Nov. 5, 2015 ANNAPOLIS, Md. - The third-seeded Navy women's soccer team aims for its 12th appearance in the Patriot League Championship as it battles second-seeded Bucknell in league semifinal action on Friday at Nickerson Field (7 PM) in Boston, Massachusetts.
Friday's semifinal match between Navy and Bucknell will be streamed live and for free on PatriotLeague.TV. Live statistics will be available on navysports.com
KEY NOTES FOR BUCKNELL
• Bucknell finished the regular season with a 10-5-3 overall mark and the second seed in the Patriot League Tournament, following a 6-1-2 league record.
• The Bison were one of the top teams in the league at home, owning an unbeaten record of 7-0-1 with their only blemish coming against Navy in a 0-0 tie. Bucknell outscored its opponent, 16-1 with six shutouts.
• Bucknell however did not play as well away from Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, recording a 3-5-2 mark, which included a 4-0 loss to Boston University and a 2-2 tie against Lafayette. The Bison struggled on offense on the road as five teams recorded shutouts over Bucknell.
• The Bison enter the Patriot League Tournament not allowing a goal in over 479:50 minutes.
• Second team All-Patriot League goalkeeper Jessica Ratner has been solid for the Bison in net, owning a 0.85 goals-against average with a .842 save percentage and a league-best 10 shutouts.
• First team all-league forward Kendall Ham leads the team on offense, tallying 18 points on eight goals and two assists.
ALL-TIME SERIES
• Navy leads Bucknell 15-8-2 in the all-time series following the 0-0 tie in the regular season in Lewisburg, Pa.
• Both teams last met on the playing field in Lewisburg where the match ended in a 0-0 tie after 110 minutes. Navy goalkeeper Dayton Wetherby recorded a seven-save shutout.
• The Mids and Bucknell clash for the fourth time in the league's tournament with Navy owning a 2-1 all-time lead over the Bison.
• The last time Navy and Bucknell played one another in the postseason was on Nov. 11, 2007 in the championship game in Lewisburg. The Mids bested the Bison, 1-0 en route to their third league title.
LAST TIME OUT
• The third-seeded Navy women's soccer team (11-6-4) defeated sixth-seeded American (5-11-3), 6-0, on Tuesday in the Patriot League Quarterfinals.
• Navy's 17 points on six goals and five assists tied the Patriot League tournament record for most points, goals and assists in a single match. Senior Lizzy Rullan and sophomore Natalie Dzhandzhapanyan both tied the league record for most assists in single postseason match with two helpers.
• Freshman Ash Fairow recorded a game-high two goals, including the eventual game winner in the 20th minute. Navy also tallied goals from Dzhandzhapanyan, MacAdam, Mason and Pratt.
• Navy overwhelmed American in shots, 16-7, shots on goal, 8-3 and corner kicks, 5-1. Junior goalkeeper Dayton Wetherby (Wesley Chapel, Fla.) tallied two saves in 65:45 minutes and teammate Taygan Grundy (Fremont, Calif.) recorded one save in 24:15 minutes for the combined shutout.
• Navy's 16 postseason wins is second behind Colgate's 26. The Mids will compete in the semifinals for the fifth time in as many seasons.
PATRIOT LEAGUE POSTSEASON ACTION
• Navy clinched the three seed in the Patriot League Tournament for the fifth time in program history. It is the fifth-straight year that Navy will compete in the league's postseason tournament.
• The Mids are 4-3 as the third seed. Navy has reached the championship game as the third seed twice in four attempts.
• In 17 matches in semifinal matches, Navy owns an 11-6 all-time record. The Mids have outscored their opponent, 26-17.
• Navy won its third Patriot League title in 2007 when it was the three seed, defeating American, 2-0, and then at Bucknell, 1-0.
• The Mids are 16-14 all-time in the league tournament, amassing three league titles and eight regular-season titles.
AMONG THE BEST
• Navy has been impressive on the stat sheet through the regular season. Currently, the Mids are in the top 10 in three major offensive categories in the nation. Navy is eighth in the nation in points per game (7.43), ninth in scoring offense (2.48 goals/game) and seventh in assists per game (2.48).
• Sophomore Clare MacAdam's 12 goals is a Patriot League-best and sits 25th in the country. Lizzy Rullan leads the league in assists with seven and ranks 55th in the nation.
SCORING IN BUNCHES
• Navy leads the Patriot League and is fourth in the nation with 52 goals.
• The Mids have had 16 different players tally at least one goal and nine with two or more.
• Navy has scored at least two goals in 12 of its 21 contests. On six different occasions has the Mids recorded at least four goals.
• Sophomore forward Clare MacAdam has led the charge for Navy, recording at least one goal in nine games. Navy is 7-0-2 when MacAdam finds the back of the net.
UNSELFISH PLAY
• Navy has generated the fourth most goals in the country with 52, but those opportunities could not have been made without teammates setting up the goal scorers with assists. The Mids are second in the nation in assists with 52 helpers.
• Navy has had 15 different players chip in with at least one assist and seven with three or more.
• Senior midfielder Lizzy Rullan leads the Patriot League and is 55th in the nation with seven assists.
GETTING DEFENSIVE
• After allowing a league-low 1.83 goals per game through 12 matches, Navy has stepped up its defensive game in the last nine matches.
• In the last nine matches, junior goalkeeper Dayton Wetherby has been stellar in the net, holding opponents to a 0.37 goals-against average with a .912 save percentage. Wetherby has recorded 31 saves on 34 shots on net.
• Wetherby has lowered her GAA from 1.78 to 1.11 and raised her save percentage from .765 to .814 en route to her second straight nod for third team all-league honors.
