Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Men's Soccer Visits Lafayette Saturday, Game Time Moved up to 1 p.m.
10/24/2008 8:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Oct. 24, 2008
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The Bucknell men's soccer team bounced back from a tough 1-0 loss to Colgate with a convincing 3-1 victory over St. Peter's on Wednesday night, now the Bison wrap up Patriot League play with three straight road games beginning Saturday night at Lafayette's Oaks Field. With foul weather threatening to arrive in the Lehigh Valley later in the day, the game time has been moved up from 7 p.m. to 1 p.m.
After the Lafayette game, Bucknell travels to Lehigh on Nov. 1 and American on Nov. 8. The Orange & Blue are 2-2 in Patriot League play for six points and enter the weekend in sole possession of fourth place in the standings. Holy Cross is 3-0-1 and leads the way with 10 points, followed by Colgate (9), American (7), Bucknell, Lafayette (5), Lehigh (5), Army (0) and Navy (0). Lehigh plays at Army on Friday afternoon, while Saturday's docket features Holy Cross at American and Colgate at Navy in addition to the Bucknell-Lafayette tilt.
Bucknell, which defeated Lafayette in the 2006 Patriot League championship game, is trying to make the four-team tournament for the fifth time in the last six years.
Saturday's game could prove pivotal to that mission, as the Bison will be taking on a Leopards side that has won three straight games by a combined 7-1 margin. On Tuesday, Lafayette went into New York City and pounded Columbia 4-1.
BISON MEN'S SOCCER NOTEBOOK
Series Notes
- Bucknell leads the all-time series 27-24-7, but as Patriot League rivals the Bison are just 5-12-3 against the Leopards.
- The two teams first met in 1931, Bucknell's third year of varsity soccer. The Bison have played Lafayette more than any other opponent except Penn State (67 meetings).
- The Bison and Leopards have met twice in Patriot League Tournament play. In 1990 Bucknell was the host and top seed, but fell 2-0 in overtime to Lafayette in the first round. In the 2006 championship game in Bethlehem, the two teams played 110 minutes of scoreless soccer, then Bucknell won the title in penalty kicks.
- Last season in Lewisburg, the Bison suffered a rare home loss when Lafayette parlayed two B.J. Glenn first-half goals into a 2-1 win. Ross Liberati scored Bucknell's lone goal on a header off an assist from Tommy McCabe. The Leopards finished with a 21-8 shot advantage.
- Bucknell last won in Easton in 2004 (2-1).
About Lafayette
- The Leopards are 6-5-3 overall and 1-1-2 in Patriot League play. In the conference they have tied Lehigh and American, beaten Army and lost to Colgate.
- Bucknell and Lafayette played two common non-conference opponents. Both teams lost to Binghamton, and Bucknell defeated Cornell 3-0 while the Leopards lost to the Big Red 2-1.
- Lafayette has outscored foes 20-15 on the season, including 8-4 in the second half.
- B.J. Glenn, who scored twice in Tuesday's win over Columbia, leads the Leopards in both goals (5) and points (12). Stephen Macurdy has a team-high five assists along with one goal.
- Andrew Pianko has made 10 of the 14 starts in goal and has a 5-4-1 record with four shutouts and a 1.06 goals-against average. Philip Nelson has started the other four contests and is 1-1-2 with a 0.87 GAA.
Last Time Out
- On Wednesday at Holmes Stadium, Bucknell and St. Peter's engaged in an entertaining affair that featured two penalty kicks, plenty of end-to-end action and some big saves. The Bison prevailed 3-1 on goals by Alex Russo, Luke Joyner and Conor O'Brien.
- Russo converted his second penalty kick in as many tries this season after St. Peter's was called for a hand ball in the box in the 14th minute.
- Joyner's goal came on a corner kick, when teammate Ross Liberati headed the ball in his direction and Joyner finished with a header of his own to make it 2-0.
- O'Brien, who was also credited with an assist on the Joyner goal, answered the Peacocks' PK goal with a big insurance tally in the 80th minute. Matt Hittson started it with a long throw-in from the left sideline, and Anthony Ferraro flicked a pass with his head right to O'Brien on the doorstep.
- Lost in all of the goal scoring was a terrific night for sophomore goalkeeper Will Byrne, who made his third start of the season and picked up his first collegiate win. Byrne made six saves, including three big ones in the second half with the Bison clinging to a 2-1 lead.
- Bucknell finished with a 21-20 shot advantage.
Bison Briefs
- Bucknell's win over St. Peter's avenged a 2-1 loss to the Peacocks last season in Jersey City. The Bison are now 9-2-1 in the series.
- The three-goal output on Wednesday was the team's best since a 3-0 win over Cornell on Sept. 12.
- Coach Brendan Nash used most of his roster on Wednesday, subbing liberally throughout. Alex Meisel and Eric Ferson both made their third appearances of the season.
- Sophomore defender Scott Greenburg has seen his playing time increase over the last two games, and he has performed well on the back line.
- Mark Schmiegel bounced back from a leg injury in the Colgate game and was dangerous as usual against St. Peter's. Schmiegel led the team with seven shot attempts, with several near-misses inside the box.
- O'Brien snapped a five-game goal-scoring drought with his second-half goal on Wednesday. It was his first multi-point game of the season.
- Anthony Ferraro's assist on the O'Brien goal was the first of his career.
- Chris Hennings is looking for his first goal since Cornell game on Sept. 12, but he still leads the league with seven goals and 17 points on the season.
- O'Brien is now fourth in the PL in points per game (0.93), and his six assists are tied for the league lead with Lehigh's Jim Taranto.
Weekly Awards and Honors
- Patriot League BRINE Offensive Player of the Week: Chris Hennings (Sept. 2), Mark Schmiegel (Sept. 29 and Oct. 13).
- 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 plays its final home game of the 2008 season on Tuesday against NJIT at 7 p.m. The Highlanders are just 2-12-1 on the season, but they just upset Rutgers 2-1 on Wednesday night.
- The Bison then travel to Lehigh on Saturday, Nov. 1 at 7 p.m.
- Bucknell's Nov. 8 game at American has been changed to a 1 p.m. start.
