Bucknell University Athletics
Update from Head Men's Lacrosse Coach Frank Fedorjaka -- May 2023
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Dear Alumni, Parents, and Friends of the Bucknell Men’s Lacrosse Program,
Our season is now over and our last month was very similar to the month prior. We went 1-3 but we were very competitive in each game. We lost to Lehigh 11-8, but we were tied 8-8 with about 11 minutes to go in the 4th quarter having lost ALL 19 face-offs up to that point. We lost on the road to a very much improved Lafayette team in a virtual play-in-game. We were down 9-3 in the second half, tied it up with 16 seconds left in regulation, and had a point-blank shot to win it that was saved with one second remaining. Ultimately, we dropped a 14-13 game in OT having lost 20-of-31 face-offs. We played Navy in our last game on Senior Night at Christy. We were winning at halftime, down 10-9 with three minutes to go in the 4th, and had a point-blank shot to tie it up. But ultimately, we came up short, 12-9, having lost 19-of-25 face-offs.
Clearly, the face-off possession was our biggest issue this year. That is always been a priority in recruiting and we will continue to work very hard at it. I am going to do some research to see where we stand in Offensive and Defensive efficiency to more accurately evaluate how good we were, but I know that we did a lot of really great things on both sides of the ball.
Some of the guys continue to be among the statistical standouts for all of Division I. Dutch Furlong continues to rank among the top assist leaders in the nation at No. 3 and points at No. 9. Danny Striano is fourth in the nation in ground balls per game (for non-face-off personnel). Andrew Stanzel (10th) and Hank Bethel (14th) are both among the top-20 for caused turnovers. Connor Davis is 30th in goals per game. As a team, we are third in caused turnovers per game and our man-up unit is 19th.
I am pleased to announce that we had four All-Patriot League 2nd Team honorees this year. Congratulations to Hank Bethel, Andrew Stanzel, Dutch Furlong, and Will Hopkins! Lots of hard work paying off for those young men. It's really impressive for Hopkins to make 2nd Team as a first-year player. Hopkins also led the PL with three "Rookie of the Week" honors.
I would like to thank the seniors who gave so much to this program. They endured a lot while here at Bucknell with their first two years being massively disrupted because of Covid-19 and the many things that were taken from them.
I would also like to thank Bently Elliott '66 for attending our end-of-the-year banquet on Saturday, April 29. Bently was a classmate of Bub Morgan at Bucknell and he flew up from Charleston, S.C., to attend. We have an annual Bub Morgan Memorial Tenacity Award that is given to the player that exhibits exceptional tenacity and has a warrior-like approach to the game of lacrosse. This individual also has to be a great teammate and someone you can always count on to be there for you. Bently wanted to be there to see the award given and shake the hand of the recipient. Andrew Stanzel was this year's choice.
Here is the list of award winners from the end-of-the-year banquet:
I’d like to close by thanking all of you for your continued support this year during a very challenging season. We can always count on our parents, alumni, and friends to be loud and proud at our games, and your support off the field also goes a long way in allowing us to provide such a positive experience for our team.
Go Herd!
Frank Fedorjaka
Head Men's Lacrosse Coach
Bucknell University
fedorjak@bucknell.edu
Past Newsletters:
Bison Club support is the driving force behind Bucknell Athletics. Your donations directly impact the holistic development of student-athletes from 27 Division I varsity programs who are building a foundation at Bucknell to become leaders and difference-makers around the globe. Make your gift online, or call 570-577-1771 to support your favorite Bison team today.
Our season is now over and our last month was very similar to the month prior. We went 1-3 but we were very competitive in each game. We lost to Lehigh 11-8, but we were tied 8-8 with about 11 minutes to go in the 4th quarter having lost ALL 19 face-offs up to that point. We lost on the road to a very much improved Lafayette team in a virtual play-in-game. We were down 9-3 in the second half, tied it up with 16 seconds left in regulation, and had a point-blank shot to win it that was saved with one second remaining. Ultimately, we dropped a 14-13 game in OT having lost 20-of-31 face-offs. We played Navy in our last game on Senior Night at Christy. We were winning at halftime, down 10-9 with three minutes to go in the 4th, and had a point-blank shot to tie it up. But ultimately, we came up short, 12-9, having lost 19-of-25 face-offs.
Clearly, the face-off possession was our biggest issue this year. That is always been a priority in recruiting and we will continue to work very hard at it. I am going to do some research to see where we stand in Offensive and Defensive efficiency to more accurately evaluate how good we were, but I know that we did a lot of really great things on both sides of the ball.
Some of the guys continue to be among the statistical standouts for all of Division I. Dutch Furlong continues to rank among the top assist leaders in the nation at No. 3 and points at No. 9. Danny Striano is fourth in the nation in ground balls per game (for non-face-off personnel). Andrew Stanzel (10th) and Hank Bethel (14th) are both among the top-20 for caused turnovers. Connor Davis is 30th in goals per game. As a team, we are third in caused turnovers per game and our man-up unit is 19th.
I am pleased to announce that we had four All-Patriot League 2nd Team honorees this year. Congratulations to Hank Bethel, Andrew Stanzel, Dutch Furlong, and Will Hopkins! Lots of hard work paying off for those young men. It's really impressive for Hopkins to make 2nd Team as a first-year player. Hopkins also led the PL with three "Rookie of the Week" honors.
I would like to thank the seniors who gave so much to this program. They endured a lot while here at Bucknell with their first two years being massively disrupted because of Covid-19 and the many things that were taken from them.
I would also like to thank Bently Elliott '66 for attending our end-of-the-year banquet on Saturday, April 29. Bently was a classmate of Bub Morgan at Bucknell and he flew up from Charleston, S.C., to attend. We have an annual Bub Morgan Memorial Tenacity Award that is given to the player that exhibits exceptional tenacity and has a warrior-like approach to the game of lacrosse. This individual also has to be a great teammate and someone you can always count on to be there for you. Bently wanted to be there to see the award given and shake the hand of the recipient. Andrew Stanzel was this year's choice.
Here is the list of award winners from the end-of-the-year banquet:
- Iron Man Award - Conor McCusker ’23
- Offensive Rookie of the Year - Will Hopkins ’26
- Defensive Rookie of the Year - Jaz Zanelli ’26 (started every game in the cage)
- Most Valuable Player - Danny Striano ’23
- Offensive Most Valuable Player - Dutch Furlong ’24
- Defensive Most Valuable Player - Hank Bethel ’23
- Most Improved Player - Jack Feda ’23
- Outstanding Leadership Award - Joe Scattareggia ’23
- Energy & Enthusiasm Award - Jack Billitier ’23
- Character Award - Brian Miller ’23
- Teammate Award - Dan Parson ’23
- Integrity Award - Tanner Germain ’23
- Versatility Award - C.J. Baroni ’23
- Bub Morgan Memorial Tenacity Award - Andrew Stanzel ’23
- Bison Award - One who most represents what it means to be a Bucknell lacrosse player - Danny Striano ’23
I’d like to close by thanking all of you for your continued support this year during a very challenging season. We can always count on our parents, alumni, and friends to be loud and proud at our games, and your support off the field also goes a long way in allowing us to provide such a positive experience for our team.
Go Herd!
Frank Fedorjaka
Head Men's Lacrosse Coach
Bucknell University
fedorjak@bucknell.edu
Past Newsletters:
Bison Club support is the driving force behind Bucknell Athletics. Your donations directly impact the holistic development of student-athletes from 27 Division I varsity programs who are building a foundation at Bucknell to become leaders and difference-makers around the globe. Make your gift online, or call 570-577-1771 to support your favorite Bison team today.