Field hockey beats Colgate, falls to Syracuse
September 20, 2018
The Bison field hockey team battled two tough opponents on Sept. 15 and 16, coming out with a 1-1 record. On Sept 15. the Bison defeated Colgate on the road with a 6-0 shutout. The team then fell to No. 12 Syracuse, 3-0, on Sept. 16. Their overall record improved to 4-3 overall, and 1-0 in Patriot League play.
In their first Patriot League game of the year, the Orange and Blue displayed a strong team dynamic against Colgate, leading to six Bison goals in the winning effort.
In the 23rd minute, Katie Mannino ’19 connected with Brittany Willwerth ’20 to put the Bison ahead 1-0. Willwerth would later tack on two more goals, the second assisted by Allie Christopher ’20 and the third assisted by Sally Olson ’19. This was Willwerth’s second career hat-trick.
Nicole Rupnik ’19 added to the Bison scoring with two goals in the first half, while Chloe Poltonavage ’20 scored one in the second half. Goalkeeper Olivia Harris ’20 picked up her second career shutout for the team, stopping all three shots fired at the Bison net. The team dominated throughout the game and controlled its pace, finishing with large advantages in shots (25-6), shots on goal (13-3), and corners (13-2).
“The win against Colgate was a complete team effort, one in which we all recognized our unique roles and came together to set the tone for Patriot League play,” Willwerth said. “We are excited to continue this momentum and strive for a great season.”
Going on the road for their second game of the weekend, the Bison faced a tough matchup against Syracuse. The Bison held Syracuse to a 1-0 lead in the first half, but Syracuse was able to tack on two more goals in the second half.
Though the Orange and Blue’s four-game winning streak coming to an end, the team battled until the very end. Displaying an incredibly strong performance, the game came down to corner executions, where the Bison went 0-4, whereas Syracuse went 3-6.
The Bison are on the road again and will continue Patriot League play at Lehigh on Sept. 22 at 11 a.m. The team will then face Monmouth on Sept. 23 at 1 p.m.
