Bucknell University Athletics
Men's Soccer's Caso, O'Brien Honored, Bucknell Now Ranked No. 4 in Region
9/14/2009 8:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Sept. 14, 2009
LEWISBURG, Pa. - On the heels of a strong showing at the Mayor's Cup tournament in Oneonta, N.Y., over the weekend, two Bucknell men's soccer players received awards on Monday. Sophomore Tommy Caso (Phoenix, Md./McDonogh) was named the Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Week, while senior midfielder Conor O'Brien (Mt. Sinai, N.Y./St. Anthony's) earned the Damon's Bison Athlete of the Week award.
Bucknell won the Mayor's Cup thanks to a pair of 1-0 shutouts over Hartwick and Syracuse. Caso was in the net for both victories. After the defense allowed only one shot on frame in the Hartwick game on Friday, Caso was called upon to make a season-high eight saves on Sunday against the Orange. He earned the Garth Stam Defensive Most Valuable Player Award for his efforts at the tournament.
The back-to-back shutouts helped Caso lower his season goals-against average to 0.80, and he upped his save percentage to .867. He has 26 saves and only five goals against in five matches.
Caso, who helped the Baltimore Casa Mia Bays to a national club championship over the summer, was picked as the Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Week for the second time in his career.
O'Brien maintained his torrid early-season scoring pace, accounting for both Bucknell goals at the Mayor's Cup, and he was given the Jim Lennox Offensive Most Valuable Player Award at the conclusion of the tournament. O'Brien scored just 34 seconds into the second half in the win over Hartwick, while his game-winning goal against Syracuse was a bit more dramatic, coming with just 2:58 left in regulation.
O'Brien has now registered at least one point in 10 straight games - the last five of 2008 and the first five of this season. That is a new Bucknell record, surpassing Ken Gulick's nine-game streak set in 1989.
Bucknell now has seven goals on the season, and O'Brien has scored five of them and assisted on the other two. He now has 20 goals and 18 assists for 58 career points. The 18 assists rank sixth on Bucknell's career list, while the 58 points rank ninth.
The Bison are now 4-1 on the season, and they are ranked No. 4 in the Mid-Atlantic Region by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). Only Charlotte, Saint Louis and Lafayette are ranked ahead of Bucknell.
The Bison host unbeaten College of Charleston on Sunday at noon at Emmitt Field. The Cougars, who play at Lehigh on Friday, are 5-0 and ranked No. 24 in the College Soccer News national poll.
