucknell leads the series 7-5-1.
- The two teams first met in 1996, with Towson winning 2-1 in Lewisburg. The Bison returned the favor the following season with a 2-1 win on Towson's home field.
- The last meeting came in 2022, with the Tigers won at home 2-0. Nia Christopher scored on a penalty kick in the 28th minute, and Jasmine Hamid added an insurance goal in the 66th. The Bison fell despite a 12-5 shot advantage.
- Towson's last trip to Emmitt Field came in 2021, and the Bison salvaged a 1-1 draw thanks to Claire Mensi's goal off a corner kick with only 38 seconds remaining in regulation. Phoebe Canoles scored for Towson on a penalty kick in the 52nd minute. Bison goalkeeper Jenna Hall made two highlight-reel saves in overtime to preserve the tie.
The Road Ahead
- The Towson game is final non-league fixture of the regular season. The Bison start Patriot League play at Lehigh on Saturday, Sept. 20.
- The Mountain Hawks are 2-3-1 after falling 4-0 at Villanova on Sunday. Lehigh hosts Seton Hall this Sunday in its final test before conference play.
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