OPENING DRAW
After posting two victories, including a thrilling upset of 20th-ranked Florida, Sunday afternoon, Colgate returns to the road and will compete in its final regular-season game away from Hamilton as it travels to Lewisburg to play Bucknell. Game time is set for a 1 p.m. start at Graham Field at Holmes Stadium. The Raiders head into the tilt with the Bison riding a two-game win streak and were winners in four of their last five efforts. Colgate clinched a spot in the 2010 Patriot League Tournament with its victory at Lafayette.
THE PROGRAM
Colgate started its women's lacrosse program in 1974. Since its inception, it has posted a 322-220-4 overall record; won four Patriot League titles and advanced to the NCAA Tournament four times as well. The Raiders posted their 300th victory in the program's history with a 19-18 victory over Marist in a 2008 NCAA Tournament Play-in Game. Colgate notched a 17-4 record in the 1979 season, which stands as the most wins in a single season. The 2009 squad finished with a 14-5 overall mark, which set a school record for wins in a single season during the Division I era.
THE HEAD COACH
Heather Young, the 2009 Patriot League Coach of the Year, enters her fourth year at the helm of the Colgate program. Since being named the head coach prior to the 2007 season, she has piloted the program to a 39-34 record; back-to-back Patriot League titles and NCAA Tournament berths. In 2009, her squad defeated Navy 17-4 in the Patriot League title game and eventually finished 14-5 overall. The Raiders ranked among the nation's top 10 as a defensive unit as well as boasting a top 15 scoring offense. In her three-years in Hamilton, Colgate has had 16 all-league selections – nine first team and seven second team mentions; two second team all-region honorees, as well as the 2009 Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year – Maddie Kearns. Young has a career record of 54-65, which includes a three-year stint at Davidson.
SEE YOU LATER ALLIGATOR
Courtney Miller converted a shot from eight meters out just 1:02 into sudden victory as Colgate rallied from a five-goal deficit to top 20th ranked Florida, 12-11 at Tyler's Field. The Raiders trailed 7-2 with 6:19 remaining, but pulled within 7-4 at intermission with back to back goals in the closing five minutes. Colgate squared the game at 7-7 on Miller's second of five goals on the day. With the game tied at 9-9, Kate Bergstrom gave the Raiders their first lead of the game with 4:25 left. The Gators, who had a few chances late in regulation to win, tied the game at 10-10 with 1:45 remaining. Both teams scored rather early in overtime, 23 seconds apart. Colleen Bubnack's 31st of the year evened the game at 11-11. Christina Roa set a season-high with 16 saves in the victory.
QUICK HITTERS:
Junior Kate Bergstrom has posted a season-best 17 goals and 22 points. Her previous season best was her freshman season with nine goals and 11 points.
Colleen Bubnack has 19 points in her last five games, 13 coming off goals
In her first three years at Colgate, senior Alex Kuntz combined for 17 ground balls. After 14 games this season, she has 36.
Meghan Lawler has only been held without an assist once this year and that was in a three-goal performance at UAlbany. She has 28 points in her last five games (12-16-28), including two seven point efforts at Binghamton and versus Marist. Her 63 points on the year is three away from entering the single-season top 10.
Kelly Mason netted her first collegiate goal in the victory at Lafayette
After posting no goals in the previous two games, Courtney Miller has responded with nine in the most recent pair of games.
Quincey Spagnoletti has scored at least a goal in five consecutive games. She has six goals during this recent stretch.
Kailey Krause netted her first goal of the year in the victory over Lafayette. It was her first score since a victory at UC Davis (3/16) last season.
Freshman Brooke Flanagan recorded her first collegiate points with a goal and an assist in the 15-8 win at Lafayette.
DOUBLE HONORS – CHAPTER II
For the second time this season, Courtney Miller and Christina Roa each garnered the Patriot League Offensive and Goalie of the Week honors in the same week. Miller's nine goals, including the game winner versus Florida and Roa's 29 saves versus Lafayette and the Gators gave them the nod. The last time this duo accomplished this feat together was on March 29 after their respective performances versus UAlbany and Marist. Colleen Bubnack (March 22) is the only other Raider to receive a weekly award from the league office this season.
COLGATE AT A GLIMPSE
Colgate's offensive attack focuses on three – Meghan Lawler (28-35-63), Colleen Bubnack (31-14-45) and Courtney Miller (30-9-39). Kate Bergstrom (17-5-22), Katie Sullivan (11-5-16) and Quincey Spagnoletti (12-2-14) round out the players with 10 or more goals on the season. Christina Roa (8-6, 163 saves) has played every minute in net, absent three. Five of the Raiders' eight wins thus far have been close shaves – Stony Brook (10-9), American (11-9), George Mason (9-7), Holy Cross (14-13) and Florida (12-11). Six of their 14 games have been determined by two goals or less.
BUCKNELL IN BRIEF
Bucknell heads into the meeting Saturday afternoon with a 2-13 overall record, 0-4 in league play. The Bison snapped a 12-game winless skid in their last outing with a convincing 21-8 victory over Howard, Sunday afternoon in Lewisburg. Junior Julia Braun (32-8-40) leads the squad in scoring, while fellow juniors Becca Devine (13-9-22) and Michelle Milot (15-5-20) rank second and third respectively in points. The return of 2009 second team all-Patriot League honoree Carol Donahue (10-7-17 in four games) has helped the offense greatly. The senior became the school's all-time point and assist leader in the victory over Howard. Junior goalie, Alyssa DeLorenz, the 2009 PL Goalie of the Year, ranks right behind Christina Roa nationally with 159 saves. She has played every minute in net for Bucknell.
SERIES VERSUS BUCKNELL
Colgate and Bucknell have squared off against each other 30 previous times in women's lacrosse with the Raiders holding a commanding 27-3 lead in the all time series that got its start back in 1981. Colgate has won the last seven meetings, including two during the 2009 campaign. Bucknell's last win against the Raiders was a 13-9 victory in the semifinals of the 2003 Patriot League Tournament in Washington, D.C.
ALL-TIME SCORING VERSUS BUCKNELL
Four current Raiders have posted at least one point in their respective careers versus Bucknell with Meghan Lawler (8-6-14) leading the way. Both Colleen Bubnack (4-2-6) and Courtney Miller (6-0-6) are tied for second with Alex Kuntz (1-0-1) rounding out the scorers.
LAST TIME VERSUS BUCKNELL
Colgate swept both games versus Bucknell last year – 12-7 in regular-season in Hamilton and 15-11 in a Patriot League Tournament semifinal clash. Ashley Didio, Courtney Miller and Colleen Bubnack each scored three times in the first meeting. The Raiders trailed 2-1 early and the game featured four ties. Brie Moran's free position goal with 5:56 left in the first gave Colgate the lead for good. Miller scored 10 seconds after Moran's goal to give the Raiders some breathing room heading into intermission. Christina Roa posted four saves in the second half and was credited with the win. In the second meeting, Meghan Lawler posted three goals and a pair of assists, while Didio and Miller each scored three times as Colgate advanced to the Patriot League final versus Navy. The Bison scored the first two goals of the game, but Colgate held a 10-6 lead at intermission. Up 12-11, Colgate held off the Bison with goals by Moran, Bubnack and Miller in the final 4:18 of the game to cement the victory.
REWRITING HISTORY
With 6:52 remaining in the opening half of Colgate's 15-8 victory at Lafayette, Meghan Lawler entered the Raider single-season record books for women's lacrosse. Her assist on Quincey Spagnoletti's 10th goal of the year was her 30th of the season, which broke Beth Hallenbeck's former mark of 29 set back in the 1982 campaign. It was the oldest standing mark in the women's lacrosse record book at Colgate. The senior's pursuit for another record could come to an end Saturday. With 77 assists in her career, Lawler needs two assists to tie and three to surpass Shari Krasnoo's record of 79 set between 1988-91. She has 196 points in her career and can become the sixth Raider to surpass the 200-point milestone. Lawler is nine points away from passing Angela Chongris for fifth all-time and 12 points shy of moving by Kate Manzella for fourth.
SOPHOMORE RECORD PURSUIT
Courtney Miller is six draw controls away from erasing the single-season record set by Colleen Bubnack (50) two years ago. The sophomore has 45 on the season, which is tied for fourth on the single-season list. Miller, who posted a season-high seven draw control wins in a loss to Penn State and six more in the win over Florida, was credited for 41 draw control wins last year, which ranked sixth on the single-season list at the start of the year.
.IN THE CREASE
When Christina Roa saved a season-high 16 versus Florida in the 12-11 victory, it marked her eighth consecutive game with 10 or more saves this season. The sophomore, who has 163 saves on the year, has 11 double digit save performances this year alone. She is nine saves shy of moving into a tie for ninth on the single season save list at Colgate with Sue Bielamowicz (2005) and Winnie Chao (1987). Earlier in the year, Roa became the ninth goalie in the program's history to surpass the 200 save milestone. Her 249 in her career is 115 away from moving into eighth all-time. She posted a career-high 19 at Lehigh last year.
IN THE RANKINGS
Meghan Lawler, Christina Roa, Courtney Miller, Colleen Bubnack and Alex Kuntz are all among the top 50 nationally in statistical categories in the most recent NCAA Rankings.
Lawler - tied for 1st in total assists (35), tied for 5th in points (63) and assists per game (2.50 apg), and tied for 13th in points per game (4.50 ppg).
Roa – third in saves (163), fourth in saves per game (11.6), 11th in save percentage (.505) and 41st in goals against average (11.33 gaa)
Miller – 21st in ground balls per game (2.86) and 25th in draw controls per game (3.21)
Bubnack – tied for 39th in ground balls per game (2.62) and 43rd in points (45)
Kuntz – 46th in ground balls per game (2.57).
BACK TO BACK
On eight separate occasions, a Colgate player has scored back to back goals in the course of a game and four of these have been in less than a minute. Courtney Miller was the first to accomplish this versus then sixth-ranked Syracuse when she accomplished the feat in 55 seconds. Three have come in the last two games. Greer Goebels scored 26 seconds apart in the second half as Colgate rallied for a victory over Marist. Meghan Lawler holds the record this season by posting two goals in 12 seconds, both from Colleen Bubnack in the first half of the victory at Binghamton. Also versus the Bearcats, Katie Sullivan scored consecutive goals 24 seconds apart.
RECORDS WERE MADE TO BE BROKEN
By controlling the opening draw control in the victory over Holy Cross, Colleen Bubnack broke the career draw control record at Colgate. Her win moved by current Colgate assistant coach Heidi Ross for the top spot in the program's history. The former Raider standout posted 108 draw control wins from 2003 to 2006. Bubnack, who has 121 draw controls now, has the top two single-season bests in draw controls including setting a school record 50 in the 2008 season. Sophomore Courtney Miller has 45 in the first 14 games and along with her 41 from last year ranks seventh on the career list, 10 away from passing Kate Manzella for sixth.
PRESEASON TOP DOGS
Colgate received seven first place votes en route to being tabbed as the preseason pick to win the Patriot League once again. The Raiders collected 66 points in the poll to outdistance Navy and Lehigh by seven points. The Midshipmen and Mountain Hawks tied for second with 59, while Bucknell checked in with 40.
