It was a tough weekend away from home for the women’s field hockey team with a 5-3 loss to Delaware and a 3-1 loss against Albany. The Bison are determined to triumph on Sept. 26 against longtime rival, Lehigh.

The game against Delaware on Sept. 18 was a tough fight for the Bison. The match began with Delaware making some quick goals, and the Bison fell early. Emma Fitzgerald ’17 scored the first goal for the Bison late in the first half. She scored in front of the cage and was aided by Kiersten Sydnor ’16. Delaware scored their fifth goal, putting on the pressure for the Bison to even out the score. The Orange and Blue performed incredibly well, scoring two goals in the last six minutes of the game. Sydnor fought hard against a Delaware defender in a one-on-one breakaway, where she eventually earned her second goal of the season. Estelle Palandjian ’17 scored her first goal of the season soon after, following a penalty corner. Unfortunately, the Bison were defeated 5-3.

“The second half showed us that we have the capability to compete with every team we play,” Kelsy Kauffman ’17 said.

The game against Albany on Sept. 20 was another difficult one for the Bison, though they still performed well. Despite the 3-1 loss, the Bison were able to keep the opposing team at bay for much of the game. Amy Mucelli ’17 scored the lone goal for the Bison, and was assisted by Stephanie Dressler ’18 following a penalty corner. After this initial goal, the Bison put real pressure on Albany, who in turn retaliated the way a seasoned team does–by scoring more goals. Shannon Keen ’16 made five saves, albeit in a losing effort. She was helped by Kayla Sullivan ’16, who made a defensive save toward the end of the game.

“By playing such great teams, we learned a lot about what we need to work on going into Patriot League play this weekend,” Kauffman said.

The heat is on for the Bison when they play longtime rival Lehigh at home in the first conference game of the season on Sept. 26.