Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Men's Soccer Opens Patriot League Home Slate Saturday Against Army
9/22/2006 8:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Sept. 22, 2006
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Following a three-match road trip that saw its unbeaten streak extend to seven games, the Bucknell men's soccer team returns home to host Army Saturday night at 7 p.m. on Varsity Soccer Field. The contest marks the first Patriot League home game for the Bison, who are 3-0-0 on their home pitch this season.
Bucknell, which has won six of its last seven matches and is 6-1-2 overall and 1-0-0 in Patriot League play, is in the midst of one of the best unbeaten streaks in program history. The Bison have not gone seven games without a defeat since 1976. The program record of 14 was set in 1974. With a win or a tie Saturday, this year's squad will climb to within two of the second-longest unbeaten streak, which spanned the latter part of the 1969 slate and the early portion of the 1970 campaign.
A strong defensive squad in recent years, Bucknell has had an offensive explosion in the early part of the season. The Bison have totaled 14 goals through nine games, compared to 16 in 18 contests all last year. No player last fall eclipsed three goals or seven points, while Nathan LaGrave (Okinawa, Japan/Kadena) and Alex Russo (Middletown, N.J./Christian Brothers Academy) have already surpassed both those figures with four goals and 10 points apiece to pace the squad. LaGrave is the first Bucknell freshman to net at least four goals since Eric Brunton in 2002.
Despite eight total goals from LaGrave and Russo, the Bison offense has been balanced with seven players netting goals and 10 different players dishing out assists.
Joey Kuterbach (Kingwood, Texas/Kingwood) has taken over for Adam Edwards, the Patriot League's leader in career shutouts, in goal admirably this season. The junior is third in the league in shutouts with three, while he has not allowed a goal in a career-best 243:07. His career-high 42 saves top the Patriot League and he is now just 13 stops short of 100 in his career.
Bucknell will have revenge on its mind entering Saturday's contest. Army defeated Bucknell last year at West Point, 1-0. It snapped a five-match win streak in the series for the Bison and gave the Black Knights just their third Patriot League victory in five years. Despite winning six of the last seven contests, Bucknell trails in the all-time series 17-8-0.
Army (1-5-1, 0-1-0) enters Saturday coming off its first win of the year, a 2-0 shutout of NJIT. It snapped a six-game road winless streak for the Black Knights. Chase Hunter, who netted a goal against NJIT, leads Army in goals with three, while Bill Watts has added a pair of assists to pace the squad. The Black Knights have struggled defensively, giving up 1.7 goals per game.
Following Saturday's match, Bucknell will still have two more consecutive home contests. It will host Princeton at 7 p.m. Wednesday, while the three-game homestand will wrap up next Saturday, Sept. 30, at 4 p.m. against Colgate.
