Category: Lacrosse

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Lacrosse Sports Women

Women’s lax wins by two

By Ajan Caneda
Writer

Katelyn Miller ’14 posted four goals last Saturday to power the women’s lacrosse team to a 16-12 victory at Binghamton. The win ended a four-game losing streak for the Bison.

Along with tough defense, the Orange and Blue had a balanced offense that allowed them to pull off another come-from-behind win.

“Everyone came into the game fired up and played to win,” Molly Ford ’14 said. “We implemented a new sub rotation that allowed us to get more speed and aggression from defensive-minded players on our rides and clears and attack-minded players into the offense.”

After Binghamton scored two goals in the opening minutes of the game, Ford scored a goal off an assist from Arriana Sajjad ’15. The Bison got off to a slow start, though, as the Bearcats grabbed an early 5-1 lead. Sajjad then nailed two goals as part of a 3-0 run, and by halftime, the game was tied at 7-7.

Binghamton committed 13 fouls in the first half, while the Bison forced eight turnovers that gave them momentum going into the second half.

Midfielder Sophie Kleinert ’14 scored an unassisted goal five minutes into the second half, giving the Orange and Blue their first lead of the game. Subsequent goals by Ryan Wenk ’13 and Sajjad extended the lead to three.

Binghamton would not go away as two Bearcat goals narrowed the deficit to one. Following a goal by Miller, two more Bearcats scored to knot the game at 11-11. Both teams went scoreless for nearly seven minutes before midfielder Blair McDonald ’15 capitalized on a free position shot to break the tie. The Bison didn’t keep the lead for long as the Bearcats evened the score to 12-12 with 8:57 left in the game. But Miller nailed two goals that sparked a 4-0 Bison run to seal the victory.

“We learned from the Lafayette game how important clock management was in the end of the game, especially when the game was tied,” Miller said. “You could see by watching that everyone on the field really wanted the win and left everything on the field to the last second, and it clearly paid off.”

Sajjad continued her offensive tear, scoring three goals and adding one assist. Emily Kookogey ’15, Ford, and McDonald had two goals each. Goalie Caroline O’Neill ’15 made key defensive stops down the stretch and finished with seven saves.

The Bison will be looking to pick up their first conference victory as they return home to face Colgate on Saturday at 1 p.m.

“We are focused on getting out first Patriot League win against Colgate. We need to carry our fire and confidence from Saturday over into that game,” Ford said.

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Lacrosse Sports Women

Women’s lax extends losing streak

By Ajan Caneda

Staff Writer

The struggles continued for the women’s lacrosse team as the Orange and Blue suffered another hard-fought loss at St. Bonaventure by a final score of 15-13 on Tuesday. The Orange and Blue had a powered offense with Arriana Sajjad ’15 and Madison Hurwitz ’13 each scoring three goals, but the Bonnies were able to prevent another Bison comeback.

Molly Ford ’14 dished an assist to Hurwitz that gave the Bison the first goal of the game. The Bonnies went on to capitalize on free position shots, scoring three goals that jumpstarted a 9-1 run. The Orange and Blue battled back as Claire Switala ’15 and Emily Kookogey ’15 nailed back-to-back goals that narrowed the deficit. Hurwitz closed out the half with a goal off an assist from Ford. St. Bonaventure led 10-5 at halftime.

The momentum carried into the second half as the Bison forced 12 turnovers while holding a 19-12 edge in shot attempts. Katelyn Miller ’14 scored a goal that trimmed St. Bonaventure’s lead to two with 6:49 left in the game, allowing the Orange and Blue a chance for one more run. It would be to no avail as the Bonnies would score at the 3:00 mark and hold the Bison to one goal in the closing minutes of the game.

Last Saturday, the Bison had trouble containing the sound offense of Holy Cross, as the Crusaders pulled off a convincing 20-5 victory in Worcester, Mass. Lindsey Ferro ’14 scored two goals and had one assist in the loss.

The Crusaders showcased their potent offense, starting the game on a 10-0 run. They held the Bison scoreless until the 3:47 mark of the first half, when Miller nailed a goal off the free position. Ferro and Kookogey ended the half with back-to-back goals that cut the lead to 11-3.

Despite a tough outing, goalie Kristina Patrk ’13 learned a lot in her first career start.

“I learned that being a goalie really does require mental toughness beyond that of a field player,” Patrk said. “As a goalie you definitely feed off of the energy and success of your offense and the fact that we weren’t scoring after a great defensive performance definitely had its adverse effects.”

The Crusaders scored two goals to kick off the second half. Midfielder Sophie Kleinert ’14 answered with a goal of her own, off an assist from Ferro, but the offense of Holy Cross would be too much, as the Crusaders would score nine goals in the second half to put the game out of reach.

“It was a tough game, especially since we did not perform to our potential as a team,” Patrk said. “Holy Cross had a couple of great players who were very patient and able to drive effectively one-on-one against our defense.”

The Orange and Blue will look to close out their four-game road trip with a win as they travel to Vestal, N.Y. to take on Binghamton tomorrow.

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Featured Lacrosse Sports Women

Athlete of the Week: Sophie Kleinert ’14

By Chris McCree

Sports Editor

 

Sophie Kleinert

Year: Sophomore

Position: Midfielder

Hometown: Greenwich, Conn.

Major: Political Science

 

Season Statistics:

 

GP-GS: 12-12

Goals: 11

Assists: 2

SOG %: .720

Ground Balls: 10

 

Despite being part of a 14-11 losing effort to Patriot League rival Lafayette, Sophie Kleinert ’14 put together an impressive offensive performance for the Orange and Blue on Saturday, leading the team with three goals and five shots on target. Starting at midfield for the Bison, Kleinert gave the team the early lead with her first goal of the day less than two minutes in. Later in the half, Kleinert came through with another big goal to preserve the team’s lead following a Leopard offensive rally in which the team tallied two goals within 15 seconds. Entering the second half with a one-goal lead, the Orange and Blue maintained the momentum after Kleinert scored her third goal. 

Along with her three goals, Kleinert also recorded a ground ball and draw control, raising her season totals to 10 and 11 respectively. She also showed off her accurate shooting abilities, as all five of her shots were on target.

Although the team has not had much success this season, Kleinert has certainly elevated her game from her rookie year. Just 12 games into this year, Kleinert has already nearly doubled the six goals she scored last year.

Currently, the Bison hold a 3-9 record and have five regular season games remaining on the schedule. Looking to earn their first league victory, Kleinert and the Orange and Blue will travel to Holy Cross this Saturday to take on the Crusaders at 1 p.m.

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Lacrosse Sports Women

Women’s lax remains winless in conference play

By Ajan Caneda

Writer

The women’s lacrosse team was unable to pick up its first conference victory this past weekend, falling to Lafayette 14-11 in Easton, Pa. Lafayette held the Bison scoreless for the final 12:30, allowing the Leopards to hand the Bison their ninth loss of the season.

Midfielder Sophie Kleinart ’14 scored a team-high three goals, while Katelyn Miller ’14, Ryan Wenk ’13 and Lindsey Ferro ’14 had two goals each.

“Our main goal going into the game against Lafayette was to win draw controls and keep possession,” Miller said. “[Ana White], who takes the draw for Lafayette, leads the nation in draw controls, so it was really crucial for us to be aggressive and give it our all right from the whistle.”

The Bison got off to an early 4-1 lead behind two goals from Miller and an unassisted goal by Arriana Sajjad ’15. Neither team could gain a comfortable edge. The Orange and Blue were able to attempt more shots (15-12) in the first period, but the game remained close. Wenk closed out the period with a goal that gave the Bison a 7-6 lead at the half.

“We came out strong from the very beginning by getting a 4-1 lead, but the game kept going back and forth,” Miller said. “Our attack was really hard to stop because we had multiple threats who could score.”

An early goal in the second period knotted the score at 7-7, but the teams continued to trade goals. Emily Kookogey ’15 dished an assist to Ferro, while Wenk nailed her second goal of the game that gave the Orange and Blue a 10-8 lead. It would be short-lived, as the Leopards answered with two goals of their own. Lafayette took their first lead of the game with 13:53 remaining. Ferro evened the score back up off a free position shot, but that would be the last goal for the Bison.

The Orange and Blue were outshot 13-9 in the second half, while Lafayette held the draw control advantage in the game (15-12). The Leopards also capitalized on free position, scoring five goals off of seven attempts.

“We need to learn to stay composed when we are up and use the clock to our advantage. We didn’t exploit the man-up situations, which allowed [Lafayette] to come back,” Kleinart said.

The Bison look to get back on track against Holy Cross on Saturday in Worcester, Mass. This is the second match of a four-game road trip for the Orange and Blue.

“We definitely fought the whole way through and learned so much that I’m confident the next time we play them, we will be able to be much more competitive,” Miller said.

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Featured Lacrosse Sports Women

Women’s lacrosse falls to American

By Ajan Caneda

Writer

Following an overtime victory against Liberty, the women’s lacrosse team was unable to pull off another comeback, falling to American 22-9 at home on March 24. The Eagles prevented the Orange and Blue from winning consecutive games for the first time this season.

The Bison’s leading scorer, Arriana Sajjad ’15, had another offensive showcase with five goals, while Molly Ford ’14 finished the game with four assists. Emily Kookogey ’15 and Katelyn Miller ’14 scored two goals each.

Both teams traded goals in the opening minutes of the first period, as the game stayed close. A 7-0 run by the Eagles allowed them to surge to an 11-4 lead at the half. American forced 13 turnovers in the first half, 18 for the game and stayed aggressive on the offensive end as they outshot the Orange and Blue 20-12 in the first period.

“Draw controls were a huge aspect of the game. In the second half, they pulled a six-goal streak on us, and it was all from winning the draw,” Sajjad said. “They knew exactly where the ball was going, where to place themselves on the circle and how to execute their break properly. This eventually caused our defense to break down, giving them the lead.”

After an American goal in the opening minutes of the second period, Sajjad posted two goals within two minutes that trimmed the lead to six with 23:20 remaining in the game. The Eagles responded with two goals of their own, but Miller answered with her second goal of the game. The offense of American was too much for the Orange and Blue to overcome, as the Eagles finished the game on an 8-2 run that capped the victory.

American outscored the Bison 18-15 in draw controls and had a 12 shot advantage against the Orange and Blue. Goalie Caroline O’Neill ’15 finished the game with seven saves.

“American worked around the crease really well, and were able to score goals off of tough angles,” O’Neill said. “I think our team has definitely improved greatly and even though the score didn’t show it, the game was really competitive. I think the main difference was the fact that American capitalized on our mistakes, while we did not.”

The Orange and Blue will be seeking their first conference win this Saturday, March 31 against Lafayette in Easton, Pa.

“In situations where we are down like in this game, you just have to keep reiterating positivity and heart, which is what we tried to do,” Sajjad said. “It was a tough loss, but we are preparing to come out strong for Lafayette on Saturday.”

 

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Lacrosse Sports Women

Women’s lax earns first win

Cooper Mead

Contributing Writer

After falling over the weekend to George Washington 15-7, the women’s lacrosse team recorded its first victory of the season on Monday, beating Presbyterian 21-8. With the split, the Orange and Blue took their record to 1-5 on the season.

During the victory, the team’s offensive effort was led by Emily Kookogey ’15 who scored a career-high five goals and two assists, while Katelyn Miller ’14 also played a massive role, contributing four goals, four assists and eight draw controls.

“We put together everything we learned from the past few games and came out strong on Monday,” Miller said. “Our high pressure defense caused a lot of turnovers and our attack had multiple people scoring, so everyone was a threat.”

Other major contributors players included Madison Hurwitz ’13 with four goals and three assists, Sophie Kleinert ’14 with three goals, Arriana Sajjad ’15 with a goal and two assists, and Ryan Wenk ’13 with two goals. Lindsay Ferro ’14 also tallied a goal and four assists, bringing her to seven handouts in the last two games.

After the Presbyterian Blue Hose scored a pair of goals just 2:21 into the game, the Bison tied it up quickly off two goals by Miller and Wenk. From there, the Bison went down 4-2 but finished the half with a 9-1 run and never looked back.

The Bison played extremely well on both sides of the ball all night and great ball movement allowed them to rack up 16 assists on 21 goals. On defense, the Bison held the Blue Hose to 11 total shots and only eight goals, a massive achievement considering Presbyterian had scored 35 goals over its last two games. The defense also held the Blue Hose to 9-for-22 on clears and forced 30 turnovers. Andrea Feldman ’14 and Alex Wallace ’15 each recorded four ground balls apiece, while Adrienne Wendling ’13 also had a great game with four draw controls, two caused turnovers, two ground balls and an assist.

Against George Washington, the team dropped a tough match, but Sajjad and Kookogey had stellar performances, scoring two goals apiece. Kleinert and Wenk also scored goals for the Bison along with Blair McDonald ’15 who scored her first career goal. 

The Bison were down 2-0 early in the game but cut the lead to one before the Colonials went on a 4-0 run. The Bison rallied and went on a 3-1 run but could not withstand George Washington’s offensive onslaught as they distanced themselves even further after the half and eventually emerged with a 15-7 victory. 

One problem that the Bison defense faced was their ability to clear the ball. They ended the day clearing only 12-of-25, while the Colonials were 15-for-17. Despite such difficulties, the Bison defense had reason for hope. Midfielder Miller caused six forced turnovers, tying the school record, and goalie Katherine Fraile ’14 had her first career start, tallying 10 saves.

With their first win under their belt, the Bison look ahead to their first Patriot League matchup of the year this weekend against Navy.

“I think this game made everyone realize our true potential as a team and as individual players,” Feldman said. “We really needed this win going into our first Patriot League game this weekend against Navy. I’m confident that we will do our best and give them a good game.”

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Lacrosse Sports Women

Women’s lax falls just short

By Ajan Caneda

Staff Writer

Seeking its first victory of the year, the women’s lacrosse team fell 13-12 at Manhattan Sunday afternoon during the squad’s closest game of the year. Katelyn Miller ’14 scored four goals to lead the Bison, while Madison Hurwitz ’13 and Arriana Sajjad ’15 each scored two goals.

In both the first and second half, the Bison fell behind big early and needed to rally. Manhattan opened up a 7-2 lead to start the game, but the Orange and Blue scored four straight goals in the last 6:40 of the first half to reduce the deficit to one at the break.

The Lady Jaspers rebuilt their lead to 12-8 in the first 10 minutes of the second half, but after a 10-minute stretch in which neither team scored, the Bison began a rally that pulled them back to within one with 8:54 left. Manhattan scored again with 5:43 left, and the Bison answered with 2:52 remaining but could not score the final goal to complete the comeback.

The Bison played much better than in their first three games, each of which they lost by 14 goals or more.

“It was really good for us to start out against tough teams like Duke and Penn State to be able to see where we stand as a team and how hard we have to work to get at the level they are,” Sajjad said. “However, now we get to look forward to conference games where the outcomes really matter and the competition gets more intense. We’re excited to start focusing on the competition in practice and buckling down.”

That being said, the Orange and Blue know that there is a lot to improve on in the coming weeks.

“Coming out of that game, I would say that we definitely need to come out stronger instead of constantly turning it on in the second half,” Sajjad said. “Midfield transition was especially good, and that’s one of the key things that we have been working on as a team, so it was great to see us come together in that aspect. We definitely do have some more things we need to work on however. Defense needs to work on bumping cutters and attack needs to work on shot placement.”

The Bison have two home games, Saturday versus George Washington and Monday versus Presbyterian, before their first Patriot League game of the season against Navy.

 

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Lacrosse Men Sports

Men’s lax drops third straight

By Reed Dempsey

Contributing Writer

The men’s lacrosse team dropped its third straight against a nationally-ranked opponent last Saturday, falling 13-12 in overtime to No. 9 Villanova.

Following two tight losses, the Orange and Blue hoped they could start to turn around their season, but the Wildcats would prove to be their toughest opponent to date. After ‘Nova opened the scoring six minutes into the first quarter, Joe Kearney ’15 tied the game up at 1-1 with his first collegiate goal. Over the next five minutes the Wildcats scored three straight goals to take a 4-1 lead.

The Bison followed with goals by Billy Eisenreich ’12 and Tom Black ’14 to cut the lead to one, but quickly returned to a three-goal deficit as ‘Nova scored back-to-back goals with seven minutes remaining in the first half.

In the closing minutes of the first half, the Bison scored three goals in succession by Nick Gantsoudes ’12, Todd Heritage ’14 and Gantsoudes again to tie the game at six apiece. As the half was coming to an end, the Orange and Blue had possession and a chance to take the lead for the first time of the day, but turned over the ball, a mistake that proved costly as the Wildcats quickly moved the ball down the field and scored to take a 7-6 lead into the break.

‘Nova extended its lead to two early in the third quarter on Jack Rice’s fourth goal for the Wildcats, but the Bison offense again rattled of three goals in row to take their first lead of the day, 9-8.

With just 25 seconds remaining in the third quarter, ‘Nova tied the game up at nine. The two teams battled over the final 15 minutes of regulation in a quarter that featured three lead changes. The Bison held a one-goal lead with just over three minutes remaining, but two Wildcat goals in a span of 10 seconds gave Villanova the 12-11 advantage.

A strong second half by goalie Kyle Feeney ’13, who registered 16 saves on the day, kept the Bison in the game, and with two minutes left the Bison were able to stop ‘Nova and advance the ball into their offensive zone, where David Dickson ’15 found Heritage for his third goal of the day, to tie the game at twelve with 1:22 remaining in regulation.

A minute and a half into the overtime period, the Wildcats took advantage of an extra-man opportunity to score the game-winning goal.

Over the first three games, the Bison have not been at a loss for goals. Little mistakes and miscues that have plagued the Orange and Blue. Mental lapses have cost the team offensive possessions and have special-team situations where opponents have capitalized.

“We have to stress discipline and attention to the little things,” Gantsoudes said. “It’s tedious, but effective.”

Many members of this year’s team were here in 2010 when the Orange and Blue experienced six heartbreaking loses, five of them by just one goal.

“We need to look back on that season and remember how much it hurt,” Feeney said. “We invest so much time and emotion into these games that we need to start learning how to become a better team and avoid being that team that almost was great. We don’t want that to happen again.”

The Bison travel to Annapolis, Md. this Saturday to play Navy in their first Patriot League contest of the season.

“The team’s approach is the same as it’s been since day one, win every game. We are more than capable of beating any opponent on our schedule, and now it’s just a matter of proving it,” Feeney said.

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Lacrosse Sports Women

Women’s lax struggles

By Thomas Walter

Writer

On the road once again, the women’s lacrosse team dropped its third straight contest to Duquesne last weekend 18-4. 

The Dukes were the more experienced and talented team, with Clare Hurley, Caitlin Prince and Amanda Kidder each scoring hat tricks.

One of the few positives for the Bison was Emily Kookogey ’15, who emerged as a strong offensive presence in the fourth game of the young season. She netted two goals, which were the first of her career. Caroline O’Neill ’15, the starting goalie for the Orange and Blue, also posted a career-high 13 saves on the day.

Despite the rough start to the season, the Bison realize there is still much time to improve, especially given the age of the team.

“We have a young team and we will learn something and grow and improve from every game. It is always hard losing big but one important characteristic of our team is that we never give up,” defender/ midfielder Andrea Feldman ’14 said. “We need to take one aspect of the game at a time and improve on that. We are all looking forward to proving ourselves in the games to come!”

The Bison travel to face Manhattan this weekend in Riverdale, N.Y. 

 

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Lacrosse Sports Women

Goldsborough returns as coach

Andrew Lichtenauer

Senior Writer

After a short stint with the Bison in 2003 and 2004, Randall Goldsborough has returned as head coach of the women’s lacrosse team. Goldsborough, a former standout lacrosse player at the University of Maryland and the U.S. women’s National Team, led the Orange and Blue to .500 or better records and consecutive Patriot League Tournament appearances during her two seasons. The Bucknellian talked to Goldsborough this past week about the upcoming season.

The Bucknellian: I understand that your team is currently one of the youngest in the country. Does this influence your coaching strategies in any way?

Goldsborough: It definitely does not influence how we do things. It’s better actually that they are so young because they are impressionable and we can make a bigger impact quicker because of it. I rarely change my coaching style for age–-I just throw it all at them and see what they absorb the quickest, really. We are in a good place with our age because each year they will grow tremendously from their experiences with us both on and off the field.

The Bucknellian: What is it about the University and its athletics department that has left a lasting impression on you?

Goldsborough: The support and pride you feel working here is huge. The administration really cares about each program; the coaches support each other by not only attending games, but working with them as well. The student-athletes support each other and attend each other’s games. It’s just a feel-good place to work.

The Bucknellian: What expectations do you have for the team this season?

Goldsborough: This season I expect the team to understand our system and not just go with the flow. I expect them to work as hard as they can and then work harder. I expect them to learn to push their teammates and how to handle being pushed and challenged. I for sure expect them to compete every day to prepare us for our games. In terms of outcomes, I can’t say, but if we do all of the above we could really turn this program around and surprise a lot of people, including ourselves.

The Bucknellian: The Bison opened this season with a 25-3 loss to Duke, currently the No. 5 team in the nation. Is there anything the team can take away from that loss?

Goldsborough: I think the biggest thing to take away is that at the highest levels, this game is so fast, so strong and so strategic. Executing the fundamentals flawlessly is so crucial to success because even just one turnover could lead to a loss. It really allowed the team to see how important the little things are and that you have to be incredibly mentally and physically tough to compete in the Top 10.

The Bucknellian: What do you think are the biggest challenges you are going to face this season as a team?

Goldsborough: I think the biggest challenge really has nothing to do with our competition.  We are really focusing on changing the culture within the program, asking for a bigger commitment from the players, really seeking out nationally ranked talent in our future recruiting classes to compliment the competitiveness that already exists on the team.  Everything is new for the players – we are installing all new defenses and offenses, the way we play the midfield and press is all different and new – it’s quite a lot of information we are asking the players to absorb, understand, and execute and we are demanding that they do so.