WASHINGTON - The American University women's lacrosse team took an early 3-1 lead on Saturday but could not hold on as Bucknell defeated AU, 6-4, at Jacobs Field. Four different Eagles tallied a marker in the loss while goalkeeper Frankie Solomon made 10 stops in the net.

American jumped on top first with a score by Anne Marie Person off an Amanda Makoid feed just 37 seconds into the game. Bucknell matched AU less than one minute later but consecutive goals gave American a 3-1 lead. Brit Ferguson's goal with 26:52 remaining was followed by a Leslie Fischer goal less than 30 seconds later to give AU the two-goal advantage.

Bucknell scored four goals in the final 20 minutes of the first half to take a 5-3 lead at the break. Carol Donohue netted two goals during the run and Bonnie Buechel added a free position goal.

The Bison extended their lead to 6-3 in the second half on a Julia Braun goal with 22:07 to play. American responded with a score off the stick of Kira Sonberg with 16:04 on the clock. AU was unable to find the back of the net again however and dropped the contest, 6-4.

Person, Ferguson, Fischer and Sonberg each recorded a goal in the loss while Makoid and Gina Ibello picked up assists. Solomon was solid in net, stopping 10 of 16 shots on goal, and picked up two ground balls. Whitney Kovar recorded four ground balls and four caused turnovers.

American will be back in action next Saturday, March 21, as it plays the first game of a three-game roadtrip at Lehigh at 1:00 p.m.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Carol Donohue (West Babylon, N.Y./West Babylon) scored three goals and Alyssa DeLorenz (Garland, Texas/Plano East) made nine saves to backstop a terrific defensive effort as the Bucknell women's lacrosse team turned back American 6-4 on Saturday afternoon. The Bison are now 2-0 in the Patriot League, with both wins coming on the road, and 5-2 overall.

After allowing a nightmarish 20 goals in a mid-week loss at Duquesne, the Bison defense got back on track in this one. Bucknell fell behind 3-1 only 3:36 into the game, but then allowed only one more goal in the final 56:24.

The Bison scored the final four goals of the first half the first one in the second to take over the game. Donohue tied it at 3-all with 16:54 left in the first half, and Bonnie Buechel (South Orange, N.J./Columbia) gave the Bison the lead for good on a free-position shot 11 minutes later.

Donohue's unassisted goal with just 15 seconds left in the half made it 5-3, and Julia Braun (Tomkins Cove, N.Y./North Rockland) scored 7:53 in the second stanza to give Bucknell a three-goal lead.

Kira Sonberg ended American's 40:20 scoring drought with 16:04 to play, but the Eagles were hit with four yellow cards and a red card in the final seven minutes and the Bison ran out the clock.

Bucknell outshot American 24-17 and went 10-for-10 on clears. The Bison won eight of the 12 draws.

The four goals allowed were the team's fewest in three years, since a 17-3 win over Saint Francis (Pa.) in 2006.

2009-03-14