Colgate Women Advance to PL Finals With Victory Over Bucknell
4/24/2009 8:18:10 PM
(Photo Gallery)
HAMILTON, N.Y. (4/24/09) – Brie Moran (Little Silver, N.J.) tallied a six-point performance to help lead Colgate to a 15-11 victory over Bucknell in the second semifinal game of the 2009 Patriot League Women’s Lacrosse Tournament, Friday evening at Tyler’s Field.
The Raiders, who improved to 13-4 overall, will square off against Navy in Sunday’s final. The Midshipmen edged second seeded Lehigh 12-11 in the opener as Erin Rawlick posted four goals and three assists in the win for Navy. Gametime is set for 1 p.m.
Moran netted two goals and tallied a career-high four assists, while Meghan Lawler (Liverpool, N.Y.) added three goals and two assists in the win. Ashley Didio (Syracuse, N.Y.) and Courtney Miller (Chappaqua, N.Y.) also scored three goals as Colgate will look for its second consecutive and fourth-ever Patriot League crown. It was the Raiders’ seventh-consecutive victory over the Bison in the series.
The Raiders fended off a ferocious Bucknell charge in the second half. Trailing 10-6 at intermission, the Bison fought back and pulled within one on three occasions, the last being at 12-11 with 6:40 remaining in the contest on Carol Donohue’s second goal of the game. However, Colgate answered at 4:18 as Moran connected on her 51st goal of the year. That tally moved the junior into a tie for seventh on the all-time single season goal list at Colgate. Moran’s final point on the evening also gives her 67 points on the year, which is ninth all-time. Colleen Bubnack (Syracuse, N.Y.) gave the Raiders a three-goal lead with 2:25 left before Miller netted the game’s final goal two minutes later.
Bucknell, which finished 9-8 on the season, held a two-goal lead in the game’s first 5:16 on scores by Donohue and Chelsea Peters. However, Colgate raced back with five unanswered goals in less than a seven minute span. After Miller got the Raiders on the board at 23:43, Lawler knotted the game at 2-2 with her 33rd of the year at 21:24. The Raiders took their first lead moments later as Molly Carroll (Swarthmore, Pa.) found the back of the net at 19:13. Colgate went on to score two more goals to get three-goal advantage at 5-2. With the game knotted at 6-6, the Raiders closed out the final eight minutes of the half by scoring four consecutive, the last from Bubnack with 10 seconds left.
Sara Drexler (Pottstown, Pa.) entered the game with under 20 minutes remaining and made four critical saves down the stretch to help Colgate preserve the lead. The senior was credited with the victory and improved to 8-3 on the year. Freshman Christina Roa (Potomac, Md.) made two saves before being replaced by Drexler.
Bucknell was led by first team all-Patriot League honoree Bonnie Buechel, who posted four goals and dished out two assists. Peters, Donohue and Michelle Milot each finished with two goals. Sophomore Alyssa DeLorenz, who was named the league’s goalie of the year earlier in the week, made 10 saves in the loss for the Bison.
Box Score - Game 1 (Navy 12, Lehigh 11)
Box Score - Game 2 (Colgate 15, Bucknell 11)