Bucknell University Athletics
Former Bucknell Goalie Matt Baran Signs with MLL's New Jersey Pride
6/4/2006 8:00:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
June 4, 2006
LEWISBURG, Pa. -- Matt Baran (Wilmington, Del./Tatnall), a recent Bucknell graduate and a three-year starting goalie for the Bison men's lacrosse team, has signed a free agent contract with the New Jersey Pride of Major League Lacrosse.
Baran joins a New Jersey team that is off to a 2-1 start in 2006. He is one of three goalies on the Pride roster. Former Johns Hopkins star Rob Scherr is the starter, along with Baran and New York Tech graduate Matt Hunter. The Pride play their home games at Rutgers University's Yurcak Field.
A Second Team All-Patriot League selection in both 2005 and 2006, Baran started all 14 games this season and made 138 saves while allowing only 102 goals for a save percentage of .575. He finished his career with 465 saves, sixth-most in program history, and he earned wins over the nation's No. 1 (Maryland in 2006) and No. 2 (Navy in 2005) ranked teams. Baran played nearly 99 percent of his team's minutes in goal this spring, and five times in 2006 Baran limited the opposition to six goals or less in a game.
Baran is one of four players with ties to Bucknell playing in the MLL this season. Just last week classmate Michael Abou Jaoude was selected by his hometown San Francisco Dragons in the fourth round of the MLL collegiate draft.
Chris Cara, a 2005 Bucknell graduate and the team's all-time leading scorer, is in his second year in the MLL and first with the Denver Outlaws. Cara has one goal in three games thus far.
Bucknell assistant coach Pat Myers is a starting midfielder with the Boston Cannons and has two goals, including a two-pointer, and an assist for four points through three games.
