Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Men's Soccer Begins Patriot League Tournament Friday at Home vs. Lafayette
11/12/2009 7:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Nov. 12, 2009
Bucknell and Lafayette meet at Emmitt Field for the second time in two weeks on Friday evening. There won't be national television cameras this time, however much more will be at stake because the postseason has arrived. The Bison finished 5-2 in conference play and earned the No. 1 seed and the right to host the Patriot League Tournament for the third time. Lafayette posted a win over Navy in the regular-season finale last week to force a three-way tie for fourth place, and the Leopards edged out Holy Cross and Colgate in the tiebreaker to keep their season alive. No. 2 Lehigh and No. 3 American — the two PL teams that defeated Bucknell in the regular season — tied for second place and will meet in the other semifinal. The winners will meet in the championship on Sunday at 1 p.m. Bucknell previously hosted the PL tourney in 1990 and 2003 but lost in the first round both times.
Bucknell vs. Lafayette
-- This will be the 61st meeting between Bucknell and Lafayette. The two Pennsylvania programs first met in 1931, and they have clashed annually since 1960.
-- Bucknell holds a 28-25-7 series lead.
-- Although it officially went in the books as a tie, Bucknell topped Lafayette in penalty kicks in the 2006 Patriot League championship match. The two teams have met one other time in the postseason. In the 1990 Patriot League semifinals, the Leopards won 2-0 in overtime on Bucknell's home field.
-- Bucknell is 18-10-2 against Lafayette at home.
-- Last season in Easton, Corey Dempsey snapped a 1-all tie in the 73rd minute, sending Lafayette to a 2-1 win over the Bison. After the Leopards opened the scoring on Steve Ference's penalty kick in the 11th minute, Conor O'Brien tied the game 12 minutes into the second half. The loss proved costly for Bucknell, which finished three points behind Lafayette for the final playoff spot.
-- Two weeks ago at Emmitt Field, Bucknell and Lafayette locked up in a defensive struggle on Fox Soccer Channel. In front of a Holmes Stadium-record crowd of over 1,400 fans, the Bison broke a scoreless tie when Luke Joyner headed in a Conor O'Brien corner kick in the 78th minute.
About Lafayette
-- The Leopards rebounded nicely from their close loss at Bucknell, throttling Navy 3-0 on Saturday to earn the three points they needed to get into the Patriot League Tournament. Nick Leigh, Blake Fink and Wayne Maminski scored first-half goals to send Lafayette on its way to victory.
-- The Leopards are 10-6-2 overall, 7-1 at home and 3-4-2 on the road this season. -- Junior B.J. Glenn, a Second Team All-Patriot League selection, leads the team with six goals and 13 points. Glenn scored both Lafayette goals in a 2-1 win over the Bison in Lewisburg in 2007.
-- Freshman Sean Peckham has five goals and two assists for 12 points, while freshmen Blake Fink and Josh Brown have a pair of goals.
-- Senior goalkeeper Phillip Nelson leads the Patriot League in shutouts (9) and goals-against average (0.59). This week he was named the Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Year.
-- Lafayette has outscored foes 19-15 in 18 matches this season.
-- Senior Chip Aronica, who had an assist against Bucknell in the 2007 game, was a classmate of Bucknell's Conor O'Brien at St. Anthony's High School on Long Island.
Bucknell Breaks Program Record for Wins in a Season
-- The Oct. 30 win over Lafayette was Bucknell's 14th of the season, breaking the program record for wins in a season. The 2002 team held the previous mark of 13 (13-5-1).
-- Bucknell has reached double figures in the victory column for the 11th time in program history.
-- Only the 2009 (14), 2002 (13), 1974 (12), 1982 (12) and 1990 (12) teams have won more than 11 games.
-- Earlier in the season the Bison had a six-game winning streak, their longest since 1983. The streak was snapped by Penn State on Oct. 21, but Bucknell has won twice more since then, making it eight wins in the last nine outings.
Last Time Out
Bucknell dropped a heartbreaker on Senior Night last Friday, falling 2-1 in double overtime to Lehigh. The game was scoreless until Lehigh converted a set piece in the 51st minute, with James Graf scoring on a header deep in the box. With only 10:07 remaining in regulation, the Bison pocketed the equalizer when Brendan Burgdorf headed in a corner kick from Tommy McCabe. But in the 102nd minute Adam Welch collided with Bison keeper Tommy Caso but still managed to head in Adam Gazda's pass, giving the Mountain Hawks the win and the No. 2 seed in this weekend's tournament. Despite allowing the two goals, Caso had a very good day for Bucknell with seven saves.
Bucknell Tournament History
Patriot League Tournament matches in men's soccer are typically very tightly contested, and that notion is reflected in Bucknell's tournament record. Technically, the Bison have never officially won a Patriot League Tournament game. They are 0-4-5 all-time in the tourney. Of course, the five “ties” all went to penalty kick shootouts, and the Bison are 3-2 in PKs. Some other tournament notes:
-- Bucknell's only Patriot League championship came in 2006. Playing on Lehigh's home field, the fourth-seeded Bison upset both Lehigh and Lafayette in penalty kicks to win the title. Bucknell's current seniors were freshmen that year.
-- Bucknell's only other championship game appearance came in 1993. Playing at Lafayette that year, the third-seeded Bison knocked off Colgate in penalty kicks, then lost in overtime (4-2) to Army in the final.
-- Two of Bucknell's four tournament losses have come in overtime. In addition to the loss to Army in the 1993 championship, the Bison fell 2-0 in OT to Lafayette in the inaugural PL Tournament in 1990.
-- The 1990 and 2003 tourneys were played at Bucknell, but the Bison lost in the first round both times (to Lafayette in 1990 and to Lehigh in 2003).
Awards Time
Bucknell was rewarded for its regular-season title with strong representation on the All-Patriot League Team. The Bison placed a league-high six players on the all-league squad and also had two major award winners.
-- Conor O'Brien was named the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year for the second straight year, making him the fourth repeat winner in league history. Lehigh's Andrew Mittendorf (1997-98) and Evan Bruno (2000, 2002) and Holy Cross' Matt Ney (2001-02) also won the award more than once.
-- Brendan Nash was named the Patriot League Coach of the Year for the third time. He also won the award in 2000 and 2003.
-- O'Brien, Patrick Selwood and Ross Liberati were named to the All-Patriot League First Team. It is O'Brien's third all-conference honor, Selwood's second and Liberati's first.
-- Representing Bucknell on the All-Patriot League Second Team were Sean King, Andrew Powell and Tommy Caso. It was the first all-conference selection for each.
-- The six all-league picks were Bucknell's second-most since joining the Patriot League in 1990. The 2003 team had seven, while the 1993 squad also had six.
It's Academic
The Bison men's soccer team was also well-represented on the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District Team. Bucknell placed a district-high three student-athletes on the team for the second year in a row: Patrick Selwood, Sean King and Tommy Caso. Selwood and King were First Team honorees and have since moved on to the national Academic All-America ballot.
Bison Rarely Blanked
On Oct. 28, 2008, Bucknell suffered a 1-0 loss to eventual Patriot League champion Colgate. That ended a run of 28 straight games with a goal, the longest such streak in Division I soccer at the time. The Bison immediately started a new national-best streak. Since that Colgate game, they have scored in 24 games in a row, including all 19 this season. That is the longest active streak in the nation. The Bison have scored at least once in 52 of their last 53 games dating back to the 2007 season. Most Consecutive Games with a Goal, Division I: 1. Bucknell 24 2. Green Bay 19 3. Akron 18 4. UAB 16
Bison Stellar On Both Offense and Defense
Bucknell leads the Patriot League in scoring offense (1.63 goals per game), and defensively its goals-against average (0.88) ranks second in the league behind only Lafayette (0.79). Bucknell's nine shutouts also rank No. 2 in the league behind Lafayette's 11.
Not Good for the Fingernails
Bucknell has nine shutouts in 2009, seven of which have come by 1-0 scores. Eleven of the team's 14 victories this season have come by one goal.
Road Warriors
Bucknell is 6-1 in true road games and 8-1 away from home (including two neutral site games) in 2009. This coming just one year after the Bison went 3-7-1 on the road. The eight away/neutral site wins are a program record, while the record for most true road wins in a season is seven, set in 2003.
Brendan Nash Nets 100th Win
Bison head coach Brendan Nash is in his 11th season at Bucknell, and he recorded his 100th career victory with a 3-0 result at Army on Oct. 17. Nash is currently 103-81-28, and he ranks No. 2 on Bucknell's all-time wins list , trailing only Craig Reynolds (238). Nash was named the Patriot League Coach of the Year in 2000, 2003 and 2009, and he led the Bison to the 2006 Patriot League title.
Coaching Stability
Bucknell has had only two head coaches since 1967. Craig Reynolds had the reins from 1967-98, and when Reynolds retired following the 1998 season, he turned the playbook over to his assistant coach Brendan Nash, who has manned the Bison sideline ever since.
Turning 1,000
The Oct. 10, 1-0 win over Holy Cross came in the 1,000th game in program history. The Bison are now 443-469-95 all-time, dating back to the program's inception in 1929.
Keep an Eye on O'Brien
Bucknell senior Conor O'Brien was named the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year in both 2008 and 2009. Here are some season and career highlights for O'Brien:
O'Brien in 2009:
-- Only the fourth player in league history to repeat as Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year. Also a First Team All-Patriot League selection.
-- Named to the Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy Watch List prior to the season. It was his second straight year on the Watch List.
-- Leads the Patriot League in goals (10), assists (8) and points (28).
-- Has a league-high six game-winning goals. Scored the lone goal in three of Bucknell's seven 1-0 wins.
-- Has two-goal games against La Salle and St. Peter's and a two-assist game against Vermont.
-- Had his school-record points streak snapped at 11 games on Sept. 23 against Saint Francis (Pa.). Currently has a point in 20 of his last 24 games, including 15 of 19 games this season.
-- Patriot League Offensive Player of Week on Sept. 6.
O'Brien in His Career:
-- 2008, 2009 Patriot League Offensive Player of Year.
-- 2008, 2009 First Team All-Patriot League; 2007 Second Team All-Patriot League.
-- 2007 and 2008 Second Team NSCAA/adidas All-Mid-Atlantic Team.
-- On Bucknell's career lists ranks ninth in goals (25), second in assists (24) and seventh in points (74).
-- Only Dave Domsohn (1985-88) has had more assists (34) than O'Brien in a Bucknell uniform.
-- Is the highest-scoring Bucknell player in the last 20 years.
O'Brien in Rare Company
Conor O'Brien is currently one of only two Division I players in the nation leading his conference in both goals per game and assists per game. The other is Charlie Reiter (12-8-32) for Davidson of the Southern Conference.
Selwood a Rock on “D”
Senior co-captain Patrick Selwood has developed into one of the Patriot League's steadiest defenders and was a candidate for the league's defensive player of the year award this season. Some of Selwood's career highlights:
-- 2009 First Team All-Patriot League.
-- 2008 Second Team All-Patriot League.
-- 2008 Days' Inn Classic MVP.
-- 2008, 2009 ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District and NSCAA Scholar All-East Team.
-- Has 60 career starts, including all 37 of 38 since the start of last season. The only game he has missed in the last two seasons was the Lafayette game two weeks ago due to the flu.
Owning the Second Half
Bucknell has outscored opponents 22-8 in the second half of games this season, including 16-1 in its 14 victories.
Shutout Trio
In something of a rarity, Bucknell has had three different goalkeepers post shutouts this season. Starter Tommy Caso has seven, while Will Byrne (NJIT) and Marc Hartmann (Saint Francis) recorded clean sheets in spot starts.
Burgdorf High on Freshman Scoring List
Brendan Burgdorf's goal against Lehigh last week was his seventh of the season. That is not only tied for the most by a Patriot League freshman this season, but it is the fourth-highest total ever by a Bucknell freshman. Most Goals by a Bucknell Freshman: 1. Dave Domsohn 18 1985 2. Scott Strasburg 9 1973 3. Scott Gilroy 8 1996 4. Brendan Burgdorf 7 2009 5. Alex Kogan 6 1990 Greg Beatty 6 1991 Nathan LaGrave 6 2006 8. Bruce Strasburg 5 1971 Mark Brotherton 5 1979
Freshman Influence
Over the summer, Bucknell's 2009 freshman class was ranked No. 30 in the nation by College Soccer News, and a number of those newcomers have already played prominent roles.
-- The most visible freshman has been forward Brendan Burgdorf, who has started every game at forward and has seven goals and two assists for 16 points. His goal and point totals are tops among Patriot League freshmen.
-- Accra, Ghana native CK Kumah has also started every game, and he scored game-winning goals in back-to-back wins over Holy Cross and Marquette. Kumah also scored against Penn State and has four tallies on the season.
-- Jermaine Jarrett missed three games due to illness, but otherwise has been a regular on the back line.
-- Last year's New Jersey Player of the Year, Josh Plump, has started two games up front, and has been a prominent sub in all other games. He has two goals and three assists for seven total points.
Tournament Success
Backed by 1-0 wins over Hartwick and Syracuse, Bucknell won the Mayor's Cup earlier this season in Oneonta, N.Y. That was the team's third tournament title in the last two seasons. A year ago, the Bison defeated Penn State (2-0) and tied No. 10 Ohio State (1-1) to claim the Penn State Classic, and they also won their own Days Inn Bison Classic with a win over Cornell (3-0) and a draw with Hartwick (2-2).
First-Time Starters on Defense
Bucknell has three first-year starters on the back line, and all three have been rock solid. On the outside, junior Travis Rand and sophomore Andrew Powell have been starters since day one. Running alongside senior co-captain Patrick Selwood at center back has been freshman Jermaine Jarrett, a native of Kingston, Jamaica. The emergence of the three new starters has allowed coach Brendan Nash to move talented junior Ross Liberati up into the midfield, although Liberati does still play some on the back line.
Strong in the Air
Sophomore defender Andrew Powell has provided a strong presence in the air for the Bison, and it's easy to see why when you see what he does after the soccer season ends. Powell moonlights as a high jumper and decathlete for the Bucknell track and field team. Last season he placed third in both the high jump and heptathlon at the Patriot League Indoor Championships, and outdoors he was third in the high jump and fourth in the decathlon. His top high jump of 6-8 1/4 ranks No. 8 in program history.
A Flair for the Dramatic
Andrew Powell has two career goals, both coming this season, and both snapped tie scores in the 85th minute or later. On Sept. 23 against Saint Francis (Pa.), Powell scored with 5:59 remaining to give the Bison a 1-0 win. Then this past Saturday at Colgate, it was 1-1 until Powell blasted home a 25-yard shot with just 1:52 left in regulation. Powell was named this week's Damon's Bison Athlete of the Week for his heroics over the weekend.
Strong in the Air, Part II
Junior Ross Liberati has five career goals, all of them coming on headers. This season, one of Liberati's two assists came when he headed the ball to Andrew Powell, who headed it into the net for the game-winning goal in a 1-0 win over Saint Francis (Pa.).
Caso in Cage
Sophomore Tommy Caso is a three-time Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Week in 2009, and he recently earned Second Team All-Patriot League honors. Earlier in the year Caso was named the Garth Stam Defensive Most Valuable Player at the Mayor's Cup. Caso has seven shutouts this season and has given up only 16 goals in 17 games for a 0.96 goals-against average, the second-best mark in the Patriot League.
Last Time in the NCAAs
Bucknell's last NCAA Tournament appearance came in 2006. After winning twice in penalty kicks in the Patriot League Tournament, the Bison traveled to George Mason for the first round of the NCAAs and won 1-0 in overtime on Mark Schmiegel's golden goal. Bucknell was eliminated by No. 4 Virginia, 4-0, in the second round.
