March 4, 2008

LEWISBURG, Pa. -- After a weather postponement forced the Bucknell women's lacrosse team to wait an extra week to begin its 2008 season, the Bison are chomping at the bit to get the campaign started. The long-awaited season-opener finally comes on Wednesday at 4 p.m. at Graham Field, when Bucknell plays host to Long Island.

Bucknell will officially become the last Division I program to open the season (St. Bonaventure faces off for the first time an hour earlier). After an intense preseason under the direction of first-year head coach Caline McHenry, last Wednesday's scheduled home game with Penn State was postponed due to snow and ice. Long Island has two games under its belt, road losses at Davidson (13-5) and Longwood (18-5).

These two teams met for the first time last season in Wellington Beach, Fla., and the Bison prevailed 18-5 behind four goals each from Chelsea Peters and Carol Donohue. Sarah Collins added three goals and an assist for the Bison, who led 7-4 early in the second half before reeling off 11 straight goals.

The Bison return seven starters and 14 lettermen from last year's team that finished 7-9 overall and 2-3 in the Patriot League. The top seven scorers from last season are back, including First Team All-Patriot League midfielder Bonnie Buechel, who who tallied a team-high 49 points on 36 goals and 13 assists. Donohue (38), Collins (38) and Peters (37) also topped the 30-point mark last season, while senior attack Ashley Flood figures to earn some more playing time this spring. Deitrich, Barry and sophomores Katie Fox and Kendall Thibeault will anchor the defense.

Nine first-year players join the squad in 2008, and as many as four of them could be in the starting lineup on opening day. Texan Alyssa DeLorenz is the new starting goalie, while attack Lauren Peyser and midfielders Julia Braun and Ashley St. John are also probable starters.

The game will also mark the head coaching debut of Caline McHenry, a 2005 Duke graduate and a former All-America defender with the Blue Devils. McHenry was a Tewaaraton Trophy semifinalist and played two seasons with the U.S. National Team. Last season she was an assistant coach at Davidson, and in 2006 she was an assistant at Ohio. First-year assistant coach Gregg Gebhard, formerly the head coach at Greensboro College, will also be in participating in his first game with the Orange & Blue.

The LIU game will serve as Bucknell's only tuneup prior to the start of Patriot League play, as three of the team's next four games are all against conference foes. The Bison host American on Saturday at 3:30 p.m., followed by a road game at Lafayette a week later.