Towson Tigers Secure 3-1 Victory Over Bucknell in Women's Soccer

Towson, Md. – Towson needed a spark. It found three of them before halftime.

The Tigers struck early and often in a 3-1 win over Bucknell in Sunday’s non-league women’s soccer clash at Tiger Field, riding a ruthless first-half spell to their second victory of the season and handing the Bison a fourth straight defeat.

Towson blitzes early

The tone changed just past the 14-minute mark. A Towson attack forced Bucknell goalkeeper Sarah McFarland into a save, but she could only parry the initial effort. Meron Koro reacted first, pouncing on the rebound and rolling the ball into an empty net for 1-0.

Koro nearly doubled the advantage moments later, narrowly missing a second goal as Bucknell’s back line wobbled under pressure. The warning went unheeded, and Towson’s bench made the damage worse.

Substitute Jayla Caldwell stepped on and took over the game.

Both of her goals came from corner kicks, and both underlined Towson’s dominance on set pieces. The first was straightforward: a clean, decisive header that beat McFarland and pushed the lead to 2-0. The second was more opportunistic. A Bucknell clearance dropped at Caldwell’s feet on the edge of the scramble, and she calmly lifted a lob over McFarland and into the far side netting. Suddenly it was 3-0, and still the first half.

Bucknell did carve out one major chance before the break. At the 20-minute mark, Gaby Parker sliced between two defenders and broke into the box, only to be denied by Towson keeper Keagan Williams, who closed the angle quickly and smothered the shot.

Bison respond after the break

Down three at the interval, Bucknell came out with a different edge. The Bison pushed higher, pressed harder, and ended up outshooting Towson 10-9 in the second half as they tried to claw their way back.

The pressure began to show. Bella Connell surged into the right side of the area on a promising run, but she ran out of room before she could pull the trigger. The breakthrough finally came from a dead ball.

In the 58th minute, Bucknell made a set piece count. Defender Clare Nemsick delivered the service, and Louisa Thomsen met it with a firm header that bounced off the inside of the left post and just crossed the goal line. Thomsen had her first goal of the season; Nemsick collected her second assist. At 3-1, Bucknell had a lifeline and time to chase.

They kept coming, but Towson held firm.

Numbers tell the story

Towson finished with a 21-16 edge in shots and an 8-4 advantage in corner kicks, a reflection of the Tigers’ sustained attacking presence, especially in that decisive first half.

McFarland made four saves before the break for Bucknell, then gave way to Reese Dolan, who turned aside two shots in a 45-minute shutout stint. At the other end, Williams recorded five saves to backstop Towson’s win.

What’s next

For Bucknell, the non-conference slate closes with a trip to Villanova on Thursday at 4 p.m., a final chance to reset before Patriot League play begins at home against Lehigh on Sept. 19.

Four straight losses on the bounce. Two big fixtures looming. How quickly can the Bison turn the tide?