Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell University
American (PL Championship)
Liberati's Two Goals Lead Bucknell Men's Soccer to Patriot League Title Over American, 2-0
11/14/2010 7:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Nov. 14, 2010
The Bucknell men's soccer team will be gathering at Damon's Grill in Lewisburg for the NCAA Tournament selection show on Monday at 4:30 p.m. The brackets will be revealed on ESPNU.
HAMILTON, N.Y. - The Bucknell men's soccer team is Patriot League Tournamenet champions once again. Tommy McCabe found Ross Liberati on free kicks for goals twice in the first half as the Bison defeated American, 2-0, Sunday afternoon at Colgate's unseasonably warm Van Doren Field. It is the third time in the last five years Bucknell has won the Patriot League Tournament and earned the league's automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.
Fourth-seeded Bucknell (10-8-2) defeated the third-seeded Eagles (7-9-3) in the championship match for the second consecutive season. Last year the Bison posted a 1-0 victory at Emmitt Field. Bucknell will find out its NCAA destination and opponent during Monday evening's selection show, which will be televised on ESPNU. First-round contests will be played on Thursday, Nov. 18.
The Bison wasted little time taking the early lead on Sunday as McCabe found Liberati, the Patriot League Tournament MVP, for the first time just 2 minutes, 3 seconds after kickoff. McCabe lined up for the kick on the right side of the field about 30 yards from the goal. He booted it in front of the goal and Liberati broke loose from the crowd and knocked it in for his fourth goal of the year.
In the 21st minute McCabe and Libertati hooked up again, only this time McCabe restarted play from the left side of the field and Liberati was able to head it in while surrounded by defenders for his fifth score. McCabe's two assists brought his season total to a team-high 10.
The Bison defense was strong throughout as American did not attempt a shot on goal until 32 minutes remained in the second half. The Eagles' best scoring chance during the first 60 minutes came off a corner kick 13 minutes into the second stanza when Bucknell goalie Marc Hartmann was forced to make a diving save of a 15-yard attempt. It was one of only two saves Hartmann had to make to post his fourth shutout of the season, and second in the tournament.
With the two-goal lead, the Bison spent much of the second half hanging back on their defensive side of the field. Bucknell had limited offensive chances in the second half, although a CK Kumah attempt with just over 13 minutes to play was turned away by Colgate's sliding goalie Matt Makowski, who posted four saves in the match.
Unlike Friday's 1-0 win over Colgate, during which Bucknell was outshot 16-5, the Bison were outshot by just a 14-12 margin by American. Bucknell held an 8-2 shot advantage in the first half. Corner kicks were even at four apiece.
Joining Liberati on the Patriot League All-Tournament team were Andrew Powell, Travis Rand and McCabe.
McCabe now has 10 assists on the season, making him just the fifth player in program history to reach double figures in that category. The five assists are tied for third-most in a season at Bucknell, just two shy of Tom Roller's record of 12, set in 1993. McCabe's 14 career assists are tied for 10th-most in Bison men's soccer history.
Bucknell has gotten progressively better in Patriot League Championship matches over the last half decade. The Bison needed to go to penalty kicks to defeat Lafayette in 2006. Last year Bucknell won by a 1-0 score over the Eagles and this year the posted a 2-0 victory.
