Home-Field Advantage for Playoffs on Line as Bucknell Men's Lax Hosts Colgate Saturday Night
4/18/2008 8:00:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
April 18, 2008
LEWISBURG, Pa. - Bucknell has never hosted the Patriot League Men's Lacrosse Tournament, but the ninth-ranked Bison can lock up that honor with a victory over Colgate on Saturday night at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium. Game time is 8 p.m., and a live video Webcast will be available via BucknellBison.com and SportsJuice.com.
Both teams know they will be playing postseason lacrosse next week, all that remains up for grabs is seeding. If Bucknell wins, it will be the No. 1 seed and play No. 4 Colgate again on Friday at home. If the Raiders prevail tonight, the tourney moves to West Point, and the Bison would be seeded No. 4 and be matched up with Army. Colgate would play Navy in the other semifinal.
Regardless of site, Bucknell's first-round game in the Patriot League Tournament will be Friday at 4 p.m. The championship game is Sunday, Apr. 27 at 2 p.m., on CBS College Sports (formerly CSTV).
Bison Equal Highest Ranking in Program History:
• Bucknell is ranked No. 9 this week in the USILA Coaches' Poll. That equals the highest ranking in program history. The Bison were also ranked ninth in the 4/23/96, 4/30/96 and 4/3/01 polls. The 1996 Bucknell team finished 12-0 but was famously snubbed by the NCAA Tournament selection committee. The 2001 team also won the Patriot League title and this time did make it to the NCAA Tournament by securing the league's automatic bid.
• Three Patriot League teams are ranked in the top 10 this week, and all three are separated by just two points in the poll. Army is No. 8 with 128 points, Bucknell is No. 9 with 127 points, and Navy is tied for 10th (with Notre Dame) with 126 points.
Seniors Make History:
Bucknell's nine-man senior class has set the school record for wins by a class. The Class of 2008 now has 34 wins to its credit, one more than the Class of 2003. Those seniors will be honored in a pregame ceremony Saturday night at approximately 7:40 p.m.
A Winning Era:
In the 40-year history of Bison Lacrosse, never had the team won nine or more games in consecutive seasons until now. Bucknell won 11 games last season and is now 9-3 in 2008. The school record for wins in a season is 12, set in 1996.
Home Sweet Home:
Bucknell's victory over Army last Friday was its ninth in a row at home, tying the school record. The Bison also won nine straight home games from Apr. 26, 1995 through March 29, 1997. The current streak includes a perfect 6-0 home record this season. It is also tied (with UMBC) for the second-longest active streak in the nation. Duke has the nation's longest home winning streak at 17 games.
Series Notes:
• This is the 25th meeting between Bucknell and Colgate. These two teams first met in 1979, and Bucknell holds a 16-8 series lead.
• Colgate has won the last three meetings, however, including two last season. A year ago, the Raiders won 9-7 on the last day of the regular season, and six days later they triumphed again, 11-10, in the Patriot League Tournament semifinals.
• Bucknell's last series win was a 10-8 decision in Hamilton in 2005.
• Bucknell is 10-2 against Colgate at home.
More on the Raiders:
• Colgate heads into the Patriot League finale on a three-game win streak after beating Lafayette 15-4 at Andy Kerr Stadium last weekend.
• The Raiders are 7-5 overall and 3-2 in Patriot League play and wrapped up a spot in the Patriot League Tournament with the win over Lafayette.
• Brandon Corp is the Raiders' top scoring threat with 28 goals and 10 assists for 38 points. Kevin Colleluori has 26 goals and eight assists for 34 points. Senior Matt Lalli is also a top playmaker with 28 points from 14 goals and 14 assists.
• Colgate features one of the Patriot League's top faceoff men in senior Chris Eck, who has won 62.4 percent at the X and also leads the team with 54 ground balls.
• In goal, Tim Harrington is 6-5 with an 8.60 goals against average and .577 save percentage. He has 124 saves on the season.
• As a team, Colgate is allowing just 8.58 goals per game and has sacrificed just 14 in the past three contests for a 4.67 goals against average.
• The Raiders are 3-4 on the road overall and 1-1 against conference foes away from home.
Last Outing:
One day after equaling the highest national ranking in school history, No. 9 Bucknell's stretch drive hit a bump in the road as Penn State rallied with two late goals to defeat the Bison 8-7 in State College on Tuesday. Mike Danylyshyn's second goal of the night gave the Bison a 7-6 lead with 4:53 to play, but Penn State capitalized on two Bucknell turnovers and scored with 2:05 and 1:34 left to go up 8-7. Nittany Lions goalie Drew Adams, who scored a goal earlier in the game, made a point-blank save with 0:06 left to preserve the win.
Bison Bits:
• Austin Winter leads the Patriot League in both assists per game (2.17) and points per game (3.33).
• Tim Brandau's eight EMO goals lead the league.
• Joe Mele is tied for the league lead with three game-winning goals.
• Tim Brandau leads the league with six EMO goals.
• With his two goals against Penn State, freshman Mike Danylyshyn now has four straight multi-point games.
• Nick Sciubba is ninth in the nation in goals-against average (6.94).
In the Polls:
• While the Bison are No. 9 in the USILA Coaches' Poll this week, they somehow slipped from 10th to 15th in the Nike/Inside Lacrosse Media Poll.
• ESPN and Inside Lacrosse analyst Quint Kessenich has Bucknell at No. 6 in his own top-20 rankings, noting this week: "I feel that they are the best of a trio of Patriot League teams that could make the NCAA field, and if the Herd win out, they will have the bonus of being the top seed and host of this year's Patriot League tournament."
• Bucknell was picked third in the Patriot League preseason poll, behind only Navy and Colgate. Bucknell received one first-place vote and 51 total points. Navy collected 12 of the 14 first-place tallies and 72 points, while Colgate also received a first-place vote and 60 points. Army was picked fourth with 45 points, followed by Lehigh (31), Holy Cross (20) and Lafayette (15).
Looking Ahead:
• Bucknell knows it will play at 4 p.m. next Friday, but the site and opponent will be determined by Saturday night's result.