Categories
Football Men Sports

Football defeats Georgetown on Senior Day to capture winning record within Patriot League

Cooper Mead

Senior Writer

The football team beat Georgetown (1-9 overall, 0-4 PL) at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium by a 17-7 margin to bring its overall record to 5-5. With a 3-2 record in the Patriot League, the Orange and the Blue finished above .500 in conference play for the first time since 2004.

The Bison performance was marked by stifling defensive play that limited the Hoyas to just 22 yards on the ground and 171 yards overall. This marked the sixth time this year that an opponent has failed to reach 100 rushing yards in a game against the Bison. The Bison’s seventh-ranked rush defense was led by Evan Byers ’15 and Demetrius Baldwin-Youngblood ’15 who both came up with eight tackles on the day. Baldwin-Youngblood contributed heavily with three sacks, setting a career-high.

On the offense, the Bison controlled field position throughout the contest as their average drive starting point was at their own 44-yard line compared with Georgetown’s average at just their own 18-yard line. Brandon Wesley ’14 had another productive day, as he tallied 112 yards on 14 of 21 passing. He also added his 25th career touchdown and his 112 passing yards brought his total to 6,073 career yards, further extending his school record.

On the ground, CJ Williams ’17 continued to run hard, as he gained for 67 yards on 19 carries. Williams was complemented by Matt DelMauro’s ’16 58 yards on nine carries.

“The team plays together and for the man next to them; no one is selfish and the Georgetown win was a team win on all three phases of the game. It was great to send the seniors out on a high note,” Williams said.

Despite a relatively slow game offensively for the Bison, they came out swinging in the second quarter and came up with scores on three consecutive drives to register all 17 of their points. On their first drive of the quarter, the Bison set up inside the 10-yard line after a crucial 26-yard completion from Wesley to Kyle Sullivan ’14. Wesley then connected on a six-yard touchdown pass to Josh Brake ’15 to put the Bison up 7-0.

The Bison defense held strong on the next Hoya drive to force a quick punt and give the Bison offense the ball. Sullivan was able to return the punt 31 yards, and Wesley and the Bison orchestrated a five-play, 27-yard drive that was concluded by Travis Friend’s ’14 four-yard touchdown carry, giving the Bison a formidable 14-0 advantage.

Georgetown continued to struggle but made a costly error on the first play of the next drive, as a fumble set the Bison offense up on the Georgetown 31-yard line. Despite great field position, the Bison were forced to kick a field goal. Kicker Sean Cobelli ’14 split the uprights on a 33-yard boot on his first kick all season for the Bison.

Georgetown remained scoreless until its final possession when the offense coordinated an 11-play, 71-yard drive that culminated in a one-yard touchdown run with just 7:55 left to play in the game. The Bison sealed the victory as they wound the clock down on an impressive display of clock management on the last drive of the contest.

Prior to the game, a special recognition went out to the seniors at their last home game of their Bison football careers. These seniors included Cobelli, Derek-London Dierkes, Jake Flaherty, Brent Forbes, Friend, Blair Gatewood, Jeff Goyette, Matt Johnson, Austin Kevitch, Patryk Najbar, Derrick Palmer, Joe Sangimino, Sean Sellers, Tracey Smith, Wayne Stewart, Sullivan, Charles Thompson, Sal Vallala and Wesley.

“It was great to be a part of the pre-game ceremony honoring our seniors,” head coach Joe Susan said. “To be able to win in their final game at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium is special for them and a memory that will be with them and their teammates for a long time.”

The Bison will hope to carry their momentum into tomorrow, as they head to VMI to conclude their season.

Categories
Sports Swimming & Diving Women

Women’s Swimming & Diving Defeat Three Patriot League Competitors

Claudia Silvers
Staff Writer

The women’s swimming and diving team took victory over three Patriot League rivals at home on Nov. 9, defeating Lafayette, American, and defending Patriot League Champion Navy.

Navy has been a strong competitor in the Patriot League, maintaining a streak of 34 straight victories in dual meets before the meet against the Bison. The Mids suffered their first loss to the Bison since the 2005-06 season.

“We were all so excited going into the meet and had the goal of giving Navy some good competition, but in all honesty we were beyond thrilled to have actually won!” Alanna Nawrocki ’16 said.

The Orange and Blue came out with a total of nine first-place finishes. Kelly Pontecorvo ’14 won the 1000 and 500 freestyle, Rachel McGoff ’17 won the 200 free, Katie Hetherington ’15 took first in both the one-meter and the three-meter in diving with teammates Tara Boyle ’15 and Tori Molchany ’15 claiming second and third, respectively. Kristen Purdy ’14 claimed first in the 100 butterfly, and Emma Levendoski ’16 won the 100 and 200 back.

“[It] was a huge win for the team. There was so much energy on deck, and everyone just kept feeding off of each other. That was, I would say, the most exciting swimming and diving meet I have ever been to,” Boyle said.

“I personally think this was one of the best meets we’ve had since I’ve been here. Not only did we remain positive the whole time but we all swam really well. Being a part of this meet was truly surreal,” Nawrocki said.

Jennifer Brennan ’14 said that their “goal this year was to try and be more competitive than Navy,” and the women certainly came out pleased.

“We went in with the attitude that we had nothing to lose and that we were just going to have fun and compete,” Brennan said. “Right from the start of the meet everyone was having incredible races and the energy on deck was insane. It was such a cool feeling to be able to beat Navy … We couldn’t have done it without coming together as a team and most importantly having fun.”

The final scores were 252-48 against American, 248-52 against Lafayette, and 159.5-140.5 against Navy.

The team fought hard and brought the heat and energy to the pool, coming out with incredible wins. The Bison will be back in Kinney Natatorium for the Bucknell Invitational on Nov. 22-24.

Categories
Basketball Sports Women

Women’s basketball drops Season Opener to Pittsburgh Panthers

Thomas Walter

Senior Writer

The 1000th game in program history ended with the women’s basketball team dropping its season opener to Pittsburgh 66-51 in Pittsburgh.

The Bison fell behind early and could not claw their way back against a tough Panthers squad. Audrey Dotson ’15 opened up her junior campaign with an impressive 23 points on 9-14 shooting and 14 rebounds to build on her strong sophomore season.

“Even though we lost against Pitt, I think our whole team is really excited about the rest of the season. We walked away from that game knowing that we have some things we need to work on before our next game, but all of the adjustments we need to make are totally fixable,” Dotson said. “We’re definitely going to keep pushing ourselves in practice to continue getting better for upcoming games.”

After losing Lindsay Horbatuck ’13 in May, the Bison will need to focus heavily on defending the glass this season. Dotson, the only proven forward returning, will be asked to lead the Bison assault on the glass.

“Lindsay Horbatuck was such a tough player and she is definitely missed. Her ability to dominate the boards is a gap that we are going to have to fill this year,” Dotson said. “Lindsay also had such a strong presence in the post, which is another area in which I am working to get better.”

The Panthers gathered an early 16-6 lead, and even though the Bison defense stifled Pittsburgh for several long periods of play, the Bison trailed by 13 at halftime. The Orange and Blue came out strong in the second half behind a pair of free throws by Dotson and a shot by Micki Impellizeri ’15 to cut the Panthers’ lead to nine, but the Bison never gained the lead.

Co-captain Shelby Romine ’14 netted eight points and had eight rebounds. Dotson, the other co-captain, was honored with the title earlier this season.

“My personal goal this season is to help lead the team as well as I possibly can. I’m honored that the team chose me as a co-captain, along with Shelby Romine, and we both take our roles very seriously,” Dotson said. “Whether it is cheering on my teammates or leading by example, I hope to help push the team to win a Patriot League Championship and achieve our true potential.”

The Bison have two major road games coming up. They will face Virginia Tech on Nov. 17, followed by a match against Penn State on Nov. 20.

Categories
Men Sports Water Polo

Men’s water polo claims second at Southern Championships

Chris McCree

Senior Writer

Coming into the event as the reigning champion, the men’s water polo team claimed second place at the Southern Championships this past weekend in Annapolis, Md. Holding a three-goal lead in the finals at the half, the Orange and Blue were outscored by five goals in the third quarter against Navy and eventually fell to the Midshipmen 9-8.

“Overall, I think we played well as a team,” Stefan Aleksic ’16 said. “The fact that we were in the finals the second year in a row is showing us that we are moving in the right direction.”

Prior to the final contest, the Bison claimed victories over Washington & Jefferson and Mercyhurst in the first and second rounds, respectively.

In the first game, the Bison jumped out to a sizeable 7-3 lead at the half and did not let up from there, as the team would go on to win 12-5. Aleksic scored three goals in the contest and was joined by Julian Colina ’14 and Alex Nowlin ’14, who each tallied two of their own.

Later on in the day, the Bison faced a tougher opponent, as Mercyhurst came out of the gates firing. Down by three at the half, the Orange and Blue were able to take control in the second half and escape with an 8-6 victory. Aleksic added four more goals in the contest.

“We had three hard games this weekend and two of them were pretty close. But I think we showed the strength and mentality of this team in the semi-final game against Mercyhurst,” Aleksic said. “We had an amazing comeback in the second half, not allowing them to score more than one goal, which enabled us to win that game.”

In the finals, the Bison started the contest strong, scoring six goals in the first half to Navy’s three. From there, the team could not manage to find the back of the net until 12 minutes into the half. Heading into the fourth and down two goals, the Bison rallied back with two goals from Jack Else ’14 and Aleksic to tie the game at eight apiece. Then, with just under five minutes remaining, the Midshipmen found the back of the net to take the match.

“I think this tournament was a great indicator on what we have been doing good so far and what we still have to work on to improve ourselves,” Aleksic said. “Our biggest problem was staying consist in the way we play. We would play really well for a certain time, but then we would get out of our rhythm and allow our opponents easy goals. I think we outplayed Navy for three quarters, but that one quarter where we did not play well cost us a win in finals.”

In taking second, the Bison were still able to earn a bid in the CWPA Championship, which takes place on Nov. 22-24. The bid marks the 14th consecutive trip for the Bison, who hope to earn an NCAA Championship berth by winning the event.

Categories
Football Men Sports

Football fall in close contest to Fordham

Cooper Mead

Senior Writer

The football team (4-5) suffered a heartbreaking 23-21 loss in one of the most highly contested and exciting Bison football games in recent years at Fordham’s (10-0) on Nov. 9. The contest was marked by a myriad of direction changes and competitive drives. Despite the Bison’s efforts to overcome a 10-point deficit, their potential game-winning field goal was blocked with under a minute left in the game.

Entering the game, the Bison hoped to extend their winning streak to four, while Fordham aimed to remain undefeated.

On the defensive front, the Bison played tough, as they held the Fordham offense to well below their average of 40 points per game. The effort was led by Evan Byers ’15 with 14 tackles (four for a loss), Clayton Ewell ’16 with nine stops, and Matthew Steinbeck’s ’15 11th career interception.

On offense, Brandon Wesley ’14 produced 225 yards on 20 of 40 passing with a touchdown. On the ground, CJ Williams ’17 had 15 carries for 63 yards. Bobby Kaslander ’16 caught five passes for 85 yards to lead the receiving core.

“We played very hard throughout this game. I felt that the matchup was a good one going in and the game was a good one for fans of college football. The emotion that goes into a game like this makes it difficult to get over,” head coach Joe Susan said.

In the first quarter, the Bison tied the score at 7-7 when Kaslander reeled in an impressive 26-yard catch that set up a two-yard Wesley run around the outside to find the end zone.

After a relatively unproductive half for both teams and a Fordham field goal, Fordham orchestrated a strike only five minutes into the second half. On 3rd and 8, Fordham came through with a 63-yard pass that found the end zone to make the score 17-7.

In the third quarter, unusual play calling by the Bison paid off. Wide receiver Josh Brake ’15 passed to Williams for a 23-yard touchdown on a screen play, bringing the Bison within three points. The Bison also attempted a flea flicker, but it was intercepted by the Fordham secondary.

The Bison had multiple chances to take the lead, including a productive offensive effort on the next drive after a forced turnover. Unfortunately, Williams fumbled to end the possession.

With just 2:29 left in the third quarter, Steinbeck intercepted a Fordham pass and gave the Bison the ball. After four plays, Wesley connected with Brake for a five-yard touchdown pass to give them a 21-17 lead. Fordham countered with two field goals to bring the score to 23-21 with just 8:09 left in the contest.

The last minute of the game was perhaps the most exciting football that the Bison have played all year. With a two-point lead, Fordham set up in the victory formation to take a knee, but the Bison defense had other plans. The defensive line made a push and forced a fumble that was recovered by the Bison on their own 35-yard line. The Bison took possession and Wesley went to work, as he made two crucial completions to bring the ball just past midfield. The Bison were aided by an important pass interference penalty called against Fordham that brought the ball to the Fordham 19-yard line. After a quick rush by Wesley to center the ball for the field goal try, Derek Maurer ’15 lined up for the lengthy 37-yard field goal. On the ensuing play, the Fordham offensive line was able to block the kick and seal the victory, handing the Bison a devastating loss after a hard fought battle.

The performance on both sides of the ball exhibits the resilience of the Bison squad and its ability to play with one of the most potent teams that it has faced all season.

“We came out ready to play knowing that we can put up points against any team we play. But, there is no solace in the score and there are definitely things we need to improve on as we get ready for Georgetown this week,” Brake said. 

The Bison will hope to rebound and continue their efficient play at their last home game tomorrow at 1 p.m. Prior to kickoff, they will honor their senior players.

“This team is led by its seniors. They are special to me and my staff, in that we have been privileged to coach them for four years. These men have worked very hard at being their best both on and off the field. I am happy for them and proud of them. I consider it a privilege to have been able to coach them. This emotion and sentiment echoes through my staff,” Susan said.

Categories
Field Hockey Sports Women

Field Hockey loses to Boston University in Patriot League Semifinals

Kevin Nagle

Contributing Writer

The third-seeded women’s field hockey team fell 1-0 to second-seeded Boston University in Washington D.C. on Nov. 8. The Orange and Blue hoped to win this game in order to advance to the Patriot League finals for the second time in the past three years.

The Bison dominated much of the game, outshooting the Terriers 11-7. This was the most shots the Bison have had against a Patriot League opponent since dominating Holy Cross on Oct. 12 in shot attempts (23-1). The Bison simply could not put the ball past the Terrier goalie.

“We were right in the game this past weekend,” Rachel Misko ’14 said. “Everyone played their hearts out but it just didn’t go our way in the end. I couldn’t be more proud of my team!”

The Bison were in it the entire game, surrendering a goal in the first half and then shutting the Terriers out for the rest of the game. Boston advanced to the Patriot League Championship in just their first season in the league. The Terriers ultimately lost in the final to American on Nov. 9.

The Bison finished the season with an overall record of 8-10 and a winning record (4-2) in the Patriot League. The Bison had a difficult schedule this year playing against five nationally ranked teams.

“Throughout this season, we consistently got better, played tougher opponents, and challenged ourselves more than ever in program history. Our game against Boston was a tough loss and a heartbreaker, but I have no doubt that the team will keep getting better and be able to get a win next year and bring home the Championship. I couldn’t have asked to end my career with a better group of girls,” goalie Erica Perrine ’14 said.

In her last game as a Bison, Perrine made five saves, totaling to 271 stops over her four-year career. This game also marked the last games for seniors Misko, Leigh Hillman ’14, and Vickie Resh ’14. The three of them combined for 18 goals and six assists this season.

Categories
Men Sports Swimming & Diving

Men’s Swimming & Diving Passes by Three Patriot League Foes in One Clean Sweep

Devan Schulte

Staff Writer

The men’s swimming and diving team successfully sank American, Lafayette, and top-ranked Navy on Nov. 9 at Kinney Natatorium to boost the team’s record to 4-1 overall (3-0 PL). Mike Nicholson ’14 and Louis Behnen ’17 both captured multiple wins to help the Bison hand Navy its first loss since becoming a member of the Patriot League 10 years ago.

The Orange and Blue racked up points from the start of the meet, taking nine first-place finishes to outshine Navy’s seven. Behnen secured the 1000 free and the 200 back, gaining himself a spot in the school’s record books with times of 9:32.41 and 1:51.60, respectively.

“Winning the 1000 was a good way to start off the meet. It built the momentum that carried throughout the meet and eventually allowed us to win,” Behnen said.

Nicholson maintained this momentum, capturing first-place finishes in the 200 IM, 200 fly and 200 breast. Steve Grune ’16, Jack Robinson ’17, and Ben Seketa ’15 finished first for the 50 free, 100 back, and 100 breast, respectively. Despite the caliber with which the team swam, the key to winning did not rest solely on the shoulders of these first-place victories. The rest of the Bison team captured a multitude of points with many second and third-place finishes as well.

“Our team energy is what made me successful. Everyone was positive, encouraging, and loud for every race throughout the meet. However, a big team goal of ours is to improve that energy on the pool deck every meet. We want to keep our energy up for every race throughout the meet no matter what,” Grune said.

Divers Tyler Wenzel ’16 and Patrick Alvermann ’16 utilized the team’s energy on the diving boards, with Wenzel competing in the one-meter and Alvermann in the three-meter event. Both secured points for the Orange and Blue through third and fourth-place finishes, respectively.

The Bison ended the day outscoring both American and Lafayette by at least 200 points each, and secured a hard-fought victory over Navy 152-148, marking the Midshipmen’s first loss in the 11-meet series between the two teams.

“We just need to carry this momentum through the rest of the season. We have a chance to have one of the best seasons in Bucknell swimming, and if everyone can continue swimming like we did on Saturday, then the future looks good,” Chris Ortiz ’16 said.

The Bison will return to the pool on Nov. 22 to host the three-day Bucknell Invitational.

Categories
Sports

Coach Paulsen strives to help students on and off the court

Ben Kaufman

Editor in Chief

After two Patriot League Championship titles in the past three years, three Patriot League regular season championships in the past three years, and almost 100 University wins overall, head coach Dave Paulsen is ready to start his sixth year leading the men’s basketball team to reclaim the Patriot League throne.

Paulsen came to the University in 2008 and has led the Bison on their most successful three-year run in the history of the program. Prior to that, he graduated from Williams College in 1987 where he played basketball for four years and has been coaching basketball ever since. After coaching at the high school level for a year, his first taste of coaching at the college level began at his alma mater, where he was the assistant coach. He then worked as an assistant coach at University of Michigan for a year and Cleveland State University for four years.

“I loved coaching, and that was my passion, as a way to connect with young people through the avenue of basketball,” Paulsen said.

He began his career as a head coach at St. Lawrence University for three years. Then he coached at Le Moyne College for three years, and after that, he returned to Williams for eight years as the head coach. 

As the head coach of Williams, he led his team to a NCAA Division III championship in 2003 and NCAA Division III runner-up in 2004. He also led his team to win the second round of the NCAA Division III tournament in 2002 and to a first round appearance in 2007. With all this success, it is not surprising that the University would approach him upon the news of Pat Flannery retiring as head coach.

“When I came on campus to interview, I was blown away [by] the facilities we have, and the level of support from not just the student body, but the greater community and the passionate fan base,” Paulsen said. “If I was ever going to leave Williams, this was the type of situation where I wasn’t sacrificing either the academic side, or the chance for students to pursue excellence athletically.”

As professional as he looks on the court, Paulsen has a casual look off court. Wearing Bison Athletics clothing and sweatpants, he looks ready to coach and is ready for practice with his team. No matter whether he is in a suit on game day, or sweats for practice, Paulsen is ready to help his team in any way possible.

While it is obviously important for his team to be successful on the court, Paulsen promotes excellence in the classroom and around campus as equally important. He said that the University is a place that promotes excellence for their students in all senses of the word, and said he would not want to work at a place that strives for anything less than excellence. He said that an example of this success is that the team’s average GPA last spring was a 3.49 and they were one of six teams in the NCAA tournament last spring with a perfect graduation rate. He said he strives to prioritize academic integrity and importance for his players but also to achieve their fullest potential on the court.

Paulsen believes one thing that differentiates coaching basketball for the Bison rather than at a big school is how well respected the team is with the rest of campus. He said that people go to the games not only to watch the team but to watch their friends. He said the players on the team are known as hallmates, classmates, and friends, not just as members of the basketball team. He said the team has meshed well into the campus community and are not just figureheads in the way major athletes are at bigger schools.

“Basketball is really important, but not at the expense of their coursework, and not at the expense of being a part of the core fabric of the University,” Paulsen said.

“He is highly demanding of our players but at the same time he is very mindful of their time and extremely concerned with their well being, academic success, and development as people,” associate head coach Dane Fischer said. 

Paulsen said he wants his team to be as involved as possible on campus. He said he encourages his players to go to other teams’ games to show support for their peers around campus. With that, they do community service as a team, including a trick-or-treating event at a children’s hospital. His hope is to make sure they get involved around campus to show that as important as basketball is, academics and involvement will help them succeed as well.

“He wants you to always try and be the best version of yourself each day, not only on the court but in life,” Cameron Ayers ’14 said.

While also promoting excellence, Paulsen said he also wants his players to embrace the process throughout their four years on the team. With the transition of four outgoing seniors, three of whom were starters in the past season, and the three new first-years, he said he wants his team to take the season one game at a time and to not get wrapped up in the expectations.

“[We need] to stay consistent in our work ethic, our process, our practices, and focus on improvement, and the results will take care of themselves,” Paulsen said.

With their first scrimmage around the corner, Paulsen said that because of how the team has been doing the past few years, many of the returning players have not had a lot of playing time prior to this year. He said this will be a year of trying new things because of the absence of veteran players, and this will be a learning time for his whole team.

Paulsen has worked well with the players and coaches. Members of the basketball team have said he has a good rapport with everyone, and that the team respects him as both a coach and a person.

Paulsen has an infectious personality. According to Ayers, he has a way of connecting with students. Ayers also said how Paulsen is a sharpshooter and is not afraid to tell someone what he is thinking.

“What I like about him is that he can separate what is going on, on the court and what is going on off the court,” Ayers said. “He can get on you on the court but it’s all constructive criticism and because he loves us. Off the court he is a goofy guy always trying to crack a joke. There is a time for play and a time to be serious and he does this extremely well.”

Fischer echoed these thoughts. He said that Paulsen has been great to work with since the start and that Paulsen sets his expectations for his staff, and lets them run with it and does not intervene unless he has to.

“As good of a coach as he is, he’s an even better person and friend,” Fischer said.

Paulsen is equally as passionate about the game and his personal life off the court. He said that he is always there for his students when they need it, offering his help in order for his team to succeed in every sense of the word.

“He is a caring guy and always looks out for your best interest,” Ayers said.

To prove this point more, Paulsen said that his favorite moment coaching at the University so far was at the Senior Banquet last spring. The graduating seniors talked about their experience playing basketball, how they valued it, and the time they spent with Paulsen as their coach.

“This is why I coach, to be a part of these guys‘ growth over four years,” Paulsen said.

Categories
Field Hockey Sports Women

The Bison Ram Past the Scarlet Knights to Celebrate Senior Day

Devan Schulte

Contributing Writer

With a strong offensive effort on Nov. 3, the women’s field hockey team earned a 5-2 home victory over Rutgers to boost the team’s overall record to 8-9 (4-2 Patriot League). After celebrating their careers, the team’s four seniors helped capture the win over the Big East opponent, whom the Orange and Blue had yet to defeat since 1984.

“We came out today ready to go and not only play as a team, but also play for the seniors,” Emily Hitchings ’16 said.

The Bison started the game strong, immediately taking shots and capturing the first penalty corner opportunity in the eighth minute. The team utilized a new corner play against the Scarlet Knights, with Amie Pritchard ’15 capitalizing off a shot by Vickie Resh ’14, putting the Bison on the scoreboard early. With a continuous strong defensive effort, the Orange and Blue were able to keep Rutgers off the board for the rest of the half. In addition, Abby Watson ’16 and Kiersten Sydnor ’16 exploited a messy scramble in front of the opponent’s net, as Watson assisted an upper cage flick by Sydnor to put the Bison up by two right before the half concluded.

The game continued to heat up in the second half, as five more goals were added to the scoreboard. In the 46th minute, Rutgers quickly slimmed down the lead to 2-1. The Bison countered three minutes later as Estelle Palandjian ’17 captured her first collegiate goal off a tough shot from the top of the circle.

Two seniors concluded the scoring for the Bison, as Leigh Hillman ’14 and Rachel Misko ’14 put the final two goals on the board for the Orange and Blue. The Scarlet Knights continued to fight and managed to put one more goal away, but a tough defensive mindset and execution kept the score at 5-2, and the Bison seniors walked away with their last victory on Graham Field.

“It was an amazing feeling to finally beat them, especially on Senior Day. Our team played with incredible heart and I couldn’t have asked for a better game to end my career at Bucknell with,” Hillman said.

Erica Perrine ’14 guarded the net the entire game and recorded two saves. In addition, Perrine, Resh, Hillman, and Misko were honored before the game as the team’s four seniors.

The Bison will head to Washington, D.C. this weekend for the Patriot League tournament, where they will look to avenge their loss (Oct. 19) from earlier in the season to Boston University Terriers on Nov. 8.

Categories
Soccer Sports Women

Women’s Soccer’s shutout in home finale clinches tournament berth

Doug Hendry

Staff Writer

After missing the Patriot League tournament in 2011 and 2012, the women’s soccer team clinched a spot in the playoffs this year with a 2-0 shutout against Holy Cross at Emmitt Field on Oct. 26, its fifth shutout of the season.

It was Homecoming Weekend and Senior Day for the Bison, and they knew that destiny was in their own hands. The scoring started in the first half for the Bison, as a defender deflected a Cassie Denger ’15 strike into the net to give the team a 1-0 lead. The Crusaders sent in a barrage of shots towards the end of the first half, but Jessica Ratner ’17 stopped everything in her way in her first collegiate start.

The game went back and forth in the second half as Holy Cross tried to equalize, but the defense stepped up once again, limiting the Crusaders to only a few quality opportunities on offense. Offensively for the Orange and Blue, Chelsey Garkowski ’14 scored with less than five minutes remaining on an assist from Courtney Nelson ’15 to put the game away. This was the fourth goal of the season for the senior, ensuring the Bison fans would leave the stadium happy.

“Helping the team clinch a tournament berth was unbelievable, especially on Senior Day. To be able to start for the first time and get the shutout is something I have honestly dreamed about since I was in high school,” Ratner said.

Holy Cross had 12 total shots, and Ratner made seven saves to secure her first shutout and second win of the season. The Orange and Blue also performed strongly on offense, putting together 18 total shots. Garkowski recorded four shots, while Liz Dwornik ’14, Evelyn Nicinski ’15, and Sarah Bresette ’17 had three shots apiece. This constant offensive pressure led to the ninth straight victory for the Orange and Blue over Holy Cross.

Garkowski, Dwornik, Bridget Gilmartin ’14, Corey Tipton ’14, and Alex Degarmo ’14 were all honored before the game, as this was their final regular season home game as Bison. It was also the 100th career win for head coach Ben Landis.

The Bison are now 7-8-1 overall and 4-3-1 in Patriot League play, with 13 points in the Patriot League standings. In a tie for fourth place with American, the Bison are still in contention for a home game in their quarterfinal match. The Bison’s regular season finale will be on Nov. 2 at Boston University at 2 p.m.

“Going into Boston University, I think the focus needs to be on keeping possession of the ball and playing our hearts out, not just to get the win but for each other. Boston is a really good team and in order to beat them we have to work together, keep possession, and never give up,” Ratner said.