Oct. 8, 2011
Box Score
LEWISBURG, Pa. - After a high-scoring opening half, the Lafayette field hockey team buckled down in the final 35 minutes, defeating Bucknell 5-3 on Saturday in Lewisburg, Pa. A six point afternoon from Deanna DiCroce and a go-ahead goal from Brittany Blass helped the Leopards secure the victory.
"This is an important win for us," head coach Andrew Griffiths said. "Bucknell was resilient and are always a tough team to play on their home turf."
Lafayette (6-5, 2-0 Patriot) wasted no time in the first half, sprinting out to a 2-0 lead less than 10 minutes into the game. DiCroce was responsible for both tallies, scoring at 2:58 and 9:55 for her sixth and seventh goals of the year.
The Bison (4-7, 1-1 Patriot) responded to the early deficit by scoring two goals of their own in the next ten minutes, the first coming off a penalty corner. Mallory Smith inserted the corner to the top of the circle, then eventually got the ball back and beat Lafayette goalie Mara Kish after her initial shot was blocked. Maggie Murphy set up the equalizer when she sent a ball into the circle which was deflected into the cage by Katie Durkin, 19:50 into the game.
Less than two minutes later Aimee Smith gave Lafayette the lead again when she tipped in a pass from DiCroce past Bucknell goalkeeper Erica Perrine for her fifth goal of the season. The advantage would not last as the Bison answered before the half, executing a corner play and evening the score going into the break. Tayler Siegrist fired the shot, beating Kish low, which was set up by Smith and Marci Richard.
In the second half DiCroce sent a corner to the top of the circle to Emily Valeo, who stopped the ball, setting up a Blass strike that Perrine couldn't stop. Blass' second goal of her freshman season put the Maroon and White ahead, 4-3.
Kristin Heaney added an insurance marker at 64:07 when she stick-handled around Perrine and deposited the ball in the goal, adding to the Leopards lead.
Jessica Deutsch played the second half in the cage for Lafayette, making two saves and earning her second win of the season.
"We showed good composure and character as a team in the second half," Griffiths added. "We took the lead and then kept good possession even when we faced a situation playing down a man."
Statistically the game was even as the Leopards held the slight edge in shots, 11-10, and corners, 7-6. Two yellow cards were given in the game, one to Smith in the first half and another to Haley Keenan in the second frame.
Lafayette returns to action on Tuesday when it hosts No. 6 Penn State at Rappolt Field. The game is scheduled for 6 p.m.
