WASHINGTON, D.C. - Lafayette field hockey advanced to the Patriot League Championship game after downing No. 3 seed Bucknell 2-1 on Thursday afternoon at Jacobs Field.

The No. 2 seed Leopards improved to 13-6 overall and extended their win streak to five games. They will now face No. 1 seed and host American on Saturday at 1 p.m. with the Patriot League title on the line. American beat No. 4 seed Boston U. in the first game of the day. Saturday's matchup is a rewatch of the 2023 and 2021 finals featuring the Eagles and the Leopards.

In the semifinal action, a penalty corner just under the eight-minute mark allowed Josephine van Wijk to execute a successful lift through the Bison goalkeeper. The junior midfielder notched the 7:26 shot with assistance from seniors India Ralph and Lineke Spaans at insert and stick-stop, respectively.

Ralph and Spaans set up an identical penalty corner attempt at 21:30, this time from the far battery for Lena Thedrian. The sophomore defender rocketed the ball into the far-left corner of the cage for her second of the season.

Thedrian was also credited with a defensive save at 20:32, stopping a shot by Kira Leclercq to keep the advantage.

Bucknell's Lily Neilson put the Bison on the board to end the second quarter, leaving Lafayette up 2-1 at halftime.

Both teams battled throughout the midfield for a scoreless third and fourth period. Total shots were tied at eight apiece as the opponents held the advantage in penalty corners (7-3).

Lafayette's junior goalkeeper Raffi Fragomeni made two saves, including one in the second half. Her Bison counterpart, Sarah Althouse, made five.

For more information on the 2024 Patriot League Field Hockey Championship, visit Championship Central.

 
For the latest on the Lafayette College field hockey program, follow the Leopards on Twitter @LafayetteFH and Instagram @lafayette_fh.