Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Men's Soccer Home Twice This Week, Starts League Play Saturday vs. American
9/22/2009 8:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Sept. 22, 2009
LEWISBURG, Pa. -- Looking to bounce back from a very competitive, yet very frustrating, 3-2 loss to 24th-ranked College of Charleston on Sunday, the Bucknell men's soccer team is back at it with two more home games this week. The Bison host in-state rival Saint Francis (Pa.) on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m., then American comes to town on Saturday at 4 p.m. to lift the lid on the 2009 Patriot League season.
Bucknell, which is ranked No. 4 in the NSCAA Middle Atlantic Regional rankings for the second straight week, is now 4-2 on the season. The Bison have held a lead in all six games and boast the Patriot League scoring leader in Conor O'Brien, who has five goals and three assists for 13 points.
Coach Brendan Nash is getting solid contributions from his freshman class. Rookies Brendan Burgdorf and CK Kumah scored the goals against College of Charleston on Sunday, and Burgdorf also had an assist. Josh Plump made his first career start in that game, and Vinny Cinotti has come on as a reserve in each of the last three games. Another freshman, Jermaine Jarrett, started on the back line on opening day, but has been out with an injury recently.
Bucknell's two opponents this week are riding opposite streaks. Saint Francis has won two games in a row, both by 2-1 counts over IPFW and Valparaiso on a road trip to Indiana over the weekend. The Red Flash are now 3-4 on the season. American dropped a 2-0 decision at home to William & Mary on Saturday and has now dropped three in a row after a 2-0 start.
BISON MEN'S SOCCER NOTEBOOK
Coverage
- Click HERE to follow Bucknell-Saint Francis live stats via GameTracker.
- Click HERE to follow Bucknell-American live stats via GameTracker.
Bucknell vs. Saint Francis Series Notes
- The Bison and Red Flash have met every year since 1997, and Bucknell leads the series 6-4-2. Bucknell is 4-1-1 against Saint Francis at home, including a 2-0 win in the last meeting in Lewisburg in 2007.
- These teams have played some tight games through the years, as 11 of the 12 prior meetings have been either a one-goal game or a tie. The Bison and Red Flash have gone to overtime five times and have contested all different types of games. For example, in 1999 Bucknell won a wild 5-4 overtime contest, then the very next year the two teams played to a scoreless tie in Loretto.
- Last season on Saint Francis' home field, Owen Gombami's second goal of the day 8:54 into overtime lifted the Red Flash to a 2-1 win over the Bison. Conor O'Brien scored on a free kick with just 9:49 left in regulation to tie it up.
About Saint Francis
- The Red Flash started the year 1-4, but picked up two road wins on their Midwestern trip over the weekend. Their other win was a 2-0 home verdict over Duquesne on Sept. 7.
- Saint Francis has played one Patriot League team so far, falling to Navy 2-0 at the UMBC Tournament on Sept. 12.
- Daniel Moir scored in both wins over the weekend and leads the team with three goals. Five other players have one goal apiece, including Gombami, who beat the Bison with a golden goal last year.
Bucknell vs. American Series Notes
- American has a 6-3 series lead over Bucknell, with eight of the nine games coming since the Eagles joined the Patriot League in 2001.
- Bucknell won 2-1 in 2003, 1-0 in 2004 and 3-0 in 2007. The Bison are 2-2 against AU at home.
- Last year, Bucknell's season came to an end in Washington, D.C., when the Eagles won 3-2 in overtime on the final day of the regular-season. Anthony Ferraro scored both Bucknell goals, but Luis Martinez scored with 6:22 left in the second overtime period to win it for American. It was a tense, physical battle, as the match featured 26 fouls, six yellow cards and two red cards.
About American
- American started the year with consecutive wins over George Washington (2-0 and George Mason (2-1) and was rewarded with a No. 23 national ranking from Soccer American. But since then, the Eagles have not scored in losses to Princeton (3-0), Monmouth (3-0) and William & Mary (2-0).
- While Bucknell hosts Saint Francis on Wednesday, American also has a mid-week game at Virginia Tech Wednesday night before traveling to Lewisburg.
- Daniel Shannon has two of American's four goals, with the other two coming from David Menzie and Karsten Smith.
- Goalkeeper Matt Makowski had made 14 saves while allowing nine goals in five starts.
- The Eagles went 5-1-1 in the Patriot League last season and tied for first place with Colgate. American then lost to Holy Cross in penalty kicks in the Patriot League Tournament semifinals.
- In 2009, AU has returned six of its top seven goal scorers from last year, in addition to Patriot League Preseason Defensive Player of the Year Cooper Bryant.
About the Bison
- Bucknell is coming off a tough 3-2 loss to No. 24 College of Charleston on Sunday at Emmitt Field. After allowing a goal just 6:54 into the game, the Bison rallied to take the lead on tallies by freshmen CK Kumah and Brendan Burgdorf. Bucknell had two good chances to go up 3-1, but Clark Hankins made a good save on Burgdorf, and Luke Joyner barely missed with a shot from the right side. The near-misses proved vital, as the Cougars tied it in the 62nd minute on a long shot by Justin Fojo and won it on a nice individual maneuver by Zach Prince with just 2:55 to play.
- Kumah's goal was the first of his career, and it was set up by Burgdorf, who collected his first career assist after fighting off a defender for a 50-50 ball in the box and passing back to Kumah.
- The Burgdorf-to-Kumah combination was Bucknell's eighth goal of the season, and it was the first not involving Conor O'Brien.
- O'Brien got back in the mix on Burgdorf's go-ahead goal just after halftime. O'Brien played a ball along the left flank and drew the assist when Burgdorf chipped it into the side netting inside the right post.
- O'Brien now has five goals and three assists for 13 points this season. Each of those totals is tops in the Partiot League. He also ranks 12th nationally in points per game and 16th in goals per game.
- O'Brien now has 19 career assists. With one more helper he will become just the sixth player in school history with 20. His 59 career points rank ninth in program history. With three more he will catch Bill Dahl (1960-62) for eighth place.
- Goalkeeper Tommy Caso extended his scoreless streak to 237:37 before allowing a goal against College of Charleston. Caso was coming off back-to-back 1-0 shutouts over Hartiwck and Syracuse.
- Wednesday night against Saint Francis, Brendan Nash will coach in his 200th game at Bucknell. Now in his 11th season, Nash has a career record of 93-78-28.
- After playing a program-record eight overtime games last season, the Bison have yet to require extra time in 2009.
Looking Ahead
- The Bison will close out a four-game homestand on Wednesday, Sept. 30 against Binghamton at 7 p.m. at Emmitt Field. It will also be a third straight revenge game for the Bison, who lost 3-1 at Binghamton last season.
