Bison Field Hockey fell to two tough opponents this weekend, Lafayette and Penn State. Starting the weekend, the Bison faced Lafayette in their first Patriot League game of the season.

The Leopards set the pace of the game from the beginning, earning two goals within the first quarter. Their first goal came from an attacking play where Bison goalie Sarah Althouse ’27 was drawn out from the goal, and a Lafayette Leopard snuck in behind for a tap-in. The second goal came from a deflection off of a penalty corner. 

Moving into the second half, the Bison were able to step up. Their plays began to flow more organically and the players came together to move as a team. But, the two-goal deficit still left the Bison at a disadvantage. With around six minutes left, Kira Leclercq ’26 scored off of a drag flick into the top left corner with assists from Mia Fields ’24 and Hannah Guarante ’25. With limited time remaining on the clock, the Bison were not able to make further advances, ending the game with a 1-2 loss. 

On Sunday, the Orange and the Blue faced the Penn State Nittany Lions, ranked 24th. The Bison dominated the first quarter with juniors Isabella Pavlides and Lily Neilson getting early attacking opportunities in the penalty circle.

The second quarter became more of a battle. The Nittany Lions had some scoring opportunities, but Althouse stepped up with some amazing saves. The Bison attackers penetrated the circle, earning multiple offensive corners. Leclerq sent a drag flick into the circle, and Neilson was able to get a touch on it, pushing the Bison to a 1-0 lead at the end of the first half. 

Penn State came back after half and earned two goals. One goal was gained from a penalty stroke after a video review. Another goal was earned by one of the top scorers at Penn State. The Bison still dominated the rest of the game but were unable to convert their efforts into goals. 

 “Our first game of the weekend was not necessarily the start we wanted for Patriot League play, but we turned it around and had a great showing against Penn State,” said Fields. “We found a lot of good connections on Sunday and are excited to bring those into our games this coming weekend.”

Come watch these Bison compete on Emmitt Field against Wagner on Friday, Sept. 22 and against Holy Cross on Saturday, Sept. 23!