Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell, George Mason to Square off Saturday in First Round of NCAA Men's Soccer Tournament
11/9/2006 7:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Nov. 9, 2006
What: Bucknell (8-7-6) at George Mason (12-5-3), NCAA Tournament First Round
Where: George Mason Stadium, Fairfax, Va.
When: Saturday, Nov. 11, 2006
Game Notes
Bucknell (8-7-6) will be making its first NCAA appearance in 30 years Saturday at George Mason. The fourth-seeded Bison, who are in the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in the 77-year history of the program, earned the Patriot League's automatic bid after defeating top-seeded Lehigh and second-seeded Lafayette in the Patriot League Tournament last weekend. Bucknell upset both in-state rivals on penalty kicks. George Mason is no stranger to penalty kicks, having lost the Colonial Athletic Association championship to Hofstra on penalty kicks. The Patriots are 12-5-3 this season for their most victories in a season since 1998.
With a Win over George Mason, Bucknell Would...
• ...win its first NCAA Tournament game since 1974
• ...win on the road for the first time since Sept. 20 at St. Peter's
• ...reach nine wins in a season for the fifth time in head coach Brendan Nash's eight years
• ...advance to play No. 4 Virginia in the second round of the NCAA Tournament Wednesday, Nov. 15, at 7 p.m.
Bucknell in NCAA Tournament
Saturday's match will mark Bucknell's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1976. The Bison qualified for three consecutive NCAA Tournaments from 1974 to 1976 and posted a 1-2-1 mark with the lone victory coming in 1974 against regional rival Penn State.
Bucknell's NCAA Tournament Results (1-2-1)
1974 - Bucknell 1, Penn State 0 Philadelphia Textile 1, Bucknell 0
1975 - Fairleigh Dickinson 0, Bucknell 0 (OT) (Fairleigh Dickinson wins shootout 7-6)
1976 - Temple 4, Bucknell 0
Bucknell in Patriot League Tournament
Bucknell qualified for the NCAA Tournament by winning its first-ever Patriot League Tournament title last weekend. The Bison, who were seeded fourth in the four-team field, upset top-seeded Lehigh in the first round 4-1 on penalty kicks after playing to a 1-1 tie. Bucknell then defeated second-seeded Lafayette in the championship game again on penalty kicks, 4-3, after a 0-0 tie. The Bison were playing in their sixth Patriot League Tournament and advanced to the championship match for just the second time. Last Friday's victory over Lehigh ended a three-game postseason losing streak to the Mountain Hawks for Bucknell.
Bucknell's Patriot League Tournament Results (0-4-4)
1990 - #4 Lafayette 2, #1 Bucknell 0 (OT)
1993 - #3 Bucknell 1, #2 Colgate 1 (OT) (Bucknell wins shootout 5-4)
#4 Army 4, #3 Bucknell 2
2000 - #3 Lehigh 1, #2 Bucknell 0
2003 - #4 Lehigh 2, #1 Bucknell 0
2004 - #2 Lehigh 0, #3 Bucknell 0 (OT) (Lehigh wins shootout 6-5)
2006 - #4 Bucknell 1, #1 Lehigh 1 (OT) (Bucknell wins shootout 4-1)
#4 Bucknell 0, #2 Lafayette 0 (OT) (Bucknell wins shootout 4-3)
Four Seeds at Patriot League Tournament
While it is not common for a fourth seed to win the Patriot League Tournament, Bucknell is not alone. The Bison were the fourth No. 4 seed to win the championship trophy in the 17-year history of the Patriot League Tournament. Army (1991 and 1993) and Lafayette (1999) were the other four seeds prior to Bucknell to claim the title.
Patriot League Tournament MVP
After getting shut out of the All-Patriot League selections, Bucknell junior goalkeeper Joey Kuterbach has shined in the postseason. He became the first Bison player to earn Patriot League Tournament MVP honors following his performances against No. 14 Lehigh and Lafayette last week. The Kingwood, Texas, native totaled two saves in regulation and overtime against Lehigh and then made two more stops on penalty kicks to help Bucknell pull off its first upset of the weekend. Kuterbach followed that showing with a five-save outing agaisnt Lafayette. He then made two more saves on penalty kicks, including the potential tying shot.
All-Tournament Team
Four Bucknell players were honored by the Patriot League with spots on the All-Tournament Team following last weekend's championship game win for the Bison. Corey Curnutte, Dirk Swaneveld, who tallied the lone goal on the weekend for Bucknell, Andrew Loia and Mark Schmiegel represented Bucknell on the All-Tournament Team. That quartet joined junior goalkeeper Joey Kuterbach, who was named MVP.
All-Patriot League Selections
Bucknell placed two players on the All-Patriot League Second Team, which was announced at the conclusion of the regular season. Senior captain Andrew Loia and junior captain Corey Curnutte were the two representatives for the Bison. Loia, who has started 72 consecutive games, has had a solid season at his defensive position. The lone senior on the squad, he scored the game-tying goal against La Salle in a 1-1 match in September. Curnutte has been Bucknell's best midfielder all season and has tallied two assists this year to bring his career total to six.
.500 Consistency
With its 2-0 win on the final day of the regular season against Navy, Bucknell clinched at least a .500 record for the fourth time in five years. It is the first time the Bison have accomplished that feat since 1981-85 when they were also above .500 four times in a five-year stretch.
Most Goals by Freshman Since 1996
Freshman forward Nathan LaGrave has netted a team-high six goals this season and tops the Bison in points with 16. His assist total of four equals junior Joe Mellott for the team lead. LaGrave's six goals are the most by a Bison freshman since Bill Gilroy netted eight in 1996. Five of his six goals have come at home on Bucknell's Varsity Soccer Field.
High-Scoring Duo
Sophomore midfielder Alex Russo and freshman forward Nathan LaGrave top Bucknell's scoring list this season. LaGrave leads the team with six goals and 16 points, while Russo has tallied five goals and 13 points. The 11 combined goals is tied for the most by a Bison duo since 2003 with Scott Visnic and Jonathan Hemmert, who totaled 11 goals in 2004. Visnic and Chris Beekman combined to score 18 goals in 2003.
Bucknell vs. NCAA Field
Bucknell has faced four teams in this year's 48-team NCAA field and posted an 0-3-2 mark against them. The Bison were 0-1-1 against No. 16 Lehigh, while they lost to No. 5 Maryland and No. 6 West Virginia. Bucknell also tied unranked Binghamton in its first game of the season.
Bucknell vs. Ranked Opponents
Bucknell's first round Patriot League Tournament match against No. 14 Lehigh marked the fourth game against a ranked foe this season for Bucknell. The Bison are now 0-2-2 in those contests after tying the Mountain Hawks. Last fall Bucknell was 2-0 versus ranked opponents, defeating No. 18 James Madison and No. 19 Binghamton by matching 1-0 scores. In 2003 the Bison posted the biggest upset in program history when it upended then-No. 2 Maryland 1-0.
Fewest Wins in NCAA Tournament
With eight victories this season Bucknell has the fewest wins in the 48-team NCAA field. The Bison ended the regular season with eight victories and then earned ties to advance in each of their Patriot League Tournament matches. Binghamton (9-6-5), Gardner-Webb (9-7-3) and San Diego State (9-5-4) are the only other teams with fewer than 10 victories.
Six Ties in a Season
With both wins at last weekend's Patriot League Tournament officially entering the record book as ties, Bucknell has eclipsed its record for ties in a season with six. The previous record of four ties came in 1977 and again in 2005.
20-Plus Games in a Season
For just the third time in the 77-year history of the Bucknell men's soccer program, this year's team has reached the 20-game plateau. In fact, the 21 matches the Bison have played equals the program record set in 2003. The only other time Bucknell played at least 20 times in a campaign was in 2000. All three years the Bison have played 20 games thay have also reached the Patriot League Tournament.
Solid Season for Kuterbach
Bucknell junior goalkeeper Joey Kuterbach, the Patriot League Tournament MVP, returned to the starting lineup this year after seeing action in just four contests off the bench as a sophomore behind 2005 Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Year Adam Edwards. The final Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Week of the regular season leads the league in saves with a career-high 99. That figure is the most by a Bison goalie since Nathan Fitzgerald accumulated 118 saves in 1999. With his shutout of Lafayette in the Patriot League title game, Kuterbach increased his season total to seven and his career total to nine, which ranks tied for seventh in Bucknell historywith Steve Whitaker. Kuterbach has played every second in goal for Bucknell this season.
Eight-Game Unbeaten Streak
Earlier this year the Bison went eight games without suffering a loss. Among those eight contests were seven victories and one tie. The streak was the longest for Bucknell since setting the program record of 14 in 1974 and it marked the third-longest hot spell in program history. The 1969 and 1970 teams went 10 consecutive contests without a loss.
Patriot League Preseason Poll
After tying Navy for fifth place in the Patriot League standings in 2005, Bucknell was picked to finish sixth in this year's Patriot League Preseason Poll. The Bison exceeded expectations as they claimed the fourth seed in this year's Patriot League Tournament despite having just one senior on their roster.
Family Affair
While it is unlikely freshman midfielder Sean King will appear in Saturday's contest at George Mason since he has played just four matches in the last month, his parents will still have plenty to root for over the next few weeks. King's brother, Stephen, is a junior midfielder for Maryland. King, a second-team All-ACC selection, is second on the Terrapins in scoring with six goals, seven assists and 19 points. Maryland and Bucknell could potentially meet for the second time this season in the national quarterfinals.
Up Next
The winner of Saturday's match between Bucknell and George Mason will advance to the second round to take on No. 4 Virginia Wednesday, Nov. 15, at 7 p.m. The match will be played in Charlottesville, Va. The Cavaliers enter the NCAA Tournament with a 14-3-1 record.
