Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
Hobart (PL Tourn.)
Bison Men's Lax Drops 10-9 Hearbreaker to Hobart at Patriot League Tournament
4/30/2004 8:00:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
April 30, 2004
ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Hobart scored the final three goals of the game to deal Bucknell a heartbreaking 10-9 defeat in the semifinals of the first-ever Patriot League Men's Lacrosse Tournament Saturday afternoon at sunny Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Patrick Christensen scored three goals and Chris Cara had two goals and two assists for the Bison, who finish the season at 6-8.
Bucknell, seeded third in the tournament, led throughout the majority of the contest. Christensen's tally with 4:43 left in the third quarter gave the Bison their second three-goal lead of the day at 7-4. But Hobart (8-5) rallied with three straight - two from Patrick Meade and one from Chris Scanlon - to draw even at 7-7 with 11:45 left to play.
The resilient Bison jumped right back ahead 13 seconds after the Scanlon equalizer, when Steve Case dug the ball out of a faceoff scrum, sprinted to the goal and scored with a high shot. Another 2:28 later, Christensen scored his third of the day on a perfect thread-the-needle pass from Wes Fetchet.
Hobart's winning rally began with Mike Conklin's goal from eight-yards out with 8:26 to play. Conklin scored again with 5:02 left in an unsettled situation. Bison goalie Matt Baran made a great kick save on Conklin's initial shot, but the Hobart sophomore tracked down the loose ball and flipped in an off-balance shot for the tying goal.
With 2:50 to play, Chris David was able to take advantage when a Bucknell defensive middie slipped on the grass and walked in and scored from 10-yards out.
Baran protected the one-goal deficit with a terrific save with 1:13 to play and the Bison forced a turnover seconds later to regain possession. On the clearing attempt Hobart's David took a cross-checking penalty, giving Bucknell's vaunted man-up unit a chance to tie with 58 seconds to play. But Stateseman defender Matt Murphy intercepted a pass with 35 seconds left and Hobart was able to run out the clock.
Bucknell grabbed an early 3-1 lead on consecutive first-quarter goals from Christensen, Kirk Klett and Cara. Klett gave the Bison a big lift with two first-half goals in his first start of the season at attack. His tally 19 seconds into the second period gave Bucknell a 4-2 lead, the same advantage the Bison took to the locker room after the two teams traded turnovers throughout most of the remainder of the half.
After the Statesmen opened the second-half scoring on Brian Joy's goal, the Bison took their first three-goal lead of the day on goals from Fetchet and Cara. The latter came shorthanded after a terrific field long run from defender Grant Kemmerer.
Cara, the national scoring leader, wrapped up an amazing junior season with 78 points on 38 goals and 40 assists, however he missed the Bucknell and Patriot League single-season scoring record by just a single point. Justin Zackey had 79 points for the Bison in 1993.
Still, his 40 assists set a Bucknell record while listing third in Patriot League annals. He also became the second player in Bucknell history and fourth in Patriot League history to record 100 career assists (101).
Christensen finished with 38 goals this season, tied for seventh-most in school history.
Baran finished with 15 saves for the Bison, while Hobart's Dan Valente had 13. The Statesmen outshot Bucknell 38-36 and won 17 faceoffs to Bucknell's six.
Hobart advances to Sunday's Patriot League championship game where they will face second-ranked Navy at 2 p.m.
