The Bison field hockey team competed against the Columbia Lions at Graham Field on Sept. 8 in a non-conference game. Brittany Willwerth ’20 set the tone for the victory, as she put the Bison on the board in the seventh minute of the game. Shortly after, Chloe Poltonavage ’20 found the back of the net and put the Bison up 2-0 early in the first half.

Columbia netted a goal in the 30th minute to cut the Bison lead in half, and, shortly after, tied the game up in the 41st minute. However, Stephanie Dressler ’18 responded by finding the back of the net on a penalty stroke, putting the Orange and Blue up 3-2. The Bison kept up the intensity and Willwerth converted on a pass from Marisa Morakis ’20 to put the Bison up 4-2 with a little over 15 minutes left. The Lions then scored with 10 minutes, 11 seconds left in the game, narrowing the lead to 4-3.  The Bison ultimately took the victory over the Lions for the second straight season.

Following their big win against Columbia, the Bison hosted LIU Brooklyn on Sept. 10. Willwerth led the Bison as she netted three goals in their 8-0 victory. Also scoring goals were Katie Mannino ’19, Lexi Quick ’19, Sally Olson ’19, and Allie Christopher ’20.

“The games this weekend were great for the team, for they showed us that when we play like ourselves, we do our best, and I think the results of the games showed that. It was also great because our next few games will be challenging for us, but after this weekend we’ll be going in with a positive attitude and a better sense of ourselves, and how we can better work together,” Emily Finn ’18 said. “Goal scoring has been something the team has been working on recently, and we certainly were able to finish and get some points on the board, which was great. Defensively, we have really improved on our out letting, and getting the ball up the field smoothly. It is still early in the season, so we still have a lot to work on and improve, but I think we are in a good spot for now, and I look forward to the upcoming games!”

The Bison hosted the nationally ranked number two Nittany Lions of Penn State on Sept. 12 for a non-conference competition. The Bison put up a tough fight in the first half, only trailing the Nittany Lions by one goal. However, in the second half, the Lions scored three consecutive goals, securing their victory. Morakis found the back of the net for the Bison to put them on the board, ending Penn State’s shutout streaks over Princeton, Wake Forest, and Temple.

The Bison begin their conference play against Patriot League rival American University on Sept. 16.