Bucknell University Athletics
Two Bison Laxmen Earn Patriot League Weekly Honors; Bucknell Ranking Up to 15
4/2/2007 8:00:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
April 2, 2007
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The Bucknell men's lacrosse team had a terrific day at both ends of the field in Saturday's 15-5 Patriot League win over Holy Cross, and fittingly the Bison had one offensive player and one defender earn Patriot League player of the week honors on Monday. Senior defenseman Greg Sowyrda (Hingham, Mass./Hingham) was named the league's defensive player of the week, while freshman attackman Austin Winter (Boonton Twp., N.J./Mountain Lakes) was picked as the rookie of the week.
Sowyrda, a senior co-captain, earned player of the week plaudits for the first time in his career after helping the Bison defense hold a team to six goals or less for the eighth time in 10 games in 2007. He led all Bucknell defensemen with four ground balls in the game, all of them coming on takeaways in the defensive zone. Sowyrda and the Bison defense held the Crusaders to just one goal over a span of 37 minutes while Bucknell pulled away.
Bucknell's defense now ranks fifth in the nation in goals allowed at 6.0 per game. Sowyrda, who has started all 10 games this season, now has a career-high 26 ground balls this season, a team high.
Winter continued his outstanding rookie campaign with a career-high seven points against Holy Cross. With Bucknell's offensive attack taking a hit with the loss of leading goal scorer Joe Mele to a knee injury, Winter helped pick up the slack by registering four goals and three assists. With the score tied 2-2 in the second quarter, Winter either scored or assisted on six of the next seven goals as the Bison turned a tight game into a rout. The seven points were the most in the league this season.
Winter, who earned his second rookie of the week citation of the year, leads the Patriot League in both points (35) and assists (24), and he ranks second in the nation in assists and fourth in points. He has at least one point in every game this season and now has recorded three assists in a game six different times.
The Bison are now 8-2 overall and 2-1 in the Patriot League. They moved up one spot to No. 15 in this week's USILA Coaches' Poll, and they are No. 17 in the Nike/Inside Lacrosse Media Poll.
Bucknell is back in action next Saturday at West Point, N.Y., for a critical conference tilt against No. 17 Army at 1 p.m.
