Oct. 29, 2006

Box Score

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Bucknell forward Krista Lee Gentile scored in the 69th minute to lead the Bison (12-4-1/6-1-0 Patriot League) to a 2-1 victory over the 14th-ranked Navy women's soccer team (19-1-0/6-1-0 PL) Sunday afternoon at the Glenn Warner Soccer Facility. The loss snapped Navy's 19-game winning streak, the longest in the nation.

The loss couldn't have come at a more critical point in the season with Navy needing to defeat or tie Bucknell to earn the right to host the Patriot League Tournament next Friday and Sunday. Instead, Bucknell has earned the No. 1 seed by virtue of its win over the Mids and will play host to the four-team tournament in Lewisburg, Pa. Seeded second, Navy will square off against third-seeded Lehigh Friday at 4:30 pm, followed by the Bucknell-Colgate match-up to be start at 7:00 pm.

"We are 19-1-0, it's okay. We're okay," said Navy head coach Carin Gabarra. "We will use this week to regain our focus which all along has been to win the Patriot League. We still have the opportunity to win the tournament and get an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament."

Navy gained the early advantage in the game when senior forward Meggie Curran (Silver Spring, Md.) took the ball from the left sideline and dribbled it to the center of the field. With the wind at her back, Curran booted a near 30-yard shot that just grazed Bucknell keeper Katie Dry's fingertips and then rippled the net in the sixth minute.

"I knew that I had the wind at my back, so I went ahead and shot the ball from a ways out," said Curran who scored her team-best 12th goal of the game. "I put the ball up and the wind got up underneath it and carried it in."

The Mids missed an opportunity to go up by two when sophomore CiAnna Weikle (Lakeville, Minn.) dribbled up the middle to the top of the box where she had a one-on-one shot against the keeper, but sent it wide left with 18 minutes remaining in the half.

Navy held its lead until three minutes before the break when rookie midfielder Chelsea Brinkman sent her corner kick to the far post where sophomore Nicole Marotta was able to head in the Bison goal. For Marotta, the goal was her first of the season. For the Mids, it was the first goal they had surrendered since Sept. 22, against Albany - 983:28 minutes.

The Bison also missed an opportunity to go up earlier in the game, as Brinkman sent a free kick from 30 yards out that Navy keeper Lizzie Barnes (New Orleans, La.) was able to punch up in the air and that snatch from play.

Bucknell broke the tie in the 69th minute when Brinkman fired off a shot that was stopped by Barnes. Barnes was unable to reel the ball in as Bison forward Jennifer Devarics settled the ball to Gentile who tucked it in the right upper corner of the goal.

Navy, who fought the wind in the second half, outshot the Bison in the second half, 10-6, however nearly every shot the Mids took was pushed up by the wind. The Mids' best chance to score in the closing minute was a shot by junior midfielder Katie Traster (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) from five yards out on the left side of the box. Traster got off a good shot, but it was kicked out by Bison freshman defender Lauren Stoller to seal the win for Bucknell.

Navy held a 19-11 shots advantage, as well as earning a 7-3 edge in corners. Barnes stopped five shots on goal, while Dry made three saves.

"It's disappointing to lose at the end of the regular season like this," added Curran. "It's really been an amazing season. We'll regroup this week and we'll be ready for next week's Patriot League Tournament."