Bucknell University Athletics
Saturday, September 26
Lewisburg, Pa.
2 p.m.
Bucknell University
vs
Holy Cross
Photo by: Steven Schoenfelder
Women's Soccer Hosts Holy Cross Saturday in Annual VS Cancer Game
9/24/2026 12:59:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Holy Cross (4-4-1, 0-1-0 PL) at Bucknell (4-5-1, 1-0-0 PL)
When: Saturday, Sept. 26, 2 p.m.
Where: Emmitt Field at Holmes Stadium, Lewisburg, Pa.
Streaming: ESPN+
Live Stats: BucknellBison.com
Happenings: VS Cancer Game
About the Bison
When: Saturday, Sept. 26, 2 p.m.
Where: Emmitt Field at Holmes Stadium, Lewisburg, Pa.
Streaming: ESPN+
Live Stats: BucknellBison.com
Happenings: VS Cancer Game
About the Bison
- Bucknell goes for a 2-0 start while Holy Cross looks to get points on the board as the two teams square off Saturday at Emmitt Field on Match Day 2 in the Patriot League.
- Bucknell opened league play with a 3-1 home win over Lehigh last Saturday, while the Crusaders dropped a 2-1 decision to Loyola at home on Sunday. All five games produced a winner last week, and the Bison join Loyola, Boston University, Lafayette, and Army at the top of the table on three points.
- This week's other fixtures include Colgate at Navy, Boston University at Loyola, Lehigh at Army, and Lafayette at American.
- The Bison started the 2026 season 3-1 before dropping four straight, but over the last two weeks they have bounced back with a strong performance in a 0-0 draw at No. 23 Villanova followed by the 3-1 win over Lehigh.
- Louisa Thomsen (29'), Ingrid Murphy (33'), and Dani Howard (71') staked the Bison to a 3-0 lead against the Mountain Hawks, who later pulled one back on a Rylie Moschella penalty kick in the 84th minute. The Bison dominated play for most of the match, outshooting Lehigh 33-7.
- Thomsen and Murphy both registered a goal and an assist against Lehigh. Thomsen was later honored with Patriot League Midfielder of the Week and Bison of the Week honors.
- Murphy has been an offensive catalyst in her rookie season. She leads the team and is one off the Patriot League lead with four goals, and she is tied for the league lead in points with 10. Murphy returned against Lehigh after an injury absence, subbed on in the 27th minute, and within six minutes produced an assist and a goal. Only Holy Cross' Sam Halligan, Boston University's Kat Slott and Army's Kamryn McWhinney have more goals in the Patriot League with five each.
- The Bison have outscored opponents 17-14 on the season, with the 17 goals coming from nine different players. Fifteen players have registered a point. Bucknell ranks third in the Patriot League in goals at 1.7 per game and fifth in goals allowed at 1.4 per game.
- Freshman Sarah McFarland swept the Patriot League Goalkeeper and Rookie of the Week awards last week, and freshman outside back Clare Nemsick was named the PL Defender of the Week after the scoreless draw at Villanova. McFarland was also named to the TopDrawerSoccer Team of the Week, and her spectacular diving save in the 89th minute was selected as the IWOC National Save of the Week.
- The Mount St. Mary's win on Aug. 20 was career victory No. 100 for head coach Kelly Cook, who is now in her 12th season on the Bison sideline. Six of her previous 11 have resulted in a Patriot League regular-season or tournament championship. With a 102-76-34 career record, Cook is Bucknell's winningest women's soccer coach.
- Holy Cross comes in with a 4-4-1 overall record, with the four wins coming in succession against Stonehill (3-2), Brown (1-0), Marist (2-0), and Central Connecticut (1-0). Since then, the Crusaders have dropped three in a row to Dartmouth (1-0), Maine (1-0), and Loyola (2-1).
- In last Sunday's Patriot League opener against Loyola, Karenna Beckstein tied the game at 1-1 on a penalty kick in the 76th minute, but only 62 seconds later Savannah Manset won it for the Greyhounds. Holy Cross outshot Loyola 17-6 in the match.
- Through nine games, Holy Cross has an even 11-11 goal differential. The Crusaders rank fifth in the Patriot League in goals scored and fourth in goals against.
- Sam Halligan recorded five goals and two assists in the team's first four games of the season, but she has missed the last five games. Beckstein and Abby Cushing have two goals each, and Caroline Bierfeldt and Adi Botet have one apiece.
- Antriana Mila, who is a member of the Cyprus National Team, is in her first year as Holy Cross' starting goalkeeper. She has 34 saves with 11 goals against in nine starts this season. She made a season-high seven saves in an impressive clean sheet against Brown. One of the preseason favorites in the Ivy League, the Bears are 6-2-1, including a stunning 7-0 win over UCF earlier this month.
- Bucknell is 24-6-4 all-time against Holy Cross in a series that dates back to 1991. After the Bison won 5-1 in 2022, the last three matches have been tightly contested. The Bison and Crusaders drew 0-0 in 2023 and 1-1 last season, with a 1-0 Bucknell win in between in 2024.
- Last season in Worcester, Halligan scored on a deflected shot for Holy Cross in the 23rd minute, but Gaby Parker netted the equalizer on another deflected attempt in the 60th minute for the Bison.
- Holy Cross' last trip to Lewisburg resulted in a 1-0 Bison win. Sydney Hess headed home a Reese Evans corner kick in the 67th minute.
- Bucknell won 14 straight meetings from 2005-2018 before Holy Cross broke the streak with a 3-0 win in 2019. The Bison have won the last nine at Emmitt Field and are 17-1-2 in the last 20 meetings overall.
- Bucknell has a two-game week coming up, with a trip to Lafayette on Wednesday night followed by a home date with Loyola next Saturday, Oct. 3 at 1 p.m.
Players Mentioned
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