Bucknell Men's Lacrosse Aims to Reverse Postseason Fortunes Friday at Army
4/24/2008 8:00:00 AM | Men's Lacrosse
April 24, 2008
Complete Press Notes in PDF Format 
Postseason lacrosse has arrived, and Bucknell must shake off a frustrating final week of the regular season as it travels to West Point on Friday to take on top-seeded and tournament host Army. With two games remaining, the Bison were ranked No. 9 nationally -- equaling their highest ranking in program history -- and controlled its own destiny to grab the No. 1 seed and host the tournament. But Bucknell gave up two late goals and fell 8-7 at Penn State on Tuesday night, then let another fourth-quarter lead get away in an 11-9 loss to Colgate at home on Saturday night. That means that instead of hosting in the tournament for the first time, the Bison must travel to West Point and face the surging Black Knights on their home field. No. 11 Army followed up its 7-4 loss at Bucknell on Apr. 4 with a convincing 9-6 home win over Navy, snapping a 13-game losing streak to its arch-rival. That allowed the Black Knights to win the tiebreaker over the Midshipmen, giving them home-field advantage for the tournament for the first time. Bucknell and Army have met just once before in the postseason, a 9-8 overtime win for the Cadets in 2005.
With a Win over Army, Bucknell Would ...
• ... advance to the Patriot League championship game for the first time.
• ... win 10 games in a season for the second straight year and fifth time in program history.
• ... improve to 4-2 against ranked opponents this season.
• ... defeat the Black Knights twice in one season for the first time.
• ... make it three straight wins over the Black Knights, equaling its longest series winning streak.
Ticket Information
Tickets are $6 for adults and $4 for youths for both of Friday's semifinal games, while Sunday's championship game tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for youths. All students from the participating schools will receive free admission to all three games with proper identification. A group ticket rate is also available as parties of 10 or more fans will be admitted for $2 per person. To take advantage of this rate, fans need to purchase their tickets in advance as the rate will not be available to people walking up on game day. To purchase in advance, call 1-877-TIX-ARMY or go online to www.goARMYsports.com.
See and Hear the Games Online
A live video Webcast of Friday's two semifinal games and Sunday's championship game can be purchased through Patriot League All-Access. Audio only of Bucknell's tournament games can be accessed free of charge via BucknellBison.com and SportsJuice.com. The championship game will also be televised live on CBS College Sports (formerly CSTV).
Bison Seeking First Tourney Win
Since the Patriot League went to a four-team tournament beginning in 2004, the postseason has been unkind to Bucknell. The Bison are 0-3 in the tournament, with all three semifinal losses coming in heartbreaking fashion by a single goal. Bucknell's Patriot League Tournament history:
Year Opponent Score Notable 2004 Hobart 10-9 L Bucknell up 9-7 in 4th, Hobart scores last three goals. 2005 Army 9-8 (OT) L Bison score twice in last 3:00 of regulation to tie, but Army wins in OT 2007 Colgate 11-10 L Down 11-6 with 3:00 left, BU scores four straight and has last shot saved with 0:15 left
Round One vs. Army
On Apr. 4 at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium, Bucknell raced to a 6-0 halftime lead and defeated Army 7-4, ending a streak of six straight games in the series decided by one goal. Tim Brandau and Mike Danylyshyn scored twice each, and Danylyshyn added an assist for a career-best three-point game. Bucknell's defense was terrific in keeping the Black Knights off the board until the 11:29 mark of the third quarter, and faceoff specialist Rick Carolan had the best game of his career, winning 11 of 15 draws. Justin Bokmeyer led Army with two goals and one assist.
Bison Place Four on All-Patriot League Team
Four Bucknell players who were on the 2007 All-Patriot League Team repeated as all-conference players this season. Sophomore attackman Austin Winter earned First Team All-Patriot League honors for the second straight season, and Billy Haire, Perry Menzies and Nick Sciubba were all named to the all-league second team on Wednesday. Haire was a first-team pick a year ago, while Sciubba and Menzies were both 2007 second-team choices. Winter, the Patriot League scoring leader entering the postseason, is the first Bucknell player to earn first-team honors as both a freshman and sophomore.
In the Polls
Bucknell has appeared in both major national polls every week this season, cresting at No. 9 in the USILA Coaches' Poll last week after defeating Lehigh to get to 9-2 on the season. The No. 9 ranking tied the program record, set during two weeks in 1996 and once in 2001. Losses to Penn State and Colgate put an end to the climb, and this week the Bison are ranked 19th in the USILA Poll and 20th in the Nike/Inside Lacrosse Media Poll.
Patriot League Success
Bucknell is now 40-15 (.727) in the Patriot League since the start of the 2000 season. Bucknell won or shared PL titles in 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2003. The Bison won outright championships in 1996 and 2001. In 1996, despite a 12-0 overall record, they were passed over for an NCAA Tournament bid, but in 2001 Bucknell received its very first NCAA invitation.
Last Time Out
With the No. 1 seed and the right to host the Patriot League Tournament available with a victory over Colgate last Saturday, Bucknell could not hold on to a fourth-quarter lead and fell 11-9 to the surging Raiders. In a wildly entertaining game played in front of more than 2,000 fans at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium, the Bison led three different times in the second half, only to see Colgate bounce back each time. Austin Winter put Bucknell ahead 9-8 with 7:05 to play, after a great ground ball and assist from Mark Lane, but Kevin Colleluori scored 1:13 later to tie the game for the seventh time. Ian Murphy's goal with 4:46 left put Colgate ahead, and after a big save from Tim Harrington preserved the lead, the Raiders added an empty-netter in the final minute.
Bison Tie Record for Longest Home Win Streak
Bucknell won its final three home games last season and has captured its first six at home in 2008. The nine-game home winning streak tied the school record, but last weekend's loss to Colgate snapped the streak.
Longest Bucknell Home Winning Streaks: Games Dates Streak Ended By 9 3/31/07 through 4/19/08 Colgate 9 4/26/95 through 3/29/97 Hobart 8 3/16/02 through 4/5/03 Penn State 7 4/5/00 through 3/31/01 Georgetown 7 4/26/69 through 4/25/70 Delaware
Senior Class is No. 1
Bucknell's nine-man senior class is the winningest in program history. The Class of 2008 has won 34 games, one more than the Class of 2003.
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 9-4 in 2008. The school record for wins in a season is 12, set in 1996.
Nail-Biters
Of Bucknell's last 12 games, five have been decided by one goal (two in overtime) and three have been decided by two goals. Bucknell had been 5-1 on the season in games decided by one or two goals, with the lone loss coming in overtime at Navy, but last week the Bison lost 8-7 at Penn State and 11-9 at Colgate despite leading in the fourth quarter in both. The Bison are now 10-5 in one-goal games in head coach Frank Fedorjaka's three seasons.
Head Coach Frank Fedorjaka
It's not easy replacing a legend, but that is exactly what Frank Fedorjaka was asked to do when he was hired to replace Sid Jamieson prior to the 2006 season. Jamieson had been the only head coach since the inception of varsity lacrosse at Bucknell in 1968, but Fedorjaka has maintained the program's lofty goals in his three seasons as head coach. After two stints as an assistant to Jamieson, Fedorjaka's team knocked off No. 1 Maryland in only his fifth game as Bucknell's head coach, and last season he guided the Bison to an 11-win season, one shy of the program record. Fedorjaka's Bucknell record now stands at 26-16 (.619), and including a five-year run as head coach at Franklin & Marshall, his career head coaching record is 65-47 (.580).
Ride Like the Wind
Prior to the season, Inside Lacrosse picked Bucknell as the No. 1 riding team in the nation, and the Bison have lived up to the billing. Opponents have been successful clearing the ball only 71.2% of the time against Bucknell's 10-man ride. Conversely, Bucknell is clearing at an 82.2% clip. Bucknell leads the Patriot League and ranks in the top 15 nationally in both categories. The only other teams in the country in the top 15 in both clearing and riding are Duke, Virginia, Ohio State and Hofstra.
NCAA Clearing Leaders NCAA Riding Leaders 1. Cornell .863 1. Hobart .686 2. Maryland .854 2. Duke .688 3. Binghamton .852 3. Quinnipiac .698 4. Duke .851 4. Bucknell .712 5. Ohio State .844 5. VMI .716 6. Siena .843 6. Virginia .722 7. Princeton .836 7. Brown .733 8. Stony Brook .836 8. Colgate .734 9. Loyola .831 9. Hofstra .737 10. Virginia .830 10. Bellarmine .737 11. Towson .829 11. Ohio State .742 12. Drexel .823 12. Army .747 13. Bucknell .822 13. Syracuse .748 14. Penn .822 14. St. Joe's .752 15. Hofstra .820 15. Georgetown .755
In the Crease
Junior goalie Nick Sciubba led the nation in both save percentage (.641) and goals-against average (6.24) in 2007, and after struggling early in the year he has bounced back very well, earning Second Team All-Patriot League honors. In Bucknell's March 19 game at Navy, Sciubba was replaced by junior Matt Antonelli early in the second quarter with the Bison trailing 2-1. Antonelli, a native of nearby Arnold, Md., had the best game of his career with 11 saves and only two goals against. Sciubba went back in the crease for the Towson game and made 12 saves in a winning effort, then he had 15 stops and only two goals against in the next outing at Holy Cross. On the season, Sciubba now has a 7.21 goals-against average, second-best in the league, and a .573 save percentage.
At the X
Bucknell's Achilles heel in recent years has come in the faceoff department, and the Bison have strugged there at times again in 2008, although it has been much better late in the year. As a team, the Bison are winning 46.3% of their draws. Senior Rick Carolan has climbed back to the 50% mark on the season (62-124), thanks in large part to a terrific 11-for-15 showing against Army in the first meeting earlier this month. Freshman Christian Tucker was most effective against Colgate, and he is at 44.5% on the year (53-119).
Bison Still Young at Attack
Bucknell's attack unit was affectionately dubbed the "Baby Bison" last season, with two freshmen starting every game up front. Well, in 2008 the Bison are starting sophomore-sophomore-junior (Austin Winter-Tim Brandau-Joe Mele) at attack, with freshman Ryan Klipstein playing with the EMO team and as the fourth attackman. The three starters have combined for 64 goals and 38 assists thus far, while Klipstein has been a pleasant surprise with nine goals and five assists.
Danylyshyn Heating Up
Freshman middie Mike Danylyshyn took awhile to get going, but he has been one of the team's most consistent scorers in recent weeks and has scored some big goals for the Bison. Through seven games the Fairport, N.Y., product had only one goal and one assist, but he now has a six-game points streak, with multiple points in each of the last five. Danylyshyn had two goals and one assist in the win over Army on Apr. 4 and was rewarded with his first Patriot League Rookie of the Week citation.
In the Fast Lane
Senior defensive midfielder Mark Lane is playing his best lacrosse as his career nears a close. His best game came last week against Colgate, when he came up with five ground balls in the midfield and turned two of them into assists on fastbreak goals. Lane, who has three assists and 19 GBs on the season, is the third of three brothers to play lacrosse at Bucknell. Oldest brother Rob is a 2003 graduate and a former All-Patriot League midfielder. Nick graduated in 2005 and served as team co-captain.
Bison End Long Drought vs. Towson
Bucknell and Towson were once rivals in the now-defunct East Coast Conference, and the two teams met every year from 1981-95. The Tigers won 14 of those 15 meetings, including the last 10 before the series went on hiatus until the teams met in Maryland on March 25. Bucknell's 12-10 victory at Johnny Unitas Stadium was its first victory over Towson since 1985, and it was its first win ever on the Tigers' home field.
Playing by the Rules
Bucknell is the least-penalized team in the Patriot League. The Bison are averaging only 1.8 penalty minutes per game, the lowest figure in the league. The Bison have been flagged only 29 times in 13 games, leading to 26 extra-man opportunities for their opponents.
Winter Wonderland
Austin Winter enjoyed a nine-point game in Bucknell's 12-10 win over Towson and was rewarded with Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week honors. Winter had three goals and six assists, giving him a hand in 75% of Bucknell's goals. Winter's previous scoring high was seven points when he had four goals and three assists against Holy Cross in 2007. The last Bison to score as many as nine points in a game was Chris Cara in 2005 against Marist. Cara also had three goals and six helpers in that one. The nine points and six assists were both tied for the second-highest single-game totals in Division I lacrosse this season at the time.
Getting Defensive
Bucknell has been known as an excellent defensive team in recent years, and this year has been no excpetion. The Bison are yielding only 7.5 goals per game. Duke, Towson and Colgate are the only three teams to reach double figures on Bucknell in 2008. The close defense trio of Billy Haire, Evan Burns and Tom Izard has been outstanding all year. Burns, a senior, and Haire, a junior, have both started every game in their careers. Izard is in his first year as a starter. The Bison also feature a four-year starting long-stick defensive midfielder in Tommy Orr and three senior short-stick d-middies in Mark Lane, Andrew Goodhand and Patrick Keeney (out with broken wrist).
Bison Foster Soldiers In Iraq
While Bucknell and Army have become big rivals on the lacrosse field, the members of the Bison program have tremendous respect for the men and women who protect our nation. In conjunction with America Supporting Americans, the Bucknell team has sent care packages, T-shirts and letters to soldiers in the 82nd Airborne Division B-troop, 3-73 Cavalry, who are stationed in Iraq. With junior goalie Matt Antonelli spearheading the effort, the Bison have sent specially designed Bucknell T-shirts to the unit, along with personal letters written to each soldier. "As a team, we're really excited about doing this," Antonelli said. "The guys serving over there are the same age as us, and we're here getting to play a sport at a dream school while they're over there fighting. It makes us feel good that we can help them out." In October and December the team sent two packages containing food, drink mixes, magazines, sports equipment, and games to the 82nd Airborne, who are also known as "The Bounty Hunters." Sid Jamieson began Bucknell's efforts to help soldiers in Iraq through his partnership with America Supporting Americans, an organization that encourages corporations, teams, and whole communities to "adopt" troops in Iraq as a way to raise their morale. Bucknell was the first athletic team to foster a unit, and since then Jamieson has influenced more than 50 teams across the nation to get involved. Bucknell has previously fostered the 101st Airborne and the 73rd Cavalry Regiment. Many of the Bison players currently have the Airborne logo adorned on the back of their helmets.
Next Up
Should the Bison get past Army on Friday, they would take on the winner of the Colgate-Navy game at 2 p.m., Sunday in the Patriot League championship game. That contest will be televised live on CBS College Sports.
