The Raiders hosted the Patriot League tournament this past weekend, earning the right to do so after finishing atop the League in the regular season. Colgate faced Bucknell in their opening round matchup, and won in conditions that had fans bundled up as though Beyer-Small ’76 Field was actually Lambeau Field. The Raiders advanced in spectacular form, besting the Bisons 2-1 in a nail biter that required sophomore goalkeeper Brenna Mason to punch a cross out of the box in the closing seconds.

Junior forward Jenna Raepple broke the ice for the Raiders, scoring in the 35th minute of the match from the top left of the box. Leading up to the play, Raepple received a through ball putting her in a foot race with one other defender. She stopped on a dime just outside the 18 yard box, letting her defender slide past on the icy field. She then ripped a low shot that skidded along the snow and into the bottom right corner.

Bucknell equalized early in the second half, but the superb play of first-year midfielder Eliza Doll helped Colgate fight for the game-winning goal. Doll found herself against one defender in the corner, and made a fantastic play that led to a Raider goal. After juking left, she cut back towards the end line leaving her defender in the dust. She immediately chipped a cross into the middle of the box where junior forward Catherine Williams was waiting to head the ball into the upper corner for what would be the game-winning goal.

The Bison rebounded with a vengeance, pushing all their players to the front lines in hopes of equalizing and keeping their season alive. Luckily, Mason was up for the task, making the necessary plays to ensure Colgate’s

advance to the final of the tournament.

The Raiders faced the Boston University Terriers in the Patriot League final on Sunday a mere three weeks after the Raiders fell to the Terriers at Boston 2-0. With home-field advantage, and a raucous crowd, the Raiders hoped to exact their revenge and bring home another piece of hardware to accompany their regular season championship. Unfortunately, Colgate fell in hard-fought 2-1 loss that left them just on the outside of the NCAA

tournament field.

The Terriers jumped out to a two-goal lead with scores in the eighth and 64th minute. The Raiders struck back with 12 minutes remaining in the game. A free kick around midfield led to a Colgate opportunity taken away when a Terrier defender fouled Raepple in the penalty area. Senior captain Caroline Brawner took the penalty kick for the Raiders and slotted her shot in the bottom left corner to reduce the deficit to one. The Raiders fought hard for the remaining time, sending cross after cross into the box, but they were unable to convert on any of the opportunities.

“We’ve done what we’ve needed to do this year to get some serious consideration for the tournament” said head coach Kathy Brawn. The selection process took place on Monday, November 10th and while the Raiders did not receive the call they were hoping for, they hope to come back next season stronger than ever.