Bucknell University
Navy
Bison Men's Lax Falls to No. 4 Navy 9-5 in San Diego
3/12/2006 7:00:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
March 12, 2006
SAN DIEGO, Calif. - Nick Marks scored two goals for Bucknell, but fourth-ranked Navy played its usual stingy defense, dominated at the faceoff X and scored four extra-man goals in a 9-5 victory over the Bison in the nightcap of The First 4 showcase played at the University of San Diego's Torero Stadium.
The Midshipmen (4-0, 1-0 Patriot League) received two goals each from Nick Mirabito, Billy Looney and Tommy Wallin and avenged a loss to Bucknell last season in Lewisburg. Things do not get any easier for the Bison (1-3, 0-1), who visit top-ranked Maryland on Tuesday.
Bucknell got off to an excellent start in this one, jumping out to a 2-0 lead when John Togneri and Marks scored on the team's first two shots of the night. Navy did not dent the scoreboard until the final minute of the first quarter, when Mirabito scored into an empty net after the Mids beat a 10-man ride.
In the opening minute of the second quarter Jon Birsner tied it at 2-apiece, but freshman middie Perry Menzies finished a Tommy Moore feed for an EMO goal and 3-2 Bucknell lead with 8:33 left in the half.
Navy answered with three goals in a row. Cody Shea took a pass from behind the goal and scored to even the game at 3. Later in the period Looney and Mirabito scored man-up goals to give Navy a 5-3 lead. The Bison pulled back within one at 5-4 on a strong move by middie Steve Case, who drew a penalty and ran past two defenders before firing past Matt Russell with 33 seconds left in the half.
Bucknell took only five shots in the first half and scored on four of them, but Navy's faceoff dominance prevented the Bison from playing much offense. The Mids' William Wallace won all 11 first-half faceoffs and 16 of 17 on the night.
Despite the time of possession imbalance, Bucknell hung around thanks to some nifty stops from Matt Baran and strong 6-on-6 defense. With the score still 5-4 with just over two minutes left in the third period, Togneri bulled his way to the crease but his shot past Russell caromed off the left pipe. On the ensuing clear Bucknell took a penalty and Navy cashed in on Looney's EMO goal moments later.
The momentum-shifting tally was the first of three straight Navy goals. Wallin's score with 10:43 left in the game gave the Midshipmen their first four-goal lead of the night at 8-4. Bucknell, which was shut out in the second half in last week's 7-6 loss to Butler, finally scored a second-half marker with 9:20 left when Marks sent a hard bouncing shot past Russell's left hip.
Wallin's second goal of the hard-hitting contest closed out the scoring with 4:18 left.
Navy had allowed a total of only eight goals, and never more than three, in its three previous games against Saint Joseph's, Ohio State and North Carolina. The Mids took a 3-2 lead in the all-time series.
In the first game of the night, No. 3 Duke was a 9-7 winner over No. 20 Loyola.
Bucknell's game at No. 1 Maryland is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday in College Park, Md.
