Category: Field Hockey

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.

Andrew Arnao
Senior Writer

The field hockey team fought hard but eventually fell to No. 14 Lafayette on Oct. 13, suffering a 2-0 shutout against its Patriot League rival. The Orange and the Blue now have a 2-1 record in the Patriot League standings and an 8-7 record overall.

The Bison defense was tremendous throughout the game, holding Lafayette to just two shots in the first half and only one shot in the second half. Unfortunately, two of those well-placed shots managed to get past goalie Erica Perrine ’14, giving Lafayette a 1-0 lead in the first half and an insurance goal early in the second half.

“The game went very well other than the score,” head coach Jeremy Cook said. “They are ranked 14th in the nation for a reason, but we really played well and had them on the ropes for some of the first half and the majority of the second half.”

The Bison offense kept the pressure on the Leopards and proceeded to outshoot them 8-3, including a seven-shot outburst in the second half. Though none of the shots found the back of the net, it was clear that the Orange and the Blue offense was in control for most of the second half.

“[We] outshot them and out cornered them, but they were able to score and hold us off which is something Lafayette has done well all year against good teams,” Cook said. “We had all the right answers, just couldn’t find the back of the net. This does give us a lot of confidence heading in to the final couple weeks of play and the tournament … now we are all hoping we can earn a second shot at them in the title game.”

The Bison continue Patriot League play tomorrow with their final home game against Lehigh at noon. Tayler Siegrist ’13 and Kelly Stefanowicz ’13 will also be honored as part of the team’s Senior Day.

Andrew Arnao
Senior Writer

The field hockey team dominated its Patriot League home opener against the Colgate Raiders with a 7-0 blowout last Saturday, but suffered a 4-3 defeat from Rutgers in an away game on Sunday. Bolstered by her two goals and strong defense this weekend, midfielder Kayla Sullivan ’16 won the Patriot League Rookie of the Week award.

“It was exciting to come off the field with another shutout this season, especially against a league rival,” forward Kiersten Sydnor ’16 said. “We were able to execute on our attacking half by finding the ball in the circle and getting it into the goal. We also did exceptionally well with our execution on our corners.”

The Bison (6-6) got on the board early against Colgate, scoring two goals in the first 10 minutes behind shots from forwards Rachel Misko ’14 and Leigh Hillman ’14. Hillman added another goal to give the Orange and the Blue a 3-0 lead at halftime. Second-half goals from midfielder Kelly Stefanowicz ’13, Sydnor and Sullivan allowed the Bison to put the game out of reach for their opponents.

Against Rutgers, the Bison fell behind 2-0 after failing to score in the first half. In the opening minutes of the second half, Hillman and Sullivan each scored, making it 2-2. The Scarlet Knights scored again to go ahead, but a clutch goal from defender Tayler Siegrist ’13 with less than two minutes remaining tied the score at 3-3, forcing overtime.

Rutgers then scored less than two minutes into overtime, marking the first Bison overtime loss this year. The defeat snapped a streak of seven consecutive overtime victories which started back in September 2010.

“We had a slow first half, down 2-0 at half time, but at the start of the second half we came out strong,” Sydnor said. “We scored within two minutes of the half and you could see the tempo of our game was where we needed to be in order to beat this team. Unfortunately we fell short in overtime, but it definitely shows us that we need to play the whole game like we did in the second half if we want to win next time.”

Next up for the Bison will be a trip to Massachusetts to face off against Patriot League rival Holy Cross tomorrow at 1 p.m., followed by a matchup against Harvard on Sunday at 2 p.m.

Andrew Arnao

Senior Writer

The Bison field hockey team fell at home against the No. 17 Michigan Wolverines by a score of 2-0, and also succumbed to a late rally by the Temple Owls in a 5-4 defeat. The Orange and the Blue are now 5-5 in the season.

“We were very happy with the level we are playing, just unhappy with the results,” head coach Jeremy Cook said. “Michigan and Temple beat us last year 5-0 and 4-0, respectively, and this year both games were quite competitive, which we feel shows real progress.”

The Bison defense stifled a tough Michigan offense for 20 minutes before the Wolverines scored their first goal of the game. Despite being behind, the defense continued to repel Michigan, allowing only one more goal in the second half. The Bison offense showed improvement through the second half but were unable to break through in the eventual 2-0 setback.

“Although we lost to Michigan, the game as a whole was a positive one,” midfielder/forward Emily Hitchings ’16 said. “We were able to compete with such a high caliber team. We were able to hold them to only receiving one offensive corner, which was a huge plus.”

Against Temple, the Bison fell behind early in the first half, but battled back and went ahead 3-1 on goals from defender Tayler Siegrist ’13, midfielder Kelly Stefanowicz ’13 and Hitchings. The Owls managed to tie the score in the second half, and despite another goal by Siegrist, Temple scored two more to escape with a 5-4 victory against the Bison.

“The Temple game was a tough loss,” Hitchings said. “We had some dangerous turnovers that affected the outcome of the game. On a positive note, we were able to capitalize in the goal scoring circle, and we scored on three of our penalty corners.”

“The Temple game was very exciting. We ended up going back and forth with them in the second half more than we wanted to, which plays into their strength as a team and exposes a few of our shortcomings,” Cook said.

The Bison will begin Patriot League play with a home game against Colgate tomorrow at 11 a.m. On Sunday, they will head to New Jersey to face Rutgers.

Andrew Arnao

Senior writer

In two home games, the field hockey team defeated Towson on Sept. 15, shutting out the Tigers 6-0, and fell to Ohio State 3-1 the next day. Forward Kiersten Sydnor ’16 earned her third Patriot League Rookie of the Week award, while goalie Erica Perrine ’14 snagged the Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Week award for the second time this season.

“After stumbling a bit against Columbia and St. Francis (Pa.) last weekend, the team’s mindset going into this weekend was to get back into the rhythm we had at the beginning of the year,” Perrine said. “We established a theme of being ‘relentless’ and to never stop fighting for every ball, regardless of whether or not we were winning or losing.”

The defense did just that in the first half against Towson, not allowing a single shot on goal. The Orange and the Blue had 10 shots in the first half, and broke out for five of their six goals in the second half, led by two goals apiece from Sydnor and defender Tayler Siegrist ’13. Perrine finished with two saves and her third career shutout.

“Saturday’s game against Towson was an exciting one, especially because it was our first shutout,” Sydnor said. “Our defense was exceptionally strong, as was our offense. We were able to capitalize on our offensive corners on Saturday, which I think accounted for half of our goals.”

The same offensive breakout proved difficult against Ohio State, as the Bison were unable to score until Siegrist knocked in a penalty stroke with only 13 seconds remaining. Ohio State eventually triumphed, but there was controversy over whether the third Buckeye goal crossed the goal line. The defense put up an impressive display once again, led by Perrine and her season-high 13 saves.

“We were extremely excited to play a Big Ten team, but along with that excitement came nerves in the very first few minutes of the game,” Siegrist said. “Once we realized that we were just as good as them though, things turned around.”

“Unfortunately, I think there were a couple of bad calls that went in Ohio State’s favor and a couple of key moments that we failed to capitalize on that could have been game changers. Throughout the entire game, the team never gave up,” Perrine said. “Ohio State was a bit more challenging, but choosing to battle rather than accepting defeat was our mindset, and we were able to hold them off for much of the game, generating our own shots and goal-scoring opportunities.”

The Bison (5-3) return to action this weekend with two home games against nationally ranked Michigan tomorrow at noon, and Temple on Sept. 23 at 2 p.m.

Andrew Arnao

Senior Writer

The field hockey team was shut out against the Columbia Lions on Sept. 8, but came back with an overtime win at home against the Saint Francis Red Flash to finish the weekend with a 4-2 record on the season. The Orange and Blue have been victorious in each of their last seven overtime games.

“We’ve had a few come-from-behind victories this season and we have been working really hard in practice and in games to play our best and compete at the highest level we can,” midfielder Gabby Palumbo ’15 said. “I have been so impressed by our team this season considering how young we are.”

The Bison fell behind by a goal early to Columbia, but played evenly with the Lions for the rest of the half before eventually surrendering another goal in a 2-0 defeat. Goalie Erica Perrine ’14 recorded five saves in the effort.

The game against Saint Francis (Pa.) was a different story, as the Bison took a two goal lead in the first half behind goals from forward Abby Watson ’16 and Palumbo. The lead did not last long, as the Red Flash scored three times to take a one goal lead into the last minute of regulation. With 51 seconds left, forward Rachel Misko ’14 tied the score at 3-3 on an assist from defender Tayler Siegrist ’13.

Forward Maggie Murphy ’15 provided the overtime goal, sealing the win for the Orange and Blue. The Bison are now 9-0 all-time against Saint Francis.

“I think we had some really great moments in the Saint Francis game and deserved our early lead,” said Palumbo. “Saint Francis was a really great team and they were tough to fight off … but just by the way we were playing, I knew we could come back and win.”

This weekend, the Bison will begin a stretch of five consecutive home games. They will play against Towson and nationally ranked Ohio State on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

Andrew Arnao
Senior Writer

The Bison field hockey team won their home opener against Lock Haven on Sunday as they defeated the Eagles 3-1. The Orange and the Blue then scored late to push past the Cornell Big Red 2-1 on Wednesday night, bringing their overall record to 3-1.

Against Lock Haven, the Bison got on top in the first half on a goal by forward Rachel Misko ’14, but the Lock Haven returned the favor on a penalty corner to make the score 1-1 going into the half. The Bison offense took control in the second half, and goals from midfielder Amie Pritchard ’15 and Kiersten Sydnor ’16 put the game away.

“After a back and forth first half, the team came out with renewed vigor in the second 35 minutes,” assistant coach Jamie Montgomery said.  “Amie Pritchard knocked home the second goal with real force and the team’s confidence really skyrocketed.”

Against Cornell, the Bison fell behind 1-0 but kept up their attack, and eventually went ahead late in the game behinds goals from Kelly Stefanowicz ’13 and Misko. The Orange and Blue offense finished with 26 shots and 19 penalty corners, compared to six shots and three corners for the Big Red.

The Bison will play a road game against Columbia on Saturday and then return home for a Sunday showing against Saint Francis.

Sami Shein
Writer

The women of the Bison field hockey team trained hard all summer in preparation for two tough tests to begin their 2012 campaign, including one against UConn, who are recent NCAA Tournament semifinalists.

“This [was] a big game for us, but we have definitely put the time in,” said captain Tayler Siegrist ’13. 

Although they did not come out on top against UConn, falling to the Huskies 3-0, their hard work over the summer paid off just a day later as they rallied to defeat Fairfield 2-1.

“The team follows a summer workout packet and does their best to train no matter if they are on campus, at home or abroad,” assistant coach Jamie Montgomery said.

Kelsey Mucelli ’15 stayed on campus all summer and trained with strength and conditioning coordinator Jerry Shreck and later teamed up with Rachel Misko ’14, Erica Perrine ’14 , and Vickie Resh ’14 to play in the USA Field Hockey program on the New Jersey High Performance Squad.

Rigorous team training started on Aug. 9 with three practices a day at Graham Field. The morning practice consisted of many drills to sharpen their skills such as dribbling, passing and shooting. The nighttime practice was dedicated to game-like situations such as scrimmages and working on plays. The mid-day practice was a combination of the two. Additionally, running was interspersed throughout all the practices to keep the girls in top shape and to make sure they beat opponents to every ground ball.

Not only did the girls run and condition to be in top shape, but they fueled their bodies in other ways to feel strong and energized.

“We always tried to feed our bodies with the right food,” Siegrist said.

There was no unified diet, but each player looked out for themselves to provide their body with proper nutrients. The team recognizes that there is definitely an increase in competition this year, but it has only motivated them to train harder, stay focused and take care of their bodies. The Bison dedicated themselves to an environment of zealous training, teamwork and camaraderie, which is sure to pay off this upcoming season.

Andrew Arnao
Senior Writer

After travelling to Connecticut last weekend for their first games of the season, the field hockey team rebounded from a shutout loss to the Connecticut Huskies and triumphed over the Fairfield Stags on an overtime goal by forward Kiersten Sydnor ’16. After the series, Sydnor was recognized as the Patriot League Rookie of the Week, and goalie Erica Perrine ’14 received Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Week honors.

“This is the first time in a few years we have split our opening weekend. This weekend provided a great starting point for us moving into a bunch of home games this month,” head coach Jeremy Cook said.

The Bison (1-1) managed little offensively in Saturday’s 3-0 loss against nationally sixth ranked Connecticut, but the defense put in a strong effort to keep the Orange and Blue close. Perrine allowed only three goals, blocking 10 of Connecticut’s 23 shot attempts.

“Playing against the number six team in the country was definitely a challenge, but it was a good season-opener because it allowed us to showcase our talent and it exposed our weaknesses,” Perrine said. “We played our first game stronger than we ever have the past two years I have been here, and even though we lost, we learned a lot and were proud of ourselves.”

“The entire backfield (Amie Pritchard ’15, Liz Wills ’15, Tayler Siegrist ’13 and Perrine) did a tremendous job defending the Huskies and only allowing three goals,” Siegrist said.

After falling behind 1-0 early on Sunday against Fairfield, Siegrist tied the score on a penalty shot right before halftime. After a scoreless second half, the game went into overtime, an area the Bison have thrived in. Since 2010, the Orange and the Blue had won seven of their last eight overtime games, and improved that stretch as Sydnor scored the winning goal to give the Bison a 2-1 victory.

“Going into overtime, which is [our] specialty, we knew we had to make something happen.  Starting off with possession, we were able to get the ball into their circle within the first minute. Rachel Misko ’14 took a shot off the far post and I was able to tip it in,” Sydnor said.

“Our defense again was the story, as we absorbed a ton of attack and were able to frustrate them throughout the game. [Fairfield had a] much slower playing surface, which gave them a big home-field advantage. I am very proud of the team for overcoming the playing surface and very different style of play for the win,” Cook said.

The Bison will return for their home opener on Sept. 2, when they will host Lock Haven at 12 p.m.