BOSTON – With first place in the Patriot League table on the line, the Boston University women's soccer program welcomes defending conference champion Bucknell to Nickerson Field on Sunday (Oct. 20). Opening kick is set for 1 p.m.
 
BU (3-7-5, 3-0-3 PL), the lone unbeaten team in league play, plays its penultimate home game of the regular season. The Terriers have outscored conference opponents 7-2 across a pair of home PL contests so far.
 
Bucknell (9-3-2, 5-1-0 PL) has won three games in a row to vault into first place in the league standings with 15 points, three ahead of the Terriers. The Bison are 4-1-1 on the road, with the lone loss taking place on Sept. 1.
 
Prior to Sunday's match, BU will honor its senior and graduate class. Seniors Celia Braun, Eileen Solomon, Erin Sullenberger, Allison Hanlon, Morgan Fagan, and Hugrún Helgadóttir will be recognized during the ceremony, as well as graduate student Lily Matthews, who was honored last year with her undergraduate classmates.
 
Sunday's contest airs on ESPN+, beginning at the top of the hour. Zach Austin and BU men's soccer alumnus George Abunaw have the call. Live statistics and an audio-only stream are available on GoTerriers.com, while the Patriot League provides an international stream for viewers outside of the United States.
 
TERRIER TIDBITS

• BU recently dispatched Holy Cross on the road, 3-0, on Wednesday (Oct. 16).
• The Terriers got goals from juniors Margy Porta and Mackenzie Stickelman as well as sophomore Kat Slott. Slott's strike was her first as a Terrier.
• Freshman goalkeeper Bridget Carr made seven saves in her first-career shutout.
• With a win, BU would tie Bucknell for first place in the standings at 15 points, and own the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Bison.
• Matthews has played in 79 career contests for BU, tallying three goals and 10 assists.
• Braun earned Third Team All-Patriot League and Patriot League All-Tournament Team honors in 2023, and ranks third in program history with 173 career saves.
• Solomon garnered Preseason All-Patriot League recognition this year, and has started 43 of her 61 career appearances.
• Sullenberger has suited up in 42 games as a Terrier, and potted her first-career goal in the match at Northeastern in 2023.
• Hanlon has made 16 of her 18 career starts since the start of the 2023 campaign, and already has a career-best 1,170 minutes played this year.
• Fagan is a two-time All-Patriot League honoree, generating Second Team honors as a sophomore and Third Team as a junior. She has been named Academic All-Patriot League twice as well.
• Helgadóttir has tallied one goal and three assists while playing as a defender and midfielder throughout her Terrier career.

SCOUTING BUCKNELL

• During the winning streak, the Bison have defeated Holy Cross, Navy, and Loyola Maryland by 1-0 scores.
• Teresa Deda, the Patriot League Preseason Midfielder of the Year, leads the conference with six assists while ranking third with eight goals and 22 points.
• Jess Benattar has played the majority of minutes between the posts to the tune of a 0.40 goals-against average and .875 save percentage.
• Bucknell was projected to finish first in the Patriot League preseason poll, with Katie Schiano also earning Preseason Defensive Player of the Year honors.
• The Bison have won the last three Patriot League titles. Last year, Bucknell defeated Army West Point in penalty kicks to reach the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

SERIES HISTORY

• Sunday marks the 17th all-time meeting between BU and Bucknell in a series that began when the Terriers entered the Patriot League in 2013.
• The Bison sport an 8-5-3 edge in the series, and are riding a seven-game unbeaten streak (4-0-3).
• BU's last win in the rivalry took place exactly six years prior to Sunday on Oct. 20, 2018.
• At home, the Terriers are 4-2 against the Bison.
• Last year, the two teams played to a 3-3 tie in Lewisburg, Pa. during the regular season. Fagan tallied her first-career brace, while Porta level the score in the 78^th minute.
• The two sides would then meet in the Patriot League semifinal round for the second-straight year, with Bucknell taking the 3-1 decision. 

LOOKING AHEAD

• The Terriers play their final regular season road match at American on Saturday (Oct. 26). Opening kick is slated for 1 p.m.