Bucknell University Athletics
Unbeaten Bucknell Men's Lacrosse Team Moves Up in National Polls, Claims Three Weekly Award Winners
3/12/2007 8:00:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
March 12, 2007
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The 5-0 Bucknell men's lacrosse team, off to its best start in 11 years, continued its ascent in the national polls this week while also claiming three of the four Patriot League weekly award winners. The Bison are now tied for 11th in the USILA Coaches' Poll and 14th in the Nike/Inside Lacrosse Media Poll. The USILA ranking is the team's highest since April 2001, when it was listed as high as No. 9 in the weeks leading up to the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament bid.
The Patriot League announced Monday that sophomore attackman Joe Mele (Westbury, N.Y./Kellenberg Memorial) is this week's Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week, sophomore Nick Sciubba (Sea Cliff, N.Y./Salisbury School) is the Goalie of the Week and freshman Tim Brandau (Owings Mills, Md./McDonogh) is the Rookie of the Week.
Mele, who was also named the Damon's Bison Athlete of the Week, tallied eight goals in two games last week, including a career-high-tying five in Bucknell's 9-6 victory over No. 19 Penn at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium. Mele then registered a hat trick in a 14-2 drubbing of Mount St. Mary's on Saturday. Last year's Patriot League Rookie of the Year is now tied for the Patriot League lead in goals with 13 through five games.
Brandau also had a big scoring week for the Bison en route to his second rookie of the week nod this season. Brandau logged four goals and two assists for a career-high six points in the Mount St. Mary's win, and he also had a goal and an assist in the victory over Penn. He currently ranks second on the team in goals (11), assists (5) and points (16), and he is third in the Patriot League in goals and points.
Sciubba also earned Patriot League weekly honors for the second time this season. The UMass transfer has taken over the starting role for the Bison, and he had two more solid outings last week. Against Penn, Sciubba finished with 11 saves while holding the Quakers scoreless until midway through the third quarter. He then had 10 saves with only two goals against in nearly 51 minutes of action in the victory over Mount St. Mary's. Sciubba now leads the Patriot League in save percentage (.703) and ranks third in goals-against average (5.20).
Sciubba backstops a Bison defense that currently ranks fifth nationally in scoring defense, allowing only 5.6 goals per game.
Bucknell is one of three Patriot League teams listed in the national rankings. In the USILA Poll, Navy is No. 5 and Army is No. 9. In the Nike/Inside Lacrosse Poll, Navy is No. 4 and Army No. 13.
Next up for the Bison is a tough road test at Fairfield on Tuesday afternoon at 1 p.m. The Stags are ranked No. 20 in the USILA Poll and are the first team outside the top 20 in the Nike/Inside Lacrosse Poll. Fairfield is 3-0 with victories over Providence, Dartmouth and Rutgers.
