Bucknell University
Lehigh
#12 Bucknell Clinches Playoff Berth with 11-5 Win over Lehigh
4/14/2007 8:00:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
April 14, 2007
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The 12th-ranked Bucknell men's lacrosse team parlayed outstanding efforts in all phases of the game into its 10th victory of the season, a spirited 11-5 win over visiting Lehigh on Saturday night at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium. With the win, the Bison improved to 4-1 in conference play and clinched a berth in the Patriot League Tournament.
The Bison entered the game ranked fifth nationally in scoring defense allowing 5.9 goals per game, and they lowered that average thanks a hard-hitting defensive showing. Bucknell turned in perhaps is best effort of the season in the riding game, as it forced 14 turnovers on Lehigh's 30 clearing attempts. The close defensemen kept the ball away from Nick Sciubba (Sea Cliff, N.Y./Salisbury School) in the crease most of the night, limiting Lehigh to five goals on 33 shot attempts. When the Mountain Hawks did get a good look, Sciubba was usually up to the task, and the national leader in save percentage stopped 12 of the 17 shots on goal.
Offensively, Bucknell scored five of the last six goals of the first half to take a 5-2 lead into the locker room, but after Lehigh stole the momentum and cut a 6-2 deficit to 6-4 by the end of the third period, the Bison erupted for five goals in the fourth to put the game away.
Austin Winter (Boonton Twp., N.J./Mountain Lakes) had another big night with a goal and three assists, while Perry Menzies (Upperco, Md./Hereford) scored two big fourth-quarter goals. John Togneri (Longmeadow, Mass./Loomis-Chaffee) and Tim Brandau (Owings Mills, Md./McDonogh) also scored two goals apiece, while Doug Buckley (Wantagh, N.Y./Chaminade) and Brian Gargan (Baltimore, Md./Mt. St. Joseph's) both added a goal and an assist.
Perhaps Bucknell's biggest goal of the game came from middie Nick Marks (Barrington, Ill./Salisbury School) in the early stages of the fourth quarter. With the Bison clinging to that two-goal lead, Marks peeled around a defender on the left wing and skipped a hard outside shot past Eric Spirko. Just 51 seconds later, Winter fed Brandau for another goal and the Bison had a bit of breathing room with an 8-4 lead.
Menzies and Brandau followed with extra-man goals - the EMO unit was 2-for-3 on the night - to make it 10-4 before the two teams traded goals in the final two minutes.
Bucknell hustled its way to a 33-21 edge in ground balls, and led by a strong night from Rick Carolan (Wellesley, Mass./St. Sebastians) it won the faceoff battle (11-8) for the third straight game. Carolan was 9-for-14 and had five ground balls, while wing man Steve Case (Baldwinsville, N.Y./C.W. Baker) also had five ground balls. The Bison won 8 of 11 draws in the second half and dominated possession for most of the fourth quarter.
Defensive middie Michael Cooke (Phoenix, Md./St. Paul's) had several long weaves through traffic, helping the Bison to a solid 18-for-21 clearing performance. Cooke also scored a goal in an unsettled situation off a feed from Winter with 3:49 left in the half.
Togneri's second goal of the night, which gave Bucknell a 6-2 lead at the 9:18 mark of the third quarter, was a highlight-reel play. Togneri tried to split a double team deep on the right wing but had the ball checked from his stick. He then fought through the two defenders to collect the loose ball and quickly fired a hard lefty shot past Spirko.
Stephen Marino was Lehigh's top point-producer with a goal and two assists. The Mountain Hawks, who were eliminated from postseason contention with the loss, had five different goal-scorers on the night. Alec Hooff and Jeff Wiener each tallies a goal and an assist.
Bucknell has now reached the 10-win plateau for the fourth time in school history and for the first time since 2001. That season, the Bison finished 10-4 and went to the NCAA Tournament after winning the Patriot League title. The only Bucknell team to win more than 10 in a season was the 1996 squad that finished 12-0.
The Bison will play their final home game of 2007 on Tuesday night against Penn State at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium at 7:30 p.m. Prior to the game, Bucknell's senior class will be honored.
The Patriot League Tournament will be held at Navy on Apr. 27 and 29. Bucknell will face Colgate in one semifinal game, either as the No. 2 or 3 seed. The Bison and Raiders are both 4-1 in the Patriot League, and second place will be determined when the teams meet in the regular-season finale Apr. 21 in Hamilton, N.Y. Navy is the top seed, while Army clinched the No. 4 spot with Lehigh's loss.
