Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Men's Soccer Players Honored at End of Year Banquet
4/13/2004 8:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Jan. 31, 2004
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Several Bucknell men's soccer players were honored at the end of year banquet, held on Saturday, January 31, in the Terrace Room of the Elaine Langone Center on Bucknell's campus. The awards were voted on by members of the team.
Earning the David P. Rath Most Valuable Player award was junior Michael Lookingland II (Fallston, Md./Loyola). Lookingland concluded his third season with his second-straight appearance on the All-Patriot League squad, earning his first selection to the first-team. The defender was tabbed the Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year and is just the second player in school history to earn the award, following in the footsteps of Bill Epley in 2000. A starter in every game of his career, Lookingland was the defensive leader on a squad that posted nine shutouts this season, just one shy of the school record set a year ago. In addition to his defensive abilities, the co-captain also got involved offensively, scoring once and assisting on two goals. His lone goal of the season was a penalty kick in a 1-0 victory over Lafayette. In December, Lookingland was named to the Mid-Atlantic All-Region First-Team for the second-straight year.
Freshman Andrew Loia (Baldwinsville, N.Y./C.W. Baker) was the recipient of the Rookie of the Year award. Loia played in 19 of Bucknell's 20 games this season, earning the start in 14 of those. A member of the defensive line that recorded nine shutouts, Loia was named the Patriot League Freshman of the Week one time during his initial season, picking up the honor on November 3. The acknowledgement came after he played a key role in BU's 2-0 shutout victory at Navy, clinching the regular-season Patriot League title for the squad, and earning the team the right to host the conference tournament.
Senior Brian King (Medford, N.J./Shawnee) was selected by his teammates as the recipient of the Peter Weidenbacher Award, the Most Improved Player honor. King has been a mainstay in the Bison defense since his arrival in 2000. The two-year captain started 66 of the 69 games he played in, and was the leader on a defensive unit that posted 29 shutouts during his four-year career. This season, King also found his offensive touch, tallying the first points of his career. After handing out his first assist in a 6-3 win at Philadelphia University, King went on to record at least one point in three of the next four games, including his first career goal against St. Francis (Pa.). On the season, King had one score and three helpers for five points.
Chris Beekman (Neptune, N.J./Neptune) earned the team's Craig A. Reynolds Award. Named for former Bucknell head coach Craig Reynolds, the Bison mentor for 31 years, this award is given to the player who displays sportsmanship and class. Beekman made his first career appearance on the All-Patriot League team, getting the nod on the first-team. An offensive threat throughout his four years, Beekman definitely saved his best for last. The midfielder scored a career-best six goals, in addition to two assists, for a career-high 14 points. After scoring a goal in Bucknell's 4-3 loss to Loyola Marymount at the Air Force Invitational, Beekman was recognized for his play during the weekend with a spot on the all-tournament squad. One of only five players to start all 20 games this season, Beekman finished second on the squad in goals and points. With 17 career scores and eight helpers for 42 points, Beekman stands just outside the Bucknell top-ten career lists for goals and points.
In addition to the team awards, juniors Greg Buzzell (DuBois, Pa./DuBois) and classmate Jonathan Hemmert (Westerville, Ohio/St. Charles Prep) were recognized for earning a spot on the NSCAA/adidas 2003 College Men Scholar All-East Region team. Hemmert, who earned a perfect 4.0 during the fall semester, was named to the second team, while Buzzell was an honorable mention. The teammates were just two of nine team members to make the University's Dean's List.
The Orange and Blue finished the 2003-04 season at 11-7-2 overall and 5-0-2 in the Patriot League. BU completed the first unbeaten PL season in school history, in the process claiming the regular-season title for just the third time.
