Bucknell Field Hockey Falls in Patriot League Championship Game to No. 19 American, 5-2 - BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE

Bucknell Field Hockey Falls in Patriot League Championship Game to No. 19 American, 5-2

Bison Led 2-1 at Half, But Finish Season 11-8

Amanda Faust's goal gave the Bison a 2-1 halftime lead on No. 19 American.

Nov. 8, 2008

Box Score

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Bucknell field hockey team threw a scare into 19th-ranked American for 35 minutes, but the Bison saw their most successful season of this decade come to a close on Saturday, as it fell to the Eagles 5-2 in the Patriot League Tournament championship game. The Eagles (12-7), ranked No. 19 in the country in the STX/NFHCA Poll and the No. 1 seed in the league tournament, have now won six straight Patriot League Tournament titles, while the Bison (11-8), the tournament's No. 3 seed, were making their first appearance in the championship game since 2000.

After the game, Bucknell seniors Trina Boyer (Macungie, Pa./Upper Perkiomen) and Amanda Faust (Kingston, Pa./Wyoming Valley West) and sophomore Morgan Kauffman (Millersville, Pa./Penn Manor) were named to the Patriot League All-Tournament Team.

The Orange and Blue led twice in the opening half. The Bison got on the board first 16:50 into the game, as Kauffman tallied her sixth goal of the season past American goalkeeper Alyssa Poorman on a rebound in front of the net. American tied the score eight minutes later on a goal by Natalie Ellenberger, but with three minutes to play before halftime Bucknell regained the lead, as Faust scored her 11th goal of the season on a penalty corner. Kauffman and Corinne Raczek (Ocean Township, N.J./Ocean Township) assisted. The Bison entered halftime with the 2-1 lead against the heavily favored Eagles.

Just 4:36 into the second half, however, American's Christine Fingerhuth tied the game, assisted by Irene Schickhardt, the leading scorer in the Patriot League. Just 53 seconds later, the Eagles took the lead for good, as Savannah Graybill scored what would turn out to be the game-winning goal. Megan Henry and Anne Van Erp each added a goal for American, and Bucknell was held scoreless the rest of the way.

Fingerhuth was named the tournament's most valuable player and was joined on the all-tournament team by Schickhardt, Graybill and Van Erp. Lafayette players Maggie Condon and Jackie DiSanti and Colgate's Katelyn Nerbonne and Laura Flisnik rounded out the all-tournament team.

Bucknell's two goals equaled the total given up by American in Patriot League play all season. The Eagles have now won 43 consecutive games against conference opponents. The two goals also gave the Bison a school-record 51 on the season.

The team's 11 wins is tied for second-most in program history.

Bucknell upended Lafayette 4-2 in the semifinals on Friday afternoon to reach the championship game for the fourth time in program history.