LEWISBURG, Pa. – Villanova broke a scoreless stalemate with a goal 52 seconds into the second half but saw its lead leveled 10 minutes later as the Wildcats drew with Bucknell 1-1 on Thursday night at Emmitt Field at Holmes Stadium.
 
"To walk away with a 1-1 draw is tough considering we had our opportunities to finish the game and we should have," head coach Samar Azem said." That being said, we're growing. Our identity is still very, very young, and if I take away that final score, I'm really proud of how we played today. I'm proud of the progress we've been making and the way the players are showing up every single day, the way they're competing. I know they're leaving this game feeling unsatisfied."
 
Makayla Stadler provided the break that Villanova (2-0-2) needed, scoring on a pass from Rylee Donaldson who was making her first return back to Lewisburg after spending the last four years at Bucknell (2-2-1). The assist marked the first of her Villanova career in just her second appearance this season.
 
"It was really cool to be able to return with a team that I've been building with and have started to create so many great things with," Donaldson said. "I think that we're just developing so well as a team and I felt really confident about coming back here. It may be a little bit of a darker blue this time, but it was nice to be able to get back on this field, see some old faces, but also show up with some new faces that are coming together to form a really great team."
 
Villanova outshot Bucknell 16-12 and dominated the shots on goal tally 9-3, five of those coming in the first half. Jackie Richards, Megan Donnelly and Stadler combined for 11 of the Blue and White's shots in the contest with Richards sending a team-high five. Her four shots on goal marked a new single-game high for the team so far this season.
 
The Wildcats had a chance to score in the 20^th minute after a corner from Donaldson. Her chance sailed into a crowd in the box before Maddie Fried took a chance to lob a glance in that was eventually pushed away and out of play, leaving the contest scoreless.
 
Donnelly sent a strong shot from nearly 20 yards out that was punched away by Bison keeper Jenna Hall. She struck again in the 39^th minute with a dead-on shot that forced Hall to make a diving attempt at the ball that fell behind her before falling on it at the mouth of the net for the save.
 
Villanova went into the half facing a scoreless contest for the first time this season despite leading shots 9-2. The 'Cats fired five of their attempts on frame while holding the Bison without a shot on goal in the opening 45. Richards led the team with three attempts in the first half, two of those on goal.
 
Early in the 46^th minute, Olivia Packer cleared a shot from midfield that Donaldson quickly picked up and sent through to Stadler. She evaded a Bison from nearly six yards out with a shot that got past a sliding Hall to make it 1-0. That goal was the third for the graduate in two games.
 
Nearly 10 minutes later, Bucknell leveled the match off of a corner. The shot in was punched out by Payton Woodward before Henna Andican scored on a rebound from nine yards out, tying it at 1-1 in the 56^th minute. It was the first shot on target for the Bison in the match.
 
A free kick in the 70^th minute found the head of Richards that she sent toward the goal, but it was grabbed by Hall.  Bucknell's Eva Frankovic took one final shot with four seconds remaining, but it landed right in the hands of a waiting Woodward to close the game.
 
Villanova is back in action on Sunday as it heads to Fairfax, Va. to face George Mason. That match starts at 1 p.m. at George Mason Stadium.