Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Men's Lax Ranked 19th in Coaches Poll
3/10/2003 7:00:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
March 10, 2003
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Coming off a pair of suffocating 10-2 victories over Harvard and Butler, the Bucknell men's lacrosse team has entered the USILA Division I Top-20 poll for the first time this season. The Bison, now 2-1 on the season, are ranked 19th.
Bucknell received 22 points in the poll, just six behind Patriot League rival and 18th-ranked Army. Virginia tops the poll this week, just six points ahead of Johns Hopkins. Maryland occupies the No. 3 spot for the second straight week, and the Terps will host Bucknell on Tuesday at Maryland's artificial turf facility.
The defense, backed by the terrific play of senior goalie Justin Sussman, has been the early story for the Bison, who take a 2-1 record to College Park. Sussman has made 50 saves in three starts, including 20 in a 13-3 season-opening loss to ninth-ranked North Carolina, and 20 more in a 10-2 win over Harvard. The preseason honorable mention All-American has a .758 save percentage and a 5.56 goals-against average, and he has allowed only three goals in his last two appearances, spanning 113 minutes.
Sophomore Chris Cara, the 2002 Patriot League Rookie of the Year, had a seven-point ledger (2G, 5A) in the win over Butler and leads the team in scoring with 11 points (4G, 7A). The offense has also received a boost from the return of John Terracciano and Wes Fetchet from knee injuries that cost both players most of their 2002 seasons. Fetchet and Terracciano both tallied two goals apiece in the win over Butler on Saturday in Pittsburgh.
Tuesday's game at Maryland (2-0) is the team's fourth straight away from home to start the 2003 season. The Bison open their home slate on Wednesday, March 19 against Mount St. Mary's at 4 p.m. at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium.
1. Virginia (3-0) (6), 196
2. Johns Hopkins (3-0) (3), 192
3. Maryland (2-0) (1), 174
4. Syracuse (1-1), 173
5. Georgetown (2-0), 160
6. Massachusetts (3-0), 142
7. Princeton (0-2), 140
8. Duke (4-1), 132
9. Notre Dame (3-0), 125
10. Navy (3-1), 106
11. Loyola (3-1), 104
12. Hofstra (2-1), 79
13. Rutgers (5-0), 75
14. North Carolina (1-2), 59
15. Penn State (1-2), 53
16. Towson (1-2), 39
17. Yale (1-0), 38
18. Army (2-1), 28
19. Bucknell (2-1), 22
20. Cornell (1-2), 19
Others Receiving Votes (in order): Hobart 12, Dartmouth 8, Brown 7, UMBC 7, Ohio State 4, Villanova 4, Delaware 2.
