Box Score |  Photo Gallery 

(0-15, 0-6 PL)  

  1 2 F  Colgate 0 0 0  Lafayette 1 0 1   Box Score

(8-9, 3-3 PL)  

EASTON, Pa. -- Lafayette needed only 27 seconds to get on the board against Colgate Saturday afternoon, with Ellen Colbourne netting her first tally of the season on the opening rush of the game.

That turned out to be all the offense required of the Leopards to vanquish the Raiders in a 1-0 victory, and favorable outcomes in other Patriot League games helped the Maroon and White clinch the No. 3 seed for next weekend's conference tournament.

Lafayette (8-9, 3-3 PL) will play No. 2 American at top-seeded Boston U. on 2 p.m. Friday, with the winner advancing to Saturday's championship game. A Lehigh victory over Holy Cross ensured that the Leopards would make the postseason, and Bucknell's loss to American moved them move past the Bison and into the No. 3 position.

"It feels great," head coach Jennifer Stone said. "Every team in the league, they're always pushing to get themselves into the Patriot League Tournament, and once you're there it's a completely different season. I'm really proud of the group. It was a battle, but we did it and that's all that matters."

Shots were 13-0 in favor of Lafayette in the first half of today's contest. Colgate goalkeeper Maria Krull made eight saves, and Katie Connors registered a sixth-minute defensive save on Aliza Furneaux to keep the visitors within striking distance. Colbourne's goal came on a lofted shot into the right corner from the top of the circle, and it was her second-career collegiate marker.

Things were much more competitive after the intermission, as the Raiders (0-15, 0-6 PL) managed eight shots compared to seven for the home team. Katelyn Arnold made her first save off a penalty corner at 50:58, and she added a second stop 40 seconds later.

Colgate came closest to tying things up in the 62nd minute, but a high shot from Molly Klare rattled off the crossbar. Lafayette then prevented the Raiders from getting a shot on goal off two penalty corners with no time left on the clock.

Amanda Magadan ended the contest with a game-high six shots, and five of those required a save out of Krull. Kendall Weedling added three shots, all of which were on target, off the bench while Colbourne chipped in three shots of her own.

The Leopards' 20 shots were a new season-high, and it was the most they have managed since a 22-shot effort in a win over Quinnipiac on Aug. 31, 2014. Arnold, meanwhile, recorded her third-career shutout in goal.

Lafayette has one more game to prepare for before Friday's semifinal, as Yale comes to Rappolt Field for a 3 p.m. contest tomorrow afternoon. The Leopards will honor seniors Weedling, Abbey Stefanides, Hannah Millen, Paige Macrae, Kirby Szalkowski and Katie Birle in a pregame ceremony before their final home game.