Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Men's Soccer Hosts No. 24 College of Charleston Sunday at Noon, Game to Air on Bison Vision
9/19/2009 8:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Sept. 19, 2009
LEWISBURG, Pa. -- The Bucknell men's soccer team takes on a nationally ranked team for the first time in 2009 when No. 24 College of Charleston visits Emmitt Field at Holmes Stadium on Sunday at noon. The Bison come in with a 4-1 record are ranked fourth in the Middle Atlantic Region by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, while the Cougars (5-1) suffered their first loss of the season on Friday night against another Patriot League squad, Lehigh.
Excellent weather is forecast for Sunday, and Bison tee shirts will be given away while supplies last.
Sunday's game will be broadcast live on Bison Vision, via BucknellBison.com. The men's contest will kick off a soccer doubleheader at Emmitt Field, as the Bucknell women will host Virginia Commonwealth at 3 p.m.
Bucknell is coming off a title-winning performance at the Mayor's Cup in Oneonta, N.Y., last weekend. The Bison posted 1-0 shutouts over host Hartwick and Syracuse, getting both goals from all-star midfielder Conor O'Brien. O'Brien, who now has five goals and two assists on the season, was named to the College Soccer News Team of the Week for his efforts.
BISON MEN'S SOCCER NOTEBOOK
Coverage
- Click HERE to follow Bucknell-College of Charleston live stats via GameTracker.
- Click HERE to watch the Bucknell-College of Charleston game live on Bison Vision (subscription fee required).
Bucknell vs. College of Charleston Series Notes
- The Bison and Cougars have met twice previously, with College of Charleston winning both times.
- In the first meeting in 2000 at the Iron Kids Soccer Classic, hosted by South Carolina, the Bison were coming off a terrific 2-1 overtime win over the eighth-ranked Gamecocks, which at the time was the highest-ranked opponent they had ever beaten. A day later, however, the Cougars handed the Bison a 6-0 setback. Bucknell has not allowed six goals in a game since then.
- The two teams squared off again in Columbia, S.C., in 2004, and this time it was much closer, as the Cougars prevailed 2-1. Scott Visnic gave Bucknell a 1-0 lead in the 61st minute of that one, but Scott Milroth scored twice in a 15-minute span later on to give College of Charleston the win.
About College of Charleston
- The 24th-ranked Cougars started the year 5-0, defeating Coastal Carolina (4-3), Air Force (1-0), Old Dominion (2-0), North Florida (3-0) and Florida Gulf Coast (2-1 OT).
- That winning streak came to an end on Friday night on the first leg of their Pennsylvania trip, when the Cougars fell 3-2 at Lehigh. The Mountain Hawks scored first and never trailed in the game. Francis Twohig and Matt Morris scored the cougars' goals.
- Morris is the team's top scorer with seven points on two goals and three assists. Twohig, Kareem Yearwood, Sean Flatley and John Bello also have two goals, as College of Charleston has outscored foes 14-7.
- Clark Hankins has started all six games in goal and has been called upon to make only 14 saves while allowing seven goals.
- College of Charleston is outshooting foes 84-49 on the season and has allowed only two first-half goals so far while scoring seven of their own.
- The Cougars went 11-10-0 last season and lost in the Southern Conference championship game, 3-2 to UNC Greensboro.
About the Bison
- Bucknell has outscored its opponents 7-4 in five contests so far this season. Five of the team's seven goals have come in the second half, including Conor O'Brien's game-winner with 2:58 left in regulation last time out against Syracuse.
- O'Brien has had a hand in all seven of the team's goals so far. He has five goals and two assists and leads the Patriot League in both goals and points. O'Brien ranks seventh nationally in goals scored and 10th in points.
- In addition to his CSN Team of the Week accolade this week, O'Brien was also named the Damon's Bison Athlete of the Week on Monday. After scoring both goals at the Mayor's Cup, he was given the Jim Lennox Offensive Most Valuable Player Award.
- Sophomore goalkeeper Tommy Caso picked up the two shutouts last week and also received a pair of honors. He earned the Garth Stam Defensive Most Valuable Player Award at the Mayor's Cup, and on Monday he was named the Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Week. Caso now has an .867 save percentage and 0.80 goals-against average on the season (26 saves, 4 goals against).
- Backs Patrick Selwood and Ross Liberati joined O'Brien and Caso on the all-tournament team at the Mayor's Cup.
- Sophomore Luke Joyner had assists on both of O'Brien's goals last weekend, accounting for his first two points of the season.
- Freshman Josh Plump was also credited with an assist in the win over Hartwick, his first collegiate point.
- Freshman CK Kumah took a game-high six shots against Syracuse and has 15 on the season, the team's second-highest total behind O'Brien's 22.
- At 4-1, Bucknell is off to its best five-game start since 2002, when the Bison started the year 4-1 and eventually pushed the string to 8-1.
Looking Ahead
- Sunday's game begins a four-game homestand for the Bison. Bucknell will be home again on Wednesday, hosting Saint Francis (Pa.) at 3:30 p.m., followed by home games against American on Sept. 26 and Binghamton on Sept. 30.
