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Sunday, October 3
Worcester, Mass.
1 p.m.

Bucknell University

2
at
0

Holy Cross

Claire Mensi
Photo by: Lianne Garrahan

Second-Half Goals from Mensi, Donaldson Carry Women’s Soccer to 2-0 Win at Holy Cross

10/3/2021 3:39:00 PM | Women's Soccer

WORCESTER, Mass. – The goal framework denied Claire Mensi not once but twice in the first half, but Bucknell's senior co-captain found her goal from the penalty spot early in the second period, sending the Bison on the way to a 2-0 Patriot League victory at Holy Cross on Sunday afternoon.
 
Rylee Donaldson added her league-leading seventh goal of the season on the hour mark, and 3-1 Bucknell moved back into a tie for first place alongside Boston University in the Patriot League table. Now 6-6-1 overall, the Bison returned to form defensively, keeping a clean sheet after being touched for nine goals in the previous two games against Colgate and Princeton.
 
Bucknell was buzzing early, and three straight corner kicks nearly resulted in the opening goal just 11 minutes in, but Mensi's header rang the crossbar. Two minutes later, Teresa Deda jumped on an errant Holy Cross back pass but pulled her attempt wide of the left post.
 
With 10 minutes to play in the opening stanza, Mensi got her head on another corner kick, and this time it hit the underside of the bar before glancing off the head of a Crusaders defender standing at the right post.
 
Substitute midfielder Hannah Stuck had a couple of quality attempts in the game, and her long-distance bender appeared to be ticketed for the top left corner, but goalkeeper Olivia Dubin made a terrific diving save in the 38th minute.
 
The game's icebreaking goal was set in motion by some hard work from Deda not even five minutes into the second half. Holy Cross took possession in their own box, but the freshman midfielder pressured hard to win a ball at the edge of the area. A Holy Cross defender fell to the ground and then reached out and handled the ball, resulting in the penalty.
 
Mensi stepped up to take the spot kick and calmly buried it into the right side of the goal. The Bison center back is now 2-for-2 on penalty kicks this season and has three goals in total.  
Holy Cross nearly had the equalizer a few minutes later, but Carline McIlvenna fired just wide from the center of the area off a low driven corner kick.
 
The Bison picked up a much-needed insurance goal on a clinical counter-attack in the 61st minute. Kenar Gelman played a beautiful lead pass onto the path of Donaldson making a run along the right flank. Donaldson's first touch was a rocket past Dubin and into the left side netting.  
Donaldson now has seven goals on the season, the most by a Bison since All-American Kendall Ham had 12 in 2017. Deda, who played the ball out wide to Gelman, picked up her Patriot League-leading seventh assist of the year.
 
Down 2-0, Holy Cross pressed for a goal to get back in the game, but Bison goalkeeper Jenna Hall made her best save of the day to tip an angled shot from Katie Quinn over the bar. On the ensuing corner kick, left back Leanne Engemann saved a ball off the goal line while stationed at the post.
 
The Bison thought they had a third goal with six minutes to play when Deda played a perfect through ball in to Kalli Wethern for a breakaway, but the offside flag went up.
 
Both teams finished with 18 shots in the match, while the Bison piled up 13 corner kicks to five for Holy Cross. Hall made three saves for Bucknell, and Dubin had four for Holy Cross.
 
After four rounds of Patriot League action, Bucknell and Boston University lead the way with nine points with three victories each. Colgate, American, Loyola and Lehigh are all 2-1-1 and just two points off the pace.
 
Bucknell is back in action at home against Lafayette next Saturday at 1 p.m.