The Colgate Raiders women’s soccer team faced a resilient opponent in the Bucknell Bison on Saturday. The Raiders left Lewisburg with a 1-1 draw after Bucknell’s consistent tenacity allowed them to come back and tie the Raiders late in the game.

The Raiders jumped out to an early lead with some quick offensive plays and strong scoring opportunities. With the efficient, quick control of the ball, the Raiders were able to create smart plays and find some solid scoring opportunities.

Raiders’ sophomore midfielder Taryn Tomczyk took possession of the ball and saw an opportunity for one of her teammates to score. She expertly fired the ball into the box where junior midfielder Caroline Brawner took control of the ball and launched it towards the goal. 

The Bucknell goalkeeper couldn’t position herself to block the shot leading to a quick Raider goal. The goal was Brawner’s fifth of the season, a team high.

Throughout the remainder of the first half, the Raiders kept control of the ball and continued to take advantage of many scoring opportunities but could not convert them, as Bucknell maintained its composure and deflected each one of Colgate’s scoring opportunities.

Sophomore Catherine Williams secured a strong scoring opportunity after maintaining possession and positioning herself within striking distance of the goal but a Bucknell defender used her body to deflect the ball and take away

Colgate’s possession.

Sophomore Jenna Panepinto found an open scoring opportunity in the closing minutes of the half and fired a shot, which was out of reach of Bucknell’s goalie, but it just missed the net as it hit the crossbar instead.

Bucknell was able to secure some scoring opportunities in the first half but struggled to maintain consistent possession. The few scoring opportunities the Bison had were craftily deflected by Raider defenders or blocked by Colgate first-year goalkeeper Brenna Mason. Mason kept the Raiders in the game blocking many shots and coordinating the Raider defense throughout the game.

The first half was marked by a strong Colgate offense that expertly found scoring opportunities to extend the lead, but a tenacious Bucknell offense stopped the Raiders from extending its lead.

Bucknell hit its stride in the second half and was ultimately able to secure more consistent possessions leading to greater scoring opportunities. Bison senior forward Chelsea Garkowski was able to steal the Raider possession and position herself for a solid scoring opportunity. She found Bison junior midfielder Evelyn Nicinski at the center of the box. Nicinski maneuvered her way through the box and fired a shot past Mason who attempted to secure the ball before Nicinski found the goal.

The goal was only Colgate’s ninth allowed goal throughout its past 13 games this season. The Raiders attempted to find its balance again and create more scoring opportunities, but the opportunities became scarcer as Bucknell increasingly found ways to exploit the Raiders defense and take control of the possession. However, Mason and the Raiders defense were able to deflect many of Bucknell’s attempts to create a lead.

The two teams battled it out during the two sudden death overtime periods. Each team contributed stellar scoring opportunities but the goalkeepers for each squad kept their composure in the final minutes and shut down any scoring opportunity leading to a 1-1 tie.

The tie sends Colgate to a third-place tie with American University and boosts Bucknell to fourth place in the Patriot

 League standings.  The Raiders will travel to Bethlehem P.A. for a date with the Lehigh Mountain Hawks on

Saturday October 26.

Contact Matthew Washuta at [email protected].