Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell, Colgate Meet Again Friday In PL Men's Lax Semis
4/25/2007 8:00:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
April 25, 2007
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Bucknell and Colgate meet for the second time in six days on Friday night in the second of two Patriot League Tournament semifinal games at Navy-Marine Corps Stadium. Top-seeded Navy will host No. 4 Army in the other semi at 4 p.m. Colgate defeated Bucknell 9-7 at Tyler's Field last Saturday to improve to 5-1 in the Patriot League and secure the No. 2 seed. The Bison, 4-2 in the league, are seeded third. Bucknell's four-game winning streak came to an end with Saturday's loss. Still, at 11-3 overall the Bison are tied for the most victories in the nation and remain one win shy of the school record. Defense continues to be the team's forte. The Orange & Blue went seven straight games without allowing more than six goals until the Raiders posted seven in the first half and nine overall last week. The Bison still rank No. 2 nationally in scoring defense allowing 6.0 goals per game, while Colgate is 16th at 7.9. Bucknell is seeking its first Patriot League Tournament championship game appearance.
With a Win over Colgate, Bucknell Would ...
• ... win a Patriot League Tournament game and advance to the championship for the first time.
• ... play the winner of the Army-Navy game on Sunday at noon (TV: CSTV; Radio: WVBU 90.5 FM and BucknellBison.com)
• ... equal the school record for wins in a season (12, 1996).
• ... improve to 17-7 all-time against the Raiders.
• ... snap a two-game losing streak to the Raiders.
• ... improve to 4-2 against ranked teams this season.
Bucknell in the Patriot League Tournament
The Patriot League began contesting a four-team postseason tournament in men's lacrosse in 2004, and the Bison appeared in the event in 2004 and 2005. Bucknell is 0-2 in Patriot League Tournament play, with both losses coming by a single goal. In 2004, Hobart scored the final three goals of the game to stun Bucknell 10-9. In 2005, the Bison scored twice in the final three minutes to send the game to overtime, only to see Army score 1:47 into the extra period to steal a 9-8 victory.
Bucknell Ends Regular Season 11-3
Featuring one of the youngest offenses in the nation, the Bison went 11-3 in the regular season, moving them within one victory of the school record, set by the 1996 team that went 12-0. Among the victories are an overtime thriller over former Patriot League rival Hobart, as well as three wins against teams that were nationally ranked on gameday (#17 Army, #19 Ohio State, #19 Penn). After starting the year 5-0, Bucknell suffered its first defeat on March 13 at Fairfield, which was then ranked No. 20. The only other setbacks were a tough 6-3 loss to then-No. 4 Navy on March 25 and a 9-7 loss at Colgate last week.
Bison Among National Victory Leaders
Heading into the weekend, Bucknell is one of five Division I teams with 11 wins.
Team W-L Pct. Cornell 11-0 1.000 Albany 11-1 .917 Duke 11-2 .846 Virginia 11-2 .846 Bucknell 11-3 .786 Drexel 10-4 .714 6 teams 9 wins
Bucknell Back in Top 20
Bucknell has spent the last nine weeks ranked in the top 20, peaking at No. 11 in the USILA Coaches' Poll on March 12. That was the team's highest ranking since it was listed No. 9 during the 2001 Patriot League Championship season. This week, Bucknell is ranked No. 16 in the USILA Coaches' Poll, No. 17 in the Nike/Inside Lacrosse Media Poll and No. 18 in the Baltimore Sun Poll.
Last Time Out
The 12th-ranked Bucknell men's lacrosse team suffered only its third defeat of the season, 9-7 at Colgate on Saturday afternoon in its regular-season finale. Perry Menzies scored three goals for the Bison, while Colgate received four goals from Brendan Hurley, two goals from Ian Murphy and a goal and two assists from Brandon Corp. Bucknell came into the game ranked second in the nation in scoring defense allowing only 5.7 goals per game, but the Raiders posted seven goals in the first half to build a commanding lead. Hurley's goal with 6:53 left in the first quarter gave Colgate a 2-0 lead, but Menzies scored just 32 seconds later to get the Bison on the board, and Menzies tallied again 32 seconds after that to make it 2-2. The Bison took a penalty on the ensuing faceoff, however, and Colgate's vaunted extra-man unit produced the tiebreaking goal when Kevin Colleluori scored off a Corp feed just 22 seconds after the Menzies equalizer. It was the game's fourth goal in 86 seconds. Early in the second period Bucknell's Nick Marks was flagged for a 3-minute penalty for an illegal stick, and Nick Monastero scored another EMO goal to make it 4-2. The Raiders came into the game leading the nation in extra-man efficiency, converting at 59.5 percent, and they went 2-for-3 on Saturday. Murphy's goal with 6:54 left in the half put Colgate ahead 5-2, and all Bucknell could do was trade goals the rest of the way. The Raiders led 7-4 at the half, and despite second-half goals from John Togneri, Zander Crawford and Austin Winter, the Bison could not pull closer than two goals. Colgate finished with a 31-28 shot advantage and won 15 of 20 faceoffs. Bison goalie Nick Sciubba, the national leader in goals-against average and save percentage coming in to the game, was credited with 10 saves.
The Bucknell-Colgate Series
Bucknell holds a 16-7 lead in a series that dates back to 1979.
4/6/79 Lewisburg, Pa. Bucknell, 21-3 5/10/80 Hamilton, N.Y. Bucknell, 18-2 3/26/83 Lewisburg, Pa. Bucknell, 14-10 3/24/84 Lewisburg, Pa. Bucknell, 13-4 3/25/89 Lewisburg, Pa. Bucknell, 11-7 5/2/90 Hamilton, N.Y. Colgate, 16-10 4/27/91 Hamilton, N.Y. Bucknell, 17-9 4/25/92 Lewisburg, Pa. Bucknell, 16-11 4/24/93 Hamilton, N.Y. Colgate, 12-11 4/23/94 Lewisburg, Pa. Bucknell, 16-13 4/22/95 Hamilton, N.Y. Colgate, 17-8 4/20/96 Lewisburg, Pa. Bucknell, 11-3 4/19/97 Hamilton, N.Y. Colgate, 19-6 4/18/98 Lewisburg, Pa. Colgate, 10-6 4/17/99 Hamilton, N.Y. Bucknell, 9-7 4/14/00 Lewisburg, Pa. Bucknell, 13-4 4/14/01 Hamilton, N.Y. Bucknell, 10-5 4/14/02 Lewisburg, Pa. Bucknell, 15-6 4/19/03 Hamilton, N.Y. Bucknell, 10-9 4/24/04 Lewisburg, Pa. Bucknell, 6-5 4/23/05 Hamilton, N.Y. Bucknell, 10-8 4/23/06 Lewisburg, Pa. Colgate, 8-6 4/21/07 Hamilton, N.Y. Colgate, 9-7
On the Case
Bucknell significantly benefitted from the return from injury of do-it-all middie Steve Case in its Apr. 7 win over Army. Case entered his senior year with 51 career points (23G, 28A), but he was asked to sacrifice some offensive productivity to help the team's transition game. His biggest impact has been as a wing man on faceoffs. Despite missing three full games due to injury, Case leads the team in ground balls with 38 and ranks fourth in the Patriot League in ground balls per game (3.45). Against Army, he had a game-high six ground balls, all of them coming on faceoffs. Case also had an assist on Tim Brandau's goal just 11 seconds after the second-quarter draw.
Mele, Klett Lost for Season
Bucknell's championship quest is moving forward without star attackman Joe Mele, who suffered an ACL injury in the fourth quarter of the March 25 Navy game and will be out for the remainder of the season. Mele, who leads the Patriot League in goals per game (2.7) and still ranks fourth in total goals (24) despite missing the last five games, was a mid-season addition to the Tewaaraton Trophy watch list. He was the Patriot League Rookie of the Year in 2006 after ranking second in the league with 26 goals. The Bison were already playing without senior attackman Kirk Klett, a 62-goal scorer in his career who tore an ACL in a February scrimmage game against North Carolina.
Getting Defensive
The Bison currently rank second nationally in scoring defense (6.0 goals per game allowed), and Bucknell's defense has a chance to rank among the best in school history.
National Defensive Rankings Bucknell's Top Defensive Teams 1. Princeton 5.91 1969 4.3 2. Bucknell 6.00 1970 4.7 3. Notre Dame 6.17 2007 6.0 4. Hofstra 6.27 1996 6.2 5. Navy 6.42 2001 6.2 6. Cornell 6.45 2003 7.0 7. Army 6.50 1968 7.2 8. Duke 7.08 2000 7.2 Virginia 7.08 1973 7.5 10. Drexel 7.29 2006 7.5
Kiddie Corps
Eight of Bucknell's top 13 scorers, including the top three, are first or second-year players. Freshman Austin Winter leads the team and the league in assists (28) and points (46), while sophomore Joe Mele and freshman Tim Brandau are the top goal producers (24, 23). All told, 74.8% of the goals, 74.6% of the assists and 77.7% of the points come from freshmen or sophomores.
In the Crease
Nick Sciubba, who was the No. 2 goalie on the UMass team that went all the way to the NCAA title game last season, transferred to Bucknell after last season and has taken over as the starting netminder. Sciubba has already been named the Patriot League Goalie of the Week four times, and in 14 games (12 starts) has a terrific .665 save percentage with 143 saves and only 72 goals allowed. Sciubba leads the nation in both save percentage and goals-against average.
Long Poles Having Strong Season
While new goalie Nick Sciubba has been a tremendous addition, another key to Bucknell's defensive prowess has been the return of all three starting close defensemen and the top two long-stick defensive midfielders. The close defense trio of senior co-captain Greg Sowyrda, junior Evan Burns and sophomore Billy Haire are all having excellent seasons. The starting unit has an average build of 6'3", 215 pounds and is a major reason why the Bison have allowed six goals or less in 11 of 14 games. Senior co-captain Paul Stansik and junior Tommy Orr are two of the league's better long-stick middies, while freshman Scott Monfort has also filled in nicely as a fourth defenseman and a wing man on faceoffs.
At the X
Bucknell really struggled in the faceoff department last season, winning only 38.0% on the year. In 2007, the Bison are improved at the X, winning 44.4% as a team. A big reason for the improvement lies in the conversion of former defensive backups Rick Carolan and Danylko Kulczycky to full-time faceoff specialists. Starting with fall practices, Carolan and Kulczycky have worked on nothing but faceoff technique. Carolan has been the primary faceoff specialist and has been winning at a 48.2% clip.
Gargan Making Strong Comeback
Senior co-captain Brian Gargan earned his starting job back after missing all of 2006 with a knee injury. He has a goal in 10 of 14 games this season, including hat tricks against Air Force and Penn State, and he is the team's fourth-leading scorer with 21 points on 16 goals and five assists. A former walk-on, Gargan claimed a starting assignment as a freshman and scored 14 goals. He tallied 13 more as a sophomore but tore an ACL in the preseason a year ago. Gargan began this season as a midfielder, but moved back to attack when Joe Mele went down with a knee injury. Gargan had one of the best games of his career in Bucknell's 7-5 win over Penn State last week, when he scored three times in the first quarter alone then added an assist, drew a penalty and won a key ground ball to help the team run out the clock late in the game.
Stansik A Candidate for Lowe's Senior CLASS Award
Bucknell senior Paul Stansik was named one of 20 national candidates for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award in the men's lacrosse division. In addition to being one of the Patriot League's top long-stick defensive midfielders, Stansik is a team co-captain and positive role model on and off the field, and he carries a 3.55 cumulative grade-point average in Bucknell's challenging management program. Candidates for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award were selected based on personal qualities that define a complete student athlete. While the on-the-field performance during their collegiate lacrosse careers is a factor in determining candidates and the eventual winner, their personal character and off-the-field achievements in the classroom and community are major areas of focus.
Winter Wonderland
Freshman attackman Austin Winter has been quite an addition to the Bison lineup and is a leading contender for Patriot League Rookie of the Year honors. Winter is the only Bucknell player with a point in every game this season, and he has multiple points in 13 of 14 contests. Winter leads the league in both points (46) and assists (28), and he ranks fifth in the nation in assists.
Menzies Lets It Fly
Sophomore middie Perry Menzies registered his second career hat trick on Saturday against Colgate. He also had three goals, including the tying goal in the last minute of regulation, in an overtime win over Hobart on Feb. 24. Menzies, who has one of the hardest shots on the team, leads the Patriot League in shot attempts with 102.
Ride Like the Wind
Bucknell has enjoyed great success in the riding game this season, particularly late in the year. In the last three games Lehigh (16-30), Penn State (14-19) and Colgate (13-22) combined for a meager 60.6% clearing rate. On the season, Bison opponents were successful clearing 70.2% of the time. That is the second-best figure in the Patriot League, behind only Colgate (.692). Meanwhile, the Bison also rank second in the league in their own clearing efficiency. Bucknell has transitioned at a 76.7% clip, just behind Army at 81.4%.
Working Overtime
Bucknell is 3-0 in overtime under coach Frank Fedorjaka. The team's last OT loss came against Army (9-8) in the 2005 Patriot League Tournament, Sid Jamieson's last game as head coach.
Bucknell in OT Under Frank Fedorjaka Winning Goal 3/14/06 at #1 Maryland, won, 7-6 (2OT) Joe Mele 3/18/06 at Holy Cross, won, 4-3 Nick Marks 2/24/07 vs. Hobart, won, 11-10 Tim Brandau
Bragging Rights
In back-to-back games early this season, Bucknell claimed victories over the alma maters of both head coach Frank Fedorjaka and assistant coach Pat Myers. Fedorjaka, a 1989 Hobart graduate, watched his Bison squad upend the Statesmen 11-10 in overtime on Feb. 24. A week later Myers, a 2003 Ohio State grad, helped Bucknell to a 7-6 win over the Buckeyes.
Maryland Connections
Bucknell has several key players returning to their home state this weekend. Senior attack Brian Gargan (Baltimore/Mt. St. Joseph's), junior defenseman Evan Burns (Baltimore/Boys' Latin), sophomore midfielder Perry Menzies (Upperco/Hereford) and freshman attack Tim Brandau (Owings Mills/McDonogh) are all probable starters. Junior Patrick Keeney (Baldwin/Loyola Blakefield) and sophomore Michael Cooke (Phoenix/St. Paul's) are likely to see action as short-stick defensive middies, while freshman Zander Crawford (Clarksville/Atholton) has seen his playing time increase of late as a reserve attack. Other Marylanders on the squad include backup goalie Matt Antonelli (Arnold/Archbishop Spalding) and freshman attack Griffin Shay (Baltimore/Gilman).
Bucknell-Colgate Ties
• Colgate defenseman Colin Hulme is the older brother of Alexandra Hulme, a sophomore on the Bucknell women's lacrosse team.
• Colgate's Brendan Hurley and Brian McGowan were teammates with Bucknell's Doug Buckley at Chaminade H.S.
• Bison DM Patrick Keeney and Colgate GK Tim Harrington and ATK Connor Smith and are both graduates of Loyola Blakefield in Baltimore.
• Bucknell's Griffin Shay and Colgate's Andrew Watkins both attended Gilman School in Baltimore.
Bison Bits
After winning the faceoff battle in three straight wins over Holy Cross, Army and Lehigh, the Bison have won only 10 of 26 draws in their last two games ... John Togneri has multiple points in three of the last four games ... Bucknell is 2-0 in the state of Maryland this season, with wins over Hobart at St. Paul's School in Baltimore on Feb. 24 and at Mount St. Mary's on Mar. 10 ... the Bison are 3-0 in Maryland under Frank Fedorjaka, including a 7-6 2OT upset of then-No. 1 Maryland last season ... Bucknell's last loss in the Old Line State came against Army in the 2005 Patriot League Tournament in Annapolis ... last week's win over Penn State gave the Bison back-to-back wins over the Nittany Lions for the first time ever (the two teams have met every year since 1968).
Championship Game on CSTV
The winners of the two Patriot League Tournament semifinal games will meet for the title on Saturday at noon. The game will be televised live on CSTV with Jason Chandler and Paul Carcaterra calling the action. Should Bucknell advance to the championship game, "Voice of the Bison" Doug Birdsong will provide play-by-play on the Bison Sports Network (90.5-FM WVBU and online at BucknellBison.com and SportsJuice.com).
