Bucknell Field Hockey had a two-game lineup this weekend, traveling to Lafayette and then back home against Michigan State. The Orange and Blue brought home a win and a loss from the weekend, bringing their record to 4-5 for the season and 1-1 in the Patriot League.
The Bison started in Easton, Pa., to take on the Lafayette Leopards this past Friday, September 26. The game went into overtime at the score 1-1, but the Leopards managed one final point to secure their victory. The Bison had 10 attempted shots to Lafayette’s 12 and went 3-4 on penalty corners. Both teams were able to save four shots.
It wasn’t until the second quarter that points were put on the board. The Bison were the first to find the back of the net with a tap-in from Reese Czajkowski ’28. The point set up started with a penalty corner from Kira Leclercq ’26, who sent it to Gianna Puorro ‘28 to give to Czajkowski for the lead.
The defense fought hard against the Leopards, and it wasn’t until the fourth quarter that the Leopards were able to score. A highly debated call gave Lafayette a penalty corner, where the Leopards sent the ball past the Bison defense to tie the game.
The match went into overtime with the Orange and Blue down two players. Bella Notaro ’28 attempted a shot with a 3 on 2 fast break, but it ended up wide. The game ended when the Leopards tapped a shot into the Bison’s empty cage. The play was challenged by the Orange and Blue, but the call was not overturned.
Coming off their loss, the Bison came back to Lewisburg to take on Michigan State. The 4-0 win was the first against a Big Ten team since 2016. The Orange and Blue outshot the Spartans 20-11. Sarah Althouse ’27 made four saves, and Leclercq had her second defensive save of the season.
The scoring started in the first 12 minutes, with Gracie Kothari ’29 adding a point after an assist from Puorro. The second point didn’t come until two minutes after halftime. A penalty corner allowed Notaro to pass the ball to Leclercq, who shot on goal. The shot was deflected, but Notaro was able to recover and send it past the goalkeeper.
Another corner penalty opportunity allowed Leclercq to take a shot opportunity to Ryane Fisahn ’27, who tapped it into the goal. Czajkowski scored the only goal in the fourth and the last goal of the match. Taking the ball down the field solo, she had her pass blocked by the Spartans. Czajkowski was able to rebound and secure the point herself, bringing her season total to five to tie Leclercq for the team lead.
The Bison hope to keep their win streak at home, facing Holy Cross next Saturday, Oct. 4.
