Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Men's Soccer Prepared for Big Game at Lehigh Saturday Night
10/31/2008 8:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Oct. 31, 2008
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The Bucknell men's soccer team looks to stay in the postseason hunt on Saturday night when it takes on Lehigh at 7 p.m. at the Ulrich Sports Complex. After Wednesday's 3-0 blanking of NJIT, the Bison come into the game with a 7-7-3 overall mark (2-3 Patriot League), while Lehigh is 7-5-3, 2-1-2.
Bucknell is one of six teams still alive for one of the four Patriot League Tournament berths, altough as the sixth-place team entering this second-to-last weekend of the regular season, a victory over Lehigh is almost mandatory for the Bison.
Coming to the weekend, American, Holy Cross and Colgate are all tied for first with 10 points (although American has an extra game to play against last-place Army due to an earlier weather postponement). Lehigh and Lafayette are tied for fourth with eight points, while the Bison are sitting on six points.
Bucknell can jump Lehigh with a win on Saturday, and if Lafayette loses at Navy, the Bison would be in sole possession of fourth place with one game to go. If Bucknell and Lafayette both win, the Bison would still be alive heading into the final week (at American) but would need a win and more help. A tie on Saturday would really put the Bison in a desperate position (and possibly eliminate them depending on other results), while a loss to the Mountain Hawks would keep them at home for the postseason.
Saturday's game is a matchup of the Patriot League's two highest-scoring teams. The Bison lead the league at 1.71 goals per game, while Lehigh is right behind at 1.60.
BISON MEN'S SOCCER NOTEBOOK
Coverage
- Click HERE to watch the Bucknell-Lehigh game on lehighsports.com (subscription required).
Series Notes
- These two rivals have played 51 times since 1960, with Lehigh slightly ahead in the series 22-21-8. As Patriot League rivals, Lehigh leads 13-5-4, although the Bison are 2-1-2 in the last five meetings.
- Bucknell and Lehigh have met four times in the Patriot League Tournament. Lehigh won 1-0 in 2000 and 2-0 in 2003. In 2004 and 2006 the two teams were tied after 110 minutes and went to penalty kicks. Lehigh prevailed in PKs in 2004, but the Bison upset the then-14th-ranked and top-seeded Mountain Hawks in the semifinals two years later.
- Last year's game in Lewisburg was televised live on the Fox Soccer Channel and was played in front of a crowd of more than 1,200. The Bison won it 3-1 on goals from Conor O'Brien, Alex Russo and Ross Liberati. O'Brien, who also had an assist in the game, scored just 1:45 in to send the Bison on their way. Patrick Cucci scored Lehigh's goal in the 88th minute.
About Lehigh
- The Mountain Hawks have won two straight and are 4-2-2 in their last eight games. Lehigh has been off since last Friday, when it won 1-0 at Army on Kevin Strunk's header with just 58 seconds left in regulation.
- Prior to the Army win, Lehigh hosted Penn State and won 2-1. Bucknell also has a victory over Penn State this season, 2-0 in State College on Sept. 7.
- Lehigh has three players with 10 or more points this season: Adam Gazda (6-2-14), Jim Taranto (4-6-14) and Kyle Evans (4-2-10). Taranto is one assist behind Bucknell's Conor O'Brien for the Patriot League lead, while Gazada is one goal behind Bucknell's Chris Hennings for the top spot in the conference.
- Lehigh has outscored foes 24-18 in 15 games this season.
- Jonathan Nydell has made 13 of the 15 starts in goal and has a 7-4-2 record, a 1.04 goals-against average and a .778 save percentage.
Last Time Out
- On Wednesday at Holmes Stadium, sophomore Tommy McCabe scored his first two collegiate goals to pace the Bison to a 3-0 win over NJIT.
- McCabe's first career goal came from a tough angle along the left side in the 30th minute, and he scored again in the 76th minute when he cleaned up a rebound from Anthony Ferraro's deflected shot.
- Alex Russo also scored for the Bison when he headed in Matt Hittson's long free kick in the 85th minute.
- The Bison had a 23-16 shot advantage, but only two of the Highlanders 16 shots were on frame. Both were easily turned aside by Will Byrne, who picked up his second career win between the pipes.
Emmitt Field
- On Thursday Bucknell's varsity soccer pitch was officially rededicated as Emmitt Field. The four-year-old grass surface was named in honor of lead donors Richard '67 and Judy Emmitt, whose daughter Margaret '06 played on the Bison women's soccer team. The Emmitts have also been major supporters of the biomedical engineering program.
Bison Briefs
- With one more victory, Bucknell would record eight wins in four straight seasons for only the second time in program history. The only other time it happened was 1973-76.
- On Thursday Chris Hennings, Patrick Selwood and Jason Soto were all named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District II First Team. That's three of the 11 spots on the team occupied by Bison student-athletes.
- Conor O'Brien picked up another assist in the NJIT game, giving him a league-leading seven on the year. That total is now tied for ninth-most in a season in Bucknell history, and it is the most assists by a Bison player since Jonathan Hemmert had seven in 2003.
- O'Brien now has a point in three straight games and four of his last five. Earlier in the year he had a six-game points streak, which was tied for third-longest in school history.
- Freshman Luke Joyner also has a three-game points streak going after he assisted on the game-winning goal against NJIT.
- Senior Anthony Ferraro had never recorded an assist in his career until the Oct. 22 win over St. Peter's, but now he has two in his last three games.
- Tommy McCabe became the third Bison this season to score two or more goals in a game. Mark Schmiegel had both goals in a 2-1 overtime win over Navy. Chris Hennings scored four against Canisius and two against Cornell. McCabe recently moved from defense to midfield.
- Freshman midfielder Nader Sawtarie returned to the lineup on Wednesday night after missing eight games with a toe injury.
- Will Byrne made his third straight start in goal and his fifth of the season against NJIT. The win was not only the second of his career, but it was his first-ever shutout.
- Senior defender Matt Hittson had three career points coming into the season, but he now has four in 2008, all coming on assists.
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 wraps up the 2008 regular season at American on Nov. 8 at 1 p.m.
