April 13, 2009

Center Valley, Pa.- With Colgate earning the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage for the 2009 Patriot League Tournament, and with Bucknell having locked up its tournament berth, three teams are still in contention for the final two spots in the tournament. Student-athletes from Lehigh and Colgate earned Patriot League Player of the Week honors.

Patriot League Women's Lacrosse Release - 4.13.09

Offensive Player of the Week

Lauren Dykstra, Lehigh So., M, Mendham, N.J.

Dykstra scored a game-high five goals versus then-No. 17/No. 17 Penn State last week. The sophomore also added six groundballs and one draw control against the Nittany Lions. Dykstra also tallied three goals, including the game-winner, four groundballs and two draw controls in an 11-7 victory over Navy on Saturday.

Defensive Player of the Week

Colleen Bubnack, Colgate So., M, Syracuse, N.Y.

Bubnack helped the Raiders earn two victories last week with four goals, an assist, nine groundballs and nine draw controls for the week. The midfielder led Colgate defensively in a 12-7 victory over Bucknell by causing six turnovers. Her 47 draw controls on the year moves her within three of tying her single-season record at Colgate, set last season.

Goalkeeper of the Week

Christina Roa, Colgate Fr., Potomac, Md.

Roa earned two more wins last week, upping her career record to 5-0 for the Raiders. The freshman had four saves each in wins over Marist and Bucknell, and finished the week with a save percentage of .533.

Rookie of the Week

Courtney Miller, Colgate Fr., M, Chappaqua, N.Y.

Miller scored three goals each in a 15-9 win over Marist and 12-7 victory over Bucknell. The midfielder also tallied the game-winning goal in the Bucknell win, and added two draw controls in the game. Her 33 draw controls on the year is within two of entering the top-10 in a single season at Colgate.

Patriot League Notebook

Final Two Tournament Spots, Seeding Up For Grabs

With Colgate earning the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage for the 2009 Patriot League Tournament, and with Bucknell having locked up its tournament berth, three teams are still in contention for the final two spots in the tournament. Navy and Lehigh, both 3-2 in League play, are in the tournament with wins or a Holy Cross loss. Navy could also make the tournament with a loss and wins by both Holy Cross and Lehigh. The Mountain Hawks are also in with a loss, a Navy loss and a Holy Cross win. The Crusaders make the tournament with a win and a Lehigh loss.

Potential seeding assignments for the tournament include Bucknell clinching the No. 2 seed with a win over Navy, and the Mids earning the No. 2 seed with a win over Bucknell and a Lehigh loss. Lehigh will earn the No. 2 seed, Navy the No. 3 seed and Bucknell the No. 4 seed if Lehigh and Navy both win on Saturday. Holy Cross will lock up the No. 4 seed if it makes the tournament.

Colgate Clinches No. 1 Seed

Bucknell and Colgate locked horns in Hamilton, as the Raiders picked up a 12-7 win that earned them the No. 1 seed in the Patriot League Tournament, as well as tournament-hosting privileges. The Raiders are now 5-0 in League play, while the Bison dropped to 4-1. Holy Cross and Lafayette played in Easton, as the Crusaders picked up a second League victory with a 9-7 win over the Leopards. Lafayette finished its Patriot League season with an 0-6 record, while Holy Cross sits at 2-3. In the final game of the afternoon, Lehigh headed to Annapolis to square off with Navy. The Mids, who would have earned a tournament berth with a win, fell 11-7 to the Mountain Hawks. Navy and Lehigh are tied at 3-2 in the League.

Patriot League Preview

All three League games this weekend have serious playoff implications, as Holy Cross, Lehigh and Navy will battle for the final two tournament berths. Saturday features the Crusaders at American at noon, followed by Colgate at Lehigh and Navy at Bucknell, with both games scheduled for 1 p.m.

2009 Patriot League Tournament

The 2009 Patriot League Women's Lacrosse Championship will once again use the two-day format that gives a day of rest in between the semifinals and the championship game for the top four teams in the Patriot League. The tournament will be held at Colgate University on Friday, April 24 and Sunday, April 26.

Team Notebooks

American Senior Kira Sonberg scored a career-high five goals in American's 9-5 win over Davidson on Saturday. The Eagles also dropped a close, 11-10 decision to UMBC earlier in the week. The Eagles will host their final League game of the season against Holy Cross on Saturday at noon.

Bucknell The Bison lost to No. 1 seed and Patriot League Tournament host Colgate, 12-7, last Saturday. Carol Donohue is now tied for sixth all-time in the Patriot League with 66 career assists. Bucknell will host Navy on Saturday at 1 p.m. in a game with numerous tournament implications.

Colgate Colgate earned the No. 1 seed and will host the Patriot League Tournament after handing Bucknell a 12-7 loss on Saturday. The Raiders close out the regular season at Lehigh on Saturday, the 27th meeting between the two teams. Colgate is 17-9 and has won the last two contests.

Holy Cross Freshman Kat Sutton had six draw controls and scored two goals last week as the Crusaders lost, 18-8, at Fairfield and defeated Lafayette, 9-7. The Crusaders can make the Patriot League Tournament field with a win over American on Saturday and a Lehigh loss to Colgate.

Lafayette Lafayette finished its Patriot League docket on Saturday with a 9-7 loss to Holy Cross. Senior Kristin Ruminski had three goals, six groundballs and four draw controls in the loss. The Leopards will look to earn their first win of the season against La Salle on Tuesday night. Lafayette also hosts Longwood on Sunday at noon.

Lehigh Freshman midfielder Leigh Ann Torcivia has 32 groundballs, 27 draw controls and eight caused turnovers this season. The Mountain Hawks picked up an 11-7 win over Navy on Saturday, moving them to 3-2 in the Patriot League. Lehigh looks to make the tournament with a win over League-leader Colgate on Saturday or a Holy Cross loss.

Navy Navy went 1-1 last week, winning 16-8 over St. Mary's (Calif.) but dropping an 11-7 decision to Lehigh. The Lehigh game was the 30th game in program history. The Mids will look to make the Patriot League Tournament with a win over host Bucknell on Saturday or a Holy Cross loss.