2009 Patriot League Women's Lacrosse Tournament Preview

April 22, 2009

2009 Patriot League Women's Lacrosse Championship Page

Patriot League Women's Lacrosse Tournament Preview Release - 4.22.09

Colgate University will host the 2009 Patriot League Women's Lacrosse Tournament in which all four teams won at least four League games this season. No. 3 Navy and No. 2 Lehigh kick off the tournament with a 2 p.m. semifinal match, followed by No. 1 Colgate hosting No. 4 Bucknell at 5 p.m. The winner of each semifinal game will meet in the title game, scheduled for Sunday, April 26 at 1 p.m. The 2009 Patriot League champion will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Women's Lacrosse Championship. The NCAA Division I Women's Lacrosse Championship Selection Show will air Sunday, May 3 at 8 p.m. on CBS College Sports.

No. 4 Bucknell (9-7, 4-2 PL) at No. 1 Colgate (12-4, 5-1 PL), 5 p.m.

The defending champion Colgate Raiders come into Friday's semifinal game after dropping their final game of the season to No. 2 Lehigh, 15-11. The Raiders, led by 2009 Coach of the Year Heather Bliss, are the League's highest-scoring offense, averaging 13.94 goals per game while allowing the League's second-fewest goals per game at 8.25. The Raiders have six All-League selections this season, including five on the First Team. The offensive unit for the Raiders is led by First-Team All-League junior attackers Brie Moran and Meghan Lawler. Moran tied for second in the League with 3.06 goals scored per game, while she and Lawler combined to score eight of Colgate's game-winning goals. The staunch Raider defense is headed up by 2009 Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year, senior Maddie Kearns. Kearns and the Raiders have caused 11.25 turnovers per game, the tenth-best in the nation.

No. 4 Bucknell is headed to its first League tournament since 2006. Under second-year Head Coach Caline McHenry, the Bison got off to a quick, 4-0 start in Patriot League play. Bucknell has three All-League student-athletes this season, including 2009 Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Year, sophomore Alyssa DeLorenz. DeLorenz picked up four Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Week awards and has a 10.66 goals-against average and a 49.1 save percentage. Bucknell will also have the services of First-Team All-League senior midfielder Bonnie Buechel and Second-Team All-League at-large selection, sophomore Julia Braun. Buechel averaged 2.25 goals scored per game, while Braun averaged 2.31 draw controls per game.

No. 1 Colgate and No. 4 Bucknell will square off for the second time in tournament history. The Bison won the first meeting with the Raiders, 13-9, in the 2003 tournament to advance to the title match. In their regular season duel on April 11, Colgate beat Bucknell, 12-7, to clinch the No. 1 seed and tournament hosting privileges.

No. 3 Navy (12-4, 4-2 PL) vs. No. 2 Lehigh (11-5, 4-2 PL), 2 p.m.

No. 2 Lehigh ended its season with a 15-11 win over No. 1 Colgate, ensuring the Mountain Hawks of the second seed in the tournament and their third-straight tournament appearance. Lehigh has major firepower on offense coming from the 2009 Offensive Player of the Year, sophomore Lauren Dykstra, and 2009 Rookie of the Year, freshman Kelly Draper. Dykstra led the League in goals per game (4.00), game-winning goals (six) and ground balls per game (4.88), as the Mountain Hawks led the nation in ground balls per game with 27.81. Draper tied with Bucknell's Bonnie Buechel for the fourth-most goals scored in the League at 2.25, and she scooped up 2.81 ground balls per game. Lehigh also placed eight on the All-League teams this season, including Second-Team selections Tess McGrath and Kelsy Ferris. McGrath, a senior defender, helped Lehigh cause 9.12 turnovers per game, while junior goalkeeper Ferris ranks 10th all-time on the Patriot League career goalie saves list with 468.

Navy, in its second year of Patriot League play, is making its second consecutive League tournament with the hopes of winning its first-ever title. The No. 3 Mids are under the direction of Head Coach Cindy Timchal, the winningest collegiate lacrosse coach in NCAA history. Navy led the League with 6.62 assists per game thanks in part to the efforts of First-Team All-League junior attacker Erin Rawlick. The junior is currently fifth in the nation in points and points per game, eighth in assists and seventh in assists per game. Rawlick led the League with 5.12 points per game and 2.06 assists per game. On defense, the Mids will look to First-Team All-League sophomore defender Caitlin Mandrin Hill to slow Lehigh's offense. Mandrin Hill earned five Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week honors this season as a leader of the nation's sixth-best scoring defense. Second-Team All-League freshman goalkeeper Elaina Ponchione has been dominant in net for Navy, earning an 8.11 goals-against average and a 49.4 save percentage.

No. 2 Lehigh and No. 3 Navy will meet for the first time in tournament history on Friday. The Mountain Hawks went to Annapolis and beat Navy, 11-7, on April 11.

For the latest information about the 2009 Patriot League Women's Lacrosse Tournament, please visit www.PatriotLeague.com and go to the Women's Lacrosse Championship Page that can be accessed here.