LEWISBURG, Pa. – The #12 UAlbany field hockey team took the lead in the second half but fell to Bucknell 3-2 in overtime on the road to finish the weekend.
In a very physical game, UAlbany (3-3), which outshot Bucknell (2-2) 15-9 in the contest, took the lead in the 46th minute off Dana Bozek's first career collegiate goal. Bucknell equalized with five minutes left in regulation and scored the game-winner 2:27 into overtime to win.
“It was a tough one today, we controlled most of the game but had a hard time finishing,” said UAlbany head coach Phil Sykes. “We need to keep working hard and the results will come.”
Paula Heuser had a hand in each penalty corner score with a goal and an assist, totaling seven points on the weekend. In her first career start, Melissa Nealon got the loss with four saves.
Brittany Willwerth had the first and final goals for Bucknell, with Nicole Rupnik scoring the equalizer goal in the second half. Emily Finn got the win in goal, saving seven shots.
A minute after UAlbany defended against a penalty corner, Willwerth went from the top of the half circle and dribbled the ball into the cage for the goal in the 5th minute for a 1-0 Bucknell lead.
UAlbany picked up its first chance in the 14th minute on a penalty corner. Kelsey Briddell's feed found Heuser for the shot, with Finn saving the attempt. UAlbany earned another chance four minutes, with Frederike Helmke's shot going high.
UAlbany kept firing off penalty corners, with shots from Anna Bottino, Jaclyn Hibbs and Helmke not going in. In the 34th minute, Heuser's attempt was deflected off a Bucknell defender and into the net on the high end to tie the game at 1-1.
The Great Danes kept picking up penalty corner opportunities, with Bucknell continuing to hold. Bozek got a chance in the 46th minute and netted her goal from Briddell and Heuser to put UAlbany ahead 2-1.
Nealon and the defense held against a string of Bucknell penalty corners, including a save off an Anna Wills shot in the 63rd minute. Two minutes later, Nealon stopped another penalty corner shot attempt, but Rupnik scored off the rebound to tie the game.
UAlbany had one final chance in regulation off a corner, but Heuser's shot was saved by Finn. The two sides went into overtime.
Heuser went for the cage two minutes in the overtime session, being denied by the keeper. Bucknell countered and, after another save, Willwerth got the rebound and scored for the winner.
UAlbany returns home for its next game, hosting Yale at noon on Saturday, September 17th on the Alumni Turf.
