Women’s Soccer Finishes in Scoreless Draw with Loyola

Saturday, October 3

Lewisburg, Pa.

1 p.m.

Bucknell University

5-5-3, 2-0-2

Loyola

1-2-9, 1-1-2

Team	1	2	Final F
Loyola Maryland	0	0	0
Bucknell	0	0	0

Photo by: Will Micciche

Women’s Soccer Finishes in Scoreless Draw with Loyola

10/3/2026 3:48:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Bucknell women's soccer team earned its fourth shutout in its last five games, but the Bison could not get any of their 20 shot attempts to go at the other end and finished in a scoreless draw with Loyola on Saturday afternoon at Emmitt Field at Holmes Stadium.

Sarah McFarland made four saves en route to her sixth shutout of the season. The Bison defensive unit has solidified in the last month. Since conceding three first-half goals at Towson on Sept. 6, Bucknell has given up only one goal in its last five contests, and that was on a penalty kick. The 90-minute clean sheet against Loyola extended Bucknell's streak to 497:25 – more than eight hours of game action – without giving up a goal in the run of play.

Bucknell improved to 5-5-3 overall and 2-0-2 in the Patriot League, while Loyola, the national leader in ties, is now 1-2-9 overall and 1-1-2 in the conference. The Bison dipped to third place in the Patriot League table with eight points, trailing Army (12) and Navy (9). Boston University and Lafayette are on six points and face each other on Sunday.

Bucknell outshot Loyola 20-10, but both teams had quality scoring chances. Loyola goalkeeper Hannah Goetzer finished with eight saves, including big ones in both the first and last minutes of the match.

The Bison nearly jumped ahead just 30 seconds in when Louisa Thomsen got a clean header from point-blank range off a cross from Katie Connell, but Goetzer extended a strong hand to block it away. The Bison earned a corner kick in the 90th minute, and Ava Palladino's service was initially cleared but only as far as Ingrid Murphy at the top of the box. Murphy got plenty of steam on her attempt, but Goetzer was again well-positioned near the left post to make the save.

In the interim, Connell was firing darts all day, finishing with a match-high seven shots. She had three near-misses in the first half and tested Goetzer again with a left-footed strike in the second half. Gaby Parker and Leah DeLaurentiis also had quality looks in the second half but just missed wide.

Bucknell dodged a bullet with just over nine minutes remaining in the first half when substitute Kaleigh Darby appeared to score into an empty net, but after discussion the play was ruled offside. Loyola forward Betzael Contreras, McFarland, and two Bison defenders all converged in a pileup at the top of the 18, and it was deemed that it was Contreras who got the touch that sent it forward to Darby in an offside position.

McFarland palmed aside Taryn Buckley's sharp-angled attempt moments later, and then early in the second half Contreras curled one over the bar on a free kick from 22 yards out.

Both teams took five corner kicks in the match, which was slowed by 27 fouls and a bevy of second-half substitutions.

The Bison have a tough road ahead with away fixtures at Boston University and Navy over the next two weeks. The next home match will be on Saturday, Oct. 24 against Army.