Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Men's Soccer Team Completes 2000 Season
11/29/2000 7:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Nov. 29, 2000
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The Bucknell men's soccer team has concluded its 2000 season with a final record of 9-10-2 and its first trip to the Patriot League Tournament since the 1993 campaign.
Picked to finish fifth in the Patriot League, the Bison squad surprised several teams, except themselves, going 4-2 in league play and sharing a piece of the Patriot League regular-season title. Under the direction of second year head coach Brendan Nash, the Bison squad reached nine wins for the second year in a row. Highlights of the season included a 2-1 overtime upset of then eighth-ranked South Carolina in the 2000 Gamecock Soccer Classic. The Orange and Blue also played a school-record eight overtime contests this season, posting a 5-1-2 record in those games.
"Going into the season, I felt we had a good chance to compete for the Patriot League title," commented coach Nash. "We had quite a few returning players and I thought our recruiting class would provide immediate help."
One of those returning players, senior tri-captain Bill Epley (Franklinville, Pa./Delsea Regional), finished his career by being named the 2000 Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year, in addition to earning a selection to the All-Patriot League First-Team for the second time in his career. He was named to the team as a sophomore and earned all-league second-team honors during his junior campaign. Epley was the leader in a defensive unit that posted six shutouts throughout the season, including three-straight in September, and allowed only six goals in Patriot League play - the best by any team in the conference. He was rewarded for his play throughout the year, earning All-Tournament honors in the 2000 Smith Barney Soccer Classic at Vermont and the South Carolina 2000 Gamecock Soccer Classic. In addition to his defensive contribution, Epley notched two goals this season, both of which were game-winners. One of his scores came in the overtime upset of South Carolina, giving the Bison their first victory over a top-10 team in school history. During the season, Epley garnered the Patriot League's Defensive Player of the Week honors for the week ending October 2. A starter in every game he played in (73 total), Epley graduates with 12 career goals and 10 career assists for 34 points.
Sophomore Nick Taylor (Cleveland, Ohio/St. Ignatius) led a balanced offensive attack. Taylor scored four goals and four assists for a team-high 12 points. He was selected to the All-Patriot League First-Team for the first time in his career. In addition, Taylor was named to the All-Tournament Teams in both the Smith Barney Classic at Vermont and the 2000 Gamecock Classic at South Carolina. Taylor was named the Tournament MVP at the Gamecock Classic after scoring the game-tying goal and assisting on the game-winner in the 2-1 upset win over South Carolina. Taylor was tabbed the Patriot League's Offensive Player of the Week on October 22 for his play in that tournament.
Senior Geza Lendvai-Lintner (Madison, N.J./Madison) finished second on the team in scoring with 10 points on a career-best four goals and two assists. He ended his career with his first selection to the All-Patriot League Second-Team after earning Offensive Player of the Week honors on September 25 after scoring two game-winning goals earlier that week. Lendvai-Lintner's three game-winners were tops on the team. He was the team's second-leading scorer in Patriot League play, notching two goals, both game-winners, and one assist. His score against Colgate in a 3-0 Bucknell win proved to be the game-winner and his overtime goal against Navy gave the Orange and Blue a 2-1 win and put the Bison in the Patriot League playoffs for the first time since 1993. Lendvai-Lintner concludes his career with Bucknell having scored six goals and three assists for 15 total points.
Another offensive threat and All-Patriot League Second-Team selection was senior Sam Graziano (Wyckoff, N.J./Ramapo Regional). Graziano was Bucknell's fifth-leading scorer this season. The midfielder tallied two goals and three assists on the year for seven points. Both of his goals were game-winners as he scored BU's goal in overtime to lift the Bison to a 3-2 victory at Holy Cross. Graziano also tallied Bucknell's final goal in a 2-1 win over Saint Peter's. With an assist in the Orange and Blue's 3-0 win against Colgate, Graziano moved into the top-10 on Bucknell's all-time career assists list with 12. A participant in 70 games while wearing the Orange and Blue, Graziano graduates with six career goals and 12 assists for 24 career points.
Junior Andrew Aurand (Middleburg, Pa./Middleburg) and freshman Chris Beekman (Neptune, N.J./Neptune) both tied for second on the team in points with 10 on four goals and two assists. Aurand led the team in Patriot League play with two goals and two assists for six points. His points this season were the first of his career. Beekman turned in a solid rookie season, scoring two of his goals in Patriot League games.
Freshman Steve Whitaker (Wayne, Pa./Conestoga) had an equally impressive rookie season in goal for Bucknell. Whitaker took over as the full-time goalie five games into the season and promptly went unbeaten for the first six games of his collegiate career. He recorded four shutouts in his first five games and allowed only three goals through his first six on his way to a then nationally ranked goals against average of 0.47. Whitaker, who garnered Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week honors for his play during his first week of action, finished the year with a 1.28 goals against average and an .807 save percentage.
Another key defensive player for the Orange and Blue was junior tri-captain Greg Stunzenas (Marshfield, Mass./Marshfield). After missing most of the 1999 season with a knee injury, Stunzenas came back this season to start all 21 games for the Orange and Blue. Along with Epley and Taylor, he was named to the 2000 Gamecock Soccer Classic All-Tournament Team.
After taking a year off from the program, sophomore Ian McVeigh (Northampton, Mass./Cathedral) finished tied for fifth on the team in points with seven on one goal and five assists. His five assists were tops on the team.
Sophomore Elliott Maruffi-Cowley (North Branford, Conn./North Branford), senior Angelo Pace (Bellmore, N.Y./Chaminade), freshman Patrick Glennon (South Orange, N.J./Columbia) and sophomore Brian Johnson (Creamridge, N.J./Notre Dame) were the other members of the team to score points offensively this season.
Maruffi-Cowley completed his sophomore campaign with a career-high one goal and two assists for four points. He scored one goal and one assist in Patriot League play.
Pace concludes his final season with the Orange and Blue, scoring three points on three assists. A participant in 55 games while playing for Bucknell, Pace wraps up his career with 12 total points on four goals and four assists.
Glennon and Johnson both finished the 2000 season with two points each. Glennon's points came on the overtime goal in Bucknell's 1-0 victory over Patriot League rival Army. Johnson tallied two assists during his sophomore season for the first points of his career.
Junior Ryan Weber (Longmont, Colo./Niwot), sophomore Chip Witte (Wall, N.J./Wall), and freshmen Andrew Halker (Atlantic Beach, Fla./Fletcher), Brian King (Medford, N.J./Shawnee) and Brock Lagakis (Bethel, Conn./Bethel) all saw substantial time on the field this season. Weber played in 11 games, starting five of them. Witte was a starter in 10 of the 17 games he played in, while Halker got the nod in eight of the 16 games he participated in. King made an immediate impact, earning the starting role in 19 of 20 games and Lagakis played in 19 contests, starting six.
Sophomores Steve Feather (Maryville, Texas/Maryville) and Tom Ryan (Pine City, N.Y./Elmira Southside), and freshmen Josh Bernot (Mentor, Ohio/Mentor), Kevin Clifford (Marlton, N.J./Holy Cross), Mark Mascarenhas (Marietta, Ga./Marist) and Keith Sheldon (Sudbury, Mass./Lincoln-Sudbury) were all members of the 2000 Bucknell men's soccer team.
