April 5, 2008

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LEWISBURG, Pa. - Lindsay Pittard's go-ahead goal with 12:22 remaining helped Colgate rally from a three-goal second-half deficit and defeat Bucknell 14-12 in an entertaining Patriot League women's lacrosse game Saturday afternoon at Graham Field. The loss kept Colgate (6-7) unbeaten in Patriot League play at 4-0, while the Bison (5-5) fell to 1-3 in the league.

Julia Braun (Tomkins Cove, N.Y./North Rockland) and Bonnie Buechel (South Orange, N.J./Columbia) both had three goals and an assist, while Carol Donohue (West Babylon, N.Y./West Babylon) also had four points with a goal and three assists. Sarah Collins (Goldens Bridge, N.Y./John Jay) added three goals for Bucknell, which led 12-9 before giving up the lead when Colgate scored three times in just 24 seconds to tie it.

Bucknell took an early 6-2 lead after Buechel, Braun, Paige Kasschau (Rockville Centre, N.Y./South Side) and Collins scored in succession, but the Raiders tied it at 7-all with 1:39 left in the half on one of Brie Moran's four goals. The Bison scored twice before halftime, however. Donohue fed Collins for the go-ahead goal with 1:19 left, and with just 15 seconds left Buechel fired a rocket past Sara Drexler off a re-start, giving the Orange & Blue a 9-7 halftime lead.

Braun scored 1:27 into the second half to make it 10-7. After Colgate closed within 10-9 on Moran's fourth goal, Donohue dodged around a defender and scored from close range. Just 23 seconds later Alison Heffernan (Malvern, Pa./Agnes Irwin School) scored off a rebound to make it 12-9 with 16:26 left. But that would be the last goal of the day for the Bison.

With 15:11 to play Ashley Didio scored an unassisted goal, then right off the draw Pittard scored at the 14:56 mark to make it 12-11. Colleen Bubnack gathered the ensuing draw on the fly and passed to Meghan Lawler for the tying goal with 14:47 left.

The Bison had a great look to get the lead back, but Lauren Deitrich (Collegeville, Pa./Hill School) hit the right post. Katie Holland picked up the ground ball, raced the length of the field and dished to Pittard, who scored to give the Raiders their very first lead of the day.

Bucknell had four more possessions inside the Colgate zone but turned the ball over each time without getting off a shot. The Raiders successfully played keep-away for the final 3:30 before Molly Carroll rubbed a little salt in the wound with a goal with four seconds remaining.

The loss overshadowed a sensational afternoon for Buechel. In addition to her four points, the junior midfielder also had six draw controls, six ground balls and four caused turnovers. Twice she grabbed the draw control and outran the defense to the crease for goals.

Colgate outshot the Bison 29-27 and won the draw control battle 17-11 (8-3 in the second half). Bucknell had 19 turnovers to Colgate's 18, but most of the Bison's miscues came in their own end of the field. Bucknell was just 15-for-25 on clears, while the Raiders were 15-for-17.

Bucknell has another important Patriot League game next Saturday at Navy at 1 p.m.