EASTON, Pa. – The Lafayette field hockey team used contributions from each of its top performers in all areas of the field to down Bucknell by a 2-1 score on Saturday afternoon at Rappolt Field.
 
The win keeps the Maroon and White unbeaten in Patriot League action at 5-0 this season and pushes the win total to 10 at 10-6 overall this fall, while locking up a top-two seed in the 2019 Patriot League Tournament. It also sets up a showdown next weekend at fellow-undefeated American for the Patriot League regular-season title and the right to host the conference tournament.
 
"Bucknell is always a really strong opponent. Coming into the game, we had an idea that it would be a pretty close match and, with that said, we knew the fine details would matter," head coach Jennifer Stone said. "We were able to execute on a couple key pieces with our attack penalty corners and our defensive penalty corners being really important pieces to the game today. Across the board, I thought our team managed the game well and I can only say I'm quite pleased with the performance."
 
Seniors Lisa van der Geest and Sarah Park, and sophomore Molly McAndrew, all bidding for Patriot League major awards in their respective positions, played like they deserved those honors on Saturday as van der Geest and McAndrew scored the two goals and Park made six saves between the pipes. Additionally, Park made a pair of consecutive saves on a corner chance late in the fourth to keep the Leopards in front.
 
"This entire week, we really prepared our defensive structure knowing that Bucknell is a very challenging team," added Park. "The saves that I made would not have been possible without my defense. I can say that I had a good game, but I couldn't have done it without them."
 
All three goals in the game came off corner opportunities as van der Geest found the upper right corner on her chance in the 25^th minute to put the Leopards in front before halftime. McAndrew won a scrum in front off a pair of shots on goal from van der Geest, knocking the rebound past Bucknell goalkeeper Olivia Harris in the 36^th minute to double the lead at 2-0.
 
The Bison made a push in the fourth, earning three of the four corners in the final period. Brittany Willwerth deflected an Allie Christopher shot past Park to cut the lead in half with just over seven minutes to play, but the Lafayette defense hung tough down the stretch to earn their fifth league victory of 2019.
 
Lafayette has two games remaining, traveling to Penn on Sunday for a non-league tilt at 2 p.m. The regular-season finale at American next Saturday will begin at 11 a.m.