The Bison field hockey team placed itself in a great position for a Patriot League playoff spot with a 3-0 win over Lafayette on Oct. 22. Field hockey alumni were in attendance as the ladies took the field in a must-win matchup. Stephanie Dressler ’18 opened the scoring early in the ninth minute with her fifth goal of the season, assisted by Marisa Morakis ’20. The Orange and Blue played solid defense in the first half, and Lafayette couldn’t land a shot or penalty corner in the first 35 minutes. The Bison entered halftime with a 1-0 lead.

Anna Wills ’17 extended the lead just over three minutes into the second half following a penalty corner insert from Estelle Palandjian ’17. Nicole Rupnik ’19 added a third goal with just over two minutes left in the match to secure the win. Her breakaway tally was assisted by Brittany Willwerth ’20 and was Rupnik’s team-leading seventh goal of the season.

The Bison defense allowed only one shot on goal during the entire match, and goalkeeper Emily Finn ’18 earned her fourth shutout of the season. The Bison held the advantage 15-2 in total shots and 6-2 in penalty corners in a dominant performance. The win boosted their overall record to 7-8 and their conference record to 2-3.

The Bison then wrapped up their Homecoming Weekend on Oct. 23 with a 1-0 win against Lock Haven in double overtime. The team’s seven seniors celebrated their Senior Day with an exciting win.

Both teams had many saves in the last 10 minutes of regulation to send the game into overtime at a 0-0 lock. The Bison dominated both extra time periods, recording five shots in the first overtime period and finally breaking through with 3:01 minutes left in the second period. After a penalty to Lock Haven, the Bison had a one-man advantage and optimized the opportunity. Katie Mannino ’19 secured the game-winning goal with an assist from Morakis.

The Orange and Blue held their 13-5 shots on goal advantage in the match. Finn earned her fifth shutout this season as the Bison’s record improved to 8-8 overall.

The team finishes off its regular season on the road at Colgate on Oct. 29. The Bison intend to secure a Patriot League playoff spot for the ninth consecutive season with a win. The Colgate Raiders have a 1-15 record on the season, so the match-up is in favor of the Orange and Blue.