Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Men's Soccer Visits Holy Cross for Key Patriot League Game Saturday
10/2/2008 8:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Oct. 2, 2008
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell and Holy Cross, two winners on the opening weekend of Patriot League men's soccer play, square off on Saturday in Worcester, Mass., with the conference lead at stake. Game time is 3 p.m. at the Linda Johnson Smith Soccer Stadium.
The contest will pit the Patriot League's highest-scoring team (Bucknell) against the No. 1 defensive team (Holy Cross). In the NSCAA/adidas Mid-Atlantic Region rankings, Holy Cross is No. 3 this week, while Bucknell is No. 9.
Bucknell opened Patriot League play with a 2-1 overtime win over Navy, while the Crusaders blanked Colgate 1-0 on the road. Both teams played non-conference games earlier this week. The Bison played La Salle to a 1-1 tie, while Holy Cross fell 2-1 at Quinnipiac.
BISON MEN'S SOCCER NOTEBOOK
Series Notes
- Bucknell is 7-8-3 all-time against Holy Cross in a series that dates back to 1990, the first year of Patriot League play.
- The Bison are 2-0-3 in the last five meetings, including a 1-1 tie last season. In that game both teams scored on corner kicks. Ross Liberati's first career goal came on a header in the 48th minute, but Holy Cross tied it when Jon Werth bent his corner kick directly into the goal in the 62nd minute. The Crusaders picked up a red card with 22 minutes remaining, but despite some close calls, the Bison could not go ahead with the extra man and settled for the tie.
- In the last meeting in Worcester, Bucknell prevailed 2-0 on goals by Chris Hennings and Anthony Ferraro in the final 15 minutes of the game.
- The Bison are 4-4-1 all-time in Worcester.
- Six of the last eight Bucknell-Holy Cross meetings have gone to overtime, including five in a row from 2000-04.
About Holy Cross
- Tuesday's loss to Quinnipiac dropped the Crusaders to 5-2-2 on the season, but that record is still the best overall mark in the Patriot League.
- Holy Cross has allowed only seven goals in nine games, the best defensive figure in the Patriot League.
- The Crusaders have scored 11 goals of their own, with Jon Werth leading the team in scoring with six points on two goals and two assists. No Holy Cross player has more than two goals, but seven different players have put at least one in the net this season.
- Goalkeeper Thomas Booth leads the league in shutouts (4), save percentage (.833) and goals-against average (0.74).
- Holy Cross opened the season with a 1-0 victory over No. 13 Massachusetts, a Final Four team a year ago.
Last Time Out
- Wednesday night in Philadelphia, the Bison overcame a sluggish start to pull out a 1-1 tie with La Salle.
- The Bison were outshot 10-3 in the first half and fell behind 1-0 on Ryan Dougherty's goal five minutes into the second half. Bucknell tied it two minutes later on a header-to-header combo from Scott Greenburg to Alex Russo. The goal was the second of the season for Russo, and Greenburg's assist was his first career point.
- Tommy Caso made four saves for the Bison, who outshot the Explorers 19-7 after halftime.
Bison Briefs
- Bucknell snapped a three-game losing streak on Saturday with a 2-1 overtime victory over Navy. Mark Schmiegel scored both goals for the Bison, including the game-winner 7:36 into sudden-death.
- Prior to the Navy game there was a dedication ceremony for Holmes Stadium, and a terrific crowd of 1,202 watched the Bison win their Patriot League opener. The crowd was the largest ever to watch a men's soccer game at the facility.
- On Monday, Schmiegel was named the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week after his performance against the Midshipmen. Freshman Luke Joyner, who assisted on Schmiegel's first goal, was named PL Rookie of the Week.
- It was Bucknell's first overtime victory since the first round of the 2006 NCAA Tournament against George Mason. Schmiegel also had the game-winner in that one.
- Chris Hennings picked up his first two assists of the season in the Navy game, to go along with his league-high seven goals. Hennings now has a PL-best 16 points on the season. The junior had one goal and two assists for four points in his career entering the 2008 campaign.
- Sean King also assisted on Schmiegel's overtime goal against Navy, his first point of the season.
- Three of the four Patriot League players with 10 or more points are Bison. In addition to Hennings, Schmiegel (4-2-10) and Conor O'Brien (3-4-10) have 10 points each. Jim Taranto of Lehigh also has 10.
- O'Brien and Taranto are tied for the league lead in assists with four each.
- O'Brien had his six-game points streak stopped in the Navy game. Since 1957, only three Bison recorded longer streaks: Ken Gulick (9 in 1989), Dave Domsohn (8 in 1985) and Dave Rath (7 in 1969). Domsohn (1986 and 1988), Bob Rhein (1983) and Lyman Ott (1960) also recorded a point in six straight games.
- As a team, the Bison have now scored in 26 games in a row. That is the second-longest streak in the nation, behind UC Santa Barbara's 29.
Weekly Awards and Honors
- Patriot League BRINE Offensive Player of the Week: Chris Hennings (Sept. 2), Mark Schmiegel (Sept. 29).
- Patriot League BRINE Goalkeeper of the Week: Tommy Caso (Sept. 8).
- Patriot League BRINE Defensive Player of the Week: Ross Liberati (Sept. 8).
- Patriot League BRINE Rookie of the Week: Tommy Caso (Sept. 8), Luke Joyner (Sept. 29).
- Soccer America Team of the Week: Ross Liberati (Sept. 8).
- Top Drawer Soccer Team of the Week: Chris Hennings (Sept. 4).
- Damon's Bison Athlete of the Week: Chris Hennings (Sept. 1).
Looking Ahead
- Bucknell returns home next Saturday to take on Army at Holmes Stadium at 7 p.m. That will be the first of three straight home games for the Bison, who will also host Colgate on Oct. 18 and St. Peter's on Oct. 22.
