ITHACA, N.Y. -- On Senior Day, Claire Vaughn scored her first two career goals, but Bucknell got a pair of goals, including the game winner from Lily Neilson to lift the Bison to a 3-2 victory over the Big Red in overtime on Sunday afternoon at Marsha Dodson Field. Bucknell improved to 7-6, while the Big Red fell to 3-8.

Vaughn converted a pair of penalty strokes and Martha Broderick was credited with six saves, but the Bison scored twice off its 13 penalty corners and again in overtime with a two-player advantage to claim the victory.

Sarah Althouse stopped all five shots excepting the strokes, picking up her sixth win of the year in goal. In all, the Bison held advantages in shots (17-11) and corners (13-5). Kira Leclercq scored a goal and added an assist in the victory.

Bucknell struck first on a rainy afternoon on Dodson Field just minutes after the Big Red's senior class was honored. Kira Leclercq scored on a well-placed shot that just got past a diving Broderick at the 6:30 mark. Cornell knotted the game at 1-1 less than two minutes into the second when Vaughn scored her first career goal on a stroke that was awarded after a defender played the ball with her hands on a shot off a penalty corner. Vaughn didn't hesitate, shooting a rocket past Althouse to even it up at the break.

Cornell took its first lead of the game when Vaughn again delivered midway through the third after the Big Red was awarded a stroke after a foul inside the arc. Her second goal was similar to her first and put the home team up 2-1. Less than two minutes later, it was all tied up again after Neilson hit a backhanded shot off a corner with Leclercq getting the assist.

It stayed that way through regulation and into the extra 10-minute session, with Bucknell maintaining possession throughout on the strength of a two-person advantage after a pair of yellow cards were issued with 2:02 remaining. Needing to kill off 2:58 disadvantage, the Big Red got a big save from Broderick, but Neilson capitalized 1:35 into OT for the win.
 


UP NEXT:
• Cornell will play its third game in four days when it welcomes La Salle to Marsha Dodson Field on Tuesday, Oct, 15 at 2 p.m.
• The contest will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
• This will be the first meeting between the two programs in field hockey.
• It will be the Big Red's first matchup with an Atlantic 10 school since defeating Lock Haven 2-1 on Oct. 16, 2022.