Feb. 20, 2009
LEWISBURG, Pa. - The Bucknell men's lacrosse team continues its treacherous early season schedule on Saturday at Ohio State. The game will begin at noon and will be played indoors at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
Bucknell is ranked No. 19 in this week's USILA Coaches' Poll, while Ohio State is just outside the top 10. Things are reversed in the Nike/Inside Lacrosse Media Poll, which has Ohio State 19th and Bucknell the top team among "others receiving votes."
The Bison are 0-1 on the season after falling 11-7 at No. 6 Duke last Saturday. Ohio State is 1-1, with a 21-1 rout of lax newcomer Detroit Mercy and an 8-6 loss at Navy last week.
Live streaming video (subscription required) and live statistics are available at ohiostatebuckeyes.com.
BISON MEN'S LACROSSE NOTEBOOK
Series Notes
The Bison and Buckeyes have met four times previously, with Bucknell winning all four.
The last two meetings could not have been closer. Last year in Lewisburg the Bison prevailed 8-7 on John Togneri's goal in triple overtime. In 2007 in Columbus, Bucknell also won by a single goal, 7-6.
The teams first met in Lewisburg in 1991, resulting in a 19-8 Bucknell win. The Bison also prevailed at home in 1993, 20-8.
About Ohio State
The 1-1 Buckeyes are led by senior attackman Joel Dalgarno, who already has seven goals and two assists for nine points. Dalgarno was an Honorable Mention All-American last season when he produced 40 goals and 35 assists.
Mike Pires has five goals and Jeff Ryan four goals and four assists for Ohio State.
Sophomore Brandon Freeman starts in goal for the Buckeyes. He has made 17 saves with nine goals against thus far.
The Buckeyes have an experienced faceoff man in senior Nick Carr, who is 10-for-20 on the season.
First-year head coach Nick Myers is the brother of former Bucknell assistant coach Pat Myers. Nick Myers replaced Joe Breschi, who took the head coaching job at North Carolina during the offseason. Pat Myers is now an assistant under Breschi with the Tar Heels.
Last Time Out
On Saturday at No. 6 Duke, Bucknell played the reigning national semifinalists tough, but three-goal runs in the first and fourth quarters proved too much to overcome in an 11-7 loss in Durham.
Senior Joe Mele equaled his career high with five goals. Three of them came in man-up situations, including two on a three-minute non-releasable equipment penalty to start the third quarter.
Austin Winter also had a big day with a goal and four assists. All four assists came on goals by Mele.
Bucknell trailed 8-6 at the start of the fourth quarter, but Duke scored a shorthanded goal during another illegal equipment penalty to keep the Bison out of reach.
Bucknell was outshot 12-3 in the first period, then outshot Duke 34-15 the rest of the way.
Bucknell also won the faceoff battle 10-9, with sophomore Jake Clarke winning eight of his 14 attempts.
Tim Brandau also scored for the Bison, while freshman Charlie Streep picked up an assist for his first collegiate point.
Senior defenseman Billy Haire led the team with six ground balls, while classmate Michael Cooke picked up five.
Senior goalie Nick Sciubba was credited with eight saves, five of them coming in the first quarter.
Bison Briefs
Junior Austin Winter was named to the Tewaaraton Trophy Watch List on Thursday. Winter is one of 60 men's players, including five from the Patriot League, on the preseason consideration list for the college lacrosse player of the year award. Winter was also on the Tewaaraton Watch List last season.
Winter and senior defenseman Billy Haire were named Honorable Mention Preseason All-Americans by Inside Lacrosse.
Haire was selected as the Patriot League Preseason Defensive Player of the Year by the league's head coaches and sports information directors.
Bucknell was picked third in the Patriot League preseason coaches' poll. Colgate was a close first over Navy, followed by Bucknell, Army, Lehigh, Lafayette and Holy Cross.
Prior to the season seniors Haire, Joe Mele and Matt Antonelli were named team captains.
Bucknell welcomed two new assistant coaches during the offseason. Former North Carolina assistant Judd Lattimore joined Frank Fedorjaka's staff and coordinates the offense. Eric Genova, formerly a member of the Cornell staff, is also in his first year with the Bison and has been working closely with the faceoff unit, among other duties.
Looking Ahead
Bucknell opens both its 2009 home schedule and its Patriot League schedule next Saturday against Navy at 1 p.m. at Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium. The game will be broadcast live on the Internet on Bison Vision.
