Andrew Arnao
Senior Writer
The Bison field hockey team clinched a spot in the Patriot League Tournament on Oct. 20 with a 6-2 win over visiting Lehigh. On Oct. 23, the Orange and the Blue fell to No. 5 Penn State, giving them a 9-8 record overall and a 3-1 record in Patriot League play.
“Given the fact that we lost to Lehigh 1-0 last year, this was a huge game for us,” said defender Tayler Siegrist ’13. “[Especially since it means] making our fifth consecutive appearance in the Patriot League Tournament.”
Siegrist and midfielder Kelly Stefanowicz ’13 were honored before the game for Senior Day, and each contributed to the final score. Stefanowicz scored early in the game to put the Bison up 1-0, and the Orange and the Blue went on to score four more unanswered goals, including an impressive hat trick for midfielder Amie Pritchard ’15. Forwards Leigh Hillman ’14 and Hope Obernesser ’15 also scored a goal apiece, and Siegrist added an assist in the eventual 6-2 victory.
Against Penn State the defense did its best to hold back a strong offense. Goalie Erica Perrine ’14 led the Bison effort with 12 saves, her second-highest single game total of the season. She now has 181 career saves, putting her in tenth on the Bison’s all-time list. Siegrist and defenders Cassie Goggin ’14 and Liz Wills ’15 all recorded defensive saves. Unfortunately, they were unable to keep out two late goals from Penn State, the first coming with just under 13 minutes left to play. The Bison were outshot 29-2, as they failed to produce a strong offensive effort.
The Bison will head to Washington D.C. tomorrow to face American and determine the No. 2 seed in the Patriot League bracket. The two teams are already guaranteed to meet each other again in the semifinals next week, with the No. 2 seed hosting.