Bucknell University Athletics
Bison Men's Lacrosse Team Completes One of the Most Successful Seasons in School History
6/18/2001 8:00:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
May 28, 2001
Lewisburg, Pa. - The loss of 14 seniors to graduation from any team usually results in a rebuilding season the following year, but such was not the case with the Bucknell University Men's Lacrosse team in 2001.
Under the direction of head coach Sid Jamieson, the dean of Division I coaches who just completed his 33rd season at the helm of the Bison program, the Orange and Blue compiled an overall record of 10-4, swept through the Patriot League schedule with a perfect 6-0 mark to win their third league championship, had a national ranking as high as 9th, and made the program's first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Following the season, Jamieson was recognized by his peers with Patriot League Coach of the Year honors for the second time in his career.
In addition, the Bucknell seniors added 10 wins to their career total and became the all-time winningest class in Bison men's lacrosse history with 31 victories. They surpassed the previous mark of 30 set by the group that graduated in 1996.
The Bison, who were picked to finish third in the preseason Patriot League poll and were ranked 27th in the national preseason poll, began the season with a bang, shocking 10th-ranked North Carolina 9-4 in the season opener. The secret was out - the Bison had a very good team and opponents immediately began to take note.
After a dominating 15-1 win over Holy Cross in the first conference game of the season, Bucknell suffered its first setback, falling 11-3 at Penn. But the team rebounded quickly, running off four straight wins, including a crucial 11-10 victory at West Point.
Sitting at 6-1 and 3-0 in the conference, the Orange and Blue ventured to College Park to take on the No. 1 team in the country, Maryland. Although the Bison lost the contest 8-4, they gained the confidence necessary to help them thoroughly defeat 12th-ranked Hobart, 12-4, four days later in front of a huge home crowd in Lewisburg. The victory moved Bucknell's league record to 4-0 and placed them in the driver's seat coming down the stretch.
The Bison would suffer their only other regular season loss the following week at the hands of 8th-ranked Georgetown, 13-6. Wins at Colgate (10-5), over 19th-ranked Penn State (10-6) and at Lehigh (12-10) to close the regular season clinched one of the most impressive year's in Bison lacrosse history.
As Patriot League champions, the Bison earned an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament where they drew a matchup with the 4th-ranked team in the country, Notre Dame. The Orange and Blue ventured to West Point to take on the Irish in Michie Stadium, and fell in a hard fought contest, 12-7.
As expected following such a dominating season within league play, seven members of the Bucknell team were named to the All-Patriot League teams, including five players on the first team led by tri-captains Mark Juelis (Westfield, N.J./Westfield), Brian Treacher (Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa) and J.C. Metivier (Portland, Maine/Salisbury School). Freshman attack Wes Fechet (New Canaan, Conn./Lawrenceville-NJ) made an immediate name for himself in the league with his offensive talents and was named the league's Rookie of the Year.
Juelis capped off his outstanding Bucknell career by receiving honorable mention All-America honors from the STX/USILA and receiving an invitation to participate in the STX/USILA Division I North-South Senior All-Star game. A two-time All-Patriot League selection, including a first team choice in 2001 and a second team honor in 2000, Juelis was a solid defender for the Bison, scooping up 67 ground balls, second on the team. In addition to his defensive contributions, Juelis also scored a career-high three goals and added two assists from his midfield position this year. For his career, he totaled five goals and four assists.
Juelis was also a tremendous student at Bucknell. A political science major, he was named one of 32 Scholar All-Americans by the USILA following the season.
Treacher was also a defensive specialist for Bucknell, often drawing the assignment of guarding the opposing team's leading scorer. He tallied a season-high six ground balls in the Lehigh victory, which gave the Orange and Blue the outright title, and grabbed 45 ground balls on the year -- sixth on the team. Along with Juelis, he was selected to play in the STX/USILA Division I North-South Senior All-Star game.
Metivier was solid all season in Bucknell's stellar defensive unit. He finished among the team's top-three in ground balls in each of his final three seasons in the Orange and Blue, capping his career with 57 ground balls this season. He collected a personal- and team-high eight ground balls in Bucknell's final regular season game against Lehigh, helping the Bison to secure the Patriot League title.
Senior midfielder Michael Cheng (Floral Park, N.Y./Floral Park) was also tabbed to the All-Patriot League First Team after finished second on the squad with 35 points. He was tabbed to the second team in both 1998 and 2000, and concluded his career with 46 goals and 52 assists. Cheng had a team-high 25 assists this season (17th in the nation on a per-game average), and ranks ninth on Bucknell's all-time list. He scored 10 goals, and finished tied for the team lead with 21 points in Patriot League play.
Rounding out Bucknell's first team selections this year was sophomore attack Dennis Geraghty (Kings Park, N/Y./St. Anthony's). The only sophomore named to the first team, Geraghty led the squad in overall and Patriot League scoring with 40 and 21 points, respectively. After scoring only four goals his rookie season, he exploded for 39 goals this year, sixth on Bucknell's all-time single-season charts. In fact, Geraghty's goals per game average of 2.79 ranked 12th in the country. He was named the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week for the week ending March 19, after scoring nine goals in a 2-0 week for the Bison, including a five-goal performance in the Orange and Blue's 11-10 win at Army.
Junior defender Kevin Smithies (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Yorktown) earned All-Patriot League Second Team honors. He completed his first season as a full-time starter for the Bison, opening the game on defense all 14 times. On the year, Smithies recorded 51 ground balls to finish fourth on the team in that category. He scooped up a season-high of six on three different occasions. Smithies will be the foundation of next season's defensive effort.
Sophomore goalie Justin Sussman (Towson, Md./Friends Academy) made the second-team after a breakout season in the net. The Bison starting net minder for just a season-and-a-half, he ranked seventh in the country in both goals against at 7.83 and save percentage at 62.2. Sussman's save percentage this season is also tenth on Bucknell's single-season chart. He was named the Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week for the week ending April 2, after racking up 40 saves and a save percentage of 77.0 in two games.
In reviewing the rest of the Bison, sophomore attack Kelly Hogue (Painted Post, N.Y./Corning West) started all 14 games and finished the season third on the team with 33 points. He scored 27 goals (second on the club) and also scooped up 31 ground balls, and was named the Patriot League's Offensive Player of the Week after tallying five goals in the Bison's win over 19th-ranked Penn State. Classmate Andrew Sanders (West Chester, Pa./West Chester East) played in and started eight games and finished fourth on the team with 19 points. He missed five games with a broken collarbone. His replacement in the starting lineup, Fechet, went on to garner Rookie of the Year honors in the conference after finishing with 13 goals, nine of which came in conference play. Fechet played in 11 contest and started five for the Orange and Blue. Sophomore John Terracciano (Lynbrook, N.Y./Lynbrook) started all 14 games at midifield and had 16 points and 37 ground balls.
Junior midifeld Brian Loesch (Baldwin, N.Y./Kellenberg) was Bucknell's face-off specialist. He took 246 of the Bison's 290 draws and won 54.5% (134) of them to finish the year ranked 20th in the nation in that category. In addition, Loesch led the team and ranked 22nd nationally with 80 ground balls (5.71/g), including a season-high 12 against the No. 1 team in the country, Maryland. He scored three goals and registered five assists on the season.
Other players that contributed to the successful season were sophomore midfield Rob Lane (Boonton Township, N.J./Mountain Lakes) [14 games, 5th on the team with 17 points, 25 ground balls], sophomore midfield Andrew Copelan (Pittsford, N.Y./Pittsford Mendon) [14 games, 8th on the team with 15 points, 19 ground balls], sophomore attack Chris Cutillo (West Islip, N.Y./West Islip) [13 games, 9th on the team with 12 points, 5 ground balls], sophomore midfield Justin Slama (Chestertown, Md./Kent County) [14 games, 3 points, 16 ground balls], sophomore midfield Sal Cataldo (West Islip, N.Y./West Islip) [14 games, 1point, 2 ground balls], freshman midfield Brendan Fitzgibbons (Dallas, Texas/Hillcrest) [14 games], freshman defender Blaise Fletcher (Glen Mills, Pa./Archmere Academy) [14 games, 11 ground balls], sophomore midfield Crager Boardman (Brattleboro, Vt./Avon Old Farms) [11 games, 2 ground balls], and freshman attack Craig Fleishman (Wayne, N.J./Montclair Kimberly Academy) [8 games, 1 point, 3 ground balls].
Junior Beau Standish (McLean, Va./Exeter) and freshman Josh Mayer (Brewster, N.Y./Brewster) each saw time in goal behind Sussman. Standish played in four games and had a 8.42 goals against average and a save percentage of 47%, while Mayer got in one game and made his first collegiate save.
As a team, Bucknell again ranked as one of the top defensive units in the nation, finishing seventh in scoring defense at 7.93 goals per game. In man down situations, the Bison ranked 18th with a percentage of .747. Offensively, Bucknell ranked 28th in scoring at 10.07 goals per game and 15th in scoring margin at 2.14 per game. The team finished the year ranked ninth in winning percentage at .714.
Jamieson summed up the season's success by saying, "This team honored the game of lacrosse, all of the lacrosse alumni, and, themselves as they earned their way into the NCAA Tournament."
