In their 11th straight appearance in the Patriot League Tournament on Nov. 2, the Bison field hockey team took on second seeded American University on neutral territory at Boston University. Despite a tough fight, the Bison concluded another strong season after falling 1-0 to the Eagles.

Building on the previous year when the Orange and Blue defeated American in a shootout, this semifinal game proved to be a solid performance and display of skill by both teams.

In a battle of the midfield, both teams exchanged opportunities of possession but limited each other to only one shot on goal in the first half. Heading into the half in a scoreless tie, each side attempted to spark their respective offense to secure the victory.

This motivation was evident in the second half, as the Eagles took 10 shots on goal while the Bison took seven. Brittany Willwerth ’20, Lexi Quick ’19, Claire Lesher ’19, and Leah Fogelsanger ’21 all registered shots for the Orange and Blue.

At the 19-minute mark in the second half, American collected a rebound off a corner to capture the lead, which turned out to be the game winner. At the final whistle, the Eagles held the advantage on shots (12) and corners (9), compared to the Bison’s eight shots and three corners.

Despite the tough loss, goalkeeper Olivia Harris ’20 had an outstanding game, stopping five shots.

With this season-ending loss, the Bison finished with a 10-8 overall record. Willwerth, Quick, and Harris were honored with first-team Patriot League accolades, while Sally Olson ’19 and Sarah Dimock ’21 received second-team recognition. Quick also joined Nicole Rupnik ’19 and Marisa Morakis ’20 on the Academic All-Patriot League Team.

“My time on the field hockey team was amazing. During my four years, I have had the opportunity to develop meaningful friendships, and grow as not only an individual but also as a student athlete, all while being part of an amazing family,” Quick said.

For the seven seniors graduating this upcoming May, the program will look back on 2018 as a winning season full of great memories, despite their playoff exit.