Oct. 28, 2006
Box Score
EASTON, Pa. (www.lafayette.edu) - The Lafayette field hockey program is sending off the Class of 2007 the same way that it came in--with a trip to the Patriot League Tournament. A 2-0 win over Bucknell on Saturday afternoon clinched the No. 3 seed for the Leopards, who will be making their first appearance in the tournament since 2003.
Lafayette (5-13, 3-2) is set to take on No. 2 Holy Cross, who fell to No.1 American this afternoon in a battle for hosting rights, on Saturday, Nov. 4 at 1:30 p.m. in Washington. No. 4 Bucknell (7-9, 1-4) rounds out the tournament field and will face defending champion American.
The Leopards set the tone early in the game, controlling the pace and playing the ball deep into the Bison defense. Lafayette drew first blood just under 12 minutes in, as freshman forward Caitlin Titus came up with her first collegiate goal. The Leopards were awarded a penalty corner with at the 11:48 mark, as sophomore midfielder Maggie Condon served junior forward Laura Fabian. Fabian's shot deflected right to Titus, whose tip-in slipped past Bucknell keeper Emily Groendyke on the right side.
Bucknell settled down towards the end of the first half, holding an explosive Lafayette offense to a 1-0 halftime advantage. The Bison tested Lafayette early in the second session, but the Leopards still managed a much-appreciated insurance goal in the 40th minute. Fabian scored her team-high eighth goal of the season from the left side, bouncing the ball in from just outside the circle.
Lafayette keeper Jill Lambert had a busy second half, making five of her seven stops after the break. Sophomore defender Jaclyn DiSanti also helped out with the Leopards' first defensive save of the season.
Lafayette out-shot Bucknell 16-11 and held an 8-5 advantage in corners.
Prior to the 2 p.m. start, Lafayette honored its six graduating seniors and their parents, as Lambert, Lauren Cash, Maggie DeFilippo, Chrissy Fallivene, Emily Goldman, and Alex Schmidt played their final game at Rappolt Field.
